Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash
| Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 25, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | July 1980, March–June 1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:47 | |||
| Label | Twin/Tone | |||
| Producer | Paul Westerberg, Peter Jesperson, Steven Fjelstad | |||
| The Replacements chronology | ||||
| ||||
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash is the first studio album by the American band The Replacements. It was released on August 25, 1981 by Twin/Tone Records. Squarely inspired by punk rock, the album stands in contrast to the more creatively diverse power pop and indie rock styles on later albums.
Music and lyrics[edit]
The beginning of Johnny Cash's performance live at Folsom Prison can be heard at the beginning of the track "Rattlesnake"
The track "Somethin' to Dü" is a reference to the band Hüsker Dü, contemporaries of The Replacements and their Saint Paul counterparts.[1] The track "Johnny's Gonna Die" is a reference to influential guitarist Johnny Thunders of the Heartbreakers and New York Dolls. The song refers to his increased heroin addiction and resultant sloppy live performances. Thunders died, possibly of drug-related causes, in 1991.[2]
Release[edit]
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash was released on August 25, 1981 by the independent record label Twin/Tone Records.[3] The song "I'm In Trouble" was released as a single on August 7, 1981, containing an outtake, "If Only You Were Lonely", as its B-side.[4] The album was remastered and reissued by Rhino Entertainment on April 22, 2008, with 13 additional tracks and liner notes by Peter Jesperson.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, on October 22, 2021, Rhino Entertainment released a deluxe edition of the newly remastered album. Featuring 100 tracks spread across 4CDs and 1LP, it includes unreleased demos, alternative takes/mixes, and a previously unreleased 27-track live concert recorded on January 23, 1981 at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.[5]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Pitchfork Media | 9.4/10[6] |
| Punknews.org | [7] |
| The Village Voice | B+[8] |
In a 1982 Trouser Press review, Robert Payes described the "I'm in Trouble" single, which was taken from the album, as "(p)ower pop with the emphasis on power, roaring guitars and energy galore."[9] Retrospectively, AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine considered Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash to be "one of the best LPs the entire scene produced in the early '80s."[3] In a very positive review, Punknews.org praised the album for being different from its counterparts of the hardcore punk scene, stating that the album "never sacrificed its pop appeal for throat-searing screams and whiplash speed."[7]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Takin' a Ride" | 2:23 | |
| 2. | "Careless" | 1:08 | |
| 3. | "Customer" | 1:29 | |
| 4. | "Hangin' Downtown" | 2:06 | |
| 5. | "Kick Your Door Down" | 3:11 | |
| 6. | "Otto" | 2:09 | |
| 7. | "I Bought a Headache" | 2:24 | |
| 8. | "Rattlesnake" | Westerberg, Bob Stinson, Tommy Stinson, Chris Mars | 1:48 |
| 9. | "I Hate Music" | Westerberg, B. Stinson, T. Stinson, Mars | 1:50 |
| 10. | "Johnny's Gonna Die" | 3:32 | |
| 11. | "Shiftless When Idle" | 2:18 | |
| 12. | "More Cigarettes" | 1:20 | |
| 13. | "Don't Ask Why" | 1:57 | |
| 14. | "Somethin' to Dü" | 1:41 | |
| 15. | "I'm in Trouble" | 2:10 | |
| 16. | "Love You Till Friday" | 1:53 | |
| 17. | "Shutup" | 1:23 | |
| 18. | "Raised in the City" | 1:59 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19. | "Raised in the City" (demo) | 2:16 | |
| 20. | "Shutup" (demo) | 1:39 | |
| 21. | "Don't Turn Me Down" (demo) | 1:54 | |
| 22. | "Shape Up" (demo) | 2:11 | |
| 23. | "You Ain't Gotta Dance" (demo) | 2:24 | |
| 24. | "Get on the Stick" (demo) | 1:39 | |
| 25. | "Oh Baby" (demo) | 1:18 | |
| 26. | "Like You" | 1:44 | |
| 27. | "Get Lost" | 2:27 | |
| 28. | "A Toe Needs a Shoe" | Bob Stinson | 2:09 |
| 29. | "Customer" (alternate take) | 2:09 | |
| 30. | "Basement Jam" | Westerberg, Stinson, Stinson, Mars | 3:32 |
| 31. | "If Only You Were Lonely" (from "I'm in Trouble", 1981) | 2:53 |
Personnel[edit]
- The Replacements
- Paul Westerberg – vocals, rhythm guitar, producer
- Bob Stinson – lead guitar
- Tommy Stinson – bass guitar
- Chris Mars – drums
Technical
- Peter Jesperson – producer
- Steven Fjelstad – producer, engineer
- Paul Stark – mixer
- Laurie Allen – photography
- Erik Hanson – photography
- Greg Helgeson – artwork
- Pat Moriarity – artwork
- Bruce Allen – artwork
References[edit]
- ^ Mason, Stewart. "Song Review by Stewart Mason". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
- ^ Drozdowski, Ted (July 9, 2008). "Punk Rock's 10 Mightiest Guitar Gods". Gibson.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out the Trash". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
- ^ "I'm in Trouble/If Only You Were Lonely". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
- ^ "The Replacements announce 'Sorry Ma' 40th anniversary deluxe edition". The Music Universe. 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
- ^ Mark Richardson (2008-04-21). "The Replacements: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash / Stink / Hootenanny / Let It Be". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ a b Barrett, Tyler (2009-06-05). "Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
- ^ Robert Christgau (1982-04-13). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2015-03-07. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^ Payes, Robert (May 1982). "American Underground". Trouser Press. Vol. 9, no. 3. New York. p. 52. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
External links[edit]
- Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash at Discogs (list of releases)
