The Replacements - Tim: Let It Bleed Edition
The Replacements’ 1985 major label debut, Tim, was a sonic enigma that epitomized the Minneapolis band’s raw, unpolished brilliance. It’s eleven tracks captured the precise moment when the ‘Mats abandoned the snotty vulgarity of previous outings and embraced a more polished, pop-centered sound. Which isn’t to say that it lacked an edge. The album's production, whilst at points scrappy and unsophisticated, bottled the band's raucous spirit which underpinned their chaotic live shows and their boozy extracurricular adventures. Tim also saw frontman Paul Westerberg getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, placing his vulnerability and awkwardness on full, front window display, exploring new dimensions of beauty with his trademark poetic economy. And so it’s with both curiosity and trepidation that news arrives, heralding the release of a fancy new re-issue called, Tim: Let It Bleed Edition.
Carrying the eye-watering price of $89.98, this 4CD/1LP collection promises a carefully curated blend of nostalgia and innovation. Boasting a fresh mix by the legendary producer Ed Stasium (Talking Heads, Ramones), this edition stridently seeks to recapture the raucous magic of the Minneapolis legends. Looking for extras? This edition’s got ‘em in spades. The collection includes 65 tracks, 50 of which have never been aired, offering a sumptuous audio feast for the diehards. From unheard material from a session with Big Star's Alex Chilton to an explosive 1986 concert at Chicago’s famed Metro, the set bridges the past and the present with reverential finesse.
Accompanied by a hardcover book written by Bob Mehr (author of Trouble Boys: The True Story Of the Replacements), the insightful narrative deftly encapsulates Tim's essence – a tumultuous journey marked by deliberate anthems (Left Of The Dial, Kiss Me On The Bus, Waitress In The Sky), raucous bangers (Dose Of Thunder, Bastards Of Young), and moments of unexpected beauty (Here Comes A Regular).
Your $90 investment gets you a 7” vinyl single of Nowhere Is My Home, b/w a cello version of Can’t Hardly Wait, a bloated, gasesous corpse of an idea that the Tim-era would have ridiculed if pitched at the time. For audiophiles, the addition of Stasium’s mix on 180-gram vinyl brings the cost a little closer to justifiable.
Stasium’s love for the project shines brilliantly throughout, yielding a mix that does justice to a masterpiece without changing its original character. The newly envisioned cover, a vintage capture by Moshe Brakha, feels like a touch of destiny given Brakha's past with Tim’s original producer, Tom Erdelyi and Stasium.
The crowning jewel is undeniably the Not Ready For Prime Time disc – which captures their iconic performance just before their infamous SNL stint. These tracks are a rousing throwback to a time when the band imbued every live performance with hostility, vitality and unpredictability.
Is it worth the price tag? For committed ‘Mats fans, yes. At its worst, it’s still an enthralling tribute to a landmark album, stuffed with a bunch of tracks that you might have already heard in remote corners of the Internet. At it’s best, the Let It Bleed edition is an eminently worthy, riotous tribute to The Replacements' creative mastery and an ode to a collection of songs that build a foundation for the entire alt-rock revolution to come.
