The Replacements' early years: A look back at their first press clippings

Photo by Dan Corrigan

​​Following last Friday's tribute to the Replacements at First Ave--this year's headline featured a star-studded performance of the Replacements' debut album, Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash--we thought it would be interesting to dig through the City Pages archives and look at some of the Replacements coverage during their early years.

They're arguably the most legendary boozers-and-users the Twin Cities music scene has ever managed to give birth to; and if you believe contemporary folklore, they were four drunken Jesuses who saved rock 'n' roll and singlehandedly created alternative music. Their booze-drenched, who-gives-a-shit debut is now a seminal artifact in the evolution of alternative rock; but what were we really saying about the Replacements, back when it was all happening?

Basically we loved them.

Following short stints as a jam band (Dogbreath) and proto-Replacements (The Impediments), the Mats history officially began in the spring of 1980, when a demo tape led to an almost immediate signing to Twin Cities mainstay Twin/Tone records, the influential label that also laid claim to The Suburbs and Curtiss A. The Mats' first advertised show appeared in the June 25, 1980 issue of the Twin Cities Reader-- a show alongside The Dads at The Longhorn (and featuring 88-cent wine coolers!). They spent the next year playing shows around the Twin Cities at The Longhorn (later Zoogies), Duffy's, 7^th St. Entry, and an intriguing date with Curtiss A at the Walker on Valentine's Day. During the spring of '81, they recorded Trash, which would be released a few months later on August 25.

By early-1981, with nothing but a badass reputation, Westerberg, Mars and the Stinson bros. were already given a raving front-page writeup by City Pages (then called Sweet Potato). Trash was welcomed that fall to glowing reviews in both City Pages and the Twin Cities Reader. City Pages declared the album full of "pretty stupid, pretty wonderful rock 'n' roll songs...one you might learn to give a wee particle of fecal matter about." The album, with its punk roots and Westerberg's drunkenly disguised songwriting skills, helped pave the way for alternative rock, anticipated grunge--Nirvana in particular--and influenced countless others who were sick of punk's self-absorbed nihilism and radio-ready rock's fear of everything fun.

We loved the Replacements, but during the next few years it was The Suburbs and Hüsker Dü getting all the downtime write-ups. Every Mats 7" and EP was given an automatic A++, but it was Hüsker Dü getting full-page spreads for its 5-year anniversary; and The Suburbs were consistently declared the "best Twin Cities" band.

Regardless, our lovable boozers made huge strides in those years. When Let It Be came out in '84, music critics were sacrificing their daughters for Westerberg. R.E.M. had laid claim to the alternative school of jangle pop, but the Replacements were the vanguard of alt's drunken fuck-it side.

During the next five years...they signed to a major label, played-SNL-and-then-got-banned-from-SNL, made a 2^nd perfect record (Tim), expelled Bob Stinson, released a few more albums...and then it was all over.

Trash is now 30 years old and Westerberg mostly stays away from the spotlight. We are left to random solo releases and a few random cameos. Thus, the reason the Twin Cities needs the now-annual Replacements Tribute. So, here's to next year.

From the archives:

• Feature: Pow! Go the Replacements (Sweet Potato, February 18, 1981)
  
• Twin Tone Madness: Garage Rock Fever (Twin Cities Reader, September 1981)
  
• Review: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (City Pages, September 9, 1981)