I recently started picking up all The Replacements reissues on Rykodisc and was surprised to find what bonus songs they included and what they chose not to include. The best of the reissues has to be the expanded Sorry Ma, which has 12 unreleased songs and includes the studio version of “If Only You Were Lonely”, which was an early B-side. Although I have to admit that the Tim remaster is a close second: it includes both the airshaft version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” and the demo for “Nowhere Is My Home”.
Nowhere Is My Home
Perhaps the best song that The Mats’ never released. Now available on the 2008 Ryko remaster of Tim. This song has popped up on several Mats’ boots, but none of them sound as clear as this cleaned up version.
Perfectly Lethal
Outtake from Let It Be, available on the Ryko reissue.
Get Out Of My Way I’m Drunk / Shuttup
Home demo from 1981, still unreleased.
PO Box
From the last session with Bob Stinson in the fall of 1986. Still unreleased. Some old bootlegs refer to this song as “As Empty As Your Heart”.
You’re Getting Married
Outtake from Stink, available on the Ryko reissue. Paul recorded tons of home demos in 1980-81, they could have put out an entire disc (or two) of material from this era.
Shoot Me, Kill Me
Outtake from Hootenanny, (AKA Sex With a Goat) still unreleased. To me, Hootenanny and Stink are infinitely more interesting than Let It Be. Their early material used lyrics and arrangements to test the boundaries of their audience. I don’t care what the critics say, Let It Be is sloppy and unimaginative at best. Give me Sorry Ma any day of the week.
Run For The Country
From the Please To Meet Me sessions, still unreleased.
Staples In Her Stomach
Outtake from Hootenanny, available on the Ryko reissue. If you’re still listening to the 1991 CD version you need to get your hands on the remastered version. Words can’t describe the difference in the mixes, it’s like two different records.
Oh Baby
Great early outtake from the Sorry Ma sessions, available on the Ryko reissue.
Ain’t No Crime
Outtake from Hootenanny, available on the Ryko reissue.
