The Replacements – Pleased To Me – Deluxe Reissue

Pleased To Meet Me is my favorite Mats album. Rhino Records has recently released a deluxe edition. It includes rough mixes on vinyl by studio engineer John Hampton that include the majority of the original album tracks along with non-album tracks like “Election Day” and “Birthday Gal.” A CD remaster of the original album by Justin Perkins, who was also behind the boards for the similar package: Dead Man’s Pop (Don’t Tell a Soul reimagined). Finally, two CDs of bonus material:
– 1986 demo session with Bob Stinson – his last recorded Replacements performance
– Additional 1986 demos with the band as a three-piece outfit (sans Bob)
– Studio outtakes from the album recording sessions (Memphis, 1987)
– Rare single mixes

The full package is available on streaming services if you can’t justify $65 for the physical.

The remaster sounds fantastic, but the treat here is the bonus material. The demos are well recorded. There are songs I have never heard before (gems – not left over turds). The rough mix of the album reveals a little more of the Mats’ natural rawness – if I have any criticism of the original album it was a bit too polished. The rough mix is not as revelatory as Dead Man Pop’s over due restoration is Don’t Tell A Soul, but still a treat for serious Mats fans. If you don’t believe me, check out this stellar Pitchfork review.