The Best Album of 1989 Round 2 Match #72 #24 The Replacements, DON'T TELL A SOUL vs. #41 Mekons, THE MEKONS ROCK N' ROLL forms.gle/T9c3oS5hWJdt...
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My prediction says Replacements. My ears say Mekons.
sep 2, 2025, 3:22 pm • 4 1 • view
My prediction says I should have flipped my vote. My ears are glad I didn’t. (Top 10 though..the temptation was real).
sep 3, 2025, 2:08 pm • 2 1 • view
Two 'meh' albums. Mekons' is better, but something tell me Replacements gonna win
sep 2, 2025, 3:32 pm • 1 1 • view
Mekons easily take this for me. Just a dud Replacements' album versus my favorite Mekons album
sep 2, 2025, 2:23 pm • 9 1 • view
I try getting into more Mekons, this is just the one thats hit the most.
sep 2, 2025, 2:23 pm • 3 1 • view
This was my entry point to them. I got into a few others, but nothing hit as high as Rock n Roll. I don’t listen to it as often as I did when I first discovered it 20 years ago, but every time I do I remember why I loved it in the first place.
sep 2, 2025, 2:32 pm • 2 1 • view
The lead-off track is so strong on it. I think that's helped
sep 2, 2025, 2:42 pm • 2 1 • view
A bunch of years ago, the Mekons went on an anniversary tour and had the Sadies open as a Mekons cover band (it made sense at the time..). BOTH bands played “Memphis, Egypt” in their sets, and I think it was the only overlap.
sep 2, 2025, 2:47 pm • 4 1 • view
My fave track by them
sep 3, 2025, 2:17 am • 3 1 • view
Not voting but listened to the Mekons album this evening. I'd vote for that over this 'Mats one.
sep 3, 2025, 2:39 am • 2 1 • view
From the Trouser Press Record Guide Included the All Shook Down review because that one was even more disappointing
sep 2, 2025, 4:12 pm • 2 1 • view
oh no! but ultimately this is ultimately kind of a misfire by the Replacements against one of the two best Mekons albums. not that hard of a choice.
sep 2, 2025, 3:52 pm • 4 1 • view
Mekons open with a great track and really deliver with "Only Darkness Has the Power." DTAS is undoubtedly post-prime Replacements, but it still has "Achin to Be," "Portland," and the one true classic "I'll Be You." I am going with Westerberg and the boys for at least one more round.
sep 2, 2025, 2:33 pm • 2 1 • view
“Portland” isn’t on the original album—great song, but it’s an outtake.
sep 2, 2025, 2:49 pm • 3 1 • view
I was tempted to stick with the long-standing critical consensus here and vote Mekons, but ultimately didn't...although Chris Lord-Alge's mix on the original release does it no favors, DTaS has 3 of Paul Westerberg's--one of the best songwriters of his generation--best actual songs on it.
sep 2, 2025, 3:33 pm • 1 1 • view
youtu.be/UymmRvB5_C4?...
sep 2, 2025, 11:13 pm • 1 1 • view
🎶 Reverse your safe unhappy vote before it is too late. 🎶
sep 2, 2025, 7:24 pm • 6 1 • view
In which the lower seed is a vastly better record. Peak Mekons vs Meh Mats.
sep 2, 2025, 2:29 pm • 4 1 • view
tough choice, this
sep 2, 2025, 3:06 pm • 1 1 • view
#24 The Replacements, DON'T TELL A SOUL Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/7rZkCv... YouTube: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
sep 2, 2025, 2:03 pm • 0 0 • view
#41 Mekons, THE MEKONS ROCK N' ROLL Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/6cP5F9... YouTube: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
sep 2, 2025, 2:04 pm • 2 0 • view
hey where’s tommy someone find tommy
sep 2, 2025, 2:24 pm • 3 0 • view
THE MEKONS ROCK N’ ROLL defeats DON'T TELL A SOUL, 81-79-1.
sep 3, 2025, 2:02 pm • 17 2 • view
THE MEKONS ROCK N’ ROLL is one of the 32 best albums of 1989.
sep 3, 2025, 2:03 pm • 3 0 • view
Yay!
sep 3, 2025, 2:03 pm • 3 1 • view
sep 3, 2025, 2:05 pm • 5 1 • view
The Replacements were a great band, but 'Don't Tell a Soul' is a bad album. Mekons get my vote.
sep 2, 2025, 2:50 pm • 5 1 • view
Not 1989 but this is also one of the all-time great punk singles. I should at least check out the Dead Man's Pop/Don't Tell A Soul mix Nanette mentioned in her blog, The Replacements were often plagued by awful production.
sep 2, 2025, 3:06 pm • 1 1 • view
Okay, Dead Man’s Pop is an improvement over whatever version is on Spotify. The Mekons Rock N’ Roll is still far superior. 😉
sep 2, 2025, 11:14 pm • 4 1 • view
Love the 'Mats but gotta go with one of the Mekons' best over their worst.
sep 2, 2025, 4:57 pm • 4 1 • view
First time I saw The Replacements was on SNL in '86 and I remember them being introduced as "The Replacements" and thinking, "geez, ok, the original act didn't show, but you can at least tell us who this is." Anyway, they were simultaneously great *and* a shambles and that's basically them, yeah.
sep 2, 2025, 2:44 pm • 9 1 • view
I get why people are saying this Replacements album is low energy - it does sit in much the same groove throughout - but I *like* that groove. And when it works, like on "I'll Be You" - an all-timer song - it's awesome. Like the Mekons too, but I'll take my even more falling apart shamble band.
sep 2, 2025, 2:50 pm • 4 1 • view
Amusingly (as @nanette.bsky.social notes in her write-up today), The Replacements opened for yesterday's winner Tom Petty on the Full Moon Fever tour. In true Replacements' style, when handed their grandest opportunity yet to make it, they went above and beyond to fuck it up even more than usual.
sep 2, 2025, 2:55 pm • 6 1 • view
...And, of course, almost immediately the "rebel without a clue" line from "I'll Be You" turns up as a key line in Petty's "Into the Great Wide Open"🤔
sep 2, 2025, 3:55 pm • 2 1 • view
But then “something to sell your labor for when hair sprouts out below” shows up in Justin Bieber, so what are you going to do?
sep 2, 2025, 10:38 pm • 2 1 • view