The Replacements Announce New Box Set “Tim: Let It Bleed Edition”

Released in the Fall of 1985, The Replacements’s major label debut Tim peaked at number 192 on the Billboard charts by selling just abut 75,000 copies. But over time The record would find a mass audience among successive generations thanks to the enduring appeal of anthems “Bastards of Young,” “Left of the Dial. “Swingin Party” and “Here Comes a Regular.”

Even with Tim’s evolving status as an all time classic, The Replacements remained unsatisfied with the sound of the record, which largely centered on the mix done by the album’s producer and  Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Tommy Erdelyi, aka Tommy Ramone.

Four decades later, the LP has finally been given a long overdue sonic overhaul as part of Tim: Let It Bleed Edition. The four CD/ One LP deluxe boxed set is built around a stunning new mix of Tim by legendary producer/engineer Ed Stasium.

The box set features a collection of previously unheard tracks and a classic concert from 1986. Tim: Let It Bleed Edition will be available from Rhino on September 22 for for $89.98. Pre-order HERE.

Stasium has fashioned the definitive mix of the 11-track Tim. The box set includes  a new and improved mastering of Erdelyi’s original 1985 mix of the album. This deluxe edition features a disc of unreleased recordings from The Replacements’s January 1985 session produced by Big Star legend Alex Chilton and the band’s entire January 11, 1986 show at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago.

In total, the box includes 65 tracks and 50 of which have never been heard before. The fans who purchase Tim: Let It Bleed Edition will also receive a limited edition 7 inch vinyl single featuring two songs from the Chilton session:“Nowhere is My Home” and  the previously unreleased “Cello Version” of “Can’t Hardly Wait.” Those who purchase directly from Rhino will also have access to exclusive merch bundles.

Also the fans will be presented in a 12 x 12 hardcover book that is loaded with dozens of previously unseen photos and it features a detailed history of the Tim era written by Bob Mehr.

In the press release Mehr talk about the upcoming box set.

“After nearly 40 years, Tim remains a charmed collision of intention and accident, a balance of deliberate anthems and tossed-off gems, of raucous release and refined beauty—and a record that perfectly captures the band’s fraught but always compelling ascent on the ladder of success.”

In addition to the revelatory new mix, the box set boasts a fresh cover featuring an instantly iconic 1985 image of The Replacements‘s in its Minneapolis rehearsal space. The feature image was taken by photographer Moshe Brakha.

Coincidentally, Brakha shot the cover of The Ramones’s 1977 album Leave Home, which is a record which marked the first collaboration between Erdelyi and Stasium.

In the press release discusses his thoughts about Tim: Let It Bleed Edition.

“I really loved working on this project,” noted Stasium. “It’s a great record, and now you can hear even better what’s great about it. But the best thing for me was that, in a funny and really beautiful way, I got to work with my dear friend Tommy Erdelyi once again.”

CD One: Tim (Ed Stasium Mix)

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. Bastard Of Young
8. Lay It Down Clown
9. Left Of The Dial
10. Little Mascara
11. Here Comes A Stranger

CD Two: Tim (2023 Remaster)

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. Bastard Of Young
8. Lay It Down Clown
9. Left Of The Dial
10. Little Mascara
11. Here Comes A Regular

CD Three: Sons of No One: Rare & Unreleased

1. Can’t Hardly Wait (Acoustic Demo)
2. Nowhere Is My Home (Alternate Mix)*
3. Can’t Hardly Wait (Electric Demo) [Alternate Mix]*
4. Left Of The Dial (Alternate Version)*
5. Nowhere Is My Home (Alternate Version)*
6. Can’t Hardly Wait (Cello Version)*
7. Kiss Me On The Bus (Studio Demo)
8. Little Mascara (Studio Demo)*
9. Bastards Of Young (Alternate Version)*
10. Hold My Life (Alternate Version)*
11. Having Fun*
12. Waitress In The Sky (Alternate Version)
13. Can’t Hardly Wait (The “Tim” Version) [Alternate Mix]*
14. Swingin Party (Alternate Version)*
15. Here Comes A Regular (Alternate Version)

CD Four: Not Ready For Prime Time: Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, January 11, 1986

1. Gary’s Got A Boner*
2. Love You ‘Till Friday*
3. Bastards Of Young*
4. Can’t Hardly Wait*
5. Answering Machine*
6. Little Mascara*
7. Color Me Impressed*
8. Kiss Me On The Bus*
9. Favorite Thing*
10. Mr. Whirly*
11. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out*
12. I Will Dare*
13. Johnny’s Gonna Die*
14. Dose Of Thunder*
15. Takin’ A Ride*
16. Hitchin’ A Ride*
17. Trouble Boys*
18. Unsatisfied*
19. Black Diamond*
20. Jumpin’ Jack Flash*
21. Customer*
22. Borstal Breakout*
23. Take Me Down To The Hospital*
24. Kids Don’t Follow*
25. Nowhere Man*
26. The Crusher*
27. I’m In Trouble*
28. Go*

LP: Ed Stasium Mix

1. Side A
2. Hold My Life
3. I’ll Buy
4. Kiss Me On The Bus
5. Dose Of Thunder
6. Waitress In The Sky
7. Swingin Party
8. Side B
9. Bastards Of Young
10. Lay It Down Clown
11. Left Of The Dial
12. Little Mascara
13. Here Comes A Regular

Photo Credit: Kevin Amodia