"Throw The 'Mats A Dime": The Replacements News & Discussion Thread

Bravo Jason and the Rhino team!

As exciting as a fresh presentation of Tim will be, for me the best thing is that we're now one step closer to a new Let It Be.*

* With the criminally underrated Hootenanny to follow shortly thereafter, I hope.

 

Hmm, I can only find mp3s there

 

Me, too! I had never heard "arm in arm" before.
While I'll always want more alternate takes (I want complete sessions for everything), I am seriously excited.
Listening to the new "Left of the Dial", if I close my eyes, it's the fall of 1985, I'm turning 22 and drinking cans of Rhinegold ($5 for a 12-pack).

 

After multiple more listens, on better hardware than my phone last night, I have to say Left Of The Dial is still best in its original form....but hear me out.

The new remix is fantastic and I am looking forward to this release more than I did with the previous offerings. Listening to the new remix of Left Of The Dial eventually compelled me to go listen to the original.

I have so much emotional attachment and time invested in the original that it feels untouchable by any remix or remaster. So...it seems to make perfect sense that the original mix is sequenced as the second disc on the box, at least the way I see it.

After I thoroughly enjoy the remix I can get right back on the ride and hear the original.

Thank you Jason and Bob for making that happen...unless it was someone else's decision, then thank them for me

 

SOUNDS OUTSTANDING!
Making room on my shelf right now.

 

Darn, your critique puts my meager observation to shame. Which was, “the drums seem a bit loud”.

 

Let It Be is like scary good to me. I have to be in the mood for it usually and sometimes I will either put the record on or the cd in with some trepidation and I will always have to listen to it from start to finish. I don't know why I feel this way about that album - I think it's because despite the sense of fun and adventure there is about the album, there is like a great intensity and even anxiety, or anticipation and nervous energy, that I must feel it communicates and so it's like a really powerful experience listening to that album.

 

I felt the same as you about the drums. My next thought while listening was well I'm glad he's at least getting some love in the mix as, I always thought fwiw, that he was a really good drummer and yet probably his name and playing only comes up in the company of Replacements fans and not so much elsewhere, when talking about his drumming in the band. Chris Mars, that is, of course, as you know, but I see in the post I didn't mention his name. Geez.

 

Paul, to Rolling Stone in 1993, telling tales of destroying tapes:

"I think we threw out the original 'Can’t Hardly Wait,' the one produced by Alex Chilton – which was kind of good. Oops. Of course, it was Tommy who talked to the receptionist, Chris and I actually did the deed, and Slim sat outside with the motor running. He had a car and a rifle, but we don’t want to talk about that."

 

Thanks for the info. I can't wait to read it in more detail in your always great liner notes.

Let's keep these Replacements boxes coming, but can anyone also give Husker Du this treatment as well?

 

Anyone else having trouble with the Rhino store website? It won't let me check out.

Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that it added 2 extra copies of the 7" without me asking?

 

Pitchfork seems to think the entirety of the unreleased version (as opposed to three outtakes) was produced by Alex Chilton :

The Replacements Reissuing Tim With Alex Chilton–Produced Sessions

 

Pre-ordered, couldn't resist. My favorite album by them and one of the best rock albums of that era.

 

Below are the tracks from Disc 3 that are produced by Chilton:

CAN’T HARDLY WAIT (ACOUSTIC DEMO)
NOWHERE IS MY HOME (ALTERNATE MIX)
CAN’T HARDLY WAIT (ELECTRIC DEMO) [ALTERNATE MIX]
LEFT OF THE DIAL (ALTERNATE VERSION)
NOWHERE IS MY HOME (ALTERNATE VERSION)
CAN’T HARDLY WAIT (CELLO VERSION)

 

All of the Replacements box sets have been amazing. It's something I would have never dreamed of when following this brilliant band in real time back in the 80's.

 

After all of these years, I'm still catching up to these guys. This is close to a perfect album.

 

And who would have thought there would still be enough of us diehard fans willing to pay deluxe pricing in 2023 to make it worthwhile to produce the sets. Kudos to us.

 

I'm too impulsive. If I had the fortitude, I'd wait for the price drop which is more than likely inevitable. Case in point, I purchased The Bacharach Costello boxset at a reasonably hefty price and now Amazon is selling it for $100. Ouch, I was convinced that it would go out of print quickly. I'm one of those suckers P.T. Barnum was talking about.

 

Man, I am so grateful to Jason Jones, Bob Mehr and Rhino for throwing so much into this and the other three reissues. This album never even went gold and is getting this kind of treatment! These are the people every band should have trying to preserve and honor their legacy. Sadly, so few do.

 

100% agreed

 

Thanks, everyone. You'll be so stoked come 9/22.

If you thought the remix of "Left of the Dial" was fantastic, then I can only imagine what y'all will say when you hear the rest of it as those new mixes are even more mind blowing than "Left of the Dial".

Hold My Life has guitar parts you've never heard before. Also, it tries to jump out of your speaker and choke you.
I'll Buy again has parts you've never heard. I could imagine this version being in "One Crazy Summer" or some other 80's teen flick (that's a good thing).
Kiss Me on the Bus (which came this close to being the first IG) has never sounded more elegant and beautiful. Much more acoustic and electric guitar parts.
Dose of Thunder will throttle you. It's my favorite of all the new mixes. What was once thought to be a clunker has now become a joyous screamer with a Bob solo that is maybe the most chaotic thing ever released by a major label (second maybe to PiL or Mr. Bungle or Ween).
Waitress in the Sky has harmonies you've never heard. It still has that ****kicker feel, but it just hits deeper.
Swingin' Party (which also came this close to being the first IG) finally has the widescreen noir feel that was hidden behind the sheen of the original mix.
Bastards of Young has more Bob guitar and is ever more anthemic than ever. I could hear this destroying Summer of 69 or The Hooters on the radio back in the day. It would've been huge. What a song.
Lay It Down Clown has boogie woogie piano that was buried in the mix and extended slide parts.
Left of the Dial - you've heard it.
Little Mascara is extended by about 90 seconds and have infinite more Bob guitar. It's my second favorite of the new mixes.
Here Comes a Regular has more piano and will rip your heart out again and again (it already did, but this one is THE one).

 

Geez Jason, I was sold before your last post, now it's signed, sealed and delivered.

 

I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d ever see this statement about BOY, LOL
but I love it

 

I listened to Left of the Dial on repeat this morning for about 30 minutes and heard something new with each play. The most striking difference for me is how much more Bob is present in the mix. Your notes suggest that there is so much more of this in store. Maybe a more appropriate title would be “Let It Bob”. So glad he is getting his due!

 

I am so psyched for this release. After listening to the new mix of Left of the Dial half a dozen times yesterday, I heard it in my dreams all night last night.