The Twin/Tone Years

In 1979, the Replacements were widely regarded as just another sloppy punk-inspired band to emerge from the Minneapolis underground music scene. But that began to change in 1981, when local indie label Twin/Tone Records released the group's debut album, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, which showed the Replacements had plenty of fire to go along with their snarky attitude, and Paul Westerberg was a songwriter to watch, writing elemental but catchy tunes with lyrics that were funny but heartfelt. By 1984, the Replacements were one of the most talked-about independent bands in America, and their third album, Let It Be, was earning rave reviews from the nation's top rock writers. The critical and commercial success of Let It Be attracted the attention of major labels, and the Replacements signed to Sire Records in 1985, leaving the independent label community behind. The Twin/Tone Years is a special box set that includes vinyl reissues of four of the Replacements' best-known releases for the label -- 1981's Sorry Ma..., the 1982 EP Stink, the 1983 album Hootenanny, and 1984's Let It Be. This isn't a complete package of the Replacements' recordings for Twin/Tone -- it doesn't include the band's debut 7" single, the 12" single of "I Will Dare," or the cassette-only live album The Shit Hits the Fans -- but this still makes for a fine overview of the Replacements' early years (especially given the presence of Let It Be, arguably the group's best album), and should especially please vinyl enthusiasts. ~ Mark Deming