The Old New Me is the debut album by the American musician and former Replacement Slim Dunlap, released in 1993.[2][3]

The Old New Me
Studio album by
Released1993
Studio5th Floor Recorders
GenreRoots rock
LabelMedium Cool/Twin/Tone[1]
ProducerPeter Jesperson, Brian Paulson
Slim Dunlap chronology
The Old New Me
(1993)
Times Like This
(1996)

Dunlap promoted the album by opening for Dramarama on a North American tour.[4]

Production edit

The album was produced by Peter Jesperson and Brian Paulson.[5] It was recorded over four nights, for less than $5,000.[6][7] Chan Poling and Paul Westerberg contributed to The Old New Me.[8]

Dunlap wrote 10 of the album's 11 songs, closing with a cover of James Burton's "Love Lost".[9][6] "The Ballad of the Opening Band" was inspired by the Replacements' experience opening for Tom Petty on his Full Moon Fever tour.[10]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [11]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide     [12]

Trouser Press wrote: "Singing Exile-era Stones melodies in a pleasantly artless voice that could pass for Keith Richards on a good night, Dunlap chugs back raunch-a-roll energy with earnest effort and an invigorating dose of retro flair."[13] The Los Angeles Times thought that Dunlap "takes the stance of a weathered but wry observer who has seen hard knocks but has kept his compassion and his sense of humor through circumstances that might have left others bitter and jaded."[6] The Star Tribune opined that "it's a refreshing, unpretentious roots-rock excursion with inventive guitar work that grows on you with each listening."[14]

The Philadelphia Inquirer called the album the best of the initial Replacements solo projects, writing that, "when everyone has finished deconstructing Westerberg's lyrics and analyzing his tortured observations, it's The New Old Me they'll come back to for a shot of good old, gut-level rock and roll."[15] USA Today concluded that the album "strips down to rowdy, gut-bucket basics."[16] The Houston Chronicle determined that "Westerberg and his grainy vocals save some of the songs, but otherwise they flash by unobtrusively, with few lyrical or emotional stop signs."[17]

AllMusic called the album "a rootsy, engaging ride," writing that it "ends on a gracefully elegiac note with a guitar instrumental, 'Love Lost'."[11]

Track listing edit

No.TitleLength
1."Rockin Here Tonight" 
2."Just for the Hell of It" 
3."Isn't It?" 
4."Partners in Crime" 
5."Taken On (the Chin)" 
6."From the Git Go" 
7."Busted Up" 
8."Ain't Exactly Good" 
9."The King & Queen" 
10."The Ballad of the Opening Band" 
11."Love Lost" 

References edit

  1. ^ "South by Southwest Music and Media Conference '94". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. 17 Mar 1994. p. 13.
  2. ^ "Slim Dunlap Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  3. ^ "Sound Bites". Spin. Vol. 9, no. 2. May 1993. p. 30.
  4. ^ Heim, Chris (8 Oct 1993). "Rock". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. R.
  5. ^ "Album reviews — The Old New Me by Slim Dunlap". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 36. Sep 4, 1993. p. 62.
  6. ^ a b c Boehm, Mike (8 Nov 1993). "Slim Dunlap Emerges From Replacements' Shadow". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 2.
  7. ^ Redmond, Mike (7 Oct 1993). "Slim's work has rock and roll spirit". The Indianapolis Star. p. H5.
  8. ^ Jenkins, Mark (17 Sep 1993). "Dramarama, Dunlap and Doing the Usual". The Washington Post. p. N24.
  9. ^ Eichenberger, Bill (September 16, 1993). "Slim Dunlap, The Old New Me". Weekender. The Columbus Dispatch. p. 8.
  10. ^ Mehr, Bob (March 1, 2016). Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements. Hachette Books. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "The Old New Me". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  12. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 936.
  13. ^ "Slim Dunlap". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  14. ^ Bream, Jon (8 Aug 1993). "Dunlap voices his music and philosophy". Star Tribune. p. 1F.
  15. ^ Moon, Tom (8 June 1993). "Solo CDs Give 4 Views of Replacements' Value". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E1.
  16. ^ Gundersen, Edna (July 7, 1993). "Strong solo efforts fill Replacements' void". USA Today. p. 5D.
  17. ^ Racine, Marty (August 22, 1993). "The Old New Me". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 6.