Pleased to Meet Me
Encyclopedia
Pleased to Meet Me is the sixth full-length album
by The Replacements. It was released on July 7, 1987 (see 1987 in music
).
The album to some degree maintains the style of the previous album, and major label debut, Tim
. 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 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
.
This album was the only album recorded by the band as a trio. After Tim, 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 .
The singles from the album were "Can't Hardly Wait" (which was the inspiration for the title of a movie
), as well as "Alex Chilton
" and "The Ledge" (the video for which was banned from airplay on MTV
due to its lyrical content about suicide).
The lyrics and idea for "IOU" were based on an autograph "IOU nothing" that Iggy Pop had given Westerberg backstage several years before.
The album peaked at #131 on the Billboard Music Chart's Top 200.
"Alex Chilton" is playable in the game Rock Band 2
.
The album was remastered and reissued by Rhino Entertainment on September 23, 2008 with 11 additional tracks.
On page 230 of Michael Azerrad's book "Our Band Could Be Your Life," the author states "...Pleased to Meet Me wound up selling about 300,000 copies."
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by The Replacements. It was released on July 7, 1987 (see 1987 in music
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
).
The album to some degree maintains the style of the previous album, and major label debut, Tim
Tim (album)
Tim is an album released in October 1985 on Sire Records by the alternative rock band The Replacements. It was their first major label release...
. While the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
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
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and cocktail jazz, alongside tracks featuring their customary hard rocking sound. Perhaps due to the album's recording in soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
center Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
or the influence of producer Jim Dickinson
Jim Dickinson
James Luther "Jim" Dickinson was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the Memphis based band, Mudboy & The Neutrons.- Biography :...
, the band augmented its sound with saxophone on the tracks "I Don't Know" and "Nightclub Jitters" and with a horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
on "Can't Hardly Wait" (which features Big Star
Big Star
Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel. The group broke up in 1974, but reorganized with a new line-up nearly 20 years later...
vocalist Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
on guitar).
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
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
album G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues (album)
G.I. Blues is the eleventh album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2256, in October 1960. Recording sessions took place on April 27 and 28, and May 6, 1960, at RCA Studio C and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. The album topped the Billboard Top...
.
This album was the only album recorded by the band as a trio. After Tim, Bob Stinson
Bob Stinson
For the baseball player, see Bob Stinson Bob Stinson was the founding member and lead guitarist for the American rock band The Replacements.-The Replacements:...
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
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
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 .
The singles from the album were "Can't Hardly Wait" (which was the inspiration for the title of a movie
Can't Hardly Wait
Can't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...
), as well as "Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton (song)
"Alex Chilton" is a song by American rock band The Replacements from their fifth studio album Pleased to Meet Me. The song is an homage to Alex Chilton, lead singer of The Box Tops and Big Star....
" and "The Ledge" (the video for which was banned from airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
due to its lyrical content about suicide).
The lyrics and idea for "IOU" were based on an autograph "IOU nothing" that Iggy Pop had given Westerberg backstage several years before.
The album peaked at #131 on the Billboard Music Chart's Top 200.
"Alex Chilton" is playable in the game Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
.
The album was remastered and reissued by Rhino Entertainment on September 23, 2008 with 11 additional tracks.
Side one
- "I.O.U." – 2:57
- "Alex ChiltonAlex Chilton (song)"Alex Chilton" is a song by American rock band The Replacements from their fifth studio album Pleased to Meet Me. The song is an homage to Alex Chilton, lead singer of The Box Tops and Big Star....
" (Westerberg, T. Stinson, C. Mars) – 3:12 - "I Don't Know" (Westerberg, T. Stinson, Mars) – 3:19
- "Nightclub Jitters" – 2:44
- "The Ledge" – 4:04
Side two
- "Never Mind" – 2:47
- "Valentine" (Westerberg, T. Stinson, Mars) – 3:31
- "Shooting Dirty Pool" (Westerberg, T. Stinson, Mars) – 2:20
- "Red Red Wine" – 2:59
- "Skyway" – 2:04
- "Can't Hardly Wait" – 3:02
2008 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "Birthday Gal (Demo)" – 4:39
- "Valentine (Demo Version)" (Westerberg, T. Stinson, Mars) – 4:09
- "Bundle Up (Demo)" (Westerberg, T. Stinson, Mars) – 2:59
- "Photo (Demo)" – 3:46
- "Election Day" – 2:56
- "Alex Chilton (Alternate Version)" (Westerberg, T. Stinson, C. Mars) – 3:37
- "Kick It In (Demo)" – 3:33
- "Route 66Route 66 (song)" Route 66", often rendered simply as "Route 66", is a popular song and rhythm and blues standard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. It was first recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole, and was subsequently covered by many artists including Chuck Berry in 1961, The Rolling...
" (Bobby TroupBobby TroupRobert William "Bobby" Troup Jr. was an American actor, jazz pianist and songwriter. He is best known for writing the popular standard " Route 66", and for his role as Dr...
) – 2:57 - "Tossin' n' Turnin'Tossin' and Turnin'"Tossin' and Turnin" is a song written by Ritchie Adams and Malou Rene, and originally recorded by Bobby Lewis. The record reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 on July 10, 1961, and R&B chart,, and has since become a standard on oldies compilations. It was named Billboard's number-one...
" (R. Adams/M. Rene) – 2:20 - "Can't Hardly Wait (Alternate Version)" – 3:00
- "Cool WaterCool Water"Cool Water" is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a man and his mule, Dan, and a mirage in the desert.-Original version:The best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948. The recording was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number...
" (Bob NolanBob NolanBob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...
) – 3:04
- Tracks 12-15 and track 18 are studio demos.
- Tracks 16, 19, and 20 originally released as B-sides of "The Ledge".
- Tracks 17 and 21 are alternate takes.
- Track 22 was originally released as the B-side of "Can't Hardly Wait".
Personnel
- Paul WesterbergPaul WesterbergPaul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
– Lead and background vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, piano, six-string bass (on "Skyway" and "Can't Hardly Wait") - Tommy StinsonTommy StinsonThomas "Tommy" Eugene Stinson is an American musician best known for his work as the bassist for The Replacements and Guns N' Roses as well as the post-Replacements groups Bash & Pop, where he performed guitar duties, and Perfect...
– Bass guitar, background vocals, upright bass (on "Nightclub Jitters"), acoustic guitar and guitar fills (on "Can't Hardly Wait") - Chris MarsChris MarsChris Mars is an American artist and musician. He was the drummer for seminal Minneapolis, Minnesota alternative rock band The Replacements and later joined informal supergroup Golden Smog before launching a solo career. He is also a painter, and has more or less left music behind to concentrate...
– Drums, cowbell, background vocals, foot tap (on "Skyway") - Teenage Steve DouglasSteve Douglas (saxophonist)Steven Douglas Kreisman , better known as Steve Douglas, was an American saxophonist, flautist and clarinetist. Douglas is best known as a Los Angeles session musician, a member of The Wrecking Crew, who worked with Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys...
– Baritone sax, bass flute (on "The Ledge") - Jim DickinsonJim DickinsonJames Luther "Jim" Dickinson was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the Memphis based band, Mudboy & The Neutrons.- Biography :...
(credited as East Memphis Slim) – Organ, keyboards, background vocals, vibes (on "Skyway") - James "Vito" Lancaster – Background vocals
- Prince Gabe – Saxophone (on "Nightclub Jitters")
- Alex ChiltonAlex ChiltonWilliam Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
– Guitar (on "Can't Hardly Wait") - Luther DickinsonLuther DickinsonLuther Dickinson is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the North Mississippi Allstars as well as lead guitarist for The Black Crowes...
– Guitar (on "Shooting Dirty Pool") - Max Huls – Strings (on "Can't Hardly Wait")
- The Memphis HornsThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
(on "Can't Hardly Wait"):- Andrew Love – Tenor sax
- Ben Jr. – Trumpet
- John Hampton – Engineer, mixing
- Joe Hardy – Engineer, mixing
- Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– Mastering - James Lancaster – Production Assistant, inner sleeve photography
- Daniel Corrigan – Cover and inner sleeve photography
- Glenn Parsons – Design
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Billboard 200 | 131 |
On page 230 of Michael Azerrad's book "Our Band Could Be Your Life," the author states "...Pleased to Meet Me wound up selling about 300,000 copies."