Jim Walsh’s book on the replacements is a lot of good story and a good history. But it’s presentation may not be entirely fair. The Replacements were one of the most important bands ever to call Minneapolis their home. They were wonderful and terrible, sometimes at the same time, and this book certainly says as much. And if it were just an informative book, I’d love it.

The trouble is that Jim, for all his talent as a writer, just doesn’t give an unbiased tone. It seems to express a desire for acknowledgments that is unbecoming in a book written by one Minneapolis legend about a group of others. I would imagine that if some day I were to write a book about the Charlie Van Stee Trio, it would be a great deal like this.

There really isn’t a lot more to say, to be honest. It’s an OK book, and the Replacements were a great band and it’s nice to learn more about them, but it’s not the best biography I’ve ever read. Perhaps if I hadn’t gone in with such high expectations, I would have liked it much more.