THE REPLACEMENTS The Sire Years SEALED limited edition 4LP

$

100

THE REPLACEMENTS The Sire Years hails from 2016 and is a SEALED 4LP set (blackened UPC and cover 'bubbling' in spots - see second photo).  This set is unnumbered as it was intended for review purposes.  Along with Prince and Hüsker Dü, The Replacements put Minneapolis on the rock map in the 1980s. Among America's greatest alternative acts of the last two decades, the 'Mats rose from chaotic noise-makers to polished craftsmen, leaving at least three unqualified masterpieces in their wake. In a perfect world, Let It Be, Tim, and Pleased To Meet Me would have all gone platinum - but then again, endearing imperfection was always a hallmark of this band's music.

The Replacements formed in the wake of the punk explosion of the late-70s. Their anarchic stage shows had earned them considerable notoriety in local clubs. Indie label Twin/Tone took note and signed the quartet for their first four releases, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (1981), Stink EP (1982), Hootenanny (1983) and Let It Be (1984) which earned The Replacements a place on the roster at Sire Records. It was there that the 'Mats released their final four albums - Tim (1985), Pleased to Meet Me (1987), Don't Tell A Soul (1989) and All Shook Down (1990) - collected here in the new limited edition 4LP box set The Sire Years.

Tim was the last album to feature the band's legendary original lineup. A departure from the raw, punk-rock aesthetic that dominated their Twin/Tone releases, Tim showcases Westerberg's gift for songcraft with the uptempo rock anthems "Bastards Of Young" and "Left Of The Dial," the poignant ballad "Here Comes A Regular," and the clever lyricism of "Little Mascara." Follow-up Pleased To Meet Me was recorded in Memphis, TN with producer Jim Dickinson whose association with Big Star attracted the band. Memorable tracks include "Alex Chilton," "The Ledge," "I Don't Know," "Red Red Wine" and "Can't Hardly Wait."

For Don't Tell A Soul, the screaming, yelling and falling to pieces drunken brothers added sleepy melancholy, violins, and waves of layered guitar, something that sounded like a "real" recording and a bit if not a lot of personal vulnerability to the mix. Songs like "Achin' to Be," the haunted "Rock 'n' Roll Ghost," the sweetly self-mythologizing "Talent Show," and "I'll Be You," are among the best of their era. Produced with Scott Litt, All Shook Down started out as a Westerberg solo album, but was eventually released as the Replacements seventh and final album. That also explains the album's many guest artists which include John Cale, Benmont Tench, Terry Reid and Johnette Napolitano

LP1 - Tim
1. Hold My Life
2. I'll Buy
3. Kiss Me on the Bus
4. Dose of Thunder
5. Waitress in the Sky
6. Swingin Party
7. Bastards of Young
8. Lay It Down Clown
9. Left of the Dial
10. Little Mascara
11. Here Comes a Regular

LP2 - Pleased To Meet Me
1. I. O. U.
2. Alex Chilton
3. I Don't Know
4. Nightclub Jitters
5. The Ledge
6. Never Mind
7. Valentine
8. Shooting Dirty Pool
9. Red Red Wine
10. Skyway
11. Can't Hardly Wait

LP3 - Don't Tell A Soul
1. Talent Show
2. Back To Back
3. We'll Inherit The Earth
4. Achin' To Be
5. They're Blind
6. Anywhere's Better Than Here
7. Asking Me Lies
8. I'll Be You
9. I Won't
10. Rock 'n' Roll Ghost
11. Darlin' One

LP4 - All Shook Down
1. Merry Go Round
2. One Wink at a Time
3. Nobody
4. Bent Out of Shape
5. Sadly Beautiful
6. Someone Take the Wheel
7. When It Began
8. All Shook Down
9. Attitude
10. Happy Town
11. Torture
12. My Little Problem
13. The Last