One of the things that I respect the most from an artist is improvement, particularly the kind that shows a clear arc of development from the beginning of a career to its conclusion. The Beatles would be one example, and the Replacements another. Of course, many fans have favourite recordings that are chosen on the basis of when they first discovered the group, but I think it would be clear to an impartial listener that the best playing and writing done by the Replacements is found on their final two albums, Don't Tell a Soul (1989) and All Shook Down (1990). Paul Westerberg, one of the greatest songwriters in the history of rock, was at his peak both as composer and vocalist, and the band's playing had fully incorporated the swing feel (in the Chuck Berry sense mostly, but jazz rhythms as well) that they had investigated on earlier tracks such as "Swingin' Party" and "Waitress in the Sky" from 1985's Tim.

Westerberg's lyrics require connective work on the part of the listener, but they're worth the effort. He's one of the few songwriters that has the Lou Reed-like ability to find great pathos in a small detail. "The Last", appropriately the final track on their final album, is for me, their greatest song. And that's saying something, because they've got a lot of them. But this one has all of the elements that made them what they were - the greatest rock and roll band of their time.