The Replacements: Paul Westerberg (vocals, guitar, drums); Bob Stinson (guitar, bass); Tommy Stinson (bass, guitar); Chris Mars (drums, guitar). All tracks have been digitally remastered. It's perhaps fitting that the cover art for Replacements's finest moment as a fully established studio outfit replicates an old folk compilation, since HOOTENANNY derives most of its drive from gleefully deconstructing good ol' fashioned rock & roll (a theme reiterated during "Mr. Whirly," their sort-of-rendition of the Beatles' "Oh Darling"). While HOOTENANNY is largely a gas and a goof, the pop panache buried beneath all the booze and post-adolescent bedlam is evident on the tight, catchy barnburner "Color Me Impressed" and Paul Westerberg's almost romantic lo-fi distortion ballad "Within Your Reach," which was later featured in the film SAY ANYTHING. It's this mix of songwriting maturity and snotty sarcasm that solidifies HOOTENANNY as an early classic in the Replacement's canon, and makes their uncensored amateurishness at the time--moments of in-studio chatter and almost pointless anti-jams like the surfy "Buck Hill"-- endearing and permissible. Rhino's superlative reissue includes informative liner notes from Twin/Tone co-founder Peter Jesperson, who also produced this new edition. Bassist Tommy Stinson himself helps mix the invigorating alternates and rough takes of tracks like "Ain't No Crime" and "Lovelines." Genre: Rock Format: Vinyl Released: 2016-01-19
