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Let It Be

The Replacements - Let It Be Audio CD

A fair review of the The Replacements "Let It Be" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Replacements reviews here, or go back to the The Replacements tabs.

Band: The Replacements
Title: Let It Be
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-04-22
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: I Will Dare 2: Favorite Thing 3: We're Comin' Out 4: Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out 5: Androgynous 6: Black Diamond 7: Unsatisfied 8: Seen Your Video 9: Gary's Got a Boner 10: Sixteen Blue 11: Answering Machine 12: 20th Century Boy [*] 13: Perfectly Lethal [#][*][Outtake] 14: Temptation Eyes [#][*][Outtake] 15: Answering Machine [Solo Home Demo][*] 16: Heartbeat -- It's a Lovebeat [Outtake/Rough Mix][#][*] 17: Sixteen Blue [Outtake/Alternative Vocal][*]

Fantastic Workout Record
It is one of the best, most heartfelt, dramatic, moving, teen/coming of age records I've ever heard. I have listened to this recording perhaps 2000 times. I've been listening to it for over 20 years now and it's still fantastic. My favorite by far of all of the Replacement recordings. Although not a live recording, it captures the magic of The Replacements live. I've got an older CD release that has only the original 11 songs from the vinyl release. I'm tempted to update because my workout lasts longer than the 11 song CD.

Avoid At All Costs
It's a seminal album, one that would play a huge role in the music that would come in the decade to follow. Let me get this out of the way: "Let it Be" by the Replacements is a transcendent album that is easily one of the best of the decade. Anyone even remotely interested in '80s alternative music should seek out "Let it Be," along with Husker Du's "New Day Rising," Sonic Youth's "Daydream Nation," and the Pixies' "Surfer Rosa. "

Having said that, this isn't so much a review of the music itself as it is the 2008 reissue. Simply put, this is an incredibly lazy reissue, and I'm shocked that so few people have called out Rhino and Rykodisc on it.

To begin with, the highly touted remastered sound is a joke. While I'm sure it's an improvement over the initial CD release, it should be noted that "Let it Be" was already remastered once before in 2002. That release got it right. While the volume was boosted in order to bring it more in line with volume levels of current CDs, it still retained the dynamic range of the original album. In contrast, the Rhino/Rykodisc release compressed the audio, making everything sound flat.

A great example of this is the opening of "I Will Dare. " When the drums kick in on the 2002 version, they're louder than the guitar riff that preceded it, and they sound full and booming as a result. On the Rhino release, everything is the same volume, making those drum hits lack the punch they had on the 2002 release. Even if one were to ignore the lack of dynamic range on this release, I'm still not convinced that this reissue is an improvement. To my ears, the 2002 version sounds crisper and cleaner too.

As if compressed audio wasn't enough, the left and right channels have been inexcusably switched--another sign of just how little attention must have been given to this release. Unbelievably, Rhino/Rykodisc even managed to screw up the cover art, which, for some reason, is now cropped. Between this and their New Order reissues, it's as though Rhino has all but forgotten about quality control. You wouldn't know it now, but there used to be a time when seeing Rhino's logo on the back of an album or box set was a good thing.

Even the added songs are questionable. While they're not bad, there certainly were more b-sides and rarities from this era that could have been included. It's not like there wasn't enough space. Even with the bonus tracks, the album is still under an hour in length.

This release is a mess. While there's no doubt in my mind that everyone should own "Let it Be," I would encourage everyone to track down the now out-of-print 2002 version instead. It may lack liner notes and bonus tracks, but the sound is superior, and ultimately, that's where it counts.

Kids today don't have a band like this...
While the band built up a loyal following throughout the Reagan years, the 'Mats never broke through the way other college favorites like REM or The Red Hot Chili Peppers did. Truly one of the greatest American rock bands of the 1980s, the Replacements spent much of their career just under the radar of the consciousness of the mainstream. While the band offered some of the best music of the decade and while they were later signed to a major label and even appeared on Saturday Night Live, true recognition and praise eluded them in their day. But while the band never managed to enjoy a real cross-over hit with the mainstream, they remained a cult favorite throughout their existence.

The `Mats early albums boasted raucous punk that was authentic and memorable, but a far cry away from the best work the band would offer. While the Minneapolis quartet's first three releases "Sorry Ma, I forgot to take out the Trash," (1981) "Stink" EP (1982) and "Hootenanny" (1983) showed much promise, it was the band's fourth album "Let it Be," (1984) that saw the band reach their full potential. The Replacements "Holy Trinity" of albums, "Let it Be," "Tim," (1985) and "Pleased to Meet Me" (1987) saw singer/songwriter Paul Westerberg blossom as a writer, churning out his most memorable work.

While "Let it Be" has the punk aesthetics of its predecessors, the songs are more refined and crafted. While "Let it Be" isn't overtly commercial or has any singles that scream "HIT" written on them, the album was up to this point the band's most assessable offering. To get right to the point, "Let it Be" is just a great album. Track after track, each song is memorable and well structured with an infectious hook, killer groove and keen sense of melody. Westerberg, Bob Stinson, (guitar) Tommy Stinson, (bass) and Chris Mars (drums) struck the perfect balance between finely crafted songs and anarchic, unrestrictive punk. The band is loose and hungry, but also meticulous, making sure the album is raw and organic, but without sounding sloppy.

With "Let it Be" Westerberg really honed in as a lyricist. Songs of alienation, dissatisfaction, frustration, and problems with interpersonal relationships are the prevailing themes. And while these are the prevailing themes with many, many bands, Westerberg sounds authentic and the listener can really sympathize with his plight. While he sounds genuinely distraught, he never indulges in self-pity or drains the listener. There is nothing forced or contrived about the feelings he is trying to convey. All the while Westerberg has a real sense of humor as songs like "Tommy gets his Tonsils Out" and "Gary's got a Boner" would suggest.

The opening mid-tempo "I Will Dare" is probably the album's best song, if not the greatest Replacements track ever recorded. Estrangement and unrequited love but with a sense of hope seem to be the prevailing theme. Tommy Stinson's sparse bass over the lush playing of Westerberg, Bob Stinson, and guest guitarist Peter Buck (of REM) make this song a triumph. "Favorite Thing" goes at an almost manic pace and has a real sense of urgency, as Westerberg tells of his affection for the one he loves. "Were Coming Out" may have been a contender for "Hootenanny" as this punk-rocker is somewhat chaotic, but without loosing structure. The light piano offers a nice touch. "Tommy gets his tonsils out" is also reminiscent of the Replacements early work, as this humorous punk number tackles the bassists' fear of going to the dentist. The album takes a complete left turn for the bizarre "Androgynous," a melancholy piano balled dealing with the issue of sexual identity and self-acceptance. A cover of KISS's "Black Diamond" stays pretty true to the original, while giving it a bit of a punk-make-over. Perhaps the most earnest song on the album "Unsatisfied" articulates the frustration one feels with the emptiness of an unfulfilled life. A poke at MTV, the mostly instrumental "Seen Your Video" shows the band cut loose and just rock out. Bob Stinson shows his fee-wheeling skills over this catchy little ditty. The humorous "Gary's Got a Boner" is somewhat like "Tommy gets his tonsils out" and is somewhat reminiscent of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever. " A morose plight detailing teenage angst, "Sixteen Blue" is gentle and bittersweet, yet rough-around-the-edges. The almost exclusively guitar closing track "Answering Machine," while very sparse and stripped down, is quite effective. The song's theme, longing frustration, sums up the premise of the album in a nutshell and makes for the perfect closing number.

Released over twenty years ago, "Let it Be" has aged quite well. It sounds as good and as poignant today as it did in 1984. The themes of "Let it Be" are timeless. As long as there are humans on the Earth, people will long for companionship and meaning and be unhappy with their life. Bands like Green Day, the Offspring, and countless others owe a lot to the Replacements.

2008 Bonus reissue comments:

While I was a little bit peeved that this edition has all the cool bonus stuff when I just bought a remastered version of the album from the early 00s--it's not really a big deal. While the bonus material (covers and outtakes) doesn't quite stand up to the material on the original album, it's still quite strong and will definitely be of interest to fans. T Rex's "20th Century Boy" in particular is cool and a demo of "16 Blue" will give the listener a sense of how the album progressed.
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one of the greatest 80's indies albums
One of the greatest albums ever, really! It caught the band at a perfect intersection of their early wildness and Paul Westerberg's increasing greatness as a songwriter. Let it Be is a landmark album, one of the greatest indie albums of the 80's. Every song is different, every song is cool, and it fits together perfectly (maybe the best sequenced album ever!) What can you say about an album that contains "I Will Dare" "Unsatisfied" "16 Blue" "Answering Machine" "We're Coming Out" "Androgynous" AND "Favorite Thing"??? The "minor" songs like "Seen Your Video" or "Tommy Gets His Tonsils" out would be standouts on any other band's albums (and they are often hilarious as well!). Also, the remaster just sounds great. Plus you get some cool bonus tracks to boot. What, the packaging isn't perfect and the bonus tracks could have been even better? Fine, but seeing as this album is already a 6 on a 5-1 scale, I can hardly give it less than 5 stars just because they haven't managed to turn it into a 7. .

Better than average 80's college radio rock
I've just listened to this record for the first time in many years and I'm glad I didn't buy it (borrowed a friends copy). At least the whole record doesn't sound like REM. A lot of this music does not hold up for me at all. Songs like "Androgynous" and "Unsatisfied" were never my favorites but I find them completely unlistenable now. Westerberg seems to be trying WAAAYY to hard to be Springsteen or Petty. Those guys are bad enough (especially in the 80's), who would ever want to imitate them?

Back in 1984/85, you would put on a Replacments record to try and please everyone. The girls would talk about how "amaaazing" Paul is, the lame guys from the college radio station would talk about the "quality of the songs" and it would sort of rock enough to please the hardcore crew. Ultimately, I don't think anyone really liked these guys enough to get too excited one way or the other.

Anyways, if you're on this page chances are you have your own opinion and it's totally different than mine. If you've never heard this record, check it out. I prefer Sorry Ma and Stink and don't like anything after this one (you need a college degree to be cool enough to like them). But don't say I didn't warn you if you think it doesn't live up to the hype!

Check out Mighty High. . . In Drug City. You'll probably hate it, too!.

You can see a complete list of all The Replacements discography, or go back to the The Replacements tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.