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The Replacements: Waxed-Up Hair and Painted Shoes: The Photographic History
The Replacements were the darlings of 1980s rock critics and, by all accounts, would have been much more commercially successful if not for their penchant for self-sabotage. As a result, the legend of this late and great Minneapolis, Minnesota-based band has grown more since they disbanded in 1991 than it ever did during the ten-plus years of their career. Following the critical acclaim of Voyageur Press' The All Over but the An Oral History (2007) comes this visual look back at the band that many have labeled the best of the 1980s. Gathering rare candid and performance photographs taken of the band across the country from 1979 to 1991, The Waxed-Up Hair and Painted The Photographic History offers a rich repository of images snapped for alt-weeklies, fanzines, and college newspapers and which, in a pre-Internet age, never saw the light of day outside of the cities in which they were shot. In addition to rare gems of the band at their self-deprecating, adolescent, booze-fueled best, this book features the classic images of the band without which no Replacements book would be complete, as well as a selection of gig flyers, record label promo items, backstage passes, and other memorabilia gathered from collectors around the country. Arranged chronologically, each chapter includes a brief essay by noted Minneapolis rock scribe Jim Walsh, making this the most complete, informed and only illustrated history of the band ever produced.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 16, 2025
Yes, another Replacements book. No one is obsessed. Shut up.
As another reviewer pointed out, this one isn’t for the casual Replacements fans (come to think of it, are there books out there for casual Replacements fans? Do such people even exist? I feel like it’s all or nothing with those guys, but maybe that’s just me). It’s for the weirdos who may spend too much time, energy, and money on their musical obsessions. And it’s especially for those of us who love the grungy, amateurish aesthetic of punk and indie band photos where everyone is dressed weird, the light is bad, and the results are grainy or blurry and therefore gloriously capture the chaos of those shows. If you are that type of fan, then you will just love flipping through this collection, because while it has plenty of those crazy photos, it also has a bunch of more manicured ones and the stories behind the photoshoots, as well as reproduction of articles, zines, show flyers, ticket stubs and all those fun goodies that we seldom saw collected in the days before the internet.
Sure, I got some of that with Bill Sullivan’s tour diary ‘Lemon Jail’ (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... but this book had the benefit of an editor, which makes a significant difference. We know when and where the pictures were taken and who is in them (no mystery crotch-shots here!), everything is organized chronologically and lovingly put together, with wonderful quotes and interview clippings here and there, and essays to give the readers context. Jim Walsh is a great writer, and his love of the band is palpable in every word. He really does a wonderful job of capturing the magic of the band, and the effect their music had on their audience and their fans – which makes this book not only a beautiful coffee table book, but also a really insightful and moving read for anyone who loves the Replacements.
A lovely, if hard to find, addition to any rabid ‘Mats fan’s collection; I wouldn’t call it essential reading, but it’s a lot of fun to flip through and is the perfect visual companion piece to Walsh’s other book “All Over but the Shouting” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
As another reviewer pointed out, this one isn’t for the casual Replacements fans (come to think of it, are there books out there for casual Replacements fans? Do such people even exist? I feel like it’s all or nothing with those guys, but maybe that’s just me). It’s for the weirdos who may spend too much time, energy, and money on their musical obsessions. And it’s especially for those of us who love the grungy, amateurish aesthetic of punk and indie band photos where everyone is dressed weird, the light is bad, and the results are grainy or blurry and therefore gloriously capture the chaos of those shows. If you are that type of fan, then you will just love flipping through this collection, because while it has plenty of those crazy photos, it also has a bunch of more manicured ones and the stories behind the photoshoots, as well as reproduction of articles, zines, show flyers, ticket stubs and all those fun goodies that we seldom saw collected in the days before the internet.
Sure, I got some of that with Bill Sullivan’s tour diary ‘Lemon Jail’ (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... but this book had the benefit of an editor, which makes a significant difference. We know when and where the pictures were taken and who is in them (no mystery crotch-shots here!), everything is organized chronologically and lovingly put together, with wonderful quotes and interview clippings here and there, and essays to give the readers context. Jim Walsh is a great writer, and his love of the band is palpable in every word. He really does a wonderful job of capturing the magic of the band, and the effect their music had on their audience and their fans – which makes this book not only a beautiful coffee table book, but also a really insightful and moving read for anyone who loves the Replacements.
A lovely, if hard to find, addition to any rabid ‘Mats fan’s collection; I wouldn’t call it essential reading, but it’s a lot of fun to flip through and is the perfect visual companion piece to Walsh’s other book “All Over but the Shouting” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
July 16, 2014
Brings back a lot of memories of one of my all-time favorite bands. And I can see the back of my head in the picture on page 106 (Maxwell's in 1986).
November 26, 2023
First of all, this is NOT a book for novices, or even casual fans of The Replacements. If you don't know much about this band (or, if like many, you've barely heard of them, if at all), then this will probably be one you'll want to skip, at least for now. Pick up some more complete band bios such as Bob Mehr's "Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements" or "The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting," which was also written by "Waxed-Up Hair" author Jim Walsh, listen to "Tim," "Pleased to Meet Me," "Let It Be" or even the compilation "All for Nothing/Nothing for All," and then you'll know if this band is for you -- and if so, you'll probably want to read this book too.
You've probably heard of The Little Engine That Could. I've always considered The Replacements to be The Little Band That Just Wouldn't. Some hardcore punk fans would probably reject the 'Mats, as they were affectionately called, as being too soft, but time and again the band did things that were far more "punk" in attitude than their more punk peers. They played some amazing shows, but then other times (sometimes the very next night) they would play perfectly awful shows -- occasionally fully intentionally. If an audience seemed like they were going to be disagreeable, even in the slightest, The Replacements would do things like trade instruments so that their playing was lackluster at best; or they'd play honky-tonk versions of their own music, twanging their sound up Hank Williams Sr.-style to alienate the listeners; or they would even bring audience members on stage, hand over their guitars, drumsticks, etc., and one by one leave the stage, letting complete strangers take over the show.
Founded in Minneapolis, the 'Mats had a devoted following, but every time they gained a little bit of traction (a great record review, a picture-perfect performance that astounded the crowd in its overall effect, a song chosen for a soundtrack or compilation to expose them to a wider audience), they'd shoot themselves in the foot by openly antagonizing their interviewers or even by pulling bizarre stunts like shaving their eyebrows before a televised interview.
If you're a fan like me, you'll love this up-close and personal photo essay featuring classic shows at venues like Minneapolis landmark First Avenue/7th Street Entrance (I've been there, incidentally, though much after the fact), New York's CBGB, and several other well-known concert halls. You'll see the classic lineup of Paul Westerberg, Chris Mars, Tommy Stinson, and his force-of-nature big brother, the late great Bob Stinson, as well as later iterations of the band featuring players like Bob "Slim" Dunlap, who replaced Bob Stinson after the substance abuse and other issues that eventually took his life led to him being booted from the band he helped found.
You'll see outtakes from their most famous pictorials, back stories that add context to some of the best-known photos, and interview questions and answers that were ultimately trimmed from the final published version because of space or other constraints.
You'll even get a front-row seat for the evolution of the band, from the teenage rebels that brought Tommy Stinson into the lineup when he was only 12 years old; to the recording of the Minneapolis police shutting down a rent party show, memorialized in all its glory as the opening to the band's 1982 EP "Stink"; to the glory days of their best-received albums, to their "softening" in the late '80s with the release of "Don't Tell a Soul" and their final studio offering, 1990's "All Shook Down."
This is a quick read, with lots of large photos, pithy quotes, and short verbal interludes punctuating the fabulous professional and amateur photography. As I said, if your first response at this book's title was "The Replacements? Like that football movie?" or "I think I heard of this band one time, but I don't think I know any of their songs," then it's best if you pass this one up. But if you thought to yourself, "That's something I can read while I turn up the volume on 'Hootenanny,'" then by all means, jump on this one. You won't be disappointed, and you'll probably end up running through their whole catalog before you're done.
You've probably heard of The Little Engine That Could. I've always considered The Replacements to be The Little Band That Just Wouldn't. Some hardcore punk fans would probably reject the 'Mats, as they were affectionately called, as being too soft, but time and again the band did things that were far more "punk" in attitude than their more punk peers. They played some amazing shows, but then other times (sometimes the very next night) they would play perfectly awful shows -- occasionally fully intentionally. If an audience seemed like they were going to be disagreeable, even in the slightest, The Replacements would do things like trade instruments so that their playing was lackluster at best; or they'd play honky-tonk versions of their own music, twanging their sound up Hank Williams Sr.-style to alienate the listeners; or they would even bring audience members on stage, hand over their guitars, drumsticks, etc., and one by one leave the stage, letting complete strangers take over the show.
Founded in Minneapolis, the 'Mats had a devoted following, but every time they gained a little bit of traction (a great record review, a picture-perfect performance that astounded the crowd in its overall effect, a song chosen for a soundtrack or compilation to expose them to a wider audience), they'd shoot themselves in the foot by openly antagonizing their interviewers or even by pulling bizarre stunts like shaving their eyebrows before a televised interview.
If you're a fan like me, you'll love this up-close and personal photo essay featuring classic shows at venues like Minneapolis landmark First Avenue/7th Street Entrance (I've been there, incidentally, though much after the fact), New York's CBGB, and several other well-known concert halls. You'll see the classic lineup of Paul Westerberg, Chris Mars, Tommy Stinson, and his force-of-nature big brother, the late great Bob Stinson, as well as later iterations of the band featuring players like Bob "Slim" Dunlap, who replaced Bob Stinson after the substance abuse and other issues that eventually took his life led to him being booted from the band he helped found.
You'll see outtakes from their most famous pictorials, back stories that add context to some of the best-known photos, and interview questions and answers that were ultimately trimmed from the final published version because of space or other constraints.
You'll even get a front-row seat for the evolution of the band, from the teenage rebels that brought Tommy Stinson into the lineup when he was only 12 years old; to the recording of the Minneapolis police shutting down a rent party show, memorialized in all its glory as the opening to the band's 1982 EP "Stink"; to the glory days of their best-received albums, to their "softening" in the late '80s with the release of "Don't Tell a Soul" and their final studio offering, 1990's "All Shook Down."
This is a quick read, with lots of large photos, pithy quotes, and short verbal interludes punctuating the fabulous professional and amateur photography. As I said, if your first response at this book's title was "The Replacements? Like that football movie?" or "I think I heard of this band one time, but I don't think I know any of their songs," then it's best if you pass this one up. But if you thought to yourself, "That's something I can read while I turn up the volume on 'Hootenanny,'" then by all means, jump on this one. You won't be disappointed, and you'll probably end up running through their whole catalog before you're done.
April 28, 2016
A must for all fans of The Replacements. Rare archival photographs, many never seen exhibited before. Plus original flyers & ticker stub images. Interviews, musings from those actual photographers. Jim Walsh brilliantly pieces the puzzle together, album by album. A joyous & somber look at the Greatest Rock-n Roll Band that never was.
March 10, 2014
I rank #1 in confidence so even if I am never right I am still never in doubt.
August 2, 2016
Fun for fans.
November 14, 2013
4.5 stars. Wish it was even longer with more photographs.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews