The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting: An Oral History

By Jim Walsh

Book Overview

Formed in a Minneapolis basement in 1979, the Replacements were a notorious rock 'n' roll circus, renowned for self-sabotage, cartoon shtick, stubborn contrarianism, stage-fright, Dionysian benders, heart-on-sleeve songwriting, and--ultimately--critical and popular acclaim. While rock then and now is lousy with superficial stars and glossy entertainment, the Replacements were as warts-and-all "real" as it got. In the first book to take on the jumble of facts, fictions, and contradictions behind the Replacements, veteran Minneapolis music journalist Jim Walsh distills hundreds of hours of interviews with band members, their friends, families, fellow musicians, and fans into an absorbing oral history worthy of the scruffy quartet that many have branded the most influential band to emerge from the '80s. Former manager Peter Jesperson, Paul Stark and Dave Ayers of Twin/Tone Records, Bob Mould and Grant Hart of rivals H sker D , the legendary Curtiss A, Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, Lori Barbero of Babes in Toyland, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, power-pop hero Alex Chilton, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, and replacement Replacements Slim Dunlap and Steve Foley: all have something to say about the scene that spawned the band. These and dozens of others offer insights into the Replacement's workings--and the band's continuing influence more than fifteen years after their breakup. Illustrated with both rarely seen and classic photos, this, finally, is the rollicking story behind the turbulent and celebrated band that came on fast and furious and finally flamed out, chronicled by one eyewitness who was always at the periphery of the storm, and often at its eye. " T]his consistently engaging and poignant work . . . . is a] loving, appropriately ramshackle tribute to one of the most beloved rock-and-roll bands of the 1980s. . . . The band's story is an archetype of the joys and pitfalls of underground success."-- Publishers Weekly "The Replacements were superheroes: They rescued a whole planet from '80s music. Jim Walsh's loving, engrossing oral history is the book they deserve."--Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760334943
• ISBN13: 9780760334942
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Voyageur Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

A compelling read

Wow! I loved this book way more then I initially expected to. Walsh has managed to craft a well-written, engaging narrative out of other people's quotes. It was like reading a novel with rising action, climax and all that other good stuff you often turn to fiction for. I even knew what was going to happen and I still couldn't put the book down.

Homesick

Reading the names I see the faces. I never met the writers but knew most every one of them from reading City Pages and the Twin Cities Reader--then seeing them buying records at Garage D'or, the Fetus, Oarfolk, or on stage at the 400, First Ave, Entry, Uptown. Out buying records. The memory of a hometown place like that causes homesickness. The weather keeps me away. This book brings me back.

Buy it now!

This is a fascinating documentation of one of the greatest, most unique bands that ever existed. The author was so much of a part of the band's history (he gave the eulogy at guitarist Bob Stinson's funeral!) that he wisely chooses to step back and let the participants tell their sides of the story, while filling in details when needed. When you hear so many different viewpoints, you get a much more well-rounded feel for these characters who raucously carried the rock and roll torch through a generally bad decade of music. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves The Replacements. It could be used as a textbook for any aspiring bands or musicians in the "school of rock".

A Long Overdue Pleasure

It is an absolute travesty that it has taken this long for a book on the 'Mats to find its way to print. Kudos to Jim Walsh and Voyageur Press (a Twin Cities publisher) for rescuing the die-hard, Mats-starved fans. While many oral histories can be tricky reads, Walsh made the absolute best decision when he chose this format for his book. Rather than hearing only one voice tell the story--as legitimate as Walsh's voice may be--he tells the story through the many voices of those who had consumed the band in all its tragic greatness over the years. After all, the Replacements were never a band to simply be heard...they had to be experienced. This book helps readers who may have never seen the band live do just that. On another note, I would like to provide some clarification as to a previous 2-star review of the book. The reviewer lodged a complaint about the author not letting us know who each person is throughout the book. I won't address how we disagree on the value of this book, but I did want to let folks know about a very helpful list starting on page 269 entitled "The Players." Each person quoted in the book is listed, along with a brief description of who they are.

Finally, a great book about my all-time favorite band

While I loved the chapter devoted to The Replacements in the terrific book, "Our Band Could Be Your Life", I always hoped someone would put together a more complete history of this incredible band, and Jim Walsh did a great job putting "All Over But the Shouting" together. I'd highly recommend the book to any fan of The Replacements, and to anyone curious about 80's underground music in general. Oh, and in response to the person who found all the names in the book confusing, there's a list in the back of the book that briefly explains who all those people are, or in some unfortunate cases, were.