5. Don't Tell A Soul (1989): The 'Mats' frequently derided 1989 shot at the big time has held up remarkably well over the years. Following commercial disappointments with their brilliant first two major label releases, Tim and Pleased To Meet Me, the band finally acceded to taking on a trendy producer, Matt Wallace, who had previously made commercial hay with acts like Faith No More. In many ways this is the strangest of all of the band's albums. Anarchic edges are smoothed over and era-appropriate production touches feel like strange bedfellows for a band who once considered the studio just another drunken rehearsal. Regardless of the seemingly poor fit between personnel and production, the power of Westerberg's writing cuts through the gloss, and tracks like "Darling One," "They're Blind" and "Rock And Roll Ghost" remain some of the band's best-ever material. The should-have-been hit single "I'll Be You" is just one of many in their catalog that might have topped the charts in a less insane world.









































