| Pleased to Meet Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 17, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1986–1987 | |||
| Studio | Ardent Studios, Studio B, Memphis | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:00 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Producer | Jim Dickinson | |||
| The Replacements chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Pleased to Meet Me | ||||
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Pleased to Meet Me is the fifth studio album by the American rock band The Replacements, released in 1987 by Sire Records. The album was acclaimed by music critics.
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Pleased to Meet Me is the only album recorded by the band as a trio. After their previous album Tim , guitarist Bob Stinson was no longer with the band. Stinson was still a member when the album's demos were recorded in August 1986; however, he only showed up for one recording session.
The main recording sessions for the album took place at Ardent Studios in Memphis between November 1986 and January 1987, under the supervision of producer Jim Dickinson.
Guitarist Bob "Slim" Dunlap joined the band soon after the recording sessions.
While the punk roots of the group were still apparent on Tim, by Pleased to Meet Me they were there more in spirit as the band delved into other genres, such as soul and cocktail jazz, alongside tracks featuring their customary hard rocking sound. Perhaps due to the album's recording in soul music center Memphis, Tennessee, or the influence of producer Jim Dickinson, the band augmented its sound with saxophone on the tracks "I Don't Know" and "Nightclub Jitters" and a horn section on "Can't Hardly Wait", which features Big Star vocalist Alex Chilton on guitar.
A music video was made for "The Ledge", but it was banned from airplay on MTV due to its lyrical content about suicide.
The album's cover art mocks the band's transition from young punks to successful musicians with a major record deal, depicting a handshake between one person clad in a suit, starched white shirt, glitzy watch and diamond ring and the other wearing a ripped workshirt. Westerberg was the man in the ripped shirt, but his face was not shown in the shot used on the cover. The self-mocking tone continues on the song, "I Don't Know", with its chorus, "One foot in the door/The other one in the gutter."
The artwork is also an homage to the cover art of Elvis Presley’s 1960 soundtrack album G.I. Blues , from the film of the same name.
Pleased to Meet Me was released in 1987 by Sire Records and peaked at #131 on the Billboard Music Chart's Top 200. [2] According to Our Band Could Be Your Life author Michael Azerrad, the album sold "about 300,000 copies." [3]
On September 23, 2008, Pleased to Meet Me was remastered and reissued by Rhino Entertainment with 11 additional tracks consisting of studio demos, B-sides, and alternate takes. [4] New liner notes were written by Peter Jesperson.
In 2020, Rhino Entertainment released a deluxe edition that contained 3 CDs and 1 LP. [5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The Austin Chronicle | [7] |
| Chicago Sun-Times | [8] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A [9] |
| Los Angeles Times | [10] |
| Pitchfork | 9.3/10 [11] |
| Q | [12] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [13] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10 [14] |
| The Village Voice | A− [15] |
Pleased to Meet Me was acclaimed by music critics. Writing for Rolling Stone , David Fricke described it as "an album alive with the crackle of conflicting emotions and kamikaze rock & roll fire." [16] In a retrospective review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that Pleased to Meet Me "was the last time [The Replacements] could still shoot for the stars and seem like their scrappy selves and, in many ways, it was the last true Replacements album". [6] The album appeared at number three in The Village Voice 's Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 1987. [17] In 2012, Paste placed the record at number 70 on its list of "The 80 Best Albums of the 1980s". [18]
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I.O.U." | 2:57 | |
| 2. | "Alex Chilton" |
| 3:11 |
| 3. | "I Don't Know" |
| 3:20 |
| 4. | "Nightclub Jitters" | 2:44 | |
| 5. | "The Ledge" | 4:04 | |
| 6. | "Never Mind" | 2:47 | |
| 7. | "Valentine" |
| 3:31 |
| 8. | "Shooting Dirty Pool" |
| 2:20 |
| 9. | "Red Red Wine" | 3:00 | |
| 10. | "Skyway" | 2:04 | |
| 11. | "Can't Hardly Wait" | 3:02 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Birthday Gal" (Demo) | 4:39 | |
| 13. | "Valentine" (Demo Version) |
| 4:09 |
| 14. | "Bundle Up" (Demo) |
| 2:59 |
| 15. | "Photo" (Demo) | 3:46 | |
| 16. | "Election Day" | 2:56 | |
| 17. | "Alex Chilton" (Alternate Version) |
| 3:37 |
| 18. | "Kick It In" (Demo) | 3:33 | |
| 19. | "Route 66" | Bobby Troup | 2:57 |
| 20. | "Tossin' n' Turnin'" |
| 2:20 |
| 21. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Alternate Version) | 3:00 | |
| 22. | "Cool Water" | Bob Nolan | 3:04 |
| Total length: | 70:00 | ||
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I.O.U." | 2:58 | |
| 2. | "Alex Chilton" |
| 3:13 |
| 3. | "I Don't Know" |
| 3:21 |
| 4. | "Nightclub Jitters" | 2:45 | |
| 5. | "The Ledge" | 4:07 | |
| 6. | "Never Mind" | 2:50 | |
| 7. | "Valentine" |
| 3:35 |
| 8. | "Shooting Dirty Pool" |
| 2:22 |
| 9. | "Red Red Wine" | 3:01 | |
| 10. | "Skyway" | 2:04 | |
| 11. | "Can't Hardly Wait" | 3:06 | |
| 12. | "Election Day" | 2:55 | |
| 13. | "Jungle Rock" |
| 2:37 |
| 14. | "Route 66" |
| 2:55 |
| 15. | "Tossin' N' Turnin'" |
| 2:19 |
| 16. | "Cool Water" |
| 2:41 |
| 17. | "Can't Hardly Wait (Jimmy Iovine Remix)" | 3:04 |
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18. | "Bundle Up" (Demo) | 2:57 | |
| 19. | "Birthday Gal" (Demo) | 4:40 | |
| 20. | "I.O.U." (Demo) | 3:15 | |
| 21. | "Red Red Wine" (Demo) | 3:21 | |
| 22. | "Photo" (Demo) | 3:48 | |
| 23. | "Time Is Killing Us" (Demo) | 4:14 | |
| 24. | "Valentine" (Demo) | 4:08 | |
| 25. | "Awake Tonight" (Demo) |
| 3:47 |
| 26. | "Hey Shadow" (Demo) |
| 3:55 |
| 27. | "I Don't Know" (Demo) |
| 3:25 |
| 28. | "Kick It In" (Demo 1) | 3:55 | |
| 29. | "Shooting Dirty Pool" (Demo) |
| 2:56 |
| 30. | "Kick It In" (Demo 2) | 3:42 | |
| 31. | "All He Wants To Do Is Fish" (Demo) |
| 2:59 |
| 32. | "Even If It's Cheap" (Demo) |
| 2:56 |
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32. | "Valentine" (Rough Mix) | 3:41 | |
| 33. | "Never Mind" (Rough Mix) | 2:50 | |
| 34. | "Birthday Gal" (Rough Mix) | 4:26 | |
| 35. | "Alex Chilton" (Rough Mix) |
| 3:15 |
| 36. | "Election Day" (Rough Mix) | 2:46 | |
| 37. | "Kick It In" (Rough Mix) | 3:30 | |
| 38. | "Red Red Wine" (Rough Mix) | 3:22 | |
| 39. | "The Ledge" (Rough Mix) | 4:14 | |
| 40. | "I.O.U." (Rough Mix) | 3:00 | |
| 41. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Rough Mix) | 3:07 | |
| 42. | "Nightclub Jitters" (Rough Mix) | 2:47 | |
| 43. | "Skyway" (Rough Mix) | 2:08 | |
| 44. | "Cool Water" (Rough Mix) |
| 2:40 |
| 45. | "Birthday Gal" (2020 Remaster) | 3:52 | |
| 46. | "Learn How To Fail" | 3:39 | |
| 47. | "Run For The Country" | 4:30 | |
| 48. | "All He Wants To Do Is Fish" (2020 Remaster) |
| 2:42 |
| 49. | "I Can Help" (Studio Outtake) | 3:33 | |
| 50. | "Lift Your Skirt" | 2:15 | |
| 51. | "Till We're Nude" (2020 Remaster) | 2:08 | |
| 52. | "Beer For Breakfast" (2020 Remaster) | 1:38 | |
| 53. | "Trouble On The Way" |
| 3:10 |
| 54. | "I Don't Know" (Out Take, 2020 Remaster) | 3:05 |
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55. | "Valentine" (Rough Mix) | 3:41 | |
| 56. | "Never Mind" (Rough Mix) | 2:50 | |
| 57. | "Birthday Gal" (Rough Mix) | 4:26 | |
| 58. | "Alex Chilton" (Rough Mix) |
| 3:15 |
| 59. | "Election Day" (Rough Mix) | 2:46 | |
| 60. | "Kick It In" (Rough Mix) | 3:30 |
All tracks are written by Paul Westerberg, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61. | "Red Red Wine" (Rough Mix) | 3:22 | |
| 62. | "The Ledge" (Rough Mix) | 4:14 | |
| 63. | "I.O.U." (Rough Mix) | 3:00 | |
| 64. | "Can't Hardly Wait" (Rough Mix) | 3:07 | |
| 65. | "Nightclub Jitters" (Rough Mix) | 2:47 | |
| 66. | "Skyway" (Rough Mix) | 2:08 | |
| 67. | "Cool Water" (Rough Mix) |
| 2:40 |
The Replacements were an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979. Initially a hardcore punk band, they are one of the main pioneers of alternative rock. The band was composed of the guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bass guitarist Tommy Stinson and drummer Chris Mars for most of its existence. Following several acclaimed albums, including Let It Be and Tim, Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band in 1986, and Slim Dunlap joined as lead guitarist. Steve Foley replaced Mars in 1990. Towards the end of the band's career, Westerberg exerted more control over the creative output. The group disbanded in 1991, with the members eventually pursuing various projects. A reunion was announced on October 3, 2012. Fans affectionately refer to the band as The 'Mats, a nickname that originated as a truncation of "The Placemats," a mispronunciation of their name.
Paul Harold Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Replacements. Following the breakup of the Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him release three albums on two major record labels.
Thomas Eugene Stinson is an American rock musician. He came to prominence in the 1980s as the bass guitarist for The Replacements, one of the definitive American alternative rock groups. After their breakup in 1991, Stinson formed Bash & Pop, acting as lead vocalist, guitarist and frontman. In the mid-1990s he was the singer and guitarist for the rock band Perfect, and eventually joined the hard rock band Guns N' Roses in 1998.
Don't Tell a Soul is the sixth studio album by the American rock band The Replacements, released on February 1, 1989 by Sire Records.
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash is the first studio album by the American band The Replacements. It was released on August 25, 1981 by Twin/Tone Records. Squarely inspired by punk rock, the album stands in contrast to the more creatively diverse power pop and indie rock styles on later albums.
Hootenanny is the second studio album by the American rock band The Replacements, released on April 29, 1983 by Twin/Tone Records. The album received positive reviews from critics.
All Shook Down is the seventh and final studio album by the American rock band The Replacements, released on September 25, 1990 by Sire Records.
The discography of American rock band The Replacements consists of seven studio albums, four live albums, seven compilation albums, five extended plays, 16 singles, and 10 music videos. Formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bass guitarist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars in 1979, the band signed with Twin/Tone Records the following year.
"I Will Dare" is a song by American alternative rock band The Replacements, written by Paul Westerberg. The song's pop stylings were a departure from the band's punk origins and its lyrics reflected the band's willingness to "dare to do anything." The track also features guitar performed by Peter Buck of R.E.M.
"Unsatisfied" is a song written by Paul Westerberg and recorded by his band the Replacements for their third studio album Let It Be (1984). Revolving around the central lyric "I'm so unsatisfied," the song was largely fleshed out in the studio and featured improvised guitar lines from guitarist Bob Stinson.
Eventually is the second solo album by Paul Westerberg, released on April 30, 1996, on Reprise Records.
Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? is a greatest hits album by the American rock band The Replacements, released in 2006 by Rhino Records. It includes eighteen tracks spanning the band's eight studio releases from 1981 to 1990, as well as two new tracks recorded specifically for this release. The new tracks—"Message to the Boys" and "Pool & Dive"—feature the three surviving original band members: singer and guitarist Paul Westerberg, bass guitarist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars. However, Mars does not play drums on these tracks: they were played by session drummer Josh Freese while Mars sang backing vocals.
Boink!! is a rare 1986 album by The Replacements. It was released in the UK on Glass Records.
"Bastards of Young" is a song written by Paul Westerberg and recorded by his band The Replacements for their fourth studio album Tim (1985). Inspired by Westerberg's sister Mary and the band's feelings of alienation, the song has been described as an "anthem" and features a Who-inspired guitar intro.
"Alex Chilton" is a song by American rock band the Replacements from their fifth studio album Pleased to Meet Me. The song was written as a homage to Big Star frontman Alex Chilton, who was an idol of the band's who worked with them on several occasions. The song's hook was inspired by Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg's attempt to compliment one of Chilton's songs upon meeting him for the first time.
William Alexander Chilton was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops was never repeated in later years with Big Star and in his subsequent indie music solo career on small labels, but he drew an intense following among indie and alternative rock musicians. He is frequently cited as a seminal influence by influential rock artists and bands, some of whose testimonials appeared in the 2012 documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.
Tim is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band The Replacements. It was released in September 1985 on Sire Records. It was their first major label release and also the last album made by the original line-up of the band: guitarist Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band towards the end of 1986.
"Can't Hardly Wait" is a song by American rock band The Replacements from their fifth studio album Pleased to Meet Me. Written shortly after the sessions for Let It Be, the song was attempted for the 1985 Tim album but ultimately went unreleased until Pleased to Meet Me. The song features Alex Chilton on guitar as well as an arrangement with horns and strings, additions that were controversial within the band.
For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986 is a 2017 live album by the American alternative rock band The Replacements. Recorded at the famous Maxwell's at the height of the band's commercial and creative arc, it is one of the few good recordings of their live performances. The band's only previous live album—1985's The Shit Hits the Fans—was a limited cassette tape release which features poor audio quality and several false starts and stops on songs. In 2007, bassist Tommy Stinson stated that "There are no good Replacements live recordings", in part due to a lack of high-quality recordings and in part due to the band's notoriously sloppy performances due to alcohol abuse. The album was produced by Bob Mehr, who wrote the 2016 biography of the band Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements.
Friday Night Is Killing Me is the first album by the American rock band Bash & Pop, released in 1993. It was Tommy Stinson's first project after the dissolution of the Replacements.
