Before you get too excited I should first point out that the Replacements haven't been exhumed--this is a greatest hits and previously unreleased tracks collection--but it's a good one. How many times have you picked up a best-of compilation by a favorite band and thought to yourself "who were the numbnuts who picked these songs?" Not the case here. This is about song for song the tracks I'd put on a Replacements' best. From "Kiss Me on the Bus," right up through "Sadly Beautiful."

AFN is a blow by blow account of the Mat's evolution, full to the top with their patented hard-hitting power-pop, and lovely ballads with the peerless wordplay of Paul Westerberg. I can't think of a better lyricist--he ranks with Dylan and Waits, Leonard Cohen.

All For Nothing would make the ultimate primer for those of you who have heard a little something about Westerberg and company, but aren't familiar with their music; and a fine illustration as to why they are widely considered one of the most influential bands of the past two decades.

The disc of previously unreleased stuff is nothing to get too excited about. It's for hard-core Mat-heads, in fact many of the tracks appear courtesy of heavy E-Mail request. There are some good B-Sides that sound like they were perhaps, out-takes from All Shook Down, but it's mostly a bunch of goofy stuff.

One cool bonus is that the liner notes contain story after hilarious story told by the people who loved, those who admired and and those who were totally scared to death of them. (e.g.) My favorite Replacement story is that when compact discs started replacing albums the band were appalled that Twin/Tone (their first label) was planning to release their early albums on CD. So they had a few drinks and stewed about it. Then had a few more drinks and then went over to Twin/Tone. They gave the receptionist some line about working on remixes, grabbed as many of the master tapes as they could find and went and threw them in the Mississippi. To which Paul expressed hope that Prince, who lived in a big purple house downriver, would see the tapes floating by like Moses, rescue them, play them, and reconsider his musical approach.