Tag: replacements

Alex Chilton, by the Replacements.

I crossed the Replacements off the list earlier this week, with two of their songs done in this project, and struggling since then to pick a favorite and do it justice, but I was listening to the Bandsplain episode about them and hearing this again, with some context, made me insist to myself that I needed this song back on the list.

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These are probably… not the original chords. The version online says something about using a capo so you can stay in standard tuning, which, to me, is like, an interesting hint that there’s a rabbit hole to go down trying to figure out how they played it, but then again, I would think the volume of alcohol they consumed at their own live shows would not mix well with too many complex tunings? Or is that just me…

Achin’ To Be, by the Replacements.

This song was alphabetically first on my phone for a long time, which means every time it connects to our 2013 Prius via bluetooth, it starts playing. And that’s a real emotional song to casually drop onto the car stereo, with the kids, in any situation.

On the way to soccer practice? Achin’ To Be.

Coming home from the grocery store? Achin’ To Be.

Carpooling neighbors to school on a rainy day? Achin’ To Be.

Driving to the gym after the kids are asleep and need to get psyched up to lift weights or swim or whatever? Achin’ To Be.

You get the idea.

Swingin’ Party, by the Replacements.

I have a few potential Replacements tracks on the list, but this song is one that always hit me as vulnerable as it gets. Paul Westerberg is always kinda “here’s my soul and I’m bearing it so transparently that I have to get really drunk to sing these songs” which isn’t necessarily productive, per se.

That time I saw Paul Westerberg live, touring behind 14 Songs, which itself was almost like touring behind the Singles soundtrack, as far as I was concerned… I half-joke that’s the show where I picked up a rock and roll ear — as in, the hearing in my left ear was affected by standing too close on the left side of the stage during a very loud show at The Edge in Fort Lauderdale. I think I drove myself to that one alone, and felt lonely, and other than the guy at the record store (who was there that night!) who provided me with instructions regarding this band, I had no one to listen to this music with, really, so it was just mine, Hold My Life and and Achin’ To Be, and all the angst and waiting and patience and awkward romance of teenagedom, just aspiring to the freedom of twentiesdom, with no real end in sight.

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Probably the last hotel number for a while!