Color Me Obsessed

Gorman Bechard’s latest and first documentary film, Color Me Obsessed, A Film About The Replacements, was recently named “one of the seven best new music docs of the year” by Rolling Stone. Telling the tale of erstwhile 1980s Minneapolis Rock ‘n Roll revolutionaries The Replacements was an exercise in both passion & commitment for Bechard. Dubbed the “last best band” by Spin Magazine, the group’s performances could be miraculous or degenerate into drunken disasters.

Caught between the yin-and-yang pull of remaining grounded to the populist Punk Rock sensibilities that informed their sound and captured the unwavering faith of their fans, while consistently striving for a greater commercial and artistic success, their albums were colored with dirty guitars and passionate well-written lyrics, coupled with a melodic sensibility that was inventive and constantly alluded to the potential of the group to enter the upper echelon of all time rock’ n roll greatness.  Yet somehow, they managed to continually shoot themselves in the foot and sabotage every foray into mainstream consciousness.

Sounding like a bastard child of The Faces & Stones weaned upon the musical milk of The Sex Pistols and Buzzcocks, this iconic band known as The Replacements burst upon the Minneapolis scene in 1981 with their debut album – Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash – to little acclaim and no fanfare outside their hometown. On vinyl they harnessed the raw energy & pure excitement of punk rock, while on stage they veered wildly between bouts of musical nirvana and drunken debacles of ineptitude – often in the same performance.

Considered today as true pioneers of Alternative rock, the band was composed of guitarist, vocalist & principle songwriter, Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bassist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars for most of their career. Following several critically acclaimed Indie albums, including Let It Be and Tim, Bob Stinson was fired in 1986 and the band experienced several line-up changes.

Toward the end of the band’s career, Westerberg exerted more control over their creative output and the group disbanded in 1991, with members pursuing various solo projects. And while The Replacements never experienced any massive popular commercial success, they have easily influenced a broad spectrum of alternative rock acts over the years.

Told through the eyes and perspectives of fans, friends, and contemporaries, the film breaks ground from traditional music documentaries showcasing music, performances, and time-lines, as Berchard says that he “did not want to make a VHI/where-are-they-now style documentary, but wanted to present the band in a more iconic way.”

Indeed, their relative obscurity was a motivating factor for Bechard in presenting their story on film. “The Replacements should have been the next Rolling Stones,” says Berchard. “And to the people that loved them, I believe they were.”

By combining over 140 interviews with rockers, journalists, and fans both famous & obscure, Bechard renders an obsessive tale of the most influential band that a majority of readers have probably never heard of, yet to many epitomized all the qualities that encompass the greatest rock band of all time.

As an independent filmmaker, Bechard has received critical acclaim for his previous work, which includes Friends (with benefits), The Kiss, Disconnect, and Broken Side of Time.  Bechard will be attending the Bay City premier of Color Me Obsessed and also conducting two workshops at the Hells Half Mile Film & Music Festival. The film will show at the Delta Planetarium and Masonic Temple on Friday & Saturday, September 30 & October 1st.  For more information & ticket details, go to hhmfest.com

Recently I had the opportunity to carve deeper insight with Bechard into what exactly made The Replacements one of the last great Rock ‘n Roll bands that truly mattered.

Martin: The Replacements have always been one of my favorite bands for many reasons; and in many ways, I agree that they are the 'last great band', at least since the diffusion of attention that has occurred with the advent of the Internet, demise of the major labels, and the competition for attention that has resulted from online empowerment.   What do you feel are the core qualities that The Replacements possessed that made them such a pivotal group?

Bechard: The Replacements epitomize rock 'n' roll to me, its spirit, its soul, and it’s drunken energy.  And that has so been lost in this day and age of gutless corporate crap like Vampire Weekend and bands of their ilk; who exist only to castrate rock.  The Replacements had balls, they didn't care; it was their party.  They could play the greatest show you've ever seen one night, then be a drunken mess the next, playing nothing but covers.  And THAT is so part of what made them great.  They were sloppy and out of tune, but always brilliant.  Every note they played, whether wrong or not, resonated with feeling, because whether they were playing one of their usually brilliant originals or a Black Sabbath cover, they played it with a heart we had not seen before, and probably will never see again.  They were quite simply the greatest rock band of all time.  

Martin: Many 'hardcore' Replacement fans felt that the band sold out their punk integrity when they moved from their Indie label and got signed to the 'major' leagues.  Of course, some of their best material and songwriting surfaced on their later work, especially with material like Alex Chilton and I'll Be You.  They also fired their original guitarist, purportedly because of substance problems and an inability to move beyond 3-chord rock; but I'm curious as to whether you feel the band did sell out their integrity by adopting a more melodic and hook-laden approach, or do you feel this was more a case of Westerberg and the band simply evolving and expanding as artists and moving beyond the foundation they built their reputation upon?

Bechard: I don't feel they sold out, as much as they were so tired of being called "the next big thing" they tried whatever they could to get there.  I do believe their last great album is Pleased To Meet Me.  And though Bob Stinson had already been fired, it nonetheless was filled with his spirit, his ghost.  I think Don’t Tell A Soul has good songs...but I don't like the album.  I hate the way it sounds.  It wasn't The Replacements.  But then, why it sounds the ways it does is explained in my film.  And though it doesn’t make me like the album any better, I at least understand it now.  Their last album All Shook Down, really felt like a solo Westerberg record. I like the songs, but again, it's not the Mats.  

Martin: What's your favorite Replacements period and is there one album you feel epitomized what they represented?

Bechard: I break my response to this question into categories. Their best record is Let It Be. Hand's down.  It is the most important record of the 80s, and one of the 5 greatest albums ever made.  That album along with Husker Du's ZEN ARCADE and the Minutemen's DOUBLE NICKLE ON THE DIME, changed the way we listened to music in 1984. Whether you know these records or not, every rock band who came after owes everything to these records. Let It Be never stops.  It's almost inconceivable to think that one band recorded these 11 tunes...you have punk, heartbreak, perfect pop, a piano ditty, and a freaking Kiss cover.  It's also the most perfectly produced album of all time.  Everything about it is right.  

But my favorite period is Sorry Ma/Stink - the start - when they didn't know yet the talent they had and when there was still an innocence.  The stories from this era are the best.  As for my favorite Mats record, that would be TIM.  It's just the one I like listening to most.  Let It Be sometimes requires an emotional commitment.  Tim just makes me rock on every level...

And Here Comes a Regular might be the greatest ballad ever written.

Martin: I never had an opportunity to catch The Replacements live, but I did see Westerberg & his touring band right after his first solo album was released and that Cameron Crowe film 'Singles' came out that he did the soundtrack for. This was one of the best & worst concerts I ever experienced. It was at The Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor and he played for about 20 minutes before storming off the stage.  Apparently he wasn't happy with the size of the crowd, nor the fact that not enough of them were willing to stand up from their seats and get excited about the performance.  Personally, I like his first couple solo releases, but subsequent efforts seem to be flat, confused, diffuse, and uninspired.  What's your take on the impact of Westerberg within the group; and also as a solo artist?  Do you feel he was the pivotal member that defined their sound, moving solo because he required more elbowroom to define the architecture of his songwriting?

Bechard:  I feel, and I believe the film proves this, that every member of the band was equally important.  There obviously are no Mats without Paul Westerberg, but likewise, for both Stinsons and Chris Mars, it's the sum of the parts that makes a band great.  And The Replacements had four amazing characters...you could even picture them as cartoon characters. How many bands can you say that about...where every member has that distinct a personality? Oh, the Beatles, and then...Nobody...except the Mats.)

As for his solo material, I actually like Stereo/Mono best - in fact I think of it as the record the Mats should have released after Pleased to Meet Me.  It's that raw, and heartbreaking, and good!

Martin: What was the most challenging component of pulling this documentary together?

Bechard: Honestly, everything about making this film was a dream.  Really, with the exception of having to fire one truly useless assistant, everything went down like a nicely aged Scotch. We got virtually every interview.  The editing came together really fast.  The response has been amazing.

One thing I will say and people don't seem to believe this.  I never wanted input from the band.  I never for a second considered putting their music in the film.  Or putting them in the film.  Some people seem to insist I couldn't afford the songs.  Well, ask Peter Jesperson...I never asked for their rights, or to speak with band members.  I made the film I set out to make from conception.        

Martin: Are there plans for any major market distribution for the film?

Bechard: Yes, we're just signing a distribution deal. It'll be everywhere (DVD, VOD, itunes, etc next year.)

Martin:  Any additional thoughts or comments on topics I may not have touched upon?

Bechard: I think more than anything Color Me Obsessed is a love poem to a band that changed your life, that became a part of your family, that shaped who you are, and will be with you until the day you day.  The film represents a love for music, and how music affects us.  It could be about any band, and will touch you even if you have no idea who The Replacements are.