THE REPLACEMENTS
Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash RHINO
7/10
Four-disc, 100-track monument to early ’Mats
This is very much one for the hardcore. While Sorry Ma…, The Replacements’ 1981 debut, fizzed with a raffish, punkish charm and unveiled the ’Mats formidable instinct for melody, it offered few hints of the thoughtful songwriter Paul Westerberg would become, or the depths his band would develop. It blasted through its 18 tracks in just over 36 minutes. This reissue includes a remaster of the album, two discs of demos, alternate versions and outtakes, and a complete live show recorded in January 1981 at The 7th Street Entry in The Replacements’ native Minneapolis. While it’s hard to justify spending much time listening to rough versions of what was a pretty rough finished product, the live show is tremendous: the always invigorating sound of both a young band and its audience realising that something special is afoot.