Friday 29 April 2022

Grade

 

Grade are a five-piece hardcore/emo band from Burlington, Ontario that began in 1994 and initially broke up in 2002, before reuniting for shows in 2006, and ha,ve been fully reformed since 2009, though less active than in their formative years. They technically began in 1992 under the name Incision, but after a few line-up changes they finalized as Grade in 1994, with their debut LP coming out a year later. After three more albums, other assorted releases, and some relentless touring, they disbanded in 2002. They reunited in 2009 to record new material, as well as sporadically tour and play shows. 

Sonically, this band is often praised as being pioneers of the hardcore/emo blend that would become more widely popular in the 2000's. They developed a strong following, but never got any widespread recognition, thus why words like "underrated" and "influential" are often thrown their way. Rightly so, I might add. The band had the unique ability to blend metallic riffs of hardcore heavies like Chokehold with the more melodic, cathartic octave-chord crescendos of early emo bands like Evergreen or Sunny Day Real Estate. They were also one of the earliest bands to incorporate both screamed and cleanly sung vocals, a sound that again wouldn't become widespread until the next decade. If you're looking for a place to start with this band, Under The Radar is probably their most popular album, though I've always been partial to the rawer sound of And Such Is Progress. In regards to their discography, everything is below is near-complete, though there are a few minor things missing. Most notably some compilation tracks, as well as the early Afterthought single and Incision split, though all tracks from those two releases do appear elsewhere here. Enjoy!

1. Grade - Cripple
2. Grade - Choda
3. Grade - Impulse
4. Grade - Hairdie
5. Grade - Digga Digga Song
6. Grade - Classified
7. Grade - Melodic Song
8. Grade - Entangled
9. Believe - Pot O' Gold
10. Believe - Drowning
11. Believe - Last Chances
12. Believe - Second Coming
13. Believe - Joel's Song
14. Believe - Escape
15. Believe - Regret

1. Weave
2. Miracle Ear
3. CFNY
4. Bedhead
5. Tearjerk
6. Hive
7. Pocket Rocket
8. And Such Is Progress

1. Chancre
2. Not Heroic
3. Abandon The Need

1. Conceptualizing Theories In Motion
2. Symptoms Of Simplifying The Simplistic
3. The Adaption Of Means
4. Life Gets In The Way Of Living
5. To Illustrate And Design New Parameters
6. The Joy Of Stupidity
7. The Tie That Binds

1. Triumph & Tragedy
2. Stolen Bikes Ride Faster
3. Panama (Van Halen cover)

1. The Inefficiency Of Emotion
2. For The Memory Of Love
3. Seamless
4. The Tension Between Stillness And Motion
5. Victims Of Mathematics
6. A Year In The Past, Forever In The Future
7. The Worst Lies Are Told In Silence
8. Second Chance At First Place
9. Stolen Bikes Ride Faster
10. When Something Goes To Your Head
11. Triumph and Tragedy

1. Cripple
2. Punk Rock Song
3. Impulse
4. Hairdie
5. Digga Digga Song
6. Classified
7. Instrumental Song
8. Entangled
9. Afterthought (Demo)
10. The Tension Between Stillness & Motion (Demo)
11. Triumph & Tragedy (Acoustic)
12. Stolen Bikes Ride Faster
13. Panama (Van Halen cover)
14. A Year In The Past (Radio Version)
15. Seamless (Acoustic Version)

Note: Compilation including songs from the Grade/Believe split, Triumph & Tragedy

1. Termites Hollow
2. Becoming Not Being
3. In The Wake Of Poseidon
4. Bleeding Warm & Newly Dead
5. Overthrowing Creation Itself
6. Little Satisfactions
7. Vertical Transmission
8. Will Bending
9. In Ashes We Lie
10. Sixth Chamber
11. The Empress
12. Twenty Moons
13. Winds Of Hell / The Glorious Dead

1. Bane - Non-Negotiable
2. Bane - Struck Down By Me
3. Grade - These Eyes Are On The Exit
4. Grade - Optical Portions
5. Unrestrained - Immaculate Deception 
6. Unrestained - Anak Krakatau
7. Between Earth And Sky - Skin And Stone 
8. Between Earth And Sky - Flow

1. Collapsed Lungs
2. Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object

Textbook Traitors


Textbook Traitors were a five-piece screamo band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin that were around from 2002 to 2005. They played a volatile, fast-paced and frantic style of screamo with some insane vocals. Fans of bands like Orchid, Neil Perry, Jeromes Dream will undoubtedly love this. Vinyl Collections Vol. 1 contains their tracks from their splits with Rats Into Robots and Forensics in addition to two other songs. You Pull The Strings That Make Us Dance, their debut release, is an absolutely incredible 15 minutes of pure chaotic bliss. I highly recommend checking it out, and enjoy.

1. Fine Day To Die
2. Anatomy of a Teenage Hit List
3. Force Fed Voices
4. Siamese Separation Catastrophe
5. From Counting to Calculus
6. This is My Speech Act

1. Corn On Macabre - Deleted Scene
2. Textbook Traitors - One Fleeting Moment
3. Crimson Spectre - The Untimely Death Of Mr. Iskra
4. Witchcraft By A Picture - Experiments In Cognition

1. Textbook Traitors - A Notre Temps (A Toast To Errors)
2. Rats Into Robots - Pretext For War
3. Rats Into Robots - Froze In A Maze

1. Just Yesterday
2. Diagram Of How To Take A Punch
3. Barbeque on the Grassy Knoll
4. Revelation 9
5. A Notre Temps (A Toast to Errors)

1. Forensics - Daytime Minutes
2. Forensics - Pulling Rank
3. Textbook Traitors - Diagram Of How To Take A Punch
4. Textbook Traitors - Barbecue On The Grassy Knoll

A Day In Black And White


A Day In Black And White were a four-piece screamo/post-hardcore band from Washington, DC that were around from 2001 to 2005. They were fairly prolific in that time, with two albums released on Level Plane Records in addition to quite a few splits. Earlier on in their few short years, they are often regarding as a screamo band in line with bands like City Of Caterpillar and Funeral Diner, with drawn-out rises and falls throughout each song, mixing the discordant with the blissful and impactful. There was a noticeable shift in sound as the band experimented with a litany of different influences over the years that by the time their second album came out only a year later, they had progressed to the energetic, moodier and more plainly sung sounds of alternative rock, drawing comparisons to bands like Sonic Youth and Unwound. They're an intriguing band with a wide variety to offer, but its best to start with My Heroes Have Always Killed Cowboys and Notes, though the Black Castle split is right up there as well. Enjoy.

1. Tartarus
2. The Shivering

1. A Day In Black And White - Solstice
2. Silentreminder - Chubby Aging Elvis

Note: A Day In Black And White track only

1. A Day In Black And White - In A Grove (Live)
2. A Day In Black And White - What Do You Want Me To Do, Sign Your Freakin' Yearbook?
3. A Day In Black And White - Part One
4. Black Castle - Divine Intervention At The Baptist Convention
5. Black Castle - Oh No! Oh No! Oh No! Oh Yeah!
6. Black Castle - Matt Joyner Ruined Our Lives And We Ruined Your Record Collection
7. Black Castle - How To Do The Wrong Thing, The Right Way

1. Forward/Backward
2. There Are Objects & Objects
3. Storming The Bastille
4. The Gaze
5. The Illusion Of The End

1. Tinnitus
2. New Energy
3. A Literal Tale
4. Lame Duck
5. Less Is More
6. Long-Distance Song Effects
7. Nothing With Nothing
8. A Good Turn
9. Ronald's Right
10. All Plots
11. Sink Brand Cut Waist

1. A Day In Black And White - All Plots
2. Golden Birds - Have A Baby

1. A Day In Black And White - Nothing With Nothing
2. A Day In Black And White - All Plots
3. A Day In Black And White - Old Songs
4. Navies - Insect Trader
5. Navies - Past / Rusted
6. Navies - Non-Contract

39. Untitled

The Hope Conspiracy

The Hope Conspiracy are a four-piece hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts that began in 1999. They were briefly on hiatus around 2003-2005 before coming back in full-force with the landmark album Death Knows Your Name. They had put two full-lengths prior, through all of which they solidified themselves as one of the most essential hardcore bands on the more melodic side of things. Their anthemic call-to-arms and impassioned delivery has made them staples of their era, with an impact that's still felt today. If any evidence is needed, they managed to work with Equal Vision, Bridge 9, and Deathwish all in the span of a few years, which are all near-equal contenders for the four horsemen of hardcore labels in the 2000's. Admittedly, one of my biggest setbacks in posting is trying to come up with a way to accurately describe a band or explore its extensive history, and more often than not I end up drawing a blank. In a case like this though, I think its best to just post it as is, the bands music speaks for itself, and if you somehow haven't heard of this band already, you're in for a hell of a ride. Enjoy.

1. Escapist
2. Divinity Sickness
3. Regret Kills

1. Fragile
2. Bled Across The Wire
3. Truth And Purpose
4. Carved Out
5. Hope Bound Heart
6. Youth And Its Burden
7. Divinity Sickness
8. Consumed
9. You've Been Warned
10. Liars' Parade

1. No Love Goes Unpunished
2. Treason
3. It Meant Nothing
4. Divinity Sickness
5. Regret Kills
6. Escapist

1. Departed
2. Defiant Hearts
3. Holocaust
4. Fallen
5. Violent And Gray
6. Just A Life
7. Distant
8. Three Year Suicide
9. Deadman
10. Vendetta
11. Fading Signal
12. For Love

1. The Hope Conspiracy - Failure
2. The Suicide File - Ashcroft
3. The Suicide File - I Hate Rock N Roll

7. Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag cover)

1. Hang Your Head
2. Deadtown Nothing
3. Eurohell

1. They Know Not
2. Deadtown Nothing
3. A Darkness In The Light
4. Animal Farm
5. Curse Of The Oil Snakes
6. Hang Your Cross
7. Suicide Design
8. Leech Bloody Leech
9. So Many Pigs So Few Bullets
10. Sadistic Sacred Whore
11. Stolen Days

1. They Know Not
2. Hang Your Cross
3. Break-In (Fugazi cover)
4. Suicide Design

1. In The Shadow Of God
2. Greed Taught / War Driver / Born To Die
3. The Dismal Tide

1. They Know Not (Remastered)
2. Deadtown Nothing (Remastered)
3. A Darkness In The Light (Remastered)
4. Animal Farm (Remastered)
5. Curse Of The Oil Snakes (Remastered)
6. Hang Your Cross (Remastered)
7. Suicide Design (Remastered)
8. Leech Bloody Leech (Remastered)
9. So Many Pigs So Few Bullets (Remastered)
10. Sadistic Sacred Whore (Remastered)
11. Stolen Days (Remastered)
12. Eurohell (Remastered)

1. Confusion/Chaos/Misery
2. A Struggle For Power
3. Nail In The Coffin
4. Dogfight

Saturday 9 April 2022

The Replacements

I don't how or why it happened, but out of sheer coincidence post #1000 is so closely aligned with the 10-year anniversary of this blog (April 23, to be exact). I contemplated not featuring any band at all, until it dawned on me how fitting this band truly is. Over the years a lot of what I've listened to has changed, but one constant I always go back to is The Replacements. Thus, they're the perfect band to feature for numero ten hundred. This post is already way too long, so I'll keep this part short. I did not start this blog with any plans or intentions to carry it over the next decade of my life, and yet here we are, 10 years and 1000 posts later. It began as a way to give back to the community of blogs that helped introduce me to a ton of music I still hold near and dear to this day, and hopefully I've been able to do that for some of you. Thank you to anybody who still checks in here, any interest in this blog is a huge reason why I keep doing it, and why we'll (maybe) make it through another 1000.


The Replacements got their start in Minneapolis, Minnesota circa 1979 and consisted of Paul Westerberg (vocals, guitar), Bob Stinson (guitar), Tommy Stinson (bass) and Chris Mars (drums). Following a demo recorded in 1980 that got them signed to Twin/Tone Records, their debut album came out in 1981. As far as punk rock debuts go, Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash is one of the best. It's a fantastic introduction to the band's scrappy-yet-melodic sound, influenced by bands like The New York Dolls and The Buzzcocks. So much has been said about The Replacements over the years that its hard not be redundant, but they really did embody the coolest loser, reckless abandon, youth in revolt, bare bones rock n roll that they are often praised for, and that is evident right out the gate with this album. These 18 tracks take you for a ride of beer-soaked raw power, highlighting Stinson's wild guitar leads and Westerberg's early penchant for songwriting. There are so many standout tracks on this, the howling introduction of "Takin A Ride", the desperate "Customer", the catchy choruses of "Shiftless When Idle" and "I'm In Trouble", and the closing statement of "Raised In The City"; this album captures suburban teenage angst in a way that few albums do. I got into this album at the exact right time in my life, and it served as the perfect introduction to them that still holds up years later.


Following the band's debut, they continued to play live shows and slowly started to develop the reputation they would become renowned for, with shows being total hits or misses. Either they would show up and play the greatest set the audience had ever seen, or they'd be drunken disasters, slurring their way through a few originals before breaking off into half-baked attempts at cover songs, all done in the name of self-sabotage. This would be something that would continue throughout their career, and would eventually be part of the reason they never broke into the mainstream at the time, but we'll get to that. They followed up Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash with an EP the following year, Stink. Opener "Kids Don't Follow" acts as its flagship track, and is undoubtedly the best song on it. This is the closest The Replacements ever came to a hardcore band. Pumping out 8 songs in 15 minutes, they gnash their way through the fastest tempos and most snarled vocals of their career. With song titles like "Fuck School" and "God Damn Job", they keep up their winking sense of humour, but with a sound that never fully suit them.

The band's next album took them in a vastly different direction, with only slivers of their debut's rowdy punk or its follow-up's straight-up hardcore. 1983's Hootenanny is a mixed bag, with the band exploring a ton of different sounds within its 12 songs. The title track opener features all four members on different instruments performing a wacky walking blues lines for about a minute and a half with an over-the-top vocal styling and shredded guitar. The following track, "Run It", is one of only a handful of songs here that sound anything like their previous material. "Color Me Impressed", one of their best-known and iconic songs is an absolute stand-out, with Westerberg's writing finally coming into it's own on a song that could sit comfortably on either one of their next two records. It's a highlight in their early career and one of their best known for a very good reason; it's one of the most 'Mats songs the 'Mats ever released, if that make any sense. As for the rest of the album, they take multiple directions with the experimental "Lovelines", the Beatles theft on "Mr. Whirly", and the acoustic country twang closer of standout "Treatmeant Bound". I'd be remiss to not mention "Within Your Reach", performed entirely by Westerberg and a stark departure from anything they had previously done. It's a synth and drum-machine driven, phaser-heavy pop tune with heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics and some gorgeous vocal melodies to back them up. The guitar hits and drawn-out vocals of "reach" in the chorus is a career highlight, and the first of many times the 'Mats would hit emotional bliss. 



The following year, they released Let It Be, often regarded as their greatest album, and for good reason. It embodies the entire trajectory of the band, with their constant duality of masterpieces and disasters. From the first jangly chords of "I Will Dare", its immediately evident the band had reached new heights of songwriting complexity. With its stomping riff and catchy chorus, it makes for an immediate classic on alternative college radio. "Favorite Thing" kicks back to their rock n roll roots before "We're Comin' Out" comes bursting in, sounding more frantic and energetic than anything they did in their hardcore heyday. "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" is one of their last holdouts for any kind of goofiness on record, and makes for the perfect counterbalance to the next track, the out-of-tune romantic piano ballad "Androgynous". One of the finest songwriting moments in their whole discography, this song is simultaneously catchy and endearing, with a message that still holds up years later.

"Black Diamond" is a KISS song, with the band committing fully to a cover for once. They keep their gutter punk attitude while delivering a great, honest rendition of the song, staying true to the original while somehow making it their own. What can be said about "Unsatisfied", other than it's one of the greatest songs ever written? With a smirking despondence, Westerberg delivers one of his best vocal performances ever, making for a song you can feel as much as you hear, with a universally relatable emotion. The largely instrumental "Seen Your Video" takes shots at the mainstream music industry the band always intentionally tried to sidestep. "Gary's Got A Boner" makes for one of the band's most ridiculous songs, but is integral to the greatness of this album because it exemplifies the multi-faceted aspect of the band, who could be as serene and tender as they could be loud and raunchy. When paired with the dreamy adolscent musing of "Sixteen Blue" and the bitter longing of "Answering Machine", the full scope of this band's capabilities come into view. This is what makes this album worth coming back to time and time again, what a mess it sounds like on paper but with the right execution, they pull off the tonal shifts both sonically and lyrically. Every track on this feels necessary, and the band takes these great songs and make them even better when put it into the context of this album.


The band was met with acclaim following the release of Let It Be, which inevitably attracted the attention of major labels. While being scouted, the band continued their streak of self-sabotaging themselves, often playing drunken sets that only consisted of snippets of covers as a form of deterrence. Despite this, they did end up signing to Sire Records, who released their major-label debut Tim in 1985, produced by Tommy Ramone. A decidedly more mature release, where much of the wit and humour that permeated their early releases (and still came through on certain songs from Let It Be), had dissipated from their sound. It's undoubtedly a fan favourite, as some of the band's most widely-known and loved songs pop up on here. The anthemic "Bastards Of Young" and "Left Of The Dial" immediately come to mind, alongside the quiet and humbled "Swingin' Party", the compassionate "Little Mascara" and foot-stomping sing-along "Waitress In The Sky". 

They kick things back into hard rocking territory on "Dose of Thunder" and "Lay It Down Clown", which are decent songs, but clear that this was not the sound the band was heading for anymore.  From the desperate introduction of "Hold My Life" (a personal favourite) to the closing moments of "Here Comes A Regular" (one of the most intimate and honest songs they ever released), they come through with a near-perfect album again. With Paul's songwriting still on fire and lyricism at its best, they put together a collection of songs that could have (and should have) all been hits.

However, with what had become thematic for them, what could have been their big breakthrough album just never was. They got the chance to play SNL in 1986, but end up performing sloppily and visibly drunk on live TV, resulting in being banned for life from the show. Later that same year, guitarist Bob Stinson either left or was fired from the band following a build-up of tension surrounding his excessive substance abuse, even by their standards. With him left the last bit of the raw, wild energy that was the focal point of their early career, though it did make way for some of their best material yet as Westerberg's songwriting became the main focus.


The Replamcenets reconvened as a three-piece in Memphis to record their next album, Pleased To Meet Me. Another absolute masterpiece in their continued evolution, they began to embrace the pop sensibilities that had been brewing in their music for some time, while still keeping one hand on the rock n roll steering wheel. They enlisted producer Jim Dickinson, who worked on Big Star's Third, a band that The Replacements were heavily influenced by. Pleased To Meet Me is probably the band's most colloborative project, in the abscence of Bob they brought in a number of guest musicians to expand their instrumental palette, including keyboards, organs, horns, saxophones, strings, backing vocals, and guitar solos, including Big Star's Alex Chilton (who they had worked with before) who appears as a guitarist on the closing track.

With a noticebly cleaner sound than their previous material, the band did continue to experiment with sounds and genres, making for a varied album that is still unmistakably them. "I.O.U." kicks things off with a classic raw rock n roll riff, making for their most wild and energetic opener since the early days, with the nuance of their developed technical chops to elevate it. The not-so-subtle nod to "Alex Chilton" was released as the album's second single, and without a doubt one of the best songs in their catalogue. They sound absolutely massive from the first second the main riff comes in, and by the time the 'ooooos' start in the pre-chorus, it's apparent they've mastered their craft of making catchy, compelling and energetic songs, and why they are still discussed to this day. 

Following it up with the grimy, sax-heavy "I Don't Know", they then take a turn as a cocktail lounge jazz band with "Nightclub Jitters", one of the finest songs on the album and a strange but comfortably fitting sound for them. "The Ledge" could have been a radio hit if not for its dark subject matter, while "Never Mind" and "Valentine" are  two of the poppiest songs on here. The former being a Springsteen-esque stadium anthem and the latter a sincere love song, with some subtle organ work and memorably sweet lyrics ("if you were a pill I'd take a handful at my will and knock you back with something sweet and strong"). 

"Shooting Dirty Pool" and "Red Red Wine" are two straight-up rockers, though they do slightly pale in comparison to the insane opening of "I.O.U." Finally, the real butter lies in the final moments of this album, first with "Skyway". It's a reverb-laden jangly acoustic piece with some gorgeous vocal melodies, and a major departure from anything we've heard from them before. "Can't Hardly Wait", one of their undisputed classics is the closer here, and acts as a cap on this era of the band. A song that had been in the works since Tim, it's beauty lies in simplicity, with a driving guitar riff, trumpet augments, and blunt lyricism. "Ashtray floors, dirty clothes, and filthy jokes" is one of my favourite lyrics of all time, with its beautiful summation of profound simplicity in fleeting moments. From Let It Be to Pleased To Meet Me, this three-album run alone is enough to cement The 'Mats legacy, and there's still more to go.


Shortly after the recording of Pleased To Meet Me, Slim Dunlap joined the band as Bob's official replacement, and they embarked on a tour behind the album. This four-piece rcorded 1989's Don't Tell A Soul, a less sonically scattered and more commercially viable effort. It yielded a minor hit in "I'll Be You", but failed to reach a wider audience. This is a strange one for me, as when I first got into them, I heavily neglected their last two albums (and even PTTM for a while). I was more interested in the earlier, scrappy punk stuff they were doing. Over the years this album has grown on me a lot, and I hold it in pretty high regard for its matured, focused songwriting, subdued hooks and clean production. The aforementioned "I'll Be You" as well as "Achin' To Be" are the two most commonly praised songs off this album, as they are two of the best. "Back To Back", "Rock N Roll Ghost" and the incredible opener "Talent Show" are also some of their finest material ever, and it's crazy to think how they went from Sorry Ma... to this in less than a decade. 

I'm getting ahead of myself here, but the 2019 compilation Dead Man's Pop includes a remixed version of the album by its original producer Matt Wallace, which features a rawer and more live sound than the one originally released. The reverb and chorus effects are toned down and the track listing is in the order it was intended to be. It's a worthy companion piece to the album to check out, with a great live set by them included as well.

A year after Don't Tell A Soul, the band's future began to seem shaky. Westerberg had begun work on his debut solo release, which ended up becoming The Replacements' 1990 album All Shook Down. There's some debate as to how much the remaining 'Mats members actually performed on the album, as there were session musicians involved. Despite this, every member is still fully credited on the album. Chris Mars was also on his way out, having grown dissatisfied with Paul's creative takeover of the band, turning down any songs and input from Mars. He was eventually replaced by drummer Steve Foley following the release of All Shook Down. Admittedly this is the album I revisit the least, though it's not bad by any means. "Merry Go Round" and "Sadly Beautiful" are standout tracks, while "The Last" serves as a good swan song for the band. They toured in 1991 before officially calling it quits that same year.

In the years that followed, Westberg carried on with a productive solo career, continuing to tour and release albums regularly. Chris Mars and Slim Dunlap both began solo careers in the 90's, though Mars eventually turned his attention to painting. Tommy Stinson formed the short-lived bands Bash & Pop (along with Steve Foley) and Perfect before becoming the bassist for Guns N Roses in 1998, which he would be a part of until 2014. Following his time in The Replacements, Bob Stinson worked odd jobs and was active in a number of bands including Static Taxi. Tragically, he died in 1995 due to organ failure, as did Steve Foley in 2008 as a result of an accidenal prescription overdose.


The Replacements were inactive until 2006, when their greatest hits compilation, Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? was released. Two new songs were recorded by Paul and Tommy, with Chris Mars providing backup vocals and Josh Freese on drums. They appear as the last two tracks on the compilation. Normally I'm not a huge fan of "greatest hits" albums, but if you are new to this band, it's a surprisingly good starting point to get a sense of their ever-changing trajectory. The trio reunited again in 2012 to record the Songs For Slim EP, a benefit EP for Slim Dunlap who had recently suffered a stroke. In 2013, The Replacements took the stage for the first time since 1991. This iteration included Paul and Tommy, along with drummer Josh Freese and guitarist Dave Minehan. They played shows (mostly festivals) from 2013 to 2015, and have been inactive again ever since.

That about sums it up. I know this was entirely too long and filled with mostly rehashed information, but hopefully it was worth the read. In closing, this band is everything, for the ups and downs, the good times the bad times, in momentary flashes or years end on end, this band really encapsulates the then-and-now, the age-old adage, the "ashtray floors, dirty clothes and filthy jokes" eternity of it all.

Alright, so this discography does require a few notes to navigate. For starters, I changed up the order everything is usually listed in. The band's eight studio albums (if you include Stink) come first, as that's all the essential material here. What follows is all the odds-and-ends, the compilations, live albums, all the deep dive stuff. I've included notes below most releases to give you an idea of what they are if the titles weren't self-explanatory enough. The only major thing to note is that in 2008, Rhino released all their studio albums as remastered expanded editions, including b-sides, outtakes, demos, and other various bonus material. If you want to get right into their treasure trove of material, those are for you. There's a lot of gold in there too, including "If Only You Were Lonely", the Tim version of "Can't Hardly Wait", the cover of Hank Williams' "Hey, Good Lookin'", the list goes on. If that wasn't enough, Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash, Pleased To Meet Me, and Don't Tell A Soul have had extended deluxe editions released in recent years with even more material on them.

Finally, and I don't normally like to do this, but figured what the hell, it's post #1000 and I'm curious to see what others think as well. The Replacements records ranked from 1-8: Let It Be, Tim, Pleased To Meet Me, Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash, Hootenanny, Don't Tell A Soul, Stink, All Shook Down. 2-3 are pretty neck and neck, as are 5-6. That's it, this post has been 10 years coming, and it's finally here. For the 1000th time: enjoy.

STUDIO DISCOGRAPHY

1. Takin' A Ride
2. Careless
3. Customer
4. Hangin' Downtown
5. Kick Your Door Down
6. Otto
7. I Bought A Headache
8. Rattlesnake
9. I Hate Music
10. Johnny's Gonna Die
11. Shiftless When Idle
12. More Cigarettes
13. Don't Ask Why
14. Something To Dü
15. I'm In Trouble
16. Love You Till Friday
17. Shutup
18. Raised In The City

1. Kids Don't Follow
2. Fuck School
3. Stuck In The Middle
4. God Damn Job
5. White And Lazy
6. Dope Smokin' Moron
7. Go
8. Gimme Noise

1. Hootenanny
2. Run It
3. Color Me Impressed
4. Willpower
5. Take Me Down To The Hospital
6. Mr. Whirly
7. Within Your Reach
8. Buck Hill
9. Lovelines
10. You Lose
11. Hayday
12. Treatment Bound

1. I Will Dare
2. Favorite Thing
3. We're Comin' Out
4. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
5. Androgynous
6. Black Diamond
7. Unsatisfied
8. Seen Your Video
9. Gary's Got A Boner
10. Sixteen Blue
11. Answering Machine

1. Hold My Life
2. I'll Buy
3. Kiss Me On The Bus
4. Dose Of Thunder
5. Waitress In The Sky
6. Swingin' Party
7. Bastards Of Young
8. Lay It Down Clown
9. Left Of The Dial
10. Little Mascara
11. Here Comes A Regular

1. I.O.U.
2. Alex Chilton
3. I Don't Know
4. Nightclub Jitters
5. The Ledge
6. Never Mind
7. Valentine
8. Shooting Dirty Pool
9. Red Red Wine
10. Skyway
11. Can't Hardly Wait

1. Talent Show
2. Back to Back
3. We'll Inherit The Earth
4. Achin' To Be
5. They're Blind
6. Anywhere's Better Than Here
7. Asking Me Lies
8. I'll Be You
9. I Won't
10. Rock N Roll Ghost
11. Darlin' One

1. Merry-Go-Round
2. One Wink At A Time
3. Nobody
4. Bent Out Of Shape
5. Sadly Beautiful
6. Someone Take The Wheel
7. When It Began
8. All Shook Down
9. Attitude
10. Happy Town
11. Torture
12. My Little Problem
13. The Last


MISC RELEASES

1. I'm In Trouble
2. If Only You Were Lonely

1. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
2. Sleeping Nights Of Jesus
3. Lovelines
4. I'll Be There
5. Sixteen Blue
6. Can't Hardly Wait
7. I Will Dare
8. Hear You Been To College
9. Saturday Night Special
10. Iron Man
11. Misty Mountain Hop
12. Heartbreaker
13. Can't Get Enough Of Your Love
14. Jailbreak
15. Breakdown
16. No More The Moon Shines On Loreena
17. Mirror Go Round
18. Left Here In The Dark
19. Takin' Care Of Business
20. I Will Follow
21. Jumpin' Jack Flash
22. Radio Free Europe
23. More Fun In The New World
24. Let It Be

Note: Live album, a few originals, mostly just "covers"

1. Color Me Impressed
2. White And Lazy
3. Within Your Reach
4. If Only You Were Lonely
5. Kids Don't Follow
6. Nowhere Is My Home
7. Take Me Down To The Hospital
8. Go

Note: Compilation including tracks from Stink and Hootenanny, a Sorry Ma... b-side and rare Alex Chilton-produced track "Nowhere Is My Home"

1. Talent Show
2. Answering Machine
3. Anywhere's Better Than Here
4. Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones cover)
5. Here Comes A Regular
6. Achin' To Be (LP Version)

Note: Live EP, full version included on Dead Man's Pop

1. When It Began (Album Version)
2. Kissin' In Action
3. Ought To Get Love
4. Satellite
5. Like A Rolling Pin

1. Talent Show
2. Round And Round
3. Can't Hardly Wait
4. September Gurls (Big Star cover)
5. Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones cover)
6. Within Your Reach
7. Left Of The Dial
8. Alex Chilton
9. Nightclub Jitters
10. I'll Be You
11. Bastards Of Young
12. Talent Show
12. Answering Machine
14. Anywhere's Better Than Here
15. Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones cover)
16. Here Comes A Regular
17. Achin' To Be
18. Waitress In The Sky
19. Don't Ask Why
20. Unsatisfied
21. I Will Dare

Note: Bootleg of various live shows from 1989

Disc 1: All For Nothing
1. Left Of The Dial
2 Kiss Me On The Bus
3. Bastards Of Young
4. Here Comes A Regular
5. Skyway
6. Alex Chilton
7. The Ledge
8. Can't Hardly Wait
9. I'll Be You
10. Achin' To Be
11. Talent Show
12. Anywhere's Better Than Here
13. Merry Go Round
14. Sadly Beautiful
15. Nobody
16. Someone Take The Wheel

Disc 2: Nothing For All
1. Can't Hardly Wait (The Tim Version)
2. Birthday Gal
3. Beer For Breakfast
4. Till We're Nude
5. Election Day
6. Jungle Rock
7. All He Wants To Do Is Fish
8. Date To Church
9. Cruella De Ville
10. We Know The Night
11. Portland
12. Wake Up
13. Satellite
14. Like A Rolling Pin
15. Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones cover)
16. Who Knows
17. All Shook Down
18. I Don't Know

Note: Disc 1 contains songs from Tim to All Shook Down, Disc 2 is a collection of b-sides and unreleased tracks from the same era

1. Takin' A Ride
2. Shiftless When Idle
3. Kids Don't Follow
4. Color Me Impressed
5. Within Your Reach
6. I Will Dare
7. Answering Machine
8. Unsatisfied
9. Here Comes A Regular
10. Kiss Me On The Bus
11. Bastards Of Young
12. Left Of The Dial
13. Alex Chilton
14. Skyway
15. Can't Hardly Wait
16. Achin' To Be
17. I'll Be You
18. Merry-Go-Round
19. Message To The Boys
20. Pool & Dive

Note: Greatest hits album + 2 newly recorded songs

1. Takin' A Ride
2. Careless
3. Customer
4. Hangin' Downtown
5. Kick Your Door Down
6. Otto
7. I Bought A Headache
8. Rattlesnake
9. I Hate Music
10. Johnny's Gonna Die
11. Shiftless When Idle
12. More Cigarettes
13. Don't Ask Why
14. Something To Dü
15. I'm In Trouble
16. Love You Till Friday
17. Shutup
18. Raised In The City
19. Raised In The City (Demo)
20. Shutup (Demo)
21. Don't Turn Me Down (Demo)
22. Shape Up (Demo)
23. You Ain't Gotta Dance (Demo)
24. Get On The Stick (Studio Demo)
25. Oh Baby (Studio Demo)
26. Like You (Outtake)
27. Get Lost (Outtake)
28. A Toe Needs A Shoe (Outtake)
29. Customer (Alternate Take)
30. Basement Jam (Rehearsal)
31. If Only You Were Lonely

1. Kids Don't Follow
2. Fuck School
3. Stuck In The Middle
4. God Damn Job
5. White And Lazy
6. Dope Smokin' Moron
7. Go
8. Gimme Noise
9. Staples Her Stomach
10. Hey, Good Lookin' (Hank Williams cover)
11. (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock (Outtake)
12. You're Getting Married (Solo Home Demo)

1. Hootenanny
2. Run It
3. Color Me Impressed
4. Willpower
5. Take Me Down To The Hospital
6. Mr. Whirly
7. Within Your Reach
8. Buck Hill
9. Lovelines
10. You Lose
11. Hayday
12. Treatment Bound
13. Lookin For Ya
14. Junior's Got A Gun (Outtake - Rough Mix)
15. Ain't No Crime (Outtake)
16. Johnny Fast (Outtake - Rough Mix)
17. Treatment Bound (Alternate Version)
18. Lovelines (Alternate Vocal)
19. Bad Worker (Solo Home Demo)

1. I Will Dare
2. Favorite Thing
3. We're Comin' Out
4. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
5. Androgynous
6. Black Diamond
7. Unsatisfied
8. Seen Your Video
9. Gary's Got A Boner
10. Sixteen Blue
11. Answering Machine
12. 20th Century Boy
13. Perfectly Lethal (Outtake)
14. Temptation Eyes (Outtake)
15. Answering Machine (Solo Home Demo)
16. Heartbeat - It's  Lovebeat (Outtake - Rough Mix)
17. Sixteen Blue (Outtake - Alternate Vocal)

1. Hold My Life
2. I'll Buy
3. Kiss Me On The Bus
4. Dose Of Thunder
5. Waitress In The Sky
6. Swingin' Party
7. Bastards Of Young
8. Lay It Down Clown
9. Left Of The Dial
10. Little Mascara
11. Here Comes A Regular
12. Can't Hardly Wait (Outtake - Acoustic)
13. Nowhere Is Near My Home
14. Can't Hardly Wait (Outtake - Electric)
15. Kiss Me On The Bus (Studio Demo)
16. Waitress In The Sky (Alternate Version)
17. Here Comes A Regular (Alternate Version)

1. I.O.U.
2. Alex Chilton
3. I Don't Know
4. Nightclub Jitters
5. The Ledge
6. Never Mind
7. Valentine
8. Shooting Dirty Pool
9. Red Red Wine
10. Skyway
11. Can't Hardly Wait
12. Birthday Girl (Studio Demo)
13. Valentine (Studio Demo)
14. Bundle Up (Studio Demo)
15. Photo (Studio Demo)
16. Election Day
17. Alex Chilton (Alternate Version)
18. Kick It In (Studio Demo)
19. Route 666
20. Tossin' N' Turnin'
21. Can't Hardly Wait (Alternate Version)
22. Cool Water

1. Talent Show
2. Back to Back
3. We'll Inherit The Earth
4. Achin' To Be
5. They're Blind
6. Anywhere's Better Than Here
7. Asking Me Lies
8. I'll Be You
9. I Won't
10. Rock N Roll Ghost
11. Darlin' One
12. Portland
13. Wake Up
14. Talent Show (Studio Demo)
15. We'll Inherit The Earth (Mix 1)
16. Date To Church
17. We Know The Night (Outtake)
18. Gudbuy T' Jane (Outtake)

1. Merry-Go-Round
2. One Wink At A Time
3. Nobody
4. Bent Out Of Shape
5. Sadly Beautiful
6. Someone Take The Wheel
7. When It Began
8. All Shook Down
9. Attitude
10. Happy Town
11. Torture
12. My Little Problem
13. The Last
14. When It Began (Demo)
15. Kissin' In Action (Demo)
16. Someone Take The Wheel (Demo)
17. Attitude (Demo)
18. Happy Town (Demo)
19. Tiny Paper Plane (Demo)
20. Sadly Beautiful (Demo)
21. My Little Problem (Demo)
22. Ought To Get Love
23. Satellite
24. Kissin' In Action

1. Busted Up
2. Radio Hook Word Hit
3. I'm Not Sayin'
4. Lost Highway
5. Everything's Coming Up Roses

Note: EP recorded and released to support former bandmate Slim Dunlap, who suffered a stroke. First 2 tracks are written by him and last 3 tracks are covers

Disc 1
1. Hayday
2. Color Me Impressed
3. Dose Of Thunder
4. Fox On The Run
5. Hold My Life
6. I Will Dare
7. Favorite Thing
8. Unsatisfied
9. Can't Hardly Wait
10. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
11. Takin' A Ride
12. Bastards Of Young
13. Kiss Me On The Bus
14. Black Diamond

Disc 2
1. Johnny's Gonna Die
2. Otto
3. I'm In Trouble
4. Left Of The Dial
5. God Damn Job
6. Answering Machine
7. Waitress In The Sky
8. Take Me Down To The Hospital
9. Gary's Got A Boner
10. If Only You Were Lonely
11. Baby Strange
12. Hitchin' A Ride
13. Nowhere Man
14. Go
15. Fuck School

Disc 1: Don't Tell A Soul Redux
1. Talent Show (Matt Wallace Mix)
2. I'll Be You (Matt Wallace Mix)
3. We'll Inherit The Earth (Matt Wallace Mix)
4. Achin' To Be (Matt Wallace Mix)
5. Darlin' One (Matt Wallace Mix)
6. Back To Back (Matt Wallace Mix)
7. I Won't (Matt Wallace Mix)
8. Asking Me Lies (Matt Wallace Mix)
9. They're Blind (Matt Wallace Mix)
10. Anywhere's Better Than Here (Matt Wallace Mix)
11. Rock 'n' Roll Ghost (Matt Wallace Mix)

Disc 2: We Know The Night: Rare & Unreleased
1. Portland (Alternate Mix) (Bearsville Version)
2. Achin' To Be (Bearsville Version)
3. I'll Be You (Bearsville Version)
4. Wake Up (Alternate Mix) (Bearsville Version)
5. We'll Inherit The Earth (Bearsville Version)
6. Last Thing In The World
7. They're Blind (Bearsville Version)
8. Rock 'n' Roll Ghost (Bearsville Version)
9. Darlin' One (Bearsville Version)
10. Talent Show (Demo Version)
11. Dance On My Planet
12. We Know The Night (Alternate Outtake)
13. Ought To Get Love (Alternate Mix)
14. Gudbuy T'Jane (Outtake)
15. Lowdown Monkey Blues (feat. Tom Waits)
16. If Only You Were Lonely (feat. Tom Waits)
17. We Know The Night (Rehearsal) (feat. Tom Waits)
18. We Know The Night (Full Band Version) (feat. Tom Waits)
19. I Can Help (feat. Tom Waits)
20. Date To Church (Matt Wallace Remix)

Disc 3: The Complete Inconcerated Live, Part 1
1. Alex Chilton (Live)
2. Talent Show (Live)
3. Back To Back (Live)
4. I Don't Know (Live)
5. The Ledge (Live)
6. Waitress In The Sky (Live)
7. Anywhere's Better Than Here (Live)
8. Nightclub Jitters (Live)
9. Cruella De Ville (Live)
10. Achin' To Be (Live)
11. Asking Me Lies (Live)
12. Bastards Of Young (Live)
13. Answering Machine (Live)
14. Little Mascara (Live)
15. I'll Be You (Live)

Disc 4: The Complete Inconcerated Live, Part 2
1. Darlin' One
2. I Will Dare
3. Another Girl, Another Planet
4. I Won't
5. Unsatisfied
6. We'll Inherit The Earth
7. Can't Hardly Wait
8. Color Me Impressed
9. Born To Lose
10. Never Mind
11. Here Comes A Regular
12. Valentine
13. Left Of The Dial
14. Black Diamond

Disc 1
1. I.O.U.
2. Alex Chilton
3. I Don't Know
4. Nightclub Jitters
5. The Ledge
6. Never Mind
7. Valentine
8. Shooting Dirty Pool
9. Red Red Wine
10. Skyway
11. Can't Hardly Wait
12. Election Day
13. Jungle Rock
14. Route 66
15. Tossin' N' Turnin'
12. Cool Water
13. Can't Hardly Wait (Jimmy Iovine Mix)

Disc 2
1. Bundle Up (Demo)
2. Birthday Gal (Demo)
3. I.O.U. (Demo)
4. Red Red Wine (Demo)
5. Photo (Demo)
6. Time Is Killing Us (Demo)
7. Valentine (Demo)
8. Awake Tonight (Demo)
9. Hey Shadow (Demo)
10. I Don't Know (Demo)
11. Kick It In (Demo 1)
12. Shooting Dirty Pool (Demo)
13. Kick It In (Demo 2)
14. All He Wants To Do Is Fish (Demo)
15. Even If It's Cheap (Demo)

Disc 3
1. Valentine (Rough Mix)
2. Never Mind (Rough Mix)
3. Birthday Gal (Rough Mix)
4. Alex Chilton (Rough Mix)
5. Election Day (Rough Mix)
6. Kick It In (Rough Mix)
7. Red Red Wine (Rough Mix)
8. The Ledge (Rough Mix)
9. I.O.U. (Rough Mix)
10. Can't Hardly Wait (Rough Mix)
11. Nightclub Jitters (Rough Mix)
12. Skyway (Rough Mix)
13. Cool Water (Rough Mix)
14. Birthday Gal
15. Learn How To Fail
16. Run For The Country
17. All He Wants To Do Is Fish
18. I Can Help (Outtake)
19. Lift Your Skirt
20. Til We're Nude
21. Beer For Breakfast
22. Trouble On The Way
23. I Don't Know (Outtake)

Disc 1: Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash (2021 Remaster)
1. Takin' A Ride
2. Careless
3. Customer
4. Hangin' Downtown
5. Kick Your Door Down
6. Otto
7. I Bought A Headache
8. Rattlesnake
9. I Hate Music
10. Johnny's Gonna Die
11. Shiftless When Idle
12. More Cigarettes
13. Don't Ask Why
14. Something To Dü
15. I'm In Trouble
16. Love You Till Friday
17. Shutup
18. Raised In The City
19. If Only You Were Lonely

Disc 2: Raised In The City - The Early Recordings
1. Try Me (Demo)
2. She's Fine (Demo)
3. Lookin' For Ya (Demo)
4. Raised In The City (Demo)
5. Shutup (Demo)
6. Don't Turn Me (Demo)
7. Shape Up (Demo)
8. I Hate Music (Demo)
9. Careless (Studio Demo)
10. Shutup (Studio Demo)
11. Otto (Studio Demo)
12. Get On The Stick (Studio Demo)
13. Oh Baby (Studio Demo)
14. Raised In The City (Studio Demo)
15. Shiftless When Idle (Studio Demo)
16. More Cigarettes (Studio Demo)
17. You Ain't Gotta Dance (Studio Demo)
18. Don't Turn Me Down (Studio Demo)
19. Rattlesnake (Basement Version)
20. Takin A Ride (Basement Version)
21. Lie About Your Age (Basement Version)
22. We'll Get Drunk / Customer (Basement Version)
23. Johnny Fast (Basement Version)
24. Mistake (Basement Version)
25. Basement Jam (Rehearsal)

Disc 3: Tapes Rolling - Studio Outtakes, Alternates & Home Demos
1. Careless (Alternate Version)
2. Takin A Ride (Alternate Version)
3. Shutup (Alternate Version)
4. Otto (Alternate Mix)
5. Raised In The City (Alternate Version)
6. Rattlesnake (Alternate Mix)
7. Love You Till Friday (Alternate Version)
8. Customer (Alternate Version)
9. Somethin' To Dü (Alternate Version)
10. Johnny's Gonna Die (Alternate Version)
11. I'm In Trouble (Alternate Version)
12. I Hate Music (Alternate Version)
13. We'll Get Drunk
14. More Cigarettes (Alternate Mix)
15. Get Lost (Instrumental)
16. Hanging Downtown
17. Shutup (Alternate Version 2)
18. Something To Dü (Alternate Version 2)
19. Don't Ask Why (Alternate Mix)
20. Kick Your Door Down (Alternate Mix)
21. Love You Till Friday (Alternate Mix)
22. Johnny's Gonna Die (Alternate Mix)
23. Like You (Outtake)
24. Get Lost (Outtake)
25. A Toe Needs A Shoe (Outtake)
26. You're Pretty When You're Rude (Solo Home Demo)
27. If Only You Were Lonely (Working Version / Solo Home Demo)
28. Bad Worker (Solo Home Demo)
29. You're Getting Married (Solo Home Demo)

Disc 4: Unsuitable For Airplay - The Lost KFAI Concert (Live At The 7th St Entry, Minneapolis, MN, 1/23/81)
1. Careless
2. Takin A Ride
3. Trouble Boys
4. Hanging Downtown
5. Like You
6. Off Your Pants
7. Get Lost
8. Excuse Me
9. Customer
10. I Wanna Be Loved
11. Mistake
12. My Town
13. Shiftless When Idle
14. Oh Baby
15. I'm In Trouble
16. Johnny's Gonna Die / All By Myself
17. More Cigarettes
18. Otto
19. Don't Ask Why
20. Slow Down
21. Somethin To Dü
22. Love You Till Friday
23. Raised In The City
24. Rattlesnake
25. All Day And All Of The Night
26. I Hate Music
27. Shutup