Welcome to the second episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which a Yank (Dan Epstein) and a Brit (Tony Fletcher) clash and connect over music from across the pond.
Following our dissection of the bizarre American running order for The Jam’s 1979 LP Setting Sons, we turn our attention to a fantastic album from the other side of the Atlantic — Tim, the 1985 major label debut by The Replacements, recently reissued in a 4-CD “Let It Bleed” edition.
One of the most important and influential American bands of the 1980s, The Replacements combined a raw rock n’ roll attack with wiseass sense of humor and Paul Westerberg’s brilliant and emotionally resonant songwriting. For many Replacements fans, Tim — the quartet’s fourth full-length album, and the last to feature mercurial lead guitarist Bob Stinson, whose younger bass-playing brother Tommy was still just 18 years old at the time of its release — captures the band at the peak of their powers.
Almost 40 years after its release, Tim continues to cast a massive shadow, as evidenced by the acclaim afforded the recent “Let It Bleed Edition” box set. This 4-disc package features a remastering of the Tim LP, originally produced by Tommy Erdelyi, a.k.a. Tommy Ramone; a fresh remix of the record by Ed Stasium; a full disc of demos, unreleased tracks and alternate takes; and a disc that captures the band’s January 1986 show at Chicago’s Cabaret Metro, which CROSSED CHANNELS co-host Dan actually attended. The Replacements were Dan’s favorite band in the world at the time, and he still rates that night as their best gig he ever witnessed — not to mention one of the greatest rock concerts he ever saw, period.
However, The Replacements were largely unknown in the UK at the time, a country they didn’t visit until later in 1986. All of which raises a number of questions: How does being from different sides of the pond affect Dan and Tony’s appreciation of Tim, and of The Replacements in general? Why does the album continue to endure for us so many years after its initial release? Do Stasium’s remixes enhance our appreciation of the album? (To answer the latter, Tony’s 19-year-old son Noel — a budding recording engineer and newly-minted Replacements fan — stops by to add his own two cents.) Episode 2 of CROSSED CHANNELS explores these questions and many more as part of an overall discussion about The Replacements’ major role in fermenting the American rock underground, including their significant influence on Nirvana.
The first six minutes of Episode 2 are available to all listeners as a free preview. The entire hour-plus episode is available to paid Substack subscribers of either JAGGED TIME LAPSE or TONY FLETCHER, WORDSMITH. If you’re already a free subscriber to one or the other, upgrade your subscription now to ensure you don’t miss out. Cheers, and thanks as always for the support!
