Classic Albums Review: Let It Be (The Replacements)

Charlie Arnedt, Staff Writer

When you reflect on the American music scene back in the 1980s, what comes to mind? For me, I imagine a menagerie of hair bands, pop singers, and electrically-adulterated chart toppers. That’s why I hold The Replacements’ Let It Be (released in 1984) in such high regards – it is nothing like the aforementioned stereotypes of 80s music. Then again, most of what The Replacements produced up until Let It Be was nothing like the mainstream 80s music scene. In fact, another thing that stands out with Let It Be is that it was the beginning of an artistic shift in The Replacements musical style. Put it this way: everything The Replacements did pre-Let It Be was essentially power-chord filled, fast-paced short songs that lasted a maximum of three minutes with barely coherent lyrics. As you will see in this article, Let It Be is a lot more than cheap punk tunes.

Like any true punk or post-punk album, there are moments of angst and anger in Let It Be. “We’re Comin’ Out” is probably the sole example of that rage-filled teen dissatisfaction. However, there are even more songs which are the exact opposite of those typical themes. Songs like “I Will Dare” and “Favorite Thing” give a bit more hopeful attitude to the mindset of rebellious youth. The pleasant and rugged melodies of both these songs is the perfect embodiment of the whole ‘Yeah, things are pretty messed up, but screw it! There’s something more here!’ mentality.

Alas, as an artist there’s almost always going to be an issue with trying to change your style. Luckily for The Replacements, Let It Be only contains a few perceptible issues. The first four songs of the album give an excellent contrast between the band’s more mature and structured style and their more traditional up-tempo, garage punk style. But as soon as “Androgynous” (the fifth track) starts to play, something feels a bit off. While the piano-and-vocal solo and meaningful lyrics create a very likeable track, “Androgynous” is almost too far off for The Replacements. On its own, the song definitely garners respect and admiration, but with the rest of the album, it’s a hollow bump that lacks accompaniment and is the black sheep of the entire album.

And even when the whole band is involved with a song, it can be a bit dull and… just ‘meh.’ “Seen Your Video” is Let It Be’s example of this kind of song. Granted, the majority of the track’s lyric-less content is catchy, and as a guitarist my hat is off to Bob Stinson (the lead guitarist, God rest his soul) for his work on this track. But after two minutes of the repetition and the half-baked inclusion of the piano, the song feels a tad less than satisfactory. Even when Paul Westerberg’s lyrics finally come in at the last portion of “Seen Your Video”, they’re only there to decry a fake kind of rock n’ roll – a bit too angsty for the album’s overall style.

However, those few critiques should not be one’s sole consideration when regarding Let It Be. There’s no shortage of explosive and harmonizing instrumentation or playfully relevant jokes in the album’s lyrics. Plus, the lack of synthesizers and love-oriented lyrics is a huge relief when you compare Let It Be to its musical contemporaries. So, all in all, this album should not be overlooked, especially not by rock enthusiasts and punks alike. Let It Be is a pinnacle of 80s rock n’ roll and perhaps the best piece of work The Replacements ever produced.