All for Nothing/Nothing for All

The Replacements were among the great bands of the 1980s. Though the chaos the band regularly brought to life on stage was never fully replicated in the studio, Paul Westerberg and Co. did manage to bring a heartbreaking intensity to the songs. Contractual issues prevent the band's early work on Twin/Tone from appearing here, so this career survey begins with 1985's Tim, their debut album for Sire Records, and ends with the final Replacements album 1990's All Shook Down, which is now considered a Paul Westerberg solo album in all but name. The first 16 songs take four excellent songs from each of the studio albums, with highlights such as "Here Comes A Regular," "Skyway," "Alex Chilton" and "The Ledge" showing off their poignant side. The second batch of 18 features the b-sides, the outtakes, the live promotional tracks, all to create a compelling reason for hardcore fans to celebrate. The Tim version of "Can't Hardly Wait" is reason enough, but "Beer For Breakfast," "All He Wants To Do Is Fish" and "Like A Rolling Pin" further expose the band's anarchic side.