Expanded Replacements: Trials, Tribulations & Thoughts

In the last couple of years, my two favorite bands of all time, The Replacements and the Hoodoo Gurus, have released remastered and expanded versions of all their major CD releases; in the case of the former, the final sector of the catalog released fairly recently.  I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I have sort of steadfastly avoided the new releases because for the last little over a year I’ve been (A) too busy and (B) too poor.

Not really that big a deal in the case of the Gurus since I already own everything that was “extra” on the new CDs on various anthologies and other import CDs – been there, done that, heard them.  Although I was looking forward to hearing the newly remastered tracks because anyone who has been a fan for a long time knows the really early original CDs (and tapes and records) – particularly the first two Gurus albums – kind of had a low volume level problem that was a little annoying whenever you listened to your entire Hoodoo Gurus collection on shuffle.

In the case of The Replacements, however, there’s a veritable motherlode of previously unreleased demos and outtakes – some of which I may actually have on various traded CDs and tapes I have collected over the years, there’s just too many of them and I don’t know.  In any case, I tried not to think about that motherlode too much as the new versions started coming out because, well, I’ve been so broke.

Then I remembered just the other day that I don’t buy CDs anymore anyway.  Ever since I discovered that some of my older ones (you know, that previously absolutely amazing new technology of compact discs that were supposed to be practically indestructible, or so they said in 1986 or so) are disintegrating/have disintegrated – and even though I know the ones made after 1991 or 1992 are supposed to be “different” and “better” – I just pretty much said to heck with it, I’m “renting” most of my music from now on.  My mom and I share a Napster to Go account (which is a whole ‘nother interesting blog post in itself), and I just don’t buy anything on CD anymore unless that’s the only way I can get it.  Although I would still like to acquire the Gurus set someday ‘cos they came with extra non-recorded stuffies I kinda want.

So anyway, I remembered that, which kicked off practically an entire day of listening to ‘Mats tracks I’d never heard before and enjoying them immensely.  And downloading pretty much the entire new expanded version catalog, which took forever, and then trying to decide what to do about my MP3 player and how to reorganize all my new Replacements acquisitions.  Which eventually led to me deleting every ‘Mats track off my player and starting all over from scratch with transferring and blah, blah, blah… which just took even more forever.

Random thoughts I had during all this Westerberg-induced trial and tribulation:

It was really nice to hear such a blissfully clear and clean “If Only You Were Lonely”, which for many years was like the ‘Mats Holy Grail – something so many had heard about, but never seen or heard.  Much better than my poor scratchy old 45.  I remember when my special order arrived in the record store in 1986; before handing that precious little piece of vinyl to me, the clerk at the register held it in his hands and stared at it like it was made of gold for a minute.

It was super disappointing to me that the new and supposedly improved Pleased to Meet Me, which was recorded here in Midtown Memphis, still sounds like the microphones were set up miles away across the river in Arkansas.  (See comment about the first two Hoodoo Gurus albums above.)  It appears I will still be having to fool with the volume button when I’m listening to all my ‘Mats on shuffle.

I’m about to try and turn my mother into at least a borderline medium Westerberg fan.  I’ve been selective about which ones – no way she can handle the entire oeuvre - but judging by what she’s been streaming in our shared Napster account lately, I think it’s time.  I think she might be able to handle my carefully selected introductory package.

The Sh*t Hits the Fans.  That’s probably the only wish I have left, a nice new pristine set of SHTF tracks.  Yes, I know that recording itself is a mess.  I still want it.  In the meantime, they will pry my original cassette (also bought in 1986 from the same record store mentioned above) out of my cold, dead hands only.

Speaking of SHTF - even though there’s countless versions of it floating around (including the four on the new releases), that version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” is still my favorite of them all.

And last but not least – I miss Bob.  Sometimes, I hear that guitar and I’m just immobilized.  Paralyzed.  Awed.

I wish I’d met him.  I met Tommy a little over a decade ago, when he was down here with Perfect cutting that album, and he was such a genuinely nice guy.  I wish I’d met Bob too, though.

Anyway, now I feel sorta caught up.  I’ve stayed so behind everyone and everything else the last year or two, by the time I get around to writing about some things, everyone else is waaaaaaay on past whatever.

But it was new to me this week, and that was kinda nice.  Anything new ‘Mats-wise these days is just a great big bonus, even when it’s old.

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