- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: The Replacements
Album: All Shook Down
Label: Rhino / Rykodisc
Playtime: 75:34 min
Genre: Alternative
URL: http://www.rhino.com
Rip date: 2008-09-26
Street date: 2008-09-23
Size: 112.61 MB
Type: Remastered
Quality: 196 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
Remastered with bonus material.
"Battered and broken from the debacle of Don't Tell a Soul -- the album's
failure to take off, followed by a disastrous tour supporting Tom Petty & the
Heartbreakers -- the Replacements were on their last legs when it came time
for 1990's All Shook Down, so worn down that the band ceased to exist for
most intents and purposes. Paul Westerberg even began recording the album as
a solo project with R.E.M. producer Scott Litt, gradually turning it into the
final Replacements album. It may bear the band's name, but All Shook Down
never quite shakes the feeling of a solo album; above all, it's a writers
album, with the focus placed entirely on the songs. To a certain extent, that
was true of the ballad-heavy Don't Tell a Soul, but that felt over-thought
from its conception to execution, where there is a light touch to All Shook
Down, despite its plethora of guest musicians, including John Cale's viola on
"Sadly Beautiful," Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, Terry Reid, and a duet with
Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano on "My Little Problem." Instead of
aiming for a crossover hit, Westerberg has now resigned himself to his status
as an also-ran, even embracing it to some extent, so there are no sops to
rock radio aside from "My Little Problem," whose bluster is jarring amidst
the nimble folk-pop of the rest of the record.
All the acoustic guitars and skipping electric guitars push All Shook Down
far outside of the nascent Zeitgeist of grunge, or the sound of college rock
in 1990; although Westerberg would soon be back in the thick of things with
his Singles soundtrack -- sounding not too dissimilar to this record -- this
finds him retreating from the rat race, reflecting on what he's been through.
All Shook Down is designed as a coda to the Replacements' career, with
Westerberg looking back to "When It Began," pleading that "Someone Take the
Wheel" and wrapping the whole thing up with "The Last," as self-aware a final
song as the Beatles' "The End." Westerberg balances these self-referential
slices of autobiography with his self-deprecation and heartbreak, but all
this melancholy never feels heavy, not even when he dips into thick sorrow on
"Sadly Beautiful" or the disembodied spookiness of "All Shook Down." There's
a palpable sense of relief to All Shook Down, as if Westerberg realized he
dodged a bullet by not becoming a true rock star. This lightness is
appealing, especially as it surfaces in his writing, which is surely more
considered than it was even on Pleased to Meet Me, but it has an offhand
quality, recalling the casual virtuosity of Let It Be and Tim -- it's the
same guy, only older but maybe not too much wiser. And as it's true to that
spirit, All Shook Down winds up being a note-perfect denouement to the
Replacements' career, even if it's quiet and careful in a way the band never
was at its peak."
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Merry Go Round ( 3:40)
02. One Wink At A Time ( 3:05)
03. Nobody ( 3:11)
04. Bent Out Of Shape ( 3:45)
05. Sadly Beautiful ( 3:17)
06. Someone Take The Wheel ( 3:43)
07. When It Began ( 3:06)
08. All Shook Down ( 3:15)
09. Attitude ( 2:43)
10. Happy Town ( 2:56)
11. Torture ( 1:51)
12. My Little Problem ( 4:03)
13. The Last ( 3:13)
14. When It Began (Demo) ( 2:47)
15. Kissin' In Action (Demo) ( 2:27)
16. Someone Take The Wheel (Demo) ( 3:37)
17. Attitude (Demo) ( 2:54)
18. Happy Town (Demo) ( 2:40)
19. Tiny Paper Plane (Demo) ( 2:08)
20. Sadly Beautiful (Demo) ( 3:15)
21. My Little Problem (Alternate Version) ( 3:40)
22. Ought To Get Love ( 3:04)
23. Satellite ( 3:39)
24. Kissin' In Action ( 3:35)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -