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Don't Tell a Soul

The Replacements - Don't Tell a Soul Audio CD

A fair review of the The Replacements "Don't Tell a Soul" 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: Don't Tell a Soul
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-09-23
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Talent Show 2: Back to Back 3: We'll Inherit the Earth 4: Achin' to Be 5: They're Blind 6: Anywhere's Better Than Here 7: Asking Me Lies 8: I'll Be You 9: I Won't 10: Rock 'n' Roll Ghost 11: Darlin' One 12: Portland [*] 13: Wake Up [*] 14: Talent Show [Studio Demo][#][*] 15: We'll Inherit the Earth [Mix][#][*] 16: Date to Chruch [*] 17: We Know the Night [#][*][Outtake] 18: Gudbuy t' Jane [#][*][Outtake]

Good re-master. But, hit and miss attempt by The 'Mats
The volume has been brought up a few notches, but I don't notice any clipping (which is what's important). First off, the re-master itself: Comparing with my original 'Mats CD, the songs don't have that "muddy" sound that were common to CD's at that time. Overall, a definite improvement over the old CD. And the song extras are a welcome addition, of course.

As for the original album tracks themselves, I personally find them to be hit or miss. After "PTMM", everyone was expecting big things and this was supposed to be their crossover album into the mainstream. But, that was not to be. Still, I like Side One a lot, even "We'll Inherit The Earth" (granted, it could have been so much better). And Side Two is still worthy for a listen, if just for "I'll Be You" and the underrated "Darlin' One". I believe it's aged well, all things considered.

.

Don't tell anyone
Paul Westerberg is too good of a songwriter for a total flop, but his grain-heavenly voice can't save this one. The number one reason why chorus is a poor choice for guitar. A few redeeming moments, but one left off the album. I doubt his pop stardom would've made me think otherwise. (noteworthy: "Church," "I won't," "we know the night") Pales in comparison to classic lp's "Let it Be," and "Tim".

A nice change of pace for a great band
Westerberg's songwriting was maturing, the band was trying to find a way to stay fresh and interested in what they were doing. I like this album a lot. They missfired on a few songs, but mainly in the arrangement of them, as many of these songs really came alive in concert. If you want a good example, look for the bootleg "Sheet Shower and Shave", it's got two sets, one opening for Tom Petty and another in a club in Madison. The first word isn't really "sheet" but the censors like it better. I recommend the book 'All Over But The Shouting' to anyone. A fun read, puts you in the heart of the Minneapolis scene of the 80's.

Counterpoint to bad review from smug Adam Ant and XTC fan
It's not their best and it may not be as important and essential as "Ant music" but it holds up fine after two decades, actually it sounds even better now. The remastering is really good and the bonus tracks, especially "Wake up" and the Slade cover, are too. Oh, and the Pixies thing at the end isn't funny.

Okay reissue from The Mats' supposed adult/MOR album.
This didn't exactly happen and it upset some fans to boot. This album was The Replacements' supposed 'adult, Middle-Of-The-Road, intended for tons of airplay, attract a legion of new fans' album. It's not as bad as some will have you believe (a bad album by The Replacements is probably still better than an okay album by several other artists) but it's still a pretty maddeningly-uneven album if there ever was one. "I Won't", "Back To Back", "Anywhere's Better Than Here" and "We'll Inherit The Earth" are hollow, counterfeit rockers and pseudo-anthems written by an artist under the pressure of a label hungry for hits. And what's worse is, if you have any prior knowledge of the band at all, you can here this upon the very first listen.

There are some great songs. "I'll Be You" (the band's only top forty hit)
is a great single. So great that Tom Petty (for whom the 'Mats opened for on this tour) borrowed the "rebel without a clue" line for his "Into The Great Wide Open". "Achin' To Be" contains some cliched lyrics that should make you cringe but Westerberg gives them an entirely sincere reading with a perfect arrangement for them. "They're Blind" is a fine teenager ballad with a late 50's slow-dance backdrop. "Rock 'n' Roll Ghost" and "Talent Show" are both great Westerberg outings that often get overlooked. And "Asking Me Lies" (which plenty of fans have decried several times) to these ears sounds like The Replacements in a good mood re-writing late 70's era Rolling Stones (nothing too cringe-worthy). It's unfortunate that for every great song on the album there's an awful one right behind it. Enough yammering about the original album though.

These reissues have been fraught with various issues (edited tracks, audio drop-outs, poor choice of bonus tracks, corny footsteps ending each album proper which cue the bonus tracks, ill-advised and uninformed/uninformative liner notes, etc. ). So much so that one can't help but wonder if any one QC'd (Quality Checked) these before they went anywhere. It looks like that didn't happen. This DTAS disc has a surprising amount of mid-range and the loudness issues (i. e. no dynamic range, everything in the red) is not so much of an issue with this reissue. Although if you're buying this album for the first time: this is the decidedly definitive version. The sound quality on all of the tracks have been somewhat improved and not at all compromised as on reissues of earlier albums.

The band recorded an entire album (plus) with Tony Berg at Bearsville Studios but mysteriously decided to scrap it and start again with Matt Wallace. Only "Wake Up" and the fine "Portland" have been released from these sessions. One would think that a few more could have been included as bonus tracks here but alas, once again, it is not to be. You can only fathom that there's a box set in the works for all these puzzling oversights and glaring omissions.

There's an alternate version of "Rock 'n' Roll Ghost" that could have appeared here, but did not. An alternate version did appear for the vague "We'll Inherit The Earth" (sounding like an entirely different, almost very good, song). "We Know The Night" and "Date To Church" (both also on the 'Nothing For All' comp. ) are pretty okay additions but are new no one. A great studio demo for "Talent Show" contains a subtle slide guitar part and shows the song fully-formed. The Slade cover ("Gudbuy t' Jane") is a fine, if insubstantial addition and The Pixies' "Monkey Gone To Heaven' secret reprise at the end is kind of funny.

The failure to include the Tony Berg sessions as bonus tracks leads one to believe (from what was included) that the band was under-pressure, uninspired and creatively scratching it's head, losing what was amazing about the band in the production in the process. Maybe we'll hear an entire pre-Petty tour live show from 1989 to hear what this band really sounded like around this time, one day.

Recommended: Almost no, but just, yes.

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.