[Tim is 40] -- It's no secret that The Replacements (or, simply, The 'Mats, short for "The Placemats," to their fans) are probably my favorite in the category of what I refer to as the "sloppy" American rock & roll bands. According to drummer Chris Mars, the band's name reflected their sense of a secondary status: "Like maybe the main act doesn't show, and instead the crowd has to settle for an earful of us dirtbags" [Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life. 2001. p. 199]. Sporting a combination of the arena blues-rock and post-punk, The 'Mats were never commercially successful, but they did receive critical accolades and have been cited as a major influence for many bands.
And this month, their fourth studio LP, Tim, turns 40 years old.
True to form, Tim received critical acclaim but middling success. So, while the album did chart on the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #183, two singles – "Bastards of Young" and "Kiss Me on the Bus" – made no such inroads. But rather than languish on the dust heap of history, Tim has been included on several best of the 1980s lists [Pitchfork, Slant, Rolling Stone, Pop Matters, and Alternative Press], albeit retrospectively, of course.
My favorite tracks are, in no particular order: "Hold My Life", "Kiss Me on the Bus", "Waitress in the Sky", "Bastards of Young" (their only track to have an official-ish video), "Left of the Dial" (an ode to college radio), and "Little Mascara". Oh, Hel, I love the entire album, really.
In 2023, Rhino reissued the album as Tim: Let It Bleed Edition. This five-disc set (four CDs and an LP) includes a new mix, alternate takes, demos, liner notes, and so much more. And, yes, I ordered a copy right after I read the news of this release (September 23, 2023, between 10 and 11pm Eastern).
Flashback: Tim (September 18, 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
See you in seven!
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