Rocktrospectiva: The Intense And Influential "Tim" Turns 40

Released on 18 September 1985, "Tim" was the fourth studio album by US alternative rock band The Replacements. It was their first major label release and also the last album made by the original line-up of the band: guitarist Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band towards the end of 1986. The album spawned three singles "Bastards Of Young", "Kiss Me On The Bus" and the indie college rock anthem "Left Of The Dial". Like its predecessors, Tim achieved moderate mainstream commercial success despite critical acclaim. The album peaked at number 183 on the Billboard Top 200 and it's regarded as one of the most essential alternative rock album of the 1980s. 

Stylistically, the album shows Paul Westerberg's diverse influences, including Alex Chilton's Big Star on "Hold My Life," Roy Orbison and Duane Eddy on "Swingin Party" and Nick Lowe on "Kiss Me on the Bus." The song "Can't Hardly Wait" was originally recorded for Tim, but was not included in the release. It appears later on Pleased to Meet Me with one of the original guitar parts changed to a horn part. The album also contains the song "Bastards of Young," which was given a now-infamous black-and-white video, consisting mostly of a single unbroken shot of a speaker. At the end of the song, the speaker is kicked in by the person who was listening to the song. Similar videos were also made for "Hold My Life" (in color), "Left of the Dial" (minus the speaker-bashing), and "Little Mascara" (also in color).

The songs "Here Comes A Regular" was written about south Minneapolis bar CC Club, a frequent hangout for the band across the street from record store Oar Folkjokeopus, an important center for the Minneapolis music scene, 

Another highlight of the record was the indie anthem "Left of the Dial" which was a reference to college radio stations, which were usually on the left side of a radio dial, until today, the song remains popular as a college radio anthem. Unfortunately or maybe not, the band performed "Bastards of Young" and "Kiss Me on the Bus" on Saturday Night Live on January 18, 1986. It was the most television exposure the band had received up to that time, and it was supposed to be the marquee the band needed to achieved mainstream success, but the band's behavior on the show, including swearing during the broadcast, resulted in a lifetime ban from Saturday Night Live. However, Westerberg would later perform on the show as a solo artist.

Another fun fact is that Bob Stinson is the only member of the band whose face is clearly visible on the cover. Westerberg said, "The cover is the worst piece of shit despite the band hired Robert Longo: World Famous Artist. Nobody liked it—I can't believe that Robert liked it.

The name of the album was chosen by Westerberg on a whim, according to Peter Jesperson: "I clearly remember Paul saying one day, 'I think we should call the album Tim. I said, 'Why?' And he said, 'Because it's such a nice name.' So, as far as I know, the title Tim had nothing to do with Tim Carr. I think Paul just pulled it out of thin air. But the only person who really knows is Paul.

Tim was highly praised by critics upon its release and the album is frequently included on professional lists of the all-time best rock albums. Singer-guitarist Paul Westerberg once cited Tim's stylistic bookends to describe both the longevity of the Replacements' influence and their lack of mainstream success. "My style is ultimately both kinds of things," he said. "Sometimes you just love the little acoustic songs, and other times you want to crank the goddamn amp up, and those two parts of me are forever entwined." That cognitive dissonance – the Stonesesque swagger of "Bastards of Young," the unpolished reflection in "Swingin Party" — became a crucial template for grunge, alternative country and, recently, the noisy introspection of emo. An original album and one of the most poorly-mixed of the 1980s, and the best and most definitive album in their catalog".

 

Tim Track List:  

 

1. Hold My Life

2. I'll Buy

3. Kiss Me On The Bus

4. Dose Of Thunder

5. Waitress In The Sky

6. Swingin Party

7. Bastards Of Young

8. Lay It Down Clown 

9. Left Of The Dial

10. Little Mascara

11. Here Comes A Regular