Customer Reviews

Let It Be (Reis) (Dlx) (Exp)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

For those of us hoping that the Ryko/Rhino would give the Replacements the same treatment they gave Elvis Costello, LET IT BE and their other reissues are something of a disappointment.

The sound is great, no question. But there are two main shortcomings. One of which has rightly been noted already: there is too much wasted room on these discs. With all the boots extant from throughout the 'Mats career, there is a literal goldmine of material out there that could have been included to get these timings closer to 80 minutes -- and, more importantly, give a more complete picture of what the Replacements were all about. Without some chunk of concurrent live material, there is something important missing. For those of us lucky to have seen the band live over the years, that void is all the more glaring.

Second, the liner notes are mediocre to downright bad. There are some great bits from Peter Jesperson. The LIB essay is a navel-staring disaster. How anyone could have let that stand as a "tribute" to one of the greatest albums in rock history is beyond me. Again, unlike the gold standard that both Ryko and certainly Rhino had set with their reissues of Costello's work, there is absolutely no input from the artists themselves. No words/thoughts/remembrances from Paul, Tommy, or Chris. And maybe this was their choice. But it certainly makes for a less-than-definitive reissue of this work.

The music does sound great. Bottom line. And I don't mind paying a little more for a great repackaging of important music -- and both Ryko and Rhino have done this very well in the past. Unfortunately, this effort doesn't live up to that same standard.

I've been a fan of this band for a long time, so I was understandably looking forward to proper reissues/remasters for at least ten years. Let It Be may be their best sounding disk and most representative of the band's sound. However, aside from unearthed photos - which are poorly placed inside (with text on the photos?!?) - and better sound than earlier issues on compact disc this reissue simply isn't up to snuff.
And Rhino/Ryko are not to blame either. The band has acquired a certain legacy over time and simply deserves much better. First off the bonus track selection is very half-baked. Fans of the band are familiar with their outtakes by now. Let It Be's include "Who's Gonna Take Us Alive" (the best outtake of the bunch stupidly absent), the lyrically alternate version of "Gary's Got A Boner", "Street Girl" (a fine little ditty), the rocking "You Look Like An Adult" (the original version of "Seen Your Video") and a big whoops was the (new) mix of the alternate version of "Sixteen Blue". The same version (did) include Chan Polling of The Suburbs' grand piano through the entire song. A truly beautiful version, and they botched it! Why they included the same version WITHOUT the best part - or at very least a new interesting feature - of the song is simply poor on all counts.

Gina Arnold (author of the pretty decent 'Route 666: On the Road to Nirvana') wrote the liner notes. While sure, it may be sweet and cute for her to recount what it was like to be a Replacements fan twenty years ago (if that's the case for a filling up liner notes why don't a segment of us Replacements fans start sending in our of sweet stories for Tim now?) it doesn't make for definitive liner-notes writing. We still know as much about the album and there's nothing legitimate about why is it's included here in the first place. It has it's place - but not in the liner notes to one of the best albums the 1980's.

Why there was no input from any band member is certainly unfortunate and perhaps even telling. No first hand stories, memories, information of any kind from the band (aside from their ex-manager informing us that the bonus tracks...were outtakes...from the Let It Be sessions). Considering that these reissues have been in the works - or more accurately been touted as "to be released next year" for the past ten years or so - by the time they actually arrive and they don't have the bonus tracks that the fans would hope they'd include or simply expect, it's hard not to wonder what DID in fact take so long? Surely it wasn't the attention to detail. Having said ALL this, it should please a percentage of fans. I'm going to assume that casual fans (do the 'Mats even have casual fans?) of the band should be fine with this reissue.

It's issues (or reissues as it were) like this that prompt illegal trade of this great bands' music and that's not fair to the band or it's fans.

Oh yeah, and the classic iconic cover is now a few shades darker and cropped to boot!

"I Will Dare", "Unsatisfied" and "Answering Machine" have ALL BEEN EDITED!!!
Small, but significant edits have been made to the tracks. Which changes the identity of the track(s) and the album. "Answering Machine" the beginning has been chopped off. No more Paul count off over buzzing guitar. No more back round fumbling before the start of "I Will Dare", in turn the track sounds more confident (for a lack of a better word). The backround after "Androgynous" are not only edited but also now bleed over onto the front (beginning) of "Black Diamond". Which sounds like a careless post-production boo-boo. But being intimately familiar with this album, it now sounds like it's someone else's album.

For something so well-established, it just seems pretty foolish for a revisionist history lesson as far as ANY editing of the original album tracks.

Glaring omissions aside ("Who's Gonna Take Us Alive", "Street Girl", "Sixteen Blue" - without Chan Polling's piano on the entire track (!!) which also had a very nice guitar feedback ending courtesy of Bob - now gone (as if it was never even there). And simply uninteresting, very uninforming and self-indulgent liner notes. The purchase is fine for the photos (with staples in the middle of frames) and beefier sound. Otherwise, it's just a bad re-issue which is unfortunate as it's been in the works (the idea of a reissue at very least) for a while now.

Will there be a box set forthcoming for all of the ommisions?

Let me get this out of the way: "Let it Be" by the Replacements is a transcendent album that is easily one of the best of the decade. It's a seminal album, one that would play a huge role in the music that would come in the decade to follow. Anyone even remotely interested in '80s alternative music should seek out "Let it Be," along with Husker Du's "New Day Rising," Sonic Youth's "Daydream Nation," and the Pixies' "Surfer Rosa."

Having said that, this isn't so much a review of the music itself as it is the 2008 reissue. Simply put, this is an incredibly lazy reissue, and I'm shocked that so few people have called out Rhino and Rykodisc on it.

To begin with, the highly touted remastered sound is a joke. While I'm sure it's an improvement over the initial CD release, it should be noted that "Let it Be" was already remastered once before in 2002. That release got it right. While the volume was boosted in order to bring it more in line with volume levels of current CDs, it still retained the dynamic range of the original album. In contrast, the Rhino/Rykodisc release compressed the audio, making everything sound flat.

A great example of this is the opening of "I Will Dare." When the drums kick in on the 2002 version, they're louder than the guitar riff that preceded it, and they sound full and booming as a result. On the Rhino release, everything is the same volume, making those drum hits lack the punch they had on the 2002 release. Even if one were to ignore the lack of dynamic range on this release, I'm still not convinced that this reissue is an improvement. To my ears, the 2002 version sounds crisper and cleaner too.

As if compressed audio wasn't enough, the left and right channels have been inexcusably switched--another sign of just how little attention must have been given to this release. Unbelievably, Rhino/Rykodisc even managed to screw up the cover art, which, for some reason, is now cropped. Between this and their New Order reissues, it's as though Rhino has all but forgotten about quality control. You wouldn't know it now, but there used to be a time when seeing Rhino's logo on the back of an album or box set was a good thing.

Even the added songs are questionable. While they're not bad, there certainly were more b-sides and rarities from this era that could have been included. It's not like there wasn't enough space. Even with the bonus tracks, the album is still under an hour in length.

This release is a mess. While there's no doubt in my mind that everyone should own "Let it Be," I would encourage everyone to track down the now out-of-print 2002 version instead. It may lack liner notes and bonus tracks, but the sound is superior, and ultimately, that's where it counts.

It's a shame that "Let It Be" is getting anything less than 4 stars. I don't think this is the place to air grievances against the record industry. Whether or not this reissue is a rip-off, that doesn't make the album any less great. So I'm giving it 5 stars to even out the ratings here, but the reissue probably deserves about 3.

That being said, I wouldn't bother buying this re-release if you already have the 2002 Restless reissue, but it is worth updating if you still have the original TwinTone CD.

The liner notes represent the worst kind of musical nostlagia, complete fluff. I found the bonus tracks rather underwhelming and they really don't add anything at all. "20th Century Boy" is a rather tired performance, lacking the energy of the original and probably of the Mats' own live versions. The sole new original song among the bonus tracks, "Perfectly Lethal" boasts a few good lines, but was left off the album for good reason. "Temptation Eyes" and "Heartbeat - It's a Lovebeat" are solid covers but hardly required listening. And the two alternate versions of "Sixteen Blue" and "Answering Machine" add nothing.

The real problem with reissues like this (when the bonus material kind of stinks) is that now you can never just listen to the whole album by itself, but the bonus tracks will always spoil the listening experience. So it is probably smarter to stick to the 2002 reissue.

The Replacements-Let It Be *****


The first time I listened to Let It Be by The Replacements the first thing that ran through my mind was "Kurt Cobain is the biggest fraud I have ever heard in my life!" Now every time I hear Cobain all I can think is that he was just ripping off Paul Westerberg.

But back to the album. This was my first introduction to The Replacements. It came along at the perfect time. I was seventeen when I first heard it and I really felt a connection with everyone of the songs, which I am sure is what a lot of people say. I now own all the bands albums. From `I Will Dare' which features a guest spot from the great Peter Buck from R.E.M. through `Favorite Thing' which is easily one of the greatest punk songs of all time as well as just one of the greatest songs of any genre. The angst of `We're Coming Out' which boasts the classic lines "One more chance to get it all wrong," to the humor of `Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out' something the band was known for. I assume the song is about bassist Tommy Stinson having his tonsils removed, being as he was only about seventeen or so when this album was released. `Androgynous' is pure Westerberg, pure poetry with a slice of humor thrown in for good measure. `Black Diamond' which seems like the most obscure of covers for a band like The Replacements being as it is a Kiss song, but for those who know anything about the band realize it fits perfectly, and in fact The Replacements do it much better then the original. `Unsatisfied' more or less describes Westerberg's permanent state of mind. `Seen Your Video' really is a song that everyone can relate to when bands they love become to big for their original fan base. `Gary's Got A Boner' is pure punk. Great lead guitar work from the great Bob Stinson, and excellent drumming from Christopher Mars. Great fun. `Sixteen Blue' is more or less Sixteen Candles put to music, and really a song everyone in their mid-teens should be required to here. `Answering Machine' ends the album with perhaps the indie anthem to end all indie anthems. It may be the most tortured love song of all time, and ends the album like no song ends any other album.

Let It Be is one of those albums that should be in everyone's music collection. It is easily one of the greatest and most important albums of all time and should be required listening, even over such albums as Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.

Truly one of the greatest American rock bands of the 1980s, the Replacements spent much of their career just under the radar of the consciousness of the mainstream. While the band built up a loyal following throughout the Reagan years, the 'Mats never broke through the way other college favorites like REM or The Red Hot Chili Peppers did. While the band offered some of the best music of the decade and while they were later signed to a major label and even appeared on Saturday Night Live, true recognition and praise eluded them in their day. But while the band never managed to enjoy a real cross-over hit with the mainstream, they remained a cult favorite throughout their existence.

The `Mats early albums boasted raucous punk that was authentic and memorable, but a far cry away from the best work the band would offer. While the Minneapolis quartet's first three releases "Sorry Ma, I forgot to take out the Trash," (1981) "Stink" EP (1982) and "Hootenanny" (1983) showed much promise, it was the band's fourth album "Let it Be," (1984) that saw the band reach their full potential. The Replacements "Holy Trinity" of albums, "Let it Be," "Tim," (1985) and "Pleased to Meet Me" (1987) saw singer/songwriter Paul Westerberg blossom as a writer, churning out his most memorable work.

While "Let it Be" has the punk aesthetics of its predecessors, the songs are more refined and crafted. While "Let it Be" isn't overtly commercial or has any singles that scream "HIT" written on them, the album was up to this point the band's most assessable offering. To get right to the point, "Let it Be" is just a great album. Track after track, each song is memorable and well structured with an infectious hook, killer groove and keen sense of melody. Westerberg, Bob Stinson, (guitar) Tommy Stinson, (bass) and Chris Mars (drums) struck the perfect balance between finely crafted songs and anarchic, unrestrictive punk. The band is loose and hungry, but also meticulous, making sure the album is raw and organic, but without sounding sloppy.

With "Let it Be" Westerberg really honed in as a lyricist. Songs of alienation, dissatisfaction, frustration, and problems with interpersonal relationships are the prevailing themes. And while these are the prevailing themes with many, many bands, Westerberg sounds authentic and the listener can really sympathize with his plight. While he sounds genuinely distraught, he never indulges in self-pity or drains the listener. There is nothing forced or contrived about the feelings he is trying to convey. All the while Westerberg has a real sense of humor as songs like "Tommy gets his Tonsils Out" and "Gary's got a Boner" would suggest.

The opening mid-tempo "I Will Dare" is probably the album's best song, if not the greatest Replacements track ever recorded. Estrangement and unrequited love but with a sense of hope seem to be the prevailing theme. Tommy Stinson's sparse bass over the lush playing of Westerberg, Bob Stinson, and guest guitarist Peter Buck (of REM) make this song a triumph. "Favorite Thing" goes at an almost manic pace and has a real sense of urgency, as Westerberg tells of his affection for the one he loves. "Were Coming Out" may have been a contender for "Hootenanny" as this punk-rocker is somewhat chaotic, but without loosing structure. The light piano offers a nice touch. "Tommy gets his tonsils out" is also reminiscent of the Replacements early work, as this humorous punk number tackles the bassists' fear of going to the dentist. The album takes a complete left turn for the bizarre "Androgynous," a melancholy piano balled dealing with the issue of sexual identity and self-acceptance. A cover of KISS's "Black Diamond" stays pretty true to the original, while giving it a bit of a punk-make-over. Perhaps the most earnest song on the album "Unsatisfied" articulates the frustration one feels with the emptiness of an unfulfilled life. A poke at MTV, the mostly instrumental "Seen Your Video" shows the band cut loose and just rock out. Bob Stinson shows his fee-wheeling skills over this catchy little ditty. The humorous "Gary's Got a Boner" is somewhat like "Tommy gets his tonsils out" and is somewhat reminiscent of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever." A morose plight detailing teenage angst, "Sixteen Blue" is gentle and bittersweet, yet rough-around-the-edges. The almost exclusively guitar closing track "Answering Machine," while very sparse and stripped down, is quite effective. The song's theme, longing frustration, sums up the premise of the album in a nutshell and makes for the perfect closing number.

Released over twenty years ago, "Let it Be" has aged quite well. It sounds as good and as poignant today as it did in 1984. The themes of "Let it Be" are timeless. As long as there are humans on the Earth, people will long for companionship and meaning and be unhappy with their life. Bands like Green Day, the Offspring, and countless others owe a lot to the Replacements.

2008 Bonus reissue comments:

While I was a little bit peeved that this edition has all the cool bonus stuff when I just bought a remastered version of the album from the early 00s--it's not really a big deal. While the bonus material (covers and outtakes) doesn't quite stand up to the material on the original album, it's still quite strong and will definitely be of interest to fans. T Rex's "20th Century Boy" in particular is cool and a demo of "16 Blue" will give the listener a sense of how the album progressed.

I have listened to this recording perhaps 2000 times. It is one of the best, most heartfelt, dramatic, moving, teen/coming of age records I've ever heard. I've been listening to it for over 20 years now and it's still fantastic. My favorite by far of all of the Replacement recordings. Although not a live recording, it captures the magic of The Replacements live. I've got an older CD release that has only the original 11 songs from the vinyl release. I'm tempted to update because my workout lasts longer than the 11 song CD.

Let it Be is a landmark album, one of the greatest indie albums of the 80's. One of the greatest albums ever, really! It caught the band at a perfect intersection of their early wildness and Paul Westerberg's increasing greatness as a songwriter. Every song is different, every song is cool, and it fits together perfectly (maybe the best sequenced album ever!) What can you say about an album that contains "I Will Dare" "Unsatisfied" "16 Blue" "Answering Machine" "We're Coming Out" "Androgynous" AND "Favorite Thing"??? The "minor" songs like "Seen Your Video" or "Tommy Gets His Tonsils" out would be standouts on any other band's albums (and they are often hilarious as well!). Also, the remaster just sounds great. Plus you get some cool bonus tracks to boot. What, the packaging isn't perfect and the bonus tracks could have been even better? Fine, but seeing as this album is already a 6 on a 5-1 scale, I can hardly give it less than 5 stars just because they haven't managed to turn it into a 7.

So yeah, this is an album eveyone should own. If you don't have it already, then get this reissue. The bonus tracks are interesting from an historical standpoint and the liner notes are light but informative. I pretty much agree with everyone else that if you already own the previous remastered version, then you don't really need to run out and buy this just for the bonus tracks. This is a good initiation for new fans.