The Replacements

小简介
        The Replacements是吉他歌手Paul Westerberg组织的一支独立摇滚乐队，活跃于80年代，1990年解散。外界一般把他们的曲风归类为alterntive rock（另类摇滚），有点类似于民谣与朋克的融合。
曾被Musician杂志誉为「80年代最后一支出色乐团」，衔接乐坛各时期风起云涌的摇滚各类潮流，为 90年代另类摇滚打出头阵，葛莱美音乐奖于1991年初设立「另类摇滚」奖项，The Replacements随即获得提名。虽然团员几经异动，然而乐团初创期年仅12岁稚龄的原始贝斯手Tommy Stinson，现已入主几经波折的摇滚大团「枪与玫瑰」之成员。担任灵魂支柱、创作要角的Paul Westerberg，在他独具个人风格的演唱/编写下，引领The Replacements走过风光十余年岁月。500强专辑Tim
成军于明尼苏达州明尼亚波里市的The Replacements，于1981年发行首张专辑《Sorry Ma Forget to Take Out The Trash》，将70年代如火如荼蔓延其版图至全球各地的粗糙刺耳硬核朋克音乐高能量压缩再呈现。1983年发行第二张作品《Hootenanny》，尝试从硬核噪音融入较为悦耳流行音感，同时保留那份狂热叛逆气息。1985年与主流大厂Sire签下一纸合约推出《Tim》，接续达到主流与非主流平衡，端出佳作连连之大碟，并且获得乐队本身及唱片公司所期待的商业成功。
专辑《Tim》在滚石杂志评出的500张历代最强专辑中排名第136位。
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The Replacements initially formed in 1979, when Paul Westerberg joined a garage punk band formed by brothers Bob (guitar) and Tommy Stinson (bass) and drummer Chris Mars. Originally, the band was called the Impediments, but they changed their name to the Replacements after being banned from a local club for disorderly behavior. In their early days, they sounded quite similar to Hüsker Dü, the leaders of the Minneapolis punk scene. However, the Replacements were wilder and looser than the Hüskers and quickly became notorious for their drunken, chaotic gigs. After they built up a sizable local following the Minneapolis label Twin/Tone signed them.
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, a sloppy hardcore collection, was released in 1981 but failed to make much of an impact on the national scene. It was followed the next year by the Stink EP, which followed the same pattern as the debut. It was the bands second album, 1983s Hootenanny, that first garnered the band attention and helped build their fan base. On Hootenanny, the group started playing around with other genres, adding elements of pop, straightforward rock & roll, country, and folk, although sometimes the eclecticism was ironic.
Hootenanny set the stage for Let It Be, the bands critical and artistic breakthrough. Released in 1984, Let It Be showed that the band had successfully expanded their musical reach and that Westerberg had grown considerably as a songwriter; he was now capable of pop like I Will Dare, full-throttle rock & roll, and introspective ballads like Answering Machine. Critics and fellow musicians were quick to praise the band, and they developed a large underground following. The buzz was large enough to convince Sire to sign the band in 1985.
The Replacements first major-label album, Tim, was scheduled to be produced by Westerbergs idol, Alex Chilton, but the sessions fell through; the album was produced by former Ramone Tommy Erdelyi. Upon its release in 1985, Tim garnered rave reviews that equalled those for Let It Be. Though the band was poised for a popular breakthrough, they were unsure about making the leap into the mainstream. As a result, they never let themselves live up to their full potential. The Replacements landed a spot on Saturday Night Live, but they were roaring drunk throughout their performances and Westerberg said f*ck on the air. Their concerts had became notorious for such drunken, sloppy behavior. Frequently, the band was barely able to stand up, let alone play, and when they did play, they often didnt finish their songs. The Replacements also refused to make accessible videos — the video for Bastards of Young featured nothing but a stereo system, playing the song — thereby cutting themselves off from the mass exposure MTV could have granted them.
After the tour for Tim, Bob Stinson was fired from the band, allegedly for his drug and alcohol addictions. The Replacements recorded their next album as a trio in Memphis, TN, with former Big Star producer Jim Dickinson. The resulting album, Pleased to Meet Me, was more streamlined than their previous recordings. Again, the reviews were uniformly excellent upon its spring 1987 release, but the band didnt earn many new fans. During the tour for Pleased to Meet Me, guitarist Slim Dunlap filled the vacant lead-guitarist spot and he became a full-time member after the tour.
Two years later, the band returned in the spring of 1989 with Dont Tell a Soul, the Replacements last bid for a mainstream audience. The band had cleaned up, admitting that their years of drug and alcohol abuse were behind them, and were now willing to play the promotional game. Dont Tell a Soul boasted a polished, radio-ready production and the group shot MTV-friendly videos, beginning with the single Ill Be You. Initially, the approach worked — Ill Be You became a number one album rock track, crossing over to number 51 on the pop charts. However, Dont Tell a Soul never really took off and failed to establish the band as a major commercial force.
Defeated from the lackluster performance of Dont Tell a Soul, Paul Westerberg planned on recording a solo album, but Sire rejected the idea. Consequently, the next Replacements album, All Shook Down, was a solo Westerberg record in all but name. Recorded with a cast of session musicians as well as the band, All Shook Down was a stripped-down, largely acoustic affair that hinted at the turmoil within the band. Chris Mars left shortly after its fall 1990 release, claiming that Westerberg had assumed control of the band; he would launch a solo career two years later. The Replacements toured in support of All Shook Down, with Steve Foley, formerly of the Minneapolis-based Things Fall Down, as their new drummer. Neither the tour nor the album were successful, and the Replacements quietly disbanded in the summer of 1991.
Tommy Stinson formed Bash & Pop the following year; in 1995, he formed a new band called Perfect. Dunlap released a solo album in 1993. Bob Stinson died February 15, 1995, from a drug overdose. Westerberg began a solo career slowly, releasing two songs on the Singles (Dyslexic Heart, Waiting for Somebody) soundtrack in 1992; he also scored the film. He released his debut solo album, 14 Songs, in the summer of 1993 to mixed reviews. Paul Westerbergs second solo album, Eventually, was released in the spring of 1996.