Song #48 On My MP3 Player - 'Can't Hardly Wait' (Tim Demo) by The Replacements

Tweet

I have decided to share with the Lost Soul faithful every song that is stored on my MP3 player which is a Philips GoGear Vibe 4G model. All posts are in alphabetical order. Song #48 on my MP3 player is the Tim demo version of 'Can't Hardly Wait' by The Replacements which is the opening track on the second disc their 1997 compilation album All For Nothing/Nothing For All.

The Replacements are one of my favorite bands of all time and lead singer Paul Westerberg is one of my favorite songwriters. My good friend Ryan Dellwood introduced me to the greatness that is The Replacements and I have been a fan since the early 90's. Over the years, I have acquired some Replacements albums, bootlegs, demos, and outtakes. Their Tim demo of 'Can't Hardly Wait' is on my MP3 player because I like it more than the studio version from Pleased to Meet Me. This demo version is not as polished but it really rocks. I've included the Pleased to Meet Me version of 'Can't Hardly Wait' for you to compare and discuss.

Song #25 On My MP3 Player - Answering Machine by The Replacements

Tweet

Song #25 on my MP3 player is 'Answering Machine', which is the final track on The Replacements' 1984 release Let it Be. The Replacements were an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I consider them to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Their songs are magnificent and their history is filled with numerous tales which might be nothing more than rock and roll mythology.

Ryan Dellwood was a friend from high school that was totally annoyed by the fact that I was in love with classic rock. He tried to get me to like The Smiths and The Cure, but I refused to give those bands a chance. It was the summer of 1992 and I had just graduated from high school. I was getting ready for college. Dellwood showed up at my house one evening unannounced with a box full of cassette tapes. He was staging a rock and roll intervention.

I was pissed that Dellwood thought I listened to musical garbage. Who was he to stage an intervention? What was wrong with liking Led Zeppelin, The Who, Aerosmith, and Lynyrd Skynyrd? My evening was going to be ruined by Dellwood playing some god awful garbage by some British band with a moody lead singer accompanied by a bunch of buffoons playing synthesizers.

Dellwood didn't even try with The Smiths or The Cure. He was loaded for bear. Instead of trying to win me over with British bands, he tried to win me over with rock and roll from the US of A. One of the tapes he brought over was Let it Be by The Replacements.

At the time I was reading Musician magazine and they were big fans of The Replacements. They praised the band, especially lead singer and songwriter Paul Westerberg. It was one of those instances where I knew the name of the band, but none of their material.

Dellwood started playing some selections from Let it Be and the one that caught my attention was 'Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out'. There must have been some joy Dellwoodville that day. I had a great time listening to new music and that night put me on the right path to discovering some fantastic artists. Dellwood decided to make a mix tape that night for me and I was really impressed by The Replacements.

A few weeks later I decided to buy Let it Be. I was impressed. It's still one of my favorite albums of all time, and it's tied with Tim as the best album by The Replacements.

'Answering Machine' is on my MP3 player because it is a song that's brilliant in my opinion. Paul Westerberg created an angst driven song about the frustrations we face when it comes to relationships. Some of us have had the experience of being in a relationship and it somehow ends without anyone telling you that it's over. I had experienced that a few months before I listened to 'Answering Machine'.

When I heard 'Answering Machine' for the first time, I was hooked, plus I was blown away by how the song incorporated the loop of the operators voice saying "If you need help...If you need help". There is this slow progression where the operators voice becomes more distorted. Damn, that's good. Also, the musical minimalism of this song adds to the greatness. I hope you enjoy this song of the day and have a great weekend.




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He will not hang up and dial the operator.

Here Comes A Regular by The Replacements

Tweet

This week I am selecting songs that deal with the end of summer and/or the beginning of a new school year. The song of the day for August 29, 2012 is 'Here Comes A Regular' by The Replacements. This is the last song on their phenomenal 1985 release, Tim. If you're going to listen to a Replacement's album in your lifetime then my suggestion is Tim because the album features some all-out rockers like 'Bastards of Young', and some pop driven beauties like 'Kiss Me On The Bus'.

The Replacements are one of my favorite bands of all time, and Paul Westerberg, the lead singer and guitar player for The Replacements, has written some gems in his lifetime, and 'Here Comes A Regular' just might be his greatest work. The reason I selected 'Here Comes A Regular' for our end of summer/beginning of school week is because of the line in the song that goes, 'The summer's passed, it's too late to cut the grass. There ain't much to rake anyway in the fall'. 'Here Comes A Regular' is not some wishy-washy anthem about summer love or a phony rebellious high school anthem for the kids who shop at Hot Topic. 'Here Comes A Regular' is about friends that have gone away, uncertainty, and days wasted doing nothing, plus 'Here Comes A Regular' really goes somewhere that few songs can match. Enjoy.