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.

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The Queers - Move Back Home

The Queers are a heroes of pop-punk. Since their landmark Love Songs for the Retarded in 1993, they’ve been champions of the ultra-Ramones-influenced, boneheaded pop-punk tradition. Fronted by Joe King, aka Joe Queer (and can I digress and mention that I really love the tradition of band members taking their band’s name as their surname- the Ramones, the Ergs!, Screeching Weasel, etc.), these New Hampshire punks have released many solid albums.

Move Back Home is yet another great album in a string of hits that started with Love Songs. A few years ago, the album, along with most of the band’s Lookout! Records releases, were re-released on Asian Man Records, and these reissues brought remastering and sometimes bonus tracks. In this album’s case, there’s entirely new artwork, plus 4 additional songs not found on the Lookout! original.

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