Tim | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 18, 1985 | |||
Recorded | June–July 1985 | |||
Studio | Nicollet Studios (Minneapolis, Minnesota) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:26 | |||
Label | Sire | |||
Producer | Tommy Erdelyi | |||
The Replacements chronology | ||||
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Tim is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band The Replacements. It was released in September 1985 on Sire Records. It was their first major label release and also the last album made by the original line-up of the band: guitarist Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band towards the end of 1986.
Like its predecessors, Tim achieved moderate mainstream commercial success despite critical acclaim. The album peaked at number 183 on the Billboard Top 200. It was placed 136th on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 137 in a 2012 revised list. [1] It ranked 4th in the Alternative Press list of the Top 99 albums of 1985–1995. [2] Along with the band's previous album, Let It Be , Tim received five stars from AllMusic. In 2014, the staff of PopMatters included the album on their list of "12 Essential Alternative Rock Albums from the 1980s". [3]
Bob Stinson is the only member of the band whose face is clearly visible on the cover.
Stylistically, the album shows Paul Westerberg's diverse influences, including Alex Chilton's Big Star on "Hold My Life," Roy Orbison and Duane Eddy on "Swingin Party" and Nick Lowe on "Kiss Me on the Bus." The song "Can't Hardly Wait" was originally recorded for Tim, but was not included in the release. It appears later on Pleased to Meet Me with one of the original guitar parts changed to a horn part.
The album also contains the song "Bastards of Young," which was given a now-infamous black-and-white video, consisting mostly of a single unbroken shot of a speaker. At the end of the song, the speaker is kicked in by the person who was listening to the song. Similar videos were also made for "Hold My Life" (in color), "Left of the Dial" (minus the speaker-bashing), and "Little Mascara" (also in color).
"Left of the Dial" is a reference to college radio stations, which were usually on the left side of a radio dial. [4] [5] Nearly 40 years after the album's release, the song remains popular as a college radio anthem and was ranked 265 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2021; [6] it was ranked 24th in Rolling Stone's 2023 list of "The 200 best songs of the 1980s".
The band performed "Bastards of Young" and "Kiss Me on the Bus" on Saturday Night Live on January 18, 1986. It was the most television exposure the band had received up to that time, but the band's behavior on the show, including swearing during the broadcast, resulted in a lifetime ban from Saturday Night Live. However, Westerberg would later perform on the show as a solo artist.
The song "Here Comes a Regular" was written about south Minneapolis bar CC Club, a frequent hangout for the band across the street from record store Oar Folkjokeopus, an important center for the Minneapolis music scene. [7]
"Bastards of Young" was featured in the opening credits for Greg Mottola's 2009 film Adventureland, the 2020 Marvel superhero horror film The New Mutants and in the TV series The Bear (Season 2, Episode 5, "Pop").
The album was first remastered and reissued by Rhino Entertainment on September 23, 2008 with six additional tracks and liner notes by Peter Jesperson.
Rhino reissued the album again as Tim: Let It Bleed Edition, on September 22, 2023. The four-disc re-release includes a new mix by Ed Stasium, alternate takes, demos, a live performance at the Cabaret Metro recorded in 1986, and liner notes by Bob Mehr. [8] In total, the box-set includes 65 tracks, 50 of which have never been heard before. [9]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
Blender | [11] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A− [12] |
Entertainment Weekly | A [13] |
Mojo | [14] |
Pitchfork | 8.7/10 (2008) [15] 10/10 (2023) [16] |
Q | [17] |
Rolling Stone | [18] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [19] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10 [20] |
Like its predecessor, Let It Be , Tim was highly praised by critics upon its release. [21] The album is frequently included on professional lists of the all-time best rock albums. Tim was ranked at number four in Alternative Press ' list of the Top 99 albums of 1985–1995. [2] Along with their previous album, Let It Be , Tim received five stars from AllMusic.
The album was placed 136th on Rolling Stone 's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, with the following review:
Singer-guitarist Paul Westerberg once cited Tim's stylistic bookends to describe both the longevity of the Replacements' influence and their lack of mainstream success. "My style is ultimately both kinds of things," he said. "Sometimes you just love the little acoustic songs, and other times you want to crank the goddamn amp up, and those two parts of me are forever entwined." That cognitive dissonance – the Stonesesque swagger of "Bastards of Young," the unpolished reflection in "Swingin Party" — became a crucial template for grunge, alternative country and, recently, the noisy introspection of emo. [22]
Pitchfork ranked Tim at number 37 on their list of the Top 100 Albums of the 1980s. [23] Slant Magazine listed the album at number 66 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s". [24]
Reviewing the 2023 Tim: Let It Bleed re-release, Jack Hamilton of Slate called the original album one of the most poorly-mixed of the 1980s, praising Ed Stasium's remix as "a watershed, the rare act of musical revision that refreshes its object in ways that should thrill diehard fans while also serving as a gorgeous welcome 'Mat for listeners experiencing this music for the first time". [25] Jeremy D. Larson of Pitchfork gave the re-release a 10 out of 10 and called it an "unbelievable new remix of Tim that doesn’t just challenge the notion that Let It Be was the Replacements at their peak, but usurps it to become the best and most definitive album in their catalog". [16]
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hold My Life" | 4:18 | |
2. | "I'll Buy" | 3:20 | |
3. | "Kiss Me on the Bus" | 2:48 | |
4. | "Dose of Thunder" |
| 2:16 |
5. | "Waitress in the Sky" | 2:02 | |
6. | "Swingin Party" | 3:48 | |
7. | "Bastards of Young" | 3:35 | |
8. | "Lay It Down Clown" | 2:22 | |
9. | "Left of the Dial" | 3:41 | |
10. | "Little Mascara" | 3:33 | |
11. | "Here Comes a Regular" | 4:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Acoustic Outtake) | 3:52 | |
13. | "Nowhere Is My Home" (Session Outtake) | 4:01 | |
14. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Electric Outtake) | 3:09 | |
15. | "Kiss Me on the Bus" (Demo Version) | 3:00 | |
16. | "Waitress in the Sky" (Alternate Version) |
| 2:00 |
17. | "Here Comes a Regular" (Alternate Version) | 5:22 | |
Total length: | 58:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hold My Life" (Ed Stasium mix) | 4:21 | |
2. | "I'll Buy" (Ed Stasium mix) | 3:22 | |
3. | "Kiss Me on the Bus" (Ed Stasium mix) | 2:56 | |
4. | "Dose of Thunder" (Ed Stasium mix) |
| 2:19 |
5. | "Waitress in the Sky" (Ed Stasium mix) | 2:07 | |
6. | "Swingin Party" (Ed Stasium mix) | 3:50 | |
7. | "Bastards of Young" (Ed Stasium mix) | 3:37 | |
8. | "Lay It Down Clown" (Ed Stasium mix) | 2:23 | |
9. | "Left of the Dial" (Ed Stasium mix) | 3:42 | |
10. | "Little Mascara" (Ed Stasium mix) | 4:28 | |
11. | "Here Comes a Regular" (Ed Stasium mix) | 4:56 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hold My Life" (2023 Remaster) | 4:20 | |
2. | "I'll Buy" (2023 Remaster) | 3:23 | |
3. | "Kiss Me on the Bus" (2023 Remaster) | 2:54 | |
4. | "Dose of Thunder" (2023 Remaster) |
| 2:17 |
5. | "Waitress in the Sky" (2023 Remaster) | 2:01 | |
6. | "Swingin Party" (2023 Remaster) | 3:50 | |
7. | "Bastards of Young" (2023 Remaster) | 3:37 | |
8. | "Lay It Down Clown" (2023 Remaster) | 2:24 | |
9. | "Left of the Dial" (2023 Remaster) | 3:43 | |
10. | "Little Mascara" (2023 Remaster) | 3:35 | |
11. | "Here Comes a Regular" (2023 Remaster) | 4:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Acoustic Demo) | 3:51 | |
2. | "Nowhere Is My Home" (Alernate mix) | 4:01 | |
3. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Electric Demo - Alternate mix) | 3:09 | |
4. | "Left of the Dial" (Alternate Version) | 3:57 | |
5. | "Nowhere Is My Home" (Alternate Version) | 4:23 | |
6. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Cello Version) | 3:06 | |
7. | "Kiss Me on the Bus" (Studio Demo) | 2:59 | |
8. | "Little Mascara" (Studio Demo) | 4:01 | |
9. | "Bastards of Young" (Alternate Version) | 3:40 | |
10. | "Hold My Life" (Alternate Version) | 4:23 | |
11. | "Having Fun" | 2:56 | |
12. | "Waitress in the Sky" (Alternate Version) |
| 2:00 |
13. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (The "Tim" Version - Alternate mix) | 3:09 | |
14. | "Swingin Party" (Alternate Version) | 3:51 | |
15. | "Here Comes a Regular" (Alternate Version) | 4:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Gary's Got a Boner" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) |
| 1:56 |
2. | "Love You Till Friday" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 2:09 | |
3. | "Bastards of Young" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:15 | |
4. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:04 | |
5. | "Answering Machine" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:00 | |
6. | "Little Mascara" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:24 | |
7. | "Color Me Impressed" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 2:38 | |
8. | "Kiss Me on the Bus" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:11 | |
9. | "Favorite Thing" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) |
| 2:26 |
10. | "Mr. Whirly" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 1:47 | |
11. | "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) |
| 2:02 |
12. | "I Will Dare" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:22 | |
13. | "Johnny's Gonna Die" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:46 | |
14. | "Dose of Thunder" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) |
| 2:30 |
15. | "Takin a Ride" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 2:28 | |
16. | "Hitchin' a Ride" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | Mitch Murray & Peter Callander | 2:11 |
17. | "Trouble Boys" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | Billy Bremner (listed as Billy Murray) | 2:11 |
18. | "Unsatisfied" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 2:35 | |
19. | "Black Diamond" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | Paul Stanley | 2:49 |
20. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | Jagger/Richards | 4:03 |
21. | "Customer" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 1:33 | |
22. | "Borstal Breakout" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | Dave Parsons & Jimmy Pursey | 2:01 |
23. | "Take Me Down to the Hospital" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:22 | |
24. | "Kids Don't Follow" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 2:44 | |
25. | "Nowhere Man" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | Lennon/McCartney | 2:15 |
26. | "The Crusher" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | Bob Nolan | 1:29 |
27. | "I'm in Trouble" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 2:31 | |
28. | "Go" (Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, 1/11/86) | 3:02 | |
Total length: | 3:18:50 |
with:
Technical:
The Replacements were an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979. Initially a punk band, they are one of the main pioneers of alternative rock. The band was composed of the guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bass guitarist Tommy Stinson and drummer Chris Mars for most of its existence. Following several acclaimed albums, including Let It Be and Tim, Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band in 1986, and Slim Dunlap joined as lead guitarist. Steve Foley replaced Mars in 1990. Towards the end of the band's career, Westerberg exerted more control over the creative output. The group disbanded in 1991, with the members eventually pursuing various projects. A reunion was announced on October 3, 2012. Fans affectionately refer to the band as the 'Mats, a nickname that originated as a truncation of "The Placemats".
Let It Bleed is the eighth British and tenth American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released 28 November 1969 on London Records in the United States and shortly thereafter by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. Released shortly after the band's 1969 American Tour, it is the follow-up to 1968's Beggars Banquet, and like that album is a return to the group's more blues-oriented approach that was prominent in the pre-Aftermath (1966) period of their career. Additional sounds on the album draw influence from gospel, country blues and country rock.
Paul Harold Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for The Replacements. Following the breakup of The Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him release three albums on two major record labels.
Thomas Eugene Stinson is an American rock musician. He came to prominence in the 1980s as the bass guitarist for The Replacements, one of the definitive American alternative rock groups. After their breakup in 1991, Stinson formed Bash & Pop, acting as lead vocalist, guitarist and frontman. In the mid-1990s he was the singer and guitarist for the rock band Perfect, and eventually joined the hard rock band Guns N' Roses in 1998.
Don't Tell a Soul is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Replacements, released on February 1, 1989, by Sire Records.
Pleased to Meet Me is the fifth studio album by the American rock band The Replacements, released in 1987 by Sire Records. The album was acclaimed by music critics.
Los Angeles is the debut studio album by American rock band X, released in April 1980, by Slash Records. It was produced by ex-Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and includes a cover of the 1967 Doors song "Soul Kitchen".
Let It Be is the third studio album by American rock band The Replacements. It was released on October 2, 1984, by Twin/Tone Records. A post-punk album with coming-of-age themes, Let It Be was recorded by the band after they had grown tired of playing loud and fast exclusively as on their 1983 Hootenanny album; the group decided to write songs that were, according to vocalist Paul Westerberg, "a little more sincere."
Hootenanny is the second studio album by the American rock band The Replacements, released on April 29, 1983, by Twin/Tone Records. The album received positive reviews from critics.
All Shook Down is the seventh and final studio album by the American rock band The Replacements, released on September 25, 1990, by Sire Records.
The Shit Hits the Fans is a Twin/Tone Records cassette-only live album by The Replacements which was released January 25, 1985. It was recorded live at The Bowery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on November 11, 1984. The cassette J-Card cover art is by Chris Mars. According to the Twin/Tone website, 10,000 copies were produced, of which 9,276 sold immediately. The rest were given away as promotional copies.
The discography of American rock band The Replacements consists of seven studio albums, four live albums, seven compilation albums, five extended plays, 16 singles, and 10 music videos. Formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bass guitarist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars in 1979, the band signed with Twin/Tone Records the following year.
"I'll Be You" is a song by the American rock band The Replacements. It was written by lead singer Paul Westerberg and released as the lead single from the band's sixth studio album Don't Tell a Soul in 1989. After being singled out by Reprise executive Lenny Waronker as a potential hit, the song was heavily promoted by the label and became the band's only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 51.
"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Jagger-Richards, it is the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. The song covers the brutal realities of war, including murder, rape and fear. It features prominent guest vocals by American singer Merry Clayton.
"Unsatisfied" is a song written by Paul Westerberg and recorded by his band the Replacements for their third studio album Let It Be (1984). Revolving around the central lyric "I'm so unsatisfied," the song was largely fleshed out in the studio and featured improvised guitar lines from guitarist Bob Stinson.
"Bastards of Young" is a song written by Paul Westerberg and recorded by his band The Replacements for their fourth studio album Tim (1985). Inspired by Westerberg's sister Mary and the band's feelings of alienation, the song has been described as an "anthem" and features a Who-inspired guitar intro.
"Can't Hardly Wait" is a song by American rock band the Replacements from their fifth studio album Pleased to Meet Me. Written shortly after the sessions for Let It Be, the song was attempted for the 1985 Tim album but ultimately went unreleased until Pleased to Meet Me. The song features Alex Chilton on guitar as well as an arrangement with horns and strings, additions that were controversial within the band.
"Swingin Party" is a song written by Paul Westerberg and recorded by his band The Replacements for their fourth studio album Tim (1985). The song is an indie rock and rock and roll ballad with influences from jazz, country and new wave. Lyrically, it portrays the protagonist's "feigned nonchalance". It was well received by music critics, who praised Westerberg's songwriting talent. The song has been covered by other artists, notably Kindness in 2009 and Lorde in 2013.
For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986 is a 2017 live album by the American alternative rock band The Replacements. Recorded at the famous Maxwell's at the height of the band's commercial and creative arc, it is one of the few good recordings of their live performances. The band's only previous live album—1985's The Shit Hits the Fans—was a limited cassette tape release which features poor audio quality and several false starts and stops on songs. In 2007, bassist Tommy Stinson stated that "There are no good Replacements live recordings", in part due to a lack of high-quality recordings and in part due to the band's notoriously sloppy performances due to alcohol abuse. The album was produced by Bob Mehr, who wrote the 2016 biography of the band Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements.
"Merry Go Round" is a song by American alternative rock band the Replacements, from their 1990 studio album All Shook Down. Written by lead singer Paul Westerberg, the song features lyrics inspired by his relationship with his younger sister Mary as well as a drumming performance by Charley Drayton instead of the band's drummer Chris Mars.
Left of the Dial takes its name from the Replacements song of the same name, and is a reference to the position of the radio dial on which non-commercial radio stations are typically located.