Bad Copy

This time around I’ll be talking about the song “Achin To Be.”

The Original:

First up, The Replacements version. The Replacements were a punk rock/alternative rock band that were together from 1978 to 1991. They did get back together for a reunion which lasted from 2012 to 2015. The band was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Bob and Tommy Stinson. Along with drummer Chris Mars, the band started with the name Dogbreath as a cover band. Paul Westerberg later joined the band. The band eventually changed its name to The Impediments and then finally settled on The Replacements.

After submitted a demo to a manager of a Minneapolis record store, the band signed a deal with Twin/Tone Records. Their debut album with the label was the 1981 LP Sorry Ma, I Forgot To Take Out the Trash, released in August of that year. Over the course of their career, the band has released seven studio albums, four live albums, seven compilation albums, and five EPs.

The song “Achin To Be” was released on their fifth album, Don’t Tell a Soul. Don’t Tell a Soul was released in February 1989 by Sire Records. It was the third single from the album.

The Cover:

Pinhead Gunpowder is a punk rock band that was formed in 1991 Arcata, California. The band eventually relocated to Berkeley and recruited Green Day vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong. They released their first EP, Trundle and Spring, in 1991 on Take a Day/1-2-3-4 Go! As of this writing, the band has released two full length albums, and nine EPs (one of which is a split with Dillinger Four). Their most recently released was the 2024 LP, Unt.

Their version of “Achin to Be” comes from their 1999 EP, Shoot the Moon. This EP was originally released in March of that year on Adeline Records and was re-issued in February 2010 by Recess Records.

The Verdict:

While the cover is a good homage to The Replacements and their version has more intensity than the original, it is really hard for me to prefer it over the original. But to be honest, it is not a fair comparison. I mean, we’re talking about The Replacements here. It is very hard for anybody to do them better. Their sound is pretty iconic.

That being said, the cover is actually pretty good. The band itself I was never really all that into and have honestly only heard a handful of their songs. Their cover of “Achin to Be” was not one of them until I started writing this issue of Cover to Cover. I like this version. It has, as previously mentioned, good intensity. The backing vocals are good in all the right places. The musicians are adept at what they do.

I just prefer the original. Paul Westerberg’s vocals are superior IMHO and (even though I think it would have been better had founding guitarist Bob Stinson played on this song) I prefer the guitar sound and style in the original.

But what do YOU think?

That’s it for this issue of Cover to Cover. See you next time.