[Live/Bootleg] The Replacements @ Maxwells - Hobokon, N.J. 2/4/86

With all do respect to Wilco, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Pavement, The Stones, & Spoon, I’ve come to the realization over the past few days that The Replacements are my “Desert Island” band. If you told me that I could listen to only one artist for the rest of my life, it would be The Mats. There, I said it. I’ve been on such a bender the past week or so that I have little interest in listening to anything else right now, so, needless to say, a lot of my bootlegs have been dusted off and gotten some loud spins of late. Here’s one of my very favorite Replacements’ shows - 2/4/86 from Maxwell’s in Hobokon, New Jersey. It’s been affectionately dubbed “Murder At The Maxwell” by fans because lead-singer Paul Westerberg inserts the word “murder” into the lyrics (or just shouts it out randomly) at every opportunity. Regardless of Paul’s peculiar preoccupation that evening (as well as the disappointingly botched ending of “Left Of The Dial”), it’s a truly inspired set that captures the band at the height of their power, a must hear for any Mats fan and just about anyone else who loves rock & roll.

The show is often circulated as part of a compilation called Maniac, which also includes a batch of TV and radio broadcasts from the era. To be clear, the following isn’t Maniac, just the Maxwell’s show. The sound, as you’ll soon hear, is clean, loud, and nervy - the top notch quality never wavering over its 29 songs. Additionally, the show is noteworthy as a historical document of the band during an increasingly tense time period. By the early summer of 1986 original guitarist Bob Stinson would be fired for his inability to get clean. To most, once Stinson was ousted the band was never quite the same. Though they played a number of shows with Bob between this one and his firing, I can’t imagine any being of this high of a sound quality. Enjoy:

ZIP :: The Replacements, 2/4/86, Maxwells (164.8 MB)

MP3 :: Hayday
MP3 :: Color Me Impressed
MP3 :: Dose Of Thunder
MP3 :: Fox On The Run (aborted)
MP3 :: Hold My Life
MP3 :: I Will Dare
MP3 :: Favorite Thing
MP3 :: Unsatisfied
MP3 :: Can’t Hardly Wait
MP3 :: Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
MP3 :: Takin’ A Ride
MP3 :: Bastards of Young
MP3 :: Kiss Me On The Bus
MP3 :: Black Diamond
MP3 :: Johnny’s Gonna Die
MP3 :: Otto
MP3 :: I’m In Trouble
MP3 :: Left Of The Dial
MP3 :: God Damn Job
MP3 :: Answering Machine
MP3 :: Waitress In The Sky
MP3 :: Take Me Down To The Hospital
MP3 :: Gary’s Got A Boner
MP3 :: If Only You Were Lonely
MP3 :: Baby Strange
MP3 :: Hitchin’ A Ride
MP3 :: Nowhere Man
MP3 :: Go
MP3 :: Fuck School
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And check out last week’s Mats bootleg if you missed out - Live at The Roxy, 12/17/85
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