Guitars, Drums, Tones, and Saxophones

We'll Inherit the Earth: A Tribute to the Replacements

Here we go, yet another tribute album. As per usual, the regular disclaimer about tribute records applies: the odds are, over the course of this disc, you will be filled with an uncontrollable urge to break out the original artist’s albums. In this case, you will most likely reach for your worn copy of Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash.

That’s not to say this is a bad effort, by any means. The album, like any good tribute album, emphasizes and throws into sharp focus the strength of the original material; despite being delivered in different (in some cases, radically so) styles, some with more success than others, the songs are still great.

The first thing a listener will notice is that the songs here are almost all contributed by punk bands. Pop-punk bands, more often than not, and that makes sense, since if you were to try to find a genre that was most influenced by the Replacements (in particular, their early material), it would be pop-punk. Or at least, those bands who don’t feel a need to be slavishly devoted to retreading the musical blueprint of Rocket to Russia.

Generally, the takes on the band’s material here is pretty reverent. There are a couple of contributions that venture more into the country territory (“If Only You Were Lonely” sticks out in my mind), and it all works fairly well. And it’s amazing how some of the songs fit the bands they’re being covered by, which I guess shows off how ‘Mats-influenced those bands are. For a specific example, check out Off With Their Heads’ take on “Goddamn Job.” It reminds the listener of the lead song on their Hospitals album, “Die Today.”

Depending on your tolerance for covers of a single artist, the 23 songs contained here may turn out to be a bit over long. But overall, the album is a great tribute to a seminal band, who deserve all the accolades they can get.

Tags: off with their heads, the ergs!, the queers, the replacements