Pleased to Meet Me

Tracks:

I.O.U
Alex Chilton
I Don't Know
Nightclub Jitters
The Ledge
Never Mind
Valentine
Shooting Dirty Pool
Red Red Wine
Skyway
Can't Hardly Wait

Amazon.com essential recording

While some continue to champion the Replacements' Don't Tell a Soul and All Shook Down exit albums, Pleased to Meet Me truly represents the last vital effort of a great band beginning its descent. The first album released after founding lead guitarist Bob Stinson's official departure, Pleased nevertheless retains plenty of the Mats' innate punky drive, albeit here more focused and tempered. Group avatar Paul Westerberg feuded with Memphis producer Jim Dickinson (brought in because of his production of Big Star's melancholy classic Third/Sister Lovers) over what he considered Dickinson's civilizing touches. In retrospect, however, the brass-and-string flourishes on the catchy coda "Can't Hardly Wait" and the more disciplined drumming of Chris Mars make Pleased a more comfortable reconciliation of the group's raw roots and musical maturity. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Lovable Imperfection.......2007-06-08

The Replacements are irresistable and their music grows on you with each listen, yet it is hard to explain why. They were ragged, uneven, and not particular skilled musicians who couldn't quite figure out whether they were a punk or rock band who were often awful onstage, never made it big, and fell apart messily. Yet they put it together to produce several heartbreakingly beautiful songs. They were a garage band who did well and left us with a handful of albums that are essential for any partisan of the music of the 1980s. This album was made as the band had begun its implosion, that would drag out for three more years and two more good albums (Don't Tell A Soul, All Shook Down).

This album features "Alex Chilton," which is usually at the top of the favorite song list for most fans of The Replacements. "The Ledge" is an edgy, good song, "Skyway" is an example of Westerberg when he got soulful and acoustic, and "Can't Hardly Wait" is the sort of effortless pop song that The Replacements probably could have made it bigger by doing more of. There are clunkers -- every Replacements record had them -- like "Nightclub Jitters" and "Shooting Dirty Pool," but there are buttons on your CD player that will solve those problems. This band was perfect in their imperfection. Imagine listen to a garage band practicing next door and realizing that they were surprisingly good. That's The Replacements.

A Track by Track Appreciation.......2007-02-24

PLEASED TO MEET ME: A track By Track Appreciation (I haven't listened to it in a while, and this sorta got me thinking wistfully about it. . .)

SIDE ONE (The Good Side)

1) I.O.U. A slamming punk stomper. Sounds like a statement of purpose to prove they can still rock after firing lead axeman Bob Stinson--a move many fans never forgave. Actually, the weakest song on the record.
2) Alex Chilton--perfect ragged power pop paen to alt rock patron saint. ("I never travel far/Without a litte Big Star"). If you were cool, you couldn't escape this song in 87-88.
3) Nightclub Jitters--cool change of pace with this cocktail jazz inflected slow burner
4) I Don't Know--boredom and ennui collide with a stripped to the bones rocker punctuated by Teenage Steve Douglass' sweet baritone sax bleats.
5) The Ledge : tense suicide suicide note where Westerberg's spiraling guitar is as tightly wound as the narrators emotions.

SIDE TWO (The even better side --and yes, like in the old days, a record with distinct sides)

1) Never Mind: Great power popping, heart-on-the-sleeve love song. And it rocks in an endearingly sloppy sorta way.
2) Valentine: more of the the same with great lines thrown out like they come from an endless stream("Well you wish upon a star/That turns into a plane". . . "If you were a pill/I'd take a handful at my will/and knock you back with somethings sweet as wine).
3) Shooting Dirty Pool. Down and dirty rocker--a great illustration of how Jim Dickinson's production is perfect for this record--the bass is muddied, the treble in the guitar is jacked up and the drums are given a huge, sledgehammer whallop. The song itself isn't Westerberg's best, but the sound is great--a wonderful change-of-pace album cut.
4) Red Red Wine (not the Neil Diamond classic but another searing rocker that just sounds balls-out perfect at Max volume).
5) Skyway: Out of nowhere, Westerberg slows down for his most beautiful solo-acoustic ballad. A simple heartstopper, whispered over a delicately picked guitar figure. A million lovesick teenage boys made mix tapes for unattainable girls in the late 80s. This song figured prominently in 94% of them.
6) Can't Hardly Wait: A hopelssly romantic pop-rocker over another bubbling guitar line and a swinging rhythym section. The chorus totally gushes and although some people hate them , I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Memphis Horns on the backing part. A perfect end to what is, to me, a perfect record.

Overall, my favorite mats record. There might be more peaks on Tim (Bastards of Young, Left of the Dial) or Let it Be (I will Dare, Unsatisfied, Answering Machine), but there are also some valleys there as well.

Very Pleased to Meet Paul, Tommy, Bob and Chris.......2007-01-10

It's not Let it Be. Closer to Tim, but certainly a definitive Replacements album in style and arrangement. Excellently produced sound, vocals, sweet solos and well harnessed power. Reminiscent of the best thing that came out of the eighties. This band! I liked it the first time I listened. Loved it by the tenth time. Hard to replace with another artist in your CD player once you're hooked.

"I want it in writing...." The 'Mats best effort.......2006-12-07

A great blend of who-gives-a-$&# attitude and melodies. The band was at their peak here. If you like rock and roll get this. If you don't like it, you're an idiot.

Wicked Back Flip.......2006-06-18

"Wicked Back Flip" is a statement made by Paul on a bootleg when he is stone cold d-runk.

The Replacements. What hasn't been said that I could say? They got me through many deep, dark, hard and lonely nights. I drank with them, smoked with them, cried with them, and survived with them.

This album moved me in a way few have, or ever will. All I can say is thanks for allowing me the privilege of listening to this.

Music:

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