Customer Reviews

Sorry Ma Forgot to Take Out the Trash

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now that I'm 30, have a wife, son, mortgage, and sad excuse for a career, I never thought that I'd pull this one out of the collection. I pictured being old and gray when my grandchildren would bring it to me in my wheelchair and I'd fondly recall the days when "alternative" meant alternative and you had to seek this music out, not turn on the radio. I've been listening to this CD (I've still got the LP, too!) all summer (mostly in the garage, at my wife's insistence). From the first Stinson-powered attack on "Takin' A Ride" to the last chord of "Raised In the City", it continues to be, at least for me, almost a time capsule. This was one of the most listened-to albums of my high school days. For those of you who have only been exposed to the 'Mats through their later efforts (post-Stinson), you're really missing the essence of one of the bands who inadvertently shaped the rock sound of today's "alternative" bands. Bass player Tommy Stinson was 14 years old when he and his brother Bob (guitar), Chris Mars (drums), and Paul Westerberg (vocals, guitar) made "Sorry Ma...". I saw them in a seedy little club in Indianapolis performing on a stage barely big enough for Mars' drum set to fit on and it remains one the most vivid shows in memory. The album itself is fast, in-your-face, 3-chord noise, nothing else. But as they say in the industry, it's got a "hook". Paul's lyrics make him one of the best songwriters noone knows about, even on this first album. My grandkids will have to get their own copy of "Sorry Ma.." because I'll have worn mine out, and that's a lot of plays for a CD.

When this came out, Rolling Stone took a moment to turn away fromarticles about Jann Weiner's 60's party pals to give this amazing disc three of five stars, asking "Who knows if they'll make any more albums? And who cares?" The Replacements went on to become a booze soaked sonic legend. And now people only read Rolling Stone to ogle the cover phots of Britney Spears.
It's all there in "Sorry Ma" -- the hooks, the clever lyrics, the Westbergian angst, long before it turned into post-Replacements self-pity and general crappiness. With the rest of the band (fueled by the late flamethower lead guitarmaster Bob Stinson) compelling him to rock, Paul did. And how.
They took punk and made it relevant to suburban kids who didn't feel like dressing all in black -- "Customer" has more truth in its 68 seconds than a crateful of "real" punk. "Kick Your Door" down is a straight ahead rocker that hits you in the gut; "Shiftless When Idle" is a powerpop marvel. "I Hate Music" is a sonic declaration of war on pretense. The only weakness is "Johnny's Gonna Die," lauded by most, but actually embodying Paul's worst musical instincts. The rest of the band propbably let it in in exchange for Paul kicking butt on the rest of the album.
You cannot understand or experience American post-punk pop without "Sorry Ma..." Rolling Stone be damned.

I'm (ironically, I guess) replacing this with a new copy for the third time. It's crude, it's rough, it's loud, it's obnoxious, it's funny and it's great. This release and "Hootenanny" are wonderfully Midwestern surly snot-faced kid-like and I could not live without them. They have defined what this sound is/was and possibly always will be. It's as close as you'll ever get to what an early live Replacement's gig was like. I suppose if you weren't around when they were fresh and new it may sound a little....no...wait a minute....that's not true....I cannot stoop to any kind of mealy-mouthed defensiveness. This album is great. Not charming. Not friendly. Not just a display of Westerberg's burgeoning songwriting talents. It's great all by itself. I proudly know the lyrics (such as they are) to all the songs and I will spit them out with vigor until the day I die. It's unbridled, undisciplined and unruly. You know....PUNK.

if you like early iggy pop and the stooges, you'll understand what i mean when i say sometimes its better when its rough, ragged and unsophisticated. if you don't, you won't like this album. this is a bunch of kids who dragged themselves out of the gutter, hosed themselves off (hopefully) and managed to put together a record in between blackouts. and i like it a lot.

Don't even try to say this is a punk album! Please! Punk issimple, basic, Primal scream. This album is shear beauty in it'spost-punk ethos. The Replacements expanded the punk formula even further in the Mat's second album "Stink", but this album is the best "First album" in history. "Customer" was the first Mats song I ever heard. It was back in 81 and I was 80 miles away from MPLS. down in farm country and straining to hear on my new Pioneer Stereo with the big antenna on the roof trying to pick up anything other than country and western (Yes both kinds of music) OK, you say it's a great "Punk" album but so what! Well then there is the song "Johnny's gonna die" and you know the Mat's are headed for super cala fraga greatness, not just post-punk greatness. So Put Sorry, Ma on and also sample Stink, Hootenanny, LET IT BE (The Greatest), and Tim. And Hell, Pleased and All Shook aren't bad either. Simply the best Band of all time, no questions. Ya the Beatles are a close second but the passion and pure midwestern American thing just isn't there in the Beatles case. So fly to Europe and you can say the Beatles were the greatest. OK? The Replacements Rule! God Bless America!

Last week, I listened to this record for the first time in too many years. The first cut, Takin a Ride, is the proverbial hammer to the head. It's a wallop. I guess this is punk rock - who knows anymore. Whatever people are doing with music these days, I just wish they could be half as energetic, brash, funny, genuine, carefree, swingingly tight, and parents-may-care as this. It may take a few listens to get to know the material, but if you're looking for an antidote to the alternative rock that surrounds you at every turn, get this.

This band defined garage fast & hard, shun the mainstream sound. This 1st album is probably my favorite Mats album but I like them all. This cd is one of those rare albums where you will not skip a track on this. Every song is appealing in it's own way. The guitar riffs are sketchy but thats the beauty of this album it's so raw and unpolished. I have to say this album is their most Punk sounding. It came out in 1981 so far from the New Wave that was on the airwaves. Westerburg's voice goes right through you. I can't possibly list standout tracks because like I said every song is good. But "Customer" is a funny tune, opening track "Taking a ride" such a catchy song, "Kick your door down" great chorus track."Shiftless when Idle, "I hate Music" such a Punk Rock tune. If you truly like real garage/punk sound this album is essential to collection. This CD is in my top 5 of all time.

Far too many people seem to have missed the 80's midwestern punk thing, and this seems to me to be where it started -- yeah, it might not be Paul Westerberg's greatest songwriting, but it's a very cool, energetic straight-forward-punk album. And it provides a soundtrack to my highschool life. So will you like this album? Oh, probably not, unless you're a real punk fan. I love it, but if you like slower, less frantic-sounding songs with more than impressive 100-mph solos and three chords played loud, buy Tim. The Mats are fantastic, and this is a must for a punk fan -- and Shiftless When Idle is the coolest song title ever. But, for some really odd reason, most people don't like it. Teenagers: get it. Your parents'll hate it.

The Replacements-Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash ****


Released in 1981, Sorry Ma Forgot To Take Out The Trash was the debut from some of Minnasota's finest the legendary Replacements. When most people hear or think the Replacements, that assuming you even know who the Replacements are, they think Pleased To Meet Me, and Tim, or maybe if you are really know your stuff Let It Be. Few people realize the band was around before Let It Be. To be clear this is not The Beatles Let It Be, oh no. Hootenany, Stink, Sorry Ma all came out before. Now Sorry Ma is nothing like the bands later material either. It's much, much more raw. The production is not as clean but actually makes the album sound better over all then that of Tim and Pleased To Meet Me.

This is the earliest carnation of the band with both Stinson brothers. The fantastic Bob Stinson on lead guitar. Bob is one of the most underrated guitar players in all of rock and roll. Tommy Stinson on bass. At the time of this album Tommy was only about fourteen years old, amazing huh. Christophers Mars on the drums. The poetic Paul Westerberg on lyrics, rythm guitar and lead vocals.

For some reason or another some people call this album along with Stink hardcore. Well that couldn't be further from the truth. The Replacements couldn't be hardcore if they tried. Tommy Stinson has been quoted as saying "In the eighties hardcore is what you wished your band was but you just knew that, that was not your band, like with us." Yeah this is more punk then they would ever do again. Songs like 'Takin A Ride' 'Customer' 'Otto' and 'Shutup' are just straight up punk yes, but not hardcore. So sorry if you were looking for hardcore but this is not it, and for those of you later day Replacements fans who were affraid of this because you heard it was hardcore well fear no more. 'Johnnys Gonna Die' is more or less loosely based on lead guitarist Bob Stinson who aside from being excentric on stage dressing in such things as dresses he was also a massive druggy and drunk which is why in the liner notes he is listed as Smokin (and drinkin) Bob Stinson. 'I Hate Music' is classic Replacements humor as does 'I Bought A Headache.' 'Raised In The City' the track which closes the album is tied with 'Takin A Ride' the song which opens the album for the strongest track. They are the two best songs by the band out of their first three albums, not till Let It Be would those track be topped.

Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash is the album that strated it all. The Replacements were concidered by the time the disbanded one of the greatest bands of all time, and still today they are looked at that one, but more now than then as the legand has grown. It is both humbling and interesting to see where the band came from as well as rewarding.

This, the Replacements' first album, is very raw and very powerful. Definitely not for pop fans. It was almost too hectic for my liking. Westerberg's lyricism is not nearly as awe-inspiring as it will be in later albums, but a slight hint of genius is still there.