Came here having just finished your very fine book. I think I saw it mentioned recently in Record Collector magazine so went out and bought it. Not knowing it significantly revolved around the Replacements. Which, had I known, I’d have been buying it when originally published.
So, first of all, I live in the UK.
Saw the Mats one time in their (not quite original lineup - Slim on guitar) prime in London, and then one of their two London reunion shows in 2015. But I got all their albums back in the day. First, Let It Be (which I bought in its UK iteration) then, using my fanzine editor cred (Lori liked the magazine and the album that came with one of its issues) I established a link with TwinTone, who kindly sent all the way across the Atlantic the earlier releases - including THAT Fans cassette - for free.
(Have since spent a fortune on every reissued box set going so the band ended up being kind of rewarded for TwinTone’s original generosity to an early 20’s wannabe music journalist who never sold more than 1500 copies of anything he ever “wrote”.)
Even spoke on the phone to Paul W one time.
Before I come back to your book, though I’ll reference it here, I noted you referring to the Boink! Release as a bootleg. Given I’m at least partially responsible for the mini LP’s release on my friend Dave Barker’s Glass Records back in 1986 - I’ll spare you the whole story for now - I shout, to no one in particular, “That was no bootleg!”.
THEN, one Google later, I discover there’s a 72 minute bootleg called Boink!
Which I now must find!
Anyway, great piece here on your two times seeing the Mats. I don’t quite have the accompanying tales to tell that you do, but I shall never forget that night, 9 years ago when, as a 55 year old, I found myself at the Roundhouse shouting, at the top of my voice - some might say “joining in” - Bastards Of Young! Hadn't felt so alive in years. And I teared up when they played “Can’t Hardly Wait”. As I still do whenever I hear it.
The concept of your book, well, the unlikeliness of the mission being anything like successful, was insane, of course. That you achieved as much as you did was pretty astonishing, and the journey along the way made for an evocative and sometimes emotional reading experience for a middle England retiree such as I. Spotify was my friend as I read along checking out the songs that cropped up along the way. I even checked out The Boswell Sisters - and felt better for doing so. I’d have put all this in an email to you had I your address rather than publicly share, but I don’t feel I’ve said here anything anyone else shouldn’t hear.
So good work all round Eric and thanks for adding to my collection of great books on loving music.
Came here having just finished your very fine book. I think I saw it mentioned recently in Record Collector magazine so went out and bought it. Not knowing it significantly revolved around the Replacements. Which, had I known, I’d have been buying it when originally published.
So, first of all, I live in the UK.
Saw the Mats one time in their (not quite original lineup - Slim on guitar) prime in London, and then one of their two London reunion shows in 2015. But I got all their albums back in the day. First, Let It Be (which I bought in its UK iteration) then, using my fanzine editor cred (Lori liked the magazine and the album that came with one of its issues) I established a link with TwinTone, who kindly sent all the way across the Atlantic the earlier releases - including THAT Fans cassette - for free.
(Have since spent a fortune on every reissued box set going so the band ended up being kind of rewarded for TwinTone’s original generosity to an early 20’s wannabe music journalist who never sold more than 1500 copies of anything he ever “wrote”.)
Even spoke on the phone to Paul W one time.
Before I come back to your book, though I’ll reference it here, I noted you referring to the Boink! Release as a bootleg. Given I’m at least partially responsible for the mini LP’s release on my friend Dave Barker’s Glass Records back in 1986 - I’ll spare you the whole story for now - I shout, to no one in particular, “That was no bootleg!”.
THEN, one Google later, I discover there’s a 72 minute bootleg called Boink!
Which I now must find!
Anyway, great piece here on your two times seeing the Mats. I don’t quite have the accompanying tales to tell that you do, but I shall never forget that night, 9 years ago when, as a 55 year old, I found myself at the Roundhouse shouting, at the top of my voice - some might say “joining in” - Bastards Of Young! Hadn't felt so alive in years. And I teared up when they played “Can’t Hardly Wait”. As I still do whenever I hear it.
The concept of your book, well, the unlikeliness of the mission being anything like successful, was insane, of course. That you achieved as much as you did was pretty astonishing, and the journey along the way made for an evocative and sometimes emotional reading experience for a middle England retiree such as I. Spotify was my friend as I read along checking out the songs that cropped up along the way. I even checked out The Boswell Sisters - and felt better for doing so. I’d have put all this in an email to you had I your address rather than publicly share, but I don’t feel I’ve said here anything anyone else shouldn’t hear.
So good work all round Eric and thanks for adding to my collection of great books on loving music.
Chris Coleman
(fka Chris Seventeen)
Thank you for all of this, Chris. It means more than you know.