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We’ll Inherit the Earth...A Tribute to the Replacements
2006
1-2-3-4 Go!

Various - We’ll Inherit the Earth...A Tribute to the Replacements (Cover Artwork)

Review by: JonDaley
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Published on October 27th 2006

The plethora of criteria that goes into reviewing an album is arguably different when said album is a compilation. There is rarely stranger a beast in this realm than the tribute album. The perplexing quality is that while the songwriting of the material is often quite strong, the execution and presentation can completely ruin the album. 1-2-3-4 Go! Records’ tribute to the Replacements however, escapes this pitfall as it assembled with care from every angle.

The album artwork by Cristy Road is both beautifully eye-catching and fitting toward the original spirit that the the Replacements embodied. It features two punks (one passed out) amidst stacks of records, an old pizza box, and a guitar in a room with cracked walls. This obviously displays the band's hard-living lifestyle they portrayed on stage and in their songs but subtly speaks to one of the more endearing qualities of the band. In songs such as “Johnny’s Gonna Die,” “Somethin’ to Du,” “Alex Chilton” and his general song craft, Paul Westerberg proved to be above all else a lover of rock music. Whether it was intentional or not the stacks of record are telling of that.

The bands chosen to pay tribute are pretty much all from a punk rock background yet are an interesting mix; from veteran players (the Queers, Drag the River), rising stars (Against Me!), criminally overlooked bands (Tiltwheel, This Is My Fist) and rare collaborations (Thomas Barnett and Rob Huddleston). The songs chosen span the band's entire career and are presented in (mostly) chronological order of release. This gives the album somewhat of a cohesive feel because luckily by and large the band went through rather natural progressions from album to album.

The Ergs open the album with their cover of “I’m in Trouble,” setting the album off with some balls-to-the-walls action. The Replacements had an innocence to their rambling rock'n'roll that stayed with them in their career but was most evident in their earlier recordings. Mikey Ergs' voice sounds just youthful enough to maintain that same feeling over the rough guitars, and actually manages to put a tad more grit into the song than most of the Ergs' material I’ve heard. This establishes a healthy give-and-take between the performers and the source material for a winning combination. The Ergs aren’t the only band whose singer tries to uphold some of Westerberg’s personality in their cover though. Hi Ho Six Shooter’s singer has/adds a country inflection to his voice on their electrified version of “If Only You Were Lonely” to maintain some of the original swagger. There is also an interesting inclusion of organ, which is a great idea for the song in theory but the way it is integrated makes the chorus come up very abruptly ruining that casual mosey in the process.

While some bands falter when they try to add in too many elements other bands falter when they remove an integral part of what makes the original recording so special without really putting anything of themselves. Whiskey Sunday suffers from this when they don’t have the horns and string arrangements in “Can’t Hardly Wait.” They understandably make the song harder as their vocalist has a rather harsh voice, but the horns are part of what makes the original so charming. I would have liked to see Against Me! tackle this (although their contribution was respectable), horns included because some of their most successful compositions include horns, even the ones set in a more abrasive setting (see: “Miami”).

Some of the most successful covers in the compilation tend to be when the bands don’t try too many tricks and use the strengths they have as their own band. Tiltwheel’s elegant clash of melody and intensity on “Skyway” and the Queers’ tightness and confidence on “Unsatisfied” are proof of this. Perhaps the band whose tribute sounds the most natural overall is the Draft’s “Little Mascara.” Their own rich blend of rock'n'roll and punk attitude slides them perfectly into place working with the ‘mats material.

Sure, there are plenty of songs I personally think should have been included here (“Shiftless When Idle,” “The Ledge,” “All Shook Down”) but for 23 songs on a single disc this is pretty comprehensive. Per album the compilation gives most attention to Tim with six songs, and I would have liked more Pleased to Meet Me, but you can’t please everyone. Regardless, these are some great-to-amazing songs covered by some great-to-amazing bands. All of the covers are a fitting tribute, some better than others but none of them bad, which is a lot more than most tribute records can boast. Like the Replacements themselves there should be something here for everyone to enjoy, and if you’ve never heard the Replacements hopefully this might be the intro you need. 1-2-3-4 Go! must be commended on the obvious painstaking labour put into making sure they actually paid respect with a real tribute to one of the great American bands.

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Posted by misterspike on 2007-10-22 19:39:58
My Score:

Just got this off emusic and am loving it. "Tribute" records are so hit or miss, but there's hardly a clunker among any of the cover versions on here. Have to disagree with the reviewer, as the Whiskey Sunday version of "Can't Hardly Wait", along with the Thomas Barnett/Rob Huddleston version of "Here Comes a Regular" are the strongest cuts on the record, in my opinion.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 14, 2007 at 10:19 PM (EST)
My Score:

score's for jawbreaker references in already rockin' songs

Posted by Mrdogg45 on 2006-12-14 15:54:30

There's some really bad tracks on here, mixed in with some really good ones. I think the J Page cover of "Left of the Dial" is really strong. I like how they do the vocals in the song, and they capture the mood of the song really well.

Posted by Ianw on 2006-10-30 22:51:21

You could put this title on any Ergs! record and it would fit.

I saw the Ergs! play to a group of 20 kids and they fucking ripped it up. Mikey Erg is probally the niceist most generious person i have ever met.

Posted by zakzakzak on 2006-10-30 18:41:58

theres also a really good acoustic version if cant't hardly wait.

Posted by JonDaley on 2006-10-30 16:05:24

yup I've never heard that version sadly its on one of those funky compilations isn't it? I'd probly still like Pleased To Meet Me's version mroe just because that is the one I heard first.

Posted by Ateek on 2006-10-30 13:21:09

Actually, The Replacements did multiple versions of Can't Hardly Wait. The one with horns, and one titled Can't Hardly Wait (The Tim Version). The Tim Version one had no horns....the guitars played the horn parts instead.

Also, this is where the amazing band The Tim Version got their name!

Posted by muskawo_ on 2006-10-30 01:48:10

i really want this.

Posted by JonDaley on 2006-10-29 22:18:16

no question mark in the middle there

Posted by JonDaley on 2006-10-29 22:17:52

Against Me!'s cover is just pretty good? there is plenty better on the album I'm a big Against Me! fan but meh to that.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 29, 2006 at 7:50 PM (EST)

There are only a few good covers on this. The Draft is probably the best with Against Me! as number 2.

Not worth buying, but download your favorites.

Posted by Fuzzy on 2006-10-29 12:53:25

is the artwork done by the same person who did apathy and exhaustion for larry arms? it looks like the same style. i like it.

Artwork is done by Cristy Road http://www.croadcore.org

Posted by letmego on 2006-10-29 09:28:24

The Draft’s “Little Mascara” is one of the best in this compilation

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 29, 2006 at 8:49 AM (EST)

This Is My Fist = the good.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 29, 2006 at 12:53 AM (EDT)

Even discussing the Ergs is giving them too much credit. If you like Pop punk, check out the Copyrights or the new Chixdiggit. Ergs are trite.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 3:32 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Everything I've heard from the Ergs thus far has ranged from passable to boring.

-Chinatown

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 11:28 AM (EDT)

Don't disrespect The Ergs, please.

I liked a lot of these covers, and I think that's odd because I can't get into The Replacements at all. I don't know what it is, but I only like a few of their original songs. But a lot of these covers are great, better than most tribute albums, that's for sure.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 8:59 AM (EDT)

Ergs are not worth mentioning.

Off with there Heads are ready for a real label. goooood band.

Posted by Scruffy on 2006-10-27 21:21:53

""when said album is a compilation." I can't stand when people use the word "said" in this context. who the fuck talks like that outside of kevin smith movies?"

I do.

Posted by SlackMFr on 2006-10-27 20:30:43

I'd rather listen to the Replacements sing their own songs, perfection shouldn't be toyed with.

Posted by Cos on 2006-10-27 18:34:07

One of these days, I will kidnap Blake Schwarzenbach and hold him at gunpoint until he covers "Bastards of Young".

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 2:22 PM (EDT)

is the artwork done by the same person who did apathy and exhaustion for larry arms? it looks like the same style. i like it.

Posted by branden on 2006-10-27 13:51:38

the waitress in the sky cover is awesome

Posted by JonDaley on 2006-10-27 13:17:06

"when said album is a compilation." I can't stand when people use the word "said" in this context. who the fuck talks like that outside of kevin smith movies?

a lot of people I know tend to talk that way, which reasons to follow I might pick up on the same turns of phrases. That is just the way I am constructed.

To my Oslo friend I think I just submitted the review first I'm sure you would have doen it justice as well. I think too many people are expecting too much, this is a tribute album and when stacked up against others of it's sort it is really very strong. Another reasonably god tribute is the Pixies tribute with Samiam on it.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 1:06 PM (EDT)

J. Page is on here! Oh hell fuck yes.

Posted by Nap on 2006-10-27 11:55:59
My Score:

Didn't like it too much :P

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 11:55 AM (EDT)

cool artwork but lets just buy the original and turn it the fuck up. but guys you could of been harder back then. the weak shit was for when your old....paul!

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 11:53 AM (EDT)

long live tiltwheel. what a true punk rocker. by spirit and heart. this beer is for you brother. everything you have touched smokes like the fire you have inside (even those shitty eveready records). dude, why not put all of your own shit out yourself. i need more...............fuck the world!

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 11:28 AM (EDT)

i've said it before, i'll say it again.

best american rock band of the last 25 years.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 10:53 AM (EDT)

"when said album is a compilation." I can't stand when people use the word "said" in this context. who the fuck talks like that outside of kevin smith movies?

Posted by elliot on 2006-10-27 10:02:25

i thought against me would actually do something with their song, but instead they just......slowly played it exactly like the original. kinda meh.

Posted by Osloboditelj on 2006-10-27 05:17:50
My Score:

Very good review, its quality doesn't make me at all bitter that mine wasn't posted. Good disc too.

Posted by kingofsuck on 2006-10-27 03:26:00
My Score:

Some great bands covering great source material. The thing about tributes is that you just end up wanting to listen to the original versions, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I guess.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 1:09 AM (EDT)
My Score:

score's for the replacements.

I skipped through the stream. Didn't do a whole lot for me, except make me listen to the originals.

LONG LIVE THE 'MATS!

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 12:20 AM (EDT)
My Score:

yeah, thats right. tribute album gets a 10. fuck off, this is amazing

Posted by theonetruebill on 2006-10-27 00:20:50

Joan Jett covered Androdgynous and made it swingy and twangy. It was weird but it worked.

Posted by skaboom on 2006-10-27 00:08:04

The Barnett/Huddleston song is absolutely phenomenal. Their version of Here Comes a Regular gives me chills.