Tommy Stinson
Village Gorilla Head
(Sanctuary)
Fourteen-year-old lad finds himself a founding member in hugely influential band (the Replacements). Years later, he’s bassist in a late version of a troubled franchise (Guns N’ Roses). Stinson’s first solo effort leaps free of any scent of post-punk, metal or genre-splicing, with rock songs worthy of the Stones or the Clash. His voice is a sardonic jab at the torpor. “OK” speaks to coddled youth turning numb as they gain self-awareness. Stinson’s stride from the shadows is a giant step.
—Doug Taylor
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.