Zer0

While Let It Be is my favourite Replacements album and one of my all-time favourite albums, Tim skips in at a close second. One of the first things you notice about Tim after listening to their previous albums is the slightly more commercial 80’s production, mostly due this album being their first major label release for Sire records. While Let It Be charted a band moving away from their punk roots and embracing the idea of the pop song, here The ‘Mats go into full power-pop mode with great conviction. The result is a thrilling and memorable album.
The album is to say the least packed with power-pop classics as well as some beautiful and introspective songs. The opening track ‘Hold My Life’ has a chorus to die for and contains lyrics that reveal songwriter Paul Westerberg’s own vulnerability. One of the most interesting things about Paul Westerberg is his ability to switch between brash and energetic frontman to a sensitive and introspective songwriter with his heart on his sleave. This is something we see a lot of on Let It Be and even more so on Tim. The real standout songs of the album however are ‘Bastards of Young’ and ‘Left Of The Dial’. ‘Bastards Of Young’ is an 80’s alternative rock anthem with its shout-along chorus of “We are the sons of no one. Bastards of young”. It’s a song that shows that the band still had some punk spirit inside them yet they were still intent on creating memorable pop songs like this. Watch the promo video for this song which features a camera focused on a speaker for its entire duration, they were still intent on doing things their own way even if it meant pissing people off. ‘Left Of The Dial’ is The Replacements doing what they did best, bittersweet power-pop laced with hooks and memorable guitar lines courtesy of Bob Stinson.

The album’s more playful songs have a fun rock and roll edge to them. ‘I’ll Buy’ and ‘Lay It Down Clown’ with a few twists of the studio knobs could have been beamed out of the 60’s. ‘Kiss Me On The Bus’ is a sweet and witty tale of hopeless love and a good exercise in simple yet effective songwriting. On the flipside to all of this is Paul Westerberg’s more sensitive, introspective and somewhat depressing side. The ballad ‘Swingin Party’ captures a somewhat lonely and very downbeat mood in a way similar to The Smiths at their darkest and most introspective, with Paul Westerberg’s aching voice telling us that “If being afraid is a crime we hang side by side”. It’s a song that completely bellies the more bouncy and upbeat numbers such as ‘Kiss Me On The Bus’ but this is what gives the album its character. The closing song ‘Here Comes a Regular’ is a beautiful and fragile moment that seems to capture the feeling of drunken, depressed sincerity as well as the time of year where autumn becomes winter. Paul’s voice is strained at times but he still manages to carry the song beautifully over the acoustic guitar and gentle strings. It’s a downbeat and melancholic ending to this marvellous album.

Let It Be and Tim showcased The Replacements at their creative peak. Tim would be their last album with the original line-up as lead guitarist Bob Stinson would leave in late 1986. The follow-up album Pleased To Meet Me was a very strong effort, but you can’t help feel that the magic formula that made Let It Be and Tim so special had been broken without his presence in the band (he would die of organ failure in 1995). Tim was also the very first Replacements album listened to and my introduction to the band so it sticks with me in that way and was the perfect primer for my introduction to Let It Be. It was a special moment hearing this band properly for the first time and they are a band that I know will stick with me for years to come.

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