All for Nothing/Nothing for All
One of the best bands spawned in the postpunk era--scratch that, one of the best bands ever--was the Replacements. They perfected the art of making highly melodic, heart-rending tunes through the teenage vernacular of brash, loud, scrappy rock. Ardently anticommercial, they held out as long as possible against the rise of compact disks, MTV, and signing to a major label. Though it could be argued that their earlier indie albums were infused with an urgency and rawness (and the indomitable guitar of the late Bob Stinson) that bespoke of genius,All for Nothing, Nothing for Allis proof that growing up did not equal growing old. This is a best-of compilation from their Sire Records years, 1985 to 1990, though selecting one Replacements song over another is sometimes impossible. The first disk collects the great songs from the albums from those years, while the second disk is a mix of unreleased tracks, B-sides, live versions, and a mischievous cover of "Cruella De Ville," recorded for a Disney compilation.--Tod Nelson