Have any of you fine people ever found yourself in a situation where you knew that you thought that something was absolutely brilliant and had often times told others how brilliant it was but you had not listened to it or read it for quite some time, only to re-read the book or listen to the artist again, at which point you re-discover the brilliance of the artist?

I did that this morning with the Replacements... I listen to the Replacements all the time but the inspired brilliance of Paul Westerberg's songwriting and the sheer rock and roll abandon of their early style hit me again and I remembered why they are one of the greatest bands in the history of music. My dog, it was an epiphany of sorts.

I listened to "Tim" again and I cannot even begin to understand it... it was like I was listening to it again for the first time, only I knew all the words... it was fucking magical.

Reviews for "Tim" by the Replacements:


Rolling Stone (5/25/00, p.76) - 4.5 stars out of 5 - "...Rangy, obstreperous, unsparing, funny and ever tuneful - turning post-adolescent confusion into some kind of screwed-up enlightenment."

Alternative Press (7/95, p.76) - Ranked #4 in AP's list of the `Top 99 Of '85-'95' - "...it's still just about impossible to put into words how great the Replacements were and how tremendous a record TIM is. Coming on the heels of possibly the greatest rock and roll album (LET IT BE) and preceding another classic (PLEASED TO MEET ME), TIM is the heart of an amazing trilogy..."

Q Magazine (10/93, p.127) - 4 Stars - Excellent

I went ahead and dipped into "Let It Be" afterwards and I am still amazed... I don't know what happened to me, but all the songs are totally fresh to me again... it is wonderful.

Reviews for "Let It Be" by the Replacements:

Rolling Stone (11/91) - Ranked #15 in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums Of The 80's" survey.

Vibe (12/99, p.158) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century

Uncut (1/03, p.97) - Included in Uncut's "100 Best Albums of the Year"

Rolling Stone (9/19/02, p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...The great teenage f***-up record of the Eighties..."

Q Magazine (6/93, p.120) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...It was Westerberg's most mature songwriting so far, and his band's tightest playing. The boyish tomfoolery is still there...Best of all is 'Unsatisfied,' a yearning evocation of adolescent dissatisfaction..."

Q Magazine (10/95, p.46) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...LET IT BE is their finest work. No American alternative act made a better album in 1984..."

Mojo (10/02, p.115) - "...A classic of the decade..."
New Musical Express (4/23/93, p.30) - 8 out of 10 - "...LET IT BE [is] elegiac, quietly tragic [and] romantically bombed-out...Healthy cynicism still lingers, albeit wiser and more weary..."

Uncut (12/02, p.162) - "...One of the most awesome wedges of wild and dangerous rock 'n' roll ever committed to disc..."

I recently had a similar experience when I re-read "1984" by George Orwell... I then had to re-read "Animal Farm." Orwell jumped right back up to the head of the literary pack again... right up there with Kurt Vonnegut.

Sometimes it is great to go back and re-read a book after a year or so... it is like a new experience with an old friend.

Well, a few years back u could find me almost every night in some club or bar admiring the greatness of .

Stopped doing that, but kinda picked it up again lately and what can i say?

Oh, and i recently made the mistake of giving NPS another spin, and guess what, it was a whole new xperience of awful-ness, like i never had 2 sit through it b4.

SpcMs said:

I got the Transformers first series on DVD recently. I forgot how cool Optimus Prime was! He kicks Decepticon ass!

IceNine said:

I'm pretty much the same way with The Art Of War by Sun Tzu.
Everytime I read it I learn something new even though I've read it many times before. It is rare to find something that has the ability to offer new experiences with each encounter at least for me.

Shakespeare has the same effect on me as well. Othello, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream are the one's that I most enjoy when I reread them again.

Musically, I share the same sentiments with 'Round Midnight when played by Miles and Coltrane, and ALL of Kind of Blue

Yeah the other day when i replaced my old vinyl copy of 'What's going on'.

I was in the prescence of greatness.

Marrk said:

Hell, yes. GREATNESS.

ian said:

INSATIABLE said:

Of course, now I really want the next Transformers series with that hot pink female robot, Arcee. She's a babe!

ian said:

I agree. She's a robo-babe.

It happens quite often when I let an album collect dust for awhile and return to it. I recently re-discovered Annie Lennox's "Diva" and am still blown away by its art.

IceNine said:

I spoke of Marvin Gaye just yesterday. His version of The Star Spangled Banner to be exact. It is on his box set. Leaves me in awe.

IceNine said:

Yep...happens everytime I go back and read my old posts... 8)

Moonbeam said:

DIVA rocks! god, what a great album. i head a rumor the other day that she is recording another solo album

wellbeyond said:

No offense, WellBeyond... but...

I often times print your posts out and masturbate to them.

:O

cborgman said:

Yes! It's called "Bare" and it's due on June 9th internationally, June 10th in the US. I was lucky enough to go to a concert of hers in Toronto, and she played 4 tracks from the new album, and they are GREAT- very emotional, tender pieces. She also brings the FUNK on "Pavement Cracks" and "Bitter Pill."

For more info on the solo album, go to http://www.vibber.dk/eurythmistan. They have a page updated regularly that is dedicated to the new album.

The first single, "Pavement Cracks" is available for download on MSN. It is wonderful!

IceNine said:

by the way, has anyone ever told you you look like a young tim curry in the pic in your profile, wellbeyond?

Just yesterday at Easter, I was at the in-laws, taking a piss before lunch, and I thought to myself, "I've really got to take a good listen to [the Replacements' debut record, 1981] 'Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash'". Absolutely true story.

I would agree that 'Let It Be' is among rock's Greatest Records. And 'Hootenany' is totally underrated as a great party record.

I really missed the boat on 'Tim' and 'Pleased To Meet Me' though. It's possible all the critical acclaim turned me off (I also ignored The Joshua Tree for about 2 years, I couldn't stand Bono's fucking mug in my face in '87)

as far as rediscovering greatness, once in a while I'll put on 'Voodoo Chile' - Hendrix and just be blown away by his command of the Strat. the fierce intensity and attack just floors me. most of the time I kind of laugh Hendrix off as being a bit overrated - but usually Voodoo puts me in my place

AS I AWAKEN MYSELF EACH DAY
I FIND THAT I, EACH NITE,
MUST OF FORGOTTEN JUST HOW GREAT
I AM...

Ahh, greatness...

Yeah, I concur.

In fact, I was listening to Tiny Tim's rendition of "Tip-Toe Through The Tulips" just the other day... sheer brilliance.

June7 said:

tiny tim scares me. when i was a kid, my father took me to a concert of his, and we got to go back stage to meet him. he leaned over to me and said something, and i kicked him in the shin and tried to run off.

it used to be one of my father's favorite stories

cborgman said:

In all honesty, I've never understood his celebrity. I liken it to a traffic accident - you don't really wanna look, but are compelled to. It's a magnetic force that pulls you in, only to find you screaming in horror for release!!!

Oh, sorry.

(what's really scary is that your dad liked him enough to go to this concert, and get back stage passes too!!! )

June7 said:

my father wwas kind of a moron...
not just cause he liked tiny tim, but in general.