The Replacements

小簡介
        The Replacements是吉他歌手Paul Westerberg組織的一支獨(dú)立搖滾樂隊(duì)，活躍于80年代，1990年解散。外界一般把他們的曲風(fēng)歸類為alterntive rock（另類搖滾），有點(diǎn)類似于民謠與朋克的融合。
曾被Musician雜志譽(yù)為「80年代最后一支出色樂團(tuán)」，銜接樂壇各時(shí)期風(fēng)起云涌的搖滾各類潮流，為 90年代另類搖滾打出頭陣，葛萊美音樂獎(jiǎng)于1991年初設(shè)立「另類搖滾」獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)，The Replacements隨即獲得提名。雖然團(tuán)員幾經(jīng)異動(dòng)，然而樂團(tuán)初創(chuàng)期年僅12歲稚齡的原始貝斯手Tommy Stinson，現(xiàn)已入主幾經(jīng)波折的搖滾大團(tuán)「槍與玫瑰」之成員。擔(dān)任靈魂支柱、創(chuàng)作要角的Paul Westerberg，在他獨(dú)具個(gè)人風(fēng)格的演唱/編寫下，引領(lǐng)The Replacements走過風(fēng)光十余年歲月。500強(qiáng)專輯Tim
成軍于明尼蘇達(dá)州明尼亞波里市的The Replacements，于1981年發(fā)行首張專輯《Sorry Ma Forget to Take Out The Trash》，將70年代如火如荼蔓延其版圖至全球各地的粗糙刺耳硬核朋克音樂高能量壓縮再呈現(xiàn)。1983年發(fā)行第二張作品《Hootenanny》，嘗試從硬核噪音融入較為悅耳流行音感，同時(shí)保留那份狂熱叛逆氣息。1985年與主流大廠Sire簽下一紙合約推出《Tim》，接續(xù)達(dá)到主流與非主流平衡，端出佳作連連之大碟，并且獲得樂隊(duì)本身及唱片公司所期待的商業(yè)成功。
專輯《Tim》在滾石雜志評(píng)出的500張歷代最強(qiáng)專輯中排名第136位。
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The Replacements initially formed in 1979, when Paul Westerberg joined a garage punk band formed by brothers Bob (guitar) and Tommy Stinson (bass) and drummer Chris Mars. Originally, the band was called the Impediments, but they changed their name to the Replacements after being banned from a local club for disorderly behavior. In their early days, they sounded quite similar to Hüsker Dü, the leaders of the Minneapolis punk scene. However, the Replacements were wilder and looser than the Hüskers and quickly became notorious for their drunken, chaotic gigs. After they built up a sizable local following the Minneapolis label Twin/Tone signed them.
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, a sloppy hardcore collection, was released in 1981 but failed to make much of an impact on the national scene. It was followed the next year by the Stink EP, which followed the same pattern as the debut. It was the bands second album, 1983s Hootenanny, that first garnered the band attention and helped build their fan base. On Hootenanny, the group started playing around with other genres, adding elements of pop, straightforward rock & roll, country, and folk, although sometimes the eclecticism was ironic.
Hootenanny set the stage for Let It Be, the bands critical and artistic breakthrough. Released in 1984, Let It Be showed that the band had successfully expanded their musical reach and that Westerberg had grown considerably as a songwriter; he was now capable of pop like I Will Dare, full-throttle rock & roll, and introspective ballads like Answering Machine. Critics and fellow musicians were quick to praise the band, and they developed a large underground following. The buzz was large enough to convince Sire to sign the band in 1985.
The Replacements first major-label album, Tim, was scheduled to be produced by Westerbergs idol, Alex Chilton, but the sessions fell through; the album was produced by former Ramone Tommy Erdelyi. Upon its release in 1985, Tim garnered rave reviews that equalled those for Let It Be. Though the band was poised for a popular breakthrough, they were unsure about making the leap into the mainstream. As a result, they never let themselves live up to their full potential. The Replacements landed a spot on Saturday Night Live, but they were roaring drunk throughout their performances and Westerberg said f*ck on the air. Their concerts had became notorious for such drunken, sloppy behavior. Frequently, the band was barely able to stand up, let alone play, and when they did play, they often didnt finish their songs. The Replacements also refused to make accessible videos — the video for Bastards of Young featured nothing but a stereo system, playing the song — thereby cutting themselves off from the mass exposure MTV could have granted them.
After the tour for Tim, Bob Stinson was fired from the band, allegedly for his drug and alcohol addictions. The Replacements recorded their next album as a trio in Memphis, TN, with former Big Star producer Jim Dickinson. The resulting album, Pleased to Meet Me, was more streamlined than their previous recordings. Again, the reviews were uniformly excellent upon its spring 1987 release, but the band didnt earn many new fans. During the tour for Pleased to Meet Me, guitarist Slim Dunlap filled the vacant lead-guitarist spot and he became a full-time member after the tour.
Two years later, the band returned in the spring of 1989 with Dont Tell a Soul, the Replacements last bid for a mainstream audience. The band had cleaned up, admitting that their years of drug and alcohol abuse were behind them, and were now willing to play the promotional game. Dont Tell a Soul boasted a polished, radio-ready production and the group shot MTV-friendly videos, beginning with the single Ill Be You. Initially, the approach worked — Ill Be You became a number one album rock track, crossing over to number 51 on the pop charts. However, Dont Tell a Soul never really took off and failed to establish the band as a major commercial force.
Defeated from the lackluster performance of Dont Tell a Soul, Paul Westerberg planned on recording a solo album, but Sire rejected the idea. Consequently, the next Replacements album, All Shook Down, was a solo Westerberg record in all but name. Recorded with a cast of session musicians as well as the band, All Shook Down was a stripped-down, largely acoustic affair that hinted at the turmoil within the band. Chris Mars left shortly after its fall 1990 release, claiming that Westerberg had assumed control of the band; he would launch a solo career two years later. The Replacements toured in support of All Shook Down, with Steve Foley, formerly of the Minneapolis-based Things Fall Down, as their new drummer. Neither the tour nor the album were successful, and the Replacements quietly disbanded in the summer of 1991.
Tommy Stinson formed Bash & Pop the following year; in 1995, he formed a new band called Perfect. Dunlap released a solo album in 1993. Bob Stinson died February 15, 1995, from a drug overdose. Westerberg began a solo career slowly, releasing two songs on the Singles (Dyslexic Heart, Waiting for Somebody) soundtrack in 1992; he also scored the film. He released his debut solo album, 14 Songs, in the summer of 1993 to mixed reviews. Paul Westerbergs second solo album, Eventually, was released in the spring of 1996.