Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash [LP] [Bonus Tracks]

by The Replacements

Overview

In 1981, punk rock had come to mean hardcore, and in Minneapolis, bands like Huesker Due and Loud Fast Rules (soon to become Soul Asylum) were flying the flag for the faster, louder, and shorter aesthetic. When the Replacements made their way into the Twin City's underground rock scene, they were initially lumped in with the local hardcore crowd, but their debut album, 1981's Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, was obviously made of different things. The Replacements were punk in the tradition of earlier bands like Eddie and the Hot Rods, the Damned, and Minneapolis' own Suicide Commandos -- they played fast and loud with plenty of attitude, but their melodic style was clearly beholden to stripped-down rock & roll traditionalism (as were Bob Stinson's guitar leads), and while they liked to play dumb, they were clearly too smart to be boxed in by hardcore's narrow stylistic boundaries. Sorry Ma is the work of a band that's rough yet inspired -- Paul Westerberg's sloppy, full-bodied rhythm guitar gave Bob Stinson plenty of room for his repurposed Steve Howe licks, Tommy Stinson's basslines were lively and carried their share of the melody, and drummer Chris Mars had the stamina and the muscle to keep up with it all. Though the Replacements sounded scrappy and exciting here, what truly set them apart was Westerberg's songs -- they were clever, funny, and self-depreciating, the work of a young man with a fully functioning bullshit detector whose arrogance about his talent was balanced by his obvious insecurities about life, work, women, and himself. Westerberg was more than willing to rage ("Careless," "Takin' a Ride," "Don't Ask Why") and occasionally wear his heart on his sleeve ("Customer," "Johnny's Gonna Die"), though he knew folks would only stick around if he was funny, and Sorry Ma is very funny indeed, and genuinely inspiring in its sloppy but heartfelt wallop. Though the Replacements would get a lot better very quickly, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash drew the roadmap to everything that was best about them right out of the box, and it remains a dirty, roaring rock & roll delight. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	01/19/2016
Label:	Rhino
UPC:	0081227954734
Rank:	22839

Tracks

1. Takin' a Ride
2. Careless
3. Customer
4. Hangin' Downtown
5. Kick Your Door Down
6. Otto
7. I Bought a Headache
8. Rattlesnake
9. I Hate Music
10. Johnny's Gonna Die
11. Shiftless When Idle
12. More Cigarettes
13. Don't Ask Why
14. Somethin' go D¿¿
15. I'm in Trouble
16. Love You till Friday
17. Shutup
18. Raised in the City

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Replacements   Primary Artist
Paul Westerberg   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Chris Mars   Drums
Tommy Stinson   Bass,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Bob Stinson   Guitar

Technical Credits

Steven Fjelstad   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Paul Stark   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Paul Westerberg   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Chris Mars   Composer,Producer
Larry Williams   Composer
Walter Lure   Composer
Johnny Thunders   Composer
Justin Perkins   Mastering
Jerry Nolan   Composer
Ray Davies   Composer
Jim Lea   Composer
The Replacements   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Noddy Holder   Composer
Tommy Stinson   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Bob Stinson   Composer,Producer
Peter Jesperson   Engineer,Producer,Reissue Producer
James Lea   Composer
Neville Holder   Composer
Bob Mehr   Reissue Producer
Bruce Allen   Design
Laurie Allen   Photography
Erik Hanson   Photography
Pat Moriarity   Layout Design
Jessica Thompson   Tape Restoration
Greg Helgeson   Cover Photo
Billy Murray   Composer
Phillip Broussard Jr.   Mixing
John Anthony Genzale Jr.   Composer
Jason Jones   Reissue Producer
Jef Jodell   Engineer