I thought they would have had a better career...

JDV

 

I loved the Replacements. I'll put their three album streak of Let It Be/Tim/Pleased to Meet Me up against just about anyone. Westerberg is a brilliant songwriter.

But lord, the mythology of the Replacements you're talking about drives me nuts. They sabotaged every break they got -- and they got plenty. I saw them live and they were a horrendous live band. Drunken covers of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" are cute in theory, not so cute when it's your only opportunity to see them -- and when half the set is like that.

Drunk and pretending to be stupid is no way to go through life.

 

I have spent 25 years wrestling with the fact that I am supposed to think this, and then listening to the music itself and saying, "Holy shit, this guy can write a fucking song."

It has been the closest I will ever come to knowing what it is like to be a closeted gay person.

But I'm out now. I like them. They are all-timers. But they will be acknowledged as such, because the amateur Protectors of the Canon will never do so, and rock 'n' roll will eventually fade into distant memory, so there will no one who will care enough to re-evaluate.

They are a weird case. Hugely commercially successful. Hugely critically successful. And music fans don't take them seriously at all.

 

They are both epic assholes apparently, which probably played a part.

Vernon Reid was relatively old when they broke through and he had a lot of different musical interests. Plus, lyrically they kind of sucked.

 

Sean Young is nuts.

 

Yeah, that's why I said they're a matched set. Psycho actors, even for Hollywood.

 

He's fleet sales manager at a Mercedes dealership outside San Antonio AND founder and owner of Conservative News Media I'll have you know.

 

The amazing thing is that they didn't have to struggle at all before getting a record contract. I'm sure you've read it but the band biography by Bob Mehr - Trouble Boys - says they only played two or three gigs before getting signed hy Twin-Tone Records. So, yeah, from the very start, they started biting the hand that fed them. Not all that pleasant to learn about.

I saw them [i.e. two of the original quartet] play at one gig on their reunion tour. Technically, they were really good but it was a little soulless. I guess those bad childhoods have a long shelf-life.

 

Tim Lincecum and hear me out. Debuts in 2007. 2008 is the NL Cy Young and repeats in 09. Was one of the Giants heroes in 2010 to win a World Series. Then in 2012 is shelled in the NLCS, relegated to the pen against Detroit and by the next year is a shell of himself and doesn't even factor in the 2014 playoffs. If you told me after 2010 that the Giants win two more World Series I would have asked how many more Cy Youngs would be have won.

 

Yep. They got a showcase gig for the major labels and sabotaged that. They had their first big national exposure on SNL -- they wore dresses and traded instruments like it was a summer camp skit.

They had all kinds of chances and worked hard to screw 'em all up.

 

Lincecum is a weird case, though.
I think a lot of people expected him to have a short run because of his diminutive frame and awkward mechanics.
Of course, the SF Stepford fans could never believe that.
I think the surprising aspect for him, to me, is how short his stint as just good-serviceable-mediocre was. His descent from extremely good to unplayable was fast.

 

As a gm/president, Phil Jackson. Didn't think he'd win titles, although some of the NY media made comparisons to Riley going from coach to front office back when Jackson was hired. At least expected him to build a team that could make the playoffs every season. He's worse than Isiah, but doesn't receive as much negative ink.