RIP Slim Dunlap + my favorite 23 Slim songs

When my fourth favorite band of all-time, The Replacements, graduated in 1986 from the raucious guitar world of Bob Stinson, who just couldn’t be in the band anymore because of his drug, alcohol, and mental-health problems, they set upon a more mature era with the addition of Slim Dunlap.

He complemented ‘Mats leader Paul Westerberg’s fierce mix of rhythm and lead guitar with his own rhythym/lead crossbreed.

Bob “Slim” Dunlap has passed away at the age of 73 due to complications from a stroke.

Actually, Dunlap turned down Westerberg’s first ask to join the Replacements right after Stinson’s reckless lifestyle left him the odd man out. But having long respected Westerberg in their Minneapolis scene, he agreed to join the band. “He was working as a nightclub janitor at the time,” notes Legacy.com.

While Dunlap’s name swirled around the band on their albums Pleased to Meet Me and All Shook Down, he was really only featured on 1989’s Don’t Tell a Soul, which is often slagged off as a lesser ‘Mats release. But to me, it’s a beautiful classic—darn near desert island material. That said, Dunlap’s two solo albums, 1993’s The Old New Me and 1996’s Times Like This, are underheard gems that are also well worth owning.

His stroke occured in 2012 and lots of artists, including Jeff Tweedy, Frank Black, Jakob Dylan, and Patterson Hood, covered his songs as fundraisers for Dunlap and his family to cover medical costs. Westerberg and Tommy Stinson released an excellent EP in 2013 called Songs for Slim, also to raise funds.

As at least one fan on Facebook said today, let’s hope Slim and Bob Stinson are bellied up at the afterlife bar today toasting their contributions to a great band and their shared legacies within rock history.

Here are my 23 favorite Slim Dunlap songs (which is an impressive haul of great tunes for someone who appeared here and there on other albums over the years but really only had three major releases, which is what this list examines):

1. I’ll Be You (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

2. Talent Show (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

3. Partners in Crime (The Old New Me, 1993)

4. Portland (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

5. Achin’ to Be (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

6. Ballad of the Opening Band (The Old New Me, 1993) - this song was based on The Replacements unsuccessful and typically self-sabotaging run opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

7. Back to Back (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

8. They’re Blind (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

9. Times Like This (Times Like This, 1996)

10. Asking Me Lies (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

11. We Know the Night (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

12. Cozy (Times Like This, 1996)

13. Girlfriend (Times Like This, 1996)

14. Little Shiva’s Song (Times Like This, 1996)

15. Isn’t It? (The Old New Me, 1993)

16. Rockin’ Here Tonight (The Old New Me, 1993)

17. Darlin’ One (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

18. Rock ‘n’ Roll Ghost (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

19. Cooler Then (Times Like This, 1996)

20. Hate This Town (Times Like This, 1996)

21. Taken on the Chin (The Old New Me, 1993)

22. We’ll Inherit the Earth (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)

23. Anywhere’s Better Than Here (Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989)