THE SHIT HITS THE FANS:
REPLACEMENTS ARCHIVAL RELEASES
REPLACEMENTS ARCHIVAL RELEASES
"The biggest mistake we ever made" - Paul Westerberg (2002)
A near complete live recording of a show from November 11, 1984 at the Bowery in Oklahoma City, OK. Released only as an "authorized bootleg" cassette - that has itself been bootlegged multiple times - this has become a legendary totem amongst fans, still commanding a hefty price on the collectors market. The band's sound engineer, Bill Mack, gives the definitive account of the origins of this unusual release in the liner notes of a bootleg LP made from this recording: a club employee recorded the show from the balcony on a cassette deck under the mistaken understanding that Paul Westerberg had given him permission. After the show Mack unceremoniously confiscated the tape. Within a few months it was rush-released as a limited run quickie live album, warts and all, complete with original Chris Mars artwork. This isn't a pristine soundboard recording; far from it. But it's a perfectly enjoyable listen, capturing the band performing a loose, cover-heavy set in front of a very small crowd. The setlist is representative of the kind of chaotic live Mats performance - "drunk show" was a common shorthand descriptor used back in the day amongst those in the know - that some fans came to cherish and, for better or worse, became a crucial element of the band's reputation. Only 5 of the 24 tracks on this tape are originals, and only 3 of those had appeared on a Mats album at the time. The other two originals are especially noteworthy: a rare "Hear You Been to College" (less than 20 known performances between 1984 and 1989) and an early outing for future classic "Can't Hardly Wait," just a few months before it was first recorded in Minneapolis at an exploratory Alex Chilton-produced session for the Tim album (it didn't make the cut and was eventually re-recorded and released 2.5 years later on Pleased to Meet Me). The cover song selection here is pretty wild, even by Mats "winging it" standards. Snippets, chunks and, occasionally whole songs are spewed out at random: the Carter Family (via Alex Chilton), obscure Robyn Hitchcock, Skynyrd, Sabbath, Zep, R.E.M., Jackson 5, X, U2, Motley Crue, etc - the tape ends with a few seconds of The Beatles song that shares the title of The Mats' then brand new studio album, released the month before this show. Of special note is the cover of Left in the Dark by The Vertebrats, the pride of Champaign-Urbana in downstate Illinois. It's a shoo in on any respectable list of best live Mats covers and seems to have only been performed a handful of times in 84/85 (Uncle Tupelo, who came of age a few years later, also memorably covered it live and recorded it). Kudos to the Mats for digging out this lost underground classic since the original incarnation of The Vertebrats were together for just a few years (1979-1982) and released only a lone single and a few comp tracks during that time, including an appearance of "Left in the Dark" on Battle of the Garages, a fine 1981 comp on Greg Shaw's Voxx label of mostly obscure acts from the early American Indie Rock era and where someone in The Mats camp likely encountered the song. While various bootleg CD and LP releases of The Shit Hits The Fans have shown up over the years, this "shit" has never been officially reissued in any form, nor has any of the material ever been a part of any other official Replacements release. INFO
1986 - Boink! (Glass Records mini-LP & cassette, UK only)
8 track UK compilation that included 6 tracks from Hootenanny and Stink. It sold well as an import in the states, and initially attracted considerable attention for two reasons: the inclusion of an unreleased Let it Be outtake ("Nowhere is My Home"), known to some fans from a dozen live performances in the last half of 1984 + the first reissue of "If Only You Were Lonely," which had previously only appeared on the b-side of the Mat's debut release, the "I'm in Trouble" 45 from 1981, and was still somewhat obscure to many fans at this point (it had been played live maybe a dozen times at the time of Boink's release). "Nowhere Is My Home" received a wider release on the 2008 Tim reissue and a 2023 limited edition 45. "If Only You Were Lonely" later appeared as an obvious bonus track on the 2008 Sorry Ma... reissue. Interestingly, both of these Boink! rarities were each performed about a dozen times during the Mats 2013-2015 Back By Unpopular Demand reunion tour. INFO
1989 - Inconcerated Live (Sire promo CD / single sided vinyl)
Promo only release that featured 5 live tracks taken from a June 2, 1989 show in Milwaukee + the album version of "Achin' To Be" from Don't Tell a Soul. The vast majority of these were released on CD; the 12" vinyl version - all the tracks on one side and no artwork - is quite rare. The live track selection is interesting: 2 songs from the then current Don't Tell a Soul, 2 older Mats non rockers ("Answering Machine" and "Here Comes a Regular") plus a rippin' cover of The Only One's 1978 classic, "Another Girl, Another Planet," which first showed up in a Mats setlist in early 1986 and then quickly went on to become a solid live staple, with over 130 performances over the next 5 years, all the way up to the "final" Mats show in Chicago in 1991. There were also a handful of appearances in 2014/15 on the reunion tour. The live "AGAP" from this promo was also released on the b-side to the "Achin' To Be" single in Australia in 1989 and on a flexi-disc included with The Bob magazine in 1990. It finally reached a wider audience in 1997 with its inclusion on the rarities disc of the All For Nothing - Nothing For All compilation. The full 1989 live show used for this was eventually released on the Dead Man's Pop box set in 2019 and the subsequent The Complete Inconcerated Live LP in 2020. INFO
1991 - Don't Sell or Buy, It's Crap (Sire promo CD & 12" vinyl)
Promo only release that featured 4 at the time unreleased tracks + the album version of "When It Began" from All Shook Down. One of the unreleased tracks was released on the All For Nothing, Nothing For All comp in 1997; the other 3 were included as bonus material on the 2008 reissue of All Shook Down. As with Inconcerated Live, the CD release of this is far more common than the vinyl. INFO
1997 - All For Nothing, Nothing For All (Sire 2xCD & digital)
1 CD of previously released "greatest hits" from the Sire era + 1 CD of b-sides, promo only tracks, compilation contributions and 12 unreleased outtakes: 6 from Tim and Pleased to Meet Me (all used on future archival releases), 4 from Don't Tell a Soul (alternate mixes of these appeared on Dead Man's Pop) and 2 from All Shook Down (both currently still available only on this release). Although missing anything from the Twin/Tone era - a critical flaw, for sure - this first ever retrospective of the Replacements career works admirably by not only giving their music a bigger audience 6 years after the band's dissolution, but also by laying the groundwork for a critical reassessment that would enhance their legacy in the coming years, consequently expanding their fanbase to a degree far exceeding their popularity while they were active. From a November 1997 review: "In total, the set constitutes a blueprint for the alterna-rock explosion ignited by Nirvana just one year after the Replacements split up." Reissued digitally in 2010. INFO
2006 - Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? (The Best Of) (Sire/Rhino CD)
First Replacements release of any kind in 9 years. This marked the dawn of a new age for Replacements releases, reflecting the recent Warners/Rhino acquisition of the entire Replacements catalog. Sporting a typically Westerbergian title, this was a nicely packaged full career spanning retrospective of previously released material that included 2 new tracks recorded circa 2005 in Minneapolis at Flowers Studio with an ad hoc lineup. Perfectly timed for a new generation of Mats fans as the band's legend and reputation continued to grow a decade and a half after they broke up. More info HERE and HERE.
2008 - Catalog reissues
With Rhino now overseeing the Mats catalog, an ambitious reissue project was launched in 2008 that covered the 8 major Replacements releases (5 on Twin/Tone and 3 on Sire). These were all single CD "deluxe" releases that included the album proper + bonus tracks featuring rarities and unreleased material + new liner notes & archival content. In most cases the bonus material - carefully curated, almost always exemplary - from these releases ended up on future box sets for the respective albums that have received that treatment so far (as of Spring 2026, Stink, Hootenanny and All Shook Down haven't had large scale reissues). Some of the bonus material from these 2008 reissues was used on previous archival releases.
- Sorry May, Forgot To Take Out the Trash (original release 1981) (Twin-Tone/Rykodisc/Rhino CD) 13 bonus tracks. INFO
- Stink (original release 1982) (Twin-Tone/Rykoisc/Rhino CD) 4 bonus tracks. INFO
- Hootenanny (original release 1983) (Twin-Tone/Rykodisc/Rhino CD) 7 bonus tracks. INFO
- Let it Be (original release 1984) (Twin-Tone/Rykodisc/Rhino CD) 6 bonus tracks. INFO
- Tim (original release 1985) (Sire/Rhino CD) 6 bonus tracks. INFO
- Pleased to Meet Me (original release 1987) (Sire/Rhino CD) 11 bonus tracks. INFO
- Don't Tell a Soul (original release 1989 (Sire/Rhino/Reprise CD) 7 bonus tracks. INFO
- All Shook Down (original release 1991) (Sire/Rhino/Reprise CD) 11 bonus tracks. INFO
2017 - For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986 (Sire/Rhino 2xLP & 2xCD & digital)
After a decade of no Replacements releases, this fantastic quality multitrack live recording of a February 4, 1986 show at the Maxwell's club in Hoboken, NJ got the ball rolling for a series of several large scale Mats releases that is ongoing. This show took place during Bob Stinson's final months in the band (he departed a months after this show). The Mats played this legendary club at least 4 times between 1983 and 1989. INFO
2019 - Dead Man's Pop (Sire/Rhino box set - 1xLP / 4xCD & digital)
Archival reissue that reimagined the Mats 1989 6th full length album, Don't Tell a Soul, making a specific effort to address the widespread complaints about the album's original mix that had percolated since the albums release. Includes a new Matt Wallace remix of the album (Don't Tell a Soul Redux) on CD & LP + 1 CD of rarities + 2 CDs of live material (The Complete Inconcerated Live) from a June 2, 1989 show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 5 of these live tracks previously appeared on a 1989 promo release, Inconcerated Live (see above). INFO
Released in conjunction with Dead Man's Pop, featuring 12 rarities from the box set + 2 tracks exclusive to this release: Asking Me Lies (outtake) and I Won't (instrumental Bearsville version). Included with the first 500 copies of Dead Man's Pop preordered from the Rhino website, plus an unspecified number were provided to independent record retailers. INFO
2020 - The Complete Inconcerated Live (Sire/Rhino limited edition 3xLP)
Vinyl reissue of the live album released the previous year on Dead Man's Pop. Exclusive Record Store Day release. INFO
2020 - Pleased to Meet Me (Sire Rhino box set - 1xLP / 3xCD & digital)
Expanded version of The Mats 1987 5th full length album. Includes a rough mix version of the album on CD & LP + a remastered version of the album on CD + 1.5 CDs of rarities, outtakes and demos.
2021 - The Pleasure's All Yours: Pleased to Meet Me Outtakes & Alternates (Sire/Rhino limited edition LP)
Vinyl reissue of select unreleased material from the previous year's Pleased to Meet Me box set. Exclusive Record Store Day release. INFO
2021 - Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (Sire Rhino box set - 1xLP / 4xCD)
Expanded version of The Mats 1981 debut album. Includes a new remaster of the album on CD + 2 CDs of rarities + 1 live CD of a January 23, 1981 live show at the 7th St Entry in Minneapolis that was partially broadcast on a local FM station + 1 LP: Deliberate Noise - The Alternate Sorry Ma ... which features the original tracklisting of the album using alternate mixes selected from the 2 rarities CDs.
2022 - Unsuitable For Airplay - The Lost KFAI Concert (Sire/Rhino limited edition 2xLP)
Vinyl reissue of the live album released the previous year on the Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash box set. Exclusive Record Store Day release. INFO
2022 - Live! At Riot Fest Toronto (Cobraside 2xLP)
Live recording of the entire August 25, 2013 Replacements set at the Riot Fest Festival in Toronto, the band's first live show in 22 years, dating back to the infamous 1991 4th of July "final" show in Chicago. Released with little advance notice and disappeared after the initial copies were sold. This reportedly was going to be the launch of a series of archival releases.... which ultimately began and ended with this release. There were rumors of behind the scenes disagreements within The Replacements camps that allegedly led to the scuttling of the project. This was released on vinyl only with red and green swirl color variants. This is one of only two titles on this list that was released outside the Twin/Tone, Sire, Warners/Rhino universe. INFO
2023 - Tim (Let it Bleed edition) (Sire/Rhino box set - 1xLP / 4xCD & digital)
Expanded version of the The Mats 1985 4th full length album. Includes a new Ed Stasium mix of the album on CD & LP + a remaster of the album on CD + 1 CD of rarities + 1 live CD of a January 11, 1986 show at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago.
2024 - Not Ready For Prime Time: Live at the Cabaret Metro, 1986 (Sire/Rhino limited edition 2xLP)
Vinyl reissue of the live album released the previous year on the Tim (Let it Bleed) box set. Exclusive Record Store Day release. INFO
2025 - Let it Be (Sire/Rhino box set 4xCD & 4xLP & digital)
Expanded version of The Mats 1984 3rd full length album. Includes a new remaster of the album on one disc + one disc of rarities + 2 live discs from an August 17, 1984 show at the Cubby Bear in Chicago. This was the first Mats archival box set to be released in both separate CD and LP configurations. INFO
2025 - Live at City Gardens 1984 (Sire/Rhino limited edition CD & 10" vinyl)
A short but significant archival release, featuring 6 live tracks from a soundboard recording of a February 11, 1984 live show in Trenton, NJ released in conjunction with the Let it Be box set. The tracks are exclusive to this release. A very small number of CDs were used as a bonus add for early purchasers of the box set from the Electric Fetus store in Minneapolis and a 10-inch vinyl version was available with preorders of the box set from the Rhino store. Apparently the complete show wasn't recorded from the soundboard, hence the abbreviated tracklisting. This show has always been of great interest to hardcore Mats fans, primarily due to the inclusion of one of only 4 known performances (all in 84/85, all in the greater NYC area) of "You're Getting Married," a raw, extremely personal Westerberg original that started life as a solo demo in the early 80s and was briefly attempted at the Hootenanny sessions. The 1984 performance captured here is done with blistering passion and intensity, a jarring setlist outlier occurence that Peter Jesperson describes in the liner notes: "In all of The Replacement's lore, I think this is one of the greatest moments ever." A trove of early solo Westerberg demos, including "You're Getting Married," eventually popped up in collector's circles, as they often do. These crude but startling recordings are something of a lodestar in Mats World - frequently spine-tingling, absolutely revelatory and of undeniable historic importance, which eventually led to the original "You're Getting Married" demo finally receiving an official release on the 2008 Stink reissue. "YGM" and a handful of other early solo recordings were later included on the Sorry Ma... box set in 2021. INFO
last updated 4/30/26
No comments:
Post a Comment