Rock 'N' Roll Ghost

In the interests of equal time, I once again yield the floor to Jim to allow him another chance to respond to my post from Friday on Paul Westerberg and the Replacements. I received this e-mail from him very early on Saturday morning:

"Jane, (Chad) you ignorant slut."

There were plenty of other bands that were just as loud if not louder and angrier. Not just locally, nationally. INTERnationally. But the Replacements were unique. Husker Du was adound. Didn't move me like them. Fear, The Exploited, Black Flag, Soul Asylum, Dead Kennedys, name any loud fast band you want...I went to the shows, and the only thing that moved me was the Replacements. I wasn't into it because Rolling Stone had given their record 4 or 5 stars. I was into it because they were the Rock n Roll equivalent of James Dean.

Why did (does) James Dean speak to youth? Because, in his own words, "In this fist I have Marlon Brando saying 'F*** You,' and in this fist I have Montgomery Clift saying 'Love me.'"

The Replacements played loud and fast and hard, but they had a vulnerability, one they rarely showed on stage. But since you knew it was there, you understood it in the noise.

I'll be the first one to tell you that their Twin Tone catalog is superior to the Sire WB days. But that does not equate to over hyped. You had to be in the room. And sometimes they were so drunk that you wished you weren't in the room. But most of the time there was a gem, whether it was Paul growling and pleading through "GO" or "Unsatisfied," or maybe it was just the smile of them doing Ronnie and the Daytonas "Little GTO," Bobby chiming in on the "Wa-wa wa wa waaaa," Or Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes." Or maybe it was Bobby playing in coveralls on a hot summer night in the Cabooze, until during his solo, Paul and Tommy decided to pants him. He played nude the rest of the night. Or maybe it was the night at the Entry when Bobby picked a fight with someone standing in front of him. Paul jumped in, and so did Tommy, but Chris kept drumming. 2 minutes later the three came back up, minus their shirts, picked up each other's instruments and picked up with Chris' drumming to finish the song. Maybe it was stopping them after the show, in the hallway at SCSU, and asking Bobby, "Where are you playing next?" just as Paul and Tommy went whizzing by on a flat bed cart that was meant to move their gear

Without missing a beat he replied, "Ahh, down the hall, I guess."

I have well over 500 vinyl LPs, close to 1000 CDs. I've fawned over Both Elvi, Dylan, Rod Stewart, The Gear Daddies,Buddy Holly, and the Rolling Stones. As a 40 year old I flew with a friend from MPLS to Dallas to see the last stand of a bar band called Slobberbone. None of them compare to what this little band had. No one has ever touched the raw nerve in me that The Replacements did.

It's 12:30 in the morning and I have to get up and be Mr Mom tomorrow for a 6 yr old and 3 yr old twins. WOULD I BE UP AT NIGHT TYPING THIS BECAUSE OF HYPE? F*** NO.

You said it, you weren't there. Therefore, you don't know what you're talking about.

All The Best,

Jim

P.S. If they're so over hyped, why is it NARN theme music?

It's entirely within the realm of reason to say that a band is over-hyped while still liking them. Such it is with The Replacements. We chose them for the NARN theme because we like the song (Brian and I do at least-John's more of a Paul Anka guy), not because we worship the band. By the way, I think James Dean is overrated too.