Pleased To Meet Me
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.
| 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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Background and recording
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.
Music and lyrics
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.
Artwork and release
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. According to Our Band Could Be Your Life author Michael Azerrad, the album sold "about 300,000 copies."
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. New liner notes were written by Peter Jesperson.
In 2020, Rhino Entertainment released a deluxe edition that contained 3 CDs and 1 LP.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| The Austin Chronicle | |
| Chicago Sun-Times | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| Pitchfork | 9.3/10 |
| Q | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10 |
| The Village Voice | A− |
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." 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". The album appeared at number three in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 1987. In 2012, Paste placed the record at number 70 on its list of "The 80 Best Albums of the 1980s".
Track listing
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 | ||
2020 Deluxe Edition
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 |
Personnel
- Paul Westerberg – lead and background vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, piano (on "Nightclub Jitters"), six-string bass (on "Skyway", "Can't Hardly Wait"), harmonica (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
- Tommy Stinson – bass guitar (except "Skyway"), background vocals, upright bass (on "Nightclub Jitters"), acoustic guitar and guitar fills (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
- Chris Mars – drums, background vocals, cowbell (on "Alex Chilton"), foot tap (on "Skyway")
- Jim Dickinson (credited as East Memphis Slim) – keyboards (on "I.O.U.", "The Ledge", "Can't Hardly Wait"), background vocals (on "I.O.U."), organ (on "Valentine"), vibes (on "Skyway")
- James "Vito" Lancaster – background vocals (on "I.O.U.", "Alex Chilton", "Shooting Dirty Pool")
- Teenage Steve Douglas – baritone sax (on "I Don't Know"), bass flute (on "The Ledge")
- Prince Gabe – saxophone (on "Nightclub Jitters")
- Luther Dickinson – guitar solo (on "Shooting Dirty Pool")
- Alex Chilton – guitar fills (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
- Max Huls – strings (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
- The Memphis Horns (on "Can't Hardly Wait"):
- Andrew Love – tenor sax
- Ben Cauley (credited as Ben Jr.) – trumpet
- John Hampton – engineer, mixing
- Joe Hardy – engineer, mixing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- James Lancaster – production Assistant, inner sleeve photography
- Daniel Corrigan – cover and inner sleeve photography
- Glenn Parsons – design
References
External links
- Pleased to Meet Me at Discogs (list of releases)
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