Pleased to Meet Me

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Pleased to Meet Me
File:The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me cover.jpg
Studio album by The Replacements
Released Jun 17, 1987
Recorded 1986 – 1987 at Ardent Studios, Studio B, Memphis
Genre Alternative rock, punk rock, punk jazz
Length 32:59
Label Sire
Producer Jim Dickinson
The Replacements chronology
Tim
(1985)Tim1985		 Pleased to Meet Me
(1987)		 Don't Tell a Soul
(1989)Don't Tell a Soul1989
Singles from Pleased to Meet Me
  1. "Can't Hardly Wait"
    Released: 1987
  2. "Alex Chilton"
    Released: 1987
  3. "The Ledge"
    Released: 1987
  4. "Skyway"
    Released: 1988

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.

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 either kicked out of the band (ostensibly for problems with drugs and alcohol, though most of the other Replacements also had serious substance abuse problems at the time) or quit on his own volition due to creative differences. Many have attributed the noticeable shift toward a more accessible American rock and roll sound on Pleased to Meet Me to Bob Stinson's departure. The band recorded the demos for this album in August 1986, while Bob Stinson was still in the band.[citation needed]

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 with a horn section on "Can't Hardly Wait", which features Big Star vocalist Alex Chilton on guitar. The lyrics and idea for "IOU" were based on an autograph "IOU nothing" that Iggy Pop had given Westerberg backstage several years before.[citation needed]

A music video was made for "The Ledge", but it was banned from airplay on MTV due to its lyrical content about suicide. The song "Can't Hardly Wait" was the inspiration for the title of the 1998 film Can't Hardly Wait, while "Alex Chilton" was made playable in the video game Rock Band 2. In 2009, Justin Townes Earle covered "Can't Hardly Wait" on his album Midnight at the Movies. In 2011, Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional covered "Skyway" on his album Covered In The Flood.[1]

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. 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 color scheme of the cover art was an homage to the 1960 Elvis Presley album G.I. Blues.[citation needed]

Pleased to Meet Me was released in 1987 by Sire Records and peaked at #131 on the Billboard Music Chart's Top 200.[2] According to Our Band Could Be Your Life author Michael Azerrad, the album sold "about 300,000 copies."[3] 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.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[5]
Free City Sounds A[6]
Robert Christgau A−[7]
Pitchfork Media 9.3/10[8]
PopMatters 8/10 stars[9]

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."[10] In a retrospective review, 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".[5] The album appeared at number three in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 1987.[11] In 2012, Paste placed the record at number 70 on its list of "The 80 Best Albums of the 1980s".[12]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Paul Westerberg unless otherwise noted. 

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "I.O.U."     2:57
2. "Alex Chilton"   Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, Chris Mars 3:12
3. "I Don't Know"   Westerberg, Stinson, Mars 3:19
4. "Nightclub Jitters"     2:44
5. "The Ledge"     4:04
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
6. "Never Mind"     2:47
7. "Valentine"   Westerberg, Stinson, Mars 3:31
8. "Shooting Dirty Pool"   Westerberg, Stinson, Mars 2:20
9. "Red Red Wine"     2:59
10. "Skyway"     2:04
11. "Can't Hardly Wait"     3:02

Personnel

  • Paul Westerberg – Lead and background vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, piano, six-string bass (on "Skyway" and "Can't Hardly Wait")
  • Tommy Stinson – Bass guitar, background vocals, upright bass (on "Nightclub Jitters"), acoustic guitar and guitar fills (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
  • Chris Mars – Drums, cowbell, background vocals, foot tap (on "Skyway")
  • Teenage Steve Douglas – Baritone sax, bass flute (on "The Ledge")
  • Jim Dickinson (credited as East Memphis Slim) – Organ, keyboards, background vocals, vibes (on "Skyway")
  • James "Vito" Lancaster – Background vocals
  • Prince Gabe – Saxophone (on "Nightclub Jitters")
  • Alex Chilton – Guitar (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
  • Luther Dickinson – Guitar (on "Shooting Dirty Pool")
  • Max Huls – Strings (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
  • The Memphis Horns (on "Can't Hardly Wait"):
  • 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

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External links

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