The Replacements

The Replacements emerged from the American rock underground of the 1980s as one of its most cherished acts, blending a reckless streak with genuine warmth. Originating in Minneapolis, the group barreled through its first phase on Twin/Tone Records, building a name for liquor-fueled live shows and roughly captured albums whose ragged surfaces often hid the sharp humor and compassion of singer, songwriter, and informal leader Paul Westerberg. After capturing critical praise and college-radio support, the band pursued wider recognition by moving to Sire Records and parting ways with founding guitarist Bob Stinson in an effort to tighten its sound. Commercial stardom remained elusive, yet a devoted following stayed steadfast and greeted the 2014 reunion shows that drew the largest crowds of the band’s career. The Replacements introduced themselves with the energetic 1981 album Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, reached a creative peak with 1984’s Let It Be, and scored their strongest sales with the comparatively refined 1989 release Don’t Tell a Soul.

Formed in 1979 when Paul Westerberg joined the garage-punk outfit started by brothers Bob on guitar and Tommy Stinson on bass together with drummer Chris Mars, the Minneapolis musicians first called themselves the Impediments before adopting the Replacements name after a local club banned them for unruly conduct. Early recordings and performances echoed the style of Hüsker Dü, the dominant force in the city’s punk community, yet the Replacements played with greater abandon and soon gained notoriety for inebriated, unruly concerts. Once they had assembled a substantial hometown audience, Twin/Tone offered a recording deal. The 1981 debut Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash arrived as a loose hardcore set that made little national impression, followed the next year by the similarly raw Stink EP. Attention grew with the 1983 album Hootenanny, which expanded the group’s range by folding in pop, straight-ahead rock, country, and folk touches, sometimes delivered with a knowing wink.

That stylistic broadening led directly to Let It Be, the 1984 record that marked the Replacements’ critical and artistic arrival. Westerberg demonstrated marked growth as a songwriter, supplying concise pop in “I Will Dare,” high-energy rock, and reflective pieces such as “Answering Machine,” while the band proved it could stretch its musical boundaries. Praise from reviewers and fellow musicians quickly followed, swelling the underground audience until Sire signed the group in 1985. Tim, the first major-label album, had been slated for production by Westerberg’s hero Alex Chilton, yet the sessions collapsed and former Ramone Tommy Erdelyi took the helm. Issued in 1985, Tim earned reviews as glowing as those for Let It Be, though the band remained ambivalent about courting mainstream success and never fully capitalized on its moment. A Saturday Night Live appearance ended in drunken disarray, with Westerberg uttering an expletive on air, while concerts continued to feature erratic, unfinished performances. The group also avoided conventional videos, releasing a clip for “Bastards of Young” that showed only a stereo playing the track and thereby forgoing MTV exposure.

After the Tim tour, Bob Stinson was dismissed amid concerns over his substance use. The remaining trio recorded Pleased to Meet Me in Memphis with producer Jim Dickinson, resulting in a more focused 1987 album that again drew strong notices but few additional listeners. Guitarist Slim Dunlap joined for the subsequent tour and became a permanent member afterward. Don’t Tell a Soul, released in spring 1989, represented the band’s final push for broader acceptance. Having set aside earlier excesses, the members embraced promotion and delivered a glossy, radio-oriented production highlighted by the single “I’ll Be You,” which topped the album-rock chart and reached number 51 on the pop side. Sales ultimately stalled, however, and the record failed to secure lasting mainstream traction.

Disappointed by the outcome, Westerberg explored a solo project, but Sire declined the notion; consequently All Shook Down appeared in fall 1990 as a Replacements album in name only, featuring session players alongside the core group and hinting at internal strain through its spare, largely acoustic approach. Chris Mars departed soon after, later launching his own solo work, while Steve Foley took over on drums for the supporting tour that proved unsuccessful. The band dissolved quietly in summer 1991. Tommy Stinson launched Bash & Pop the following year and formed Perfect in 1995; Dunlap issued a solo album in 1993. Bob Stinson died of a drug overdose on February 15, 1995. Westerberg began a solo career with contributions to the 1992 Singles soundtrack and released his debut album 14 Songs the next year. A partial reunion occurred in 2006 when Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, and Mars added two new tracks to the best-of collection Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was?, with Mars supplying only backing vocals.

Slim Dunlap suffered a severe stroke in February 2012 that left him unable to walk, speak, eat solid food, or play guitar. To assist with medical costs, Westerberg and Tommy Stinson recorded the cover EP Songs for Slim under the Replacements name, with Mars contributing artwork. With Dunlap’s consent, they then assembled a touring lineup that included guitarist Dave Minehan and drummer Josh Freese. The group returned to the stage in August 2014 at Toronto’s Riot Fest, followed by dates in Chicago and Denver, plus additional concerts and festival appearances while beginning work on new material. Tensions between Stinson and Westerberg surfaced during a spring 2015 tour; after their set at Portugal’s Primavera Sound Festival in June, Westerberg declared it the final show. He soon formed the I Don’t Cares with Juliana Hatfield, releasing Wild Stab in January 2016. Bob Mehr’s biography Trouble Boys appeared two months later, and Stinson revived Bash & Pop with the 2017 album Anything Could Happen.

Renewed interest prompted Rhino to issue the previously unreleased For Sale: Live at Maxwell’s 1986 in October 2017. Dead Man’s Pop, a four-disc set revisiting the Don’t Tell a Soul sessions, followed in 2019 and included the original Matt Wallace mix along with outtakes and the complete concert excerpted on the Inconcerated EP. An expanded three-CD/one-LP edition of Pleased to Meet Me arrived the next year, and a similarly elaborate reissue of Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash appeared in 2021. In 2023 the band released Tim: Let It Bleed Edition, a Super Deluxe package centered on a new Ed Stasium mix intended to align the album’s sound more closely with Let It Be.