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''Let It Be'' is the third studio album from the American Alternative Rock band The Replacements , released in October 1984 on Twin/Tone Records . By 1983's '' Hootenanny '', the band had grown tired of playing loud and fast exclusively and decided to write songs that were, according to singer Paul Westerberg , "a little more sincere."Azerrad, 2001. p. 222 Influenced by genres as diverse as Metal , Chicago Blues and Arena Rock , ''Let It Be'' included more complex arrangements; instruments such as Piano s, Mandolin s and Twelve-string Guitar s feature throughout the album. Although not a commercial success upon its release, ''Let It Be'' was critically acclaimed by various American music publications; '' The Village Voice '' BACKGROUND The Replacements started their career as a hardcore punk rock band, similar to their Minneapolis rivals Hüsker Dü . However, The Replacements had gradually disavowed the hardcore aspects of albums like ''Stink'' with their third album ''Hootenanny''.Azerrad, p. 208 By 1983 the band would perform a set of cover songs intended to antagonize whomever was in the crowd. Paul Westerberg explained that the punks who made up their audience "thought that's what they were supposed to be standing for, like 'Anybody does what they want' and 'There are no rules' {Link without Title} But there ''were'' rules and you ''couldn't'' do that, and you ''had'' to be fast, and you ''had'' to wear black, and you ''couldn't'' wear a plaid shirt with flares ... So we'd play the DeFranco Family , that kind of shit, just to piss 'em off."Azerrad, p. 215 Peter Buck of R.E.M. was originally rumored to produce the album. Buck later confirmed that the band did consider him as a possible producer, but when they met Buck in Athens, Georgia , the band they did not have enough material. Buck did manage to contribute to the album in a limited capacity; he said, "I was kind of there for pre-production stuff, did one solo, gave 'em some ideas."Gray, Marcus. ''It Crawled from the South: An R.E.M. Companion''. Da Capo, 1997. Second edition. ISBN 0-306-80751-3, p. 356-357 MUSIC ''Let It Be'' placed more of a focus on Westerberg's songwriting than previous albums. While elements of hardcore remain, the band's sound also incorporates arena rock, pop, jazz, heavy metal, honky-tonk country and Chicago blues. Unlike previous efforts, the individual songs have distinct sections and dynamic shifts. Instruments such as piano, lap steel guitar, 12-string guitar, and mandolin appear. The album is divided by more energetic rock songs like "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" and "Gary's Got a Boner" and more dramatic songs like "Sixteen Blue" and "Unsatisfied". R.E.M.'s Peter Buck contributed the guitar solo to ''Let It Be'''s first cut, " I Will Dare ," which was released as a single prior to the album's release in July 1984. LEGACY ''Let It Be'' received critical acclaim upom its release. The album ranked fourth in the 1984 '' rated the album at #29 on their 100 Best Albums of the 1980s. In 2004 Continuum International Publishing Group published a volume in its 33⅓ series inspired by ''Let It Be''. The book was a memoir written by Colin Meloy of Indie Pop band The Decemberists . In his book, Meloy wrote, "I listened to ''Let It Be'' endlessly. The record seemed to encapsulate perfectly all of the feelings that were churning inside me {Link without Title} Paul Westerberg's weary voice sounded from my boombox and I trembled to think that here I was, thirteen and the 'hardest age' was still three years in the making."Meloy, Colin. ''Let It Be 33⅓''. Continuum, 2004. ISBN 0-8264-1633-0, p. 70 PACKAGING The cover of ''Let It Be'' is a photograph of the band sitting on the roof of Bob and Tommy Stinson's mother's house taken by Daniel Corrigan . Michael Azerrad stated that the cover was a "great little piece of mythmaking," showcasing each bandmember's personality via how they appear in the photograph.Azerrad, p. 223 The album's title is a reference to the 1970 album '' Let It Be '' by The Beatles ; the reference was intended as a joke on the Replacements' manager, Peter Jesperson, who was a huge Beatles fan.Azerrad, p. 222 TRACK LISTING All songs were written by Paul Westerberg , except where noted. Side one #" I Will Dare " – 3:18 #"Favorite Thing" (Westerberg, Tommy Stinson , Bob Stinson , Chris Mars ) – 2:19 #"We're Comin' Out" (Westerberg, Stinson, Stinson, Mars) – 2:21 #"Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" (Westerberg, Stinson, Stinson, Mars) – 1:53 #"Androgynous" – 3:11 #"Black Diamond" ( Paul Stanley ) – 2:40 Side two #"Unsatisfied" – 4:01 #"Seen Your Video" – 3:08 #"Gary's Got a Boner" (Westerberg, Stinson, Stinson, Mars, Ted Nugent ) – 2:28 #"Sixteen Blue" – 4:24 #"Answering Machine" – 3:40 NOTES REFERENCES
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