They're Coming Out - Replacements Reissues!

So much for my snarky comment about waiting since the Mesozoic era for the Mats reissues to actually come out - today comes the news that they are really and truly scheduled for release in April and October - of this year! No, seriously! Billboard says so: Long-Awaited Replacements Reissues Due In April. The highlights:

"The Replacements' first three albums and an EP will be reissued in remastered, expanded form this spring, completing a long awaited upgrade of the seminal band's early work. "Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out the Trash," "Stink," "Hootenanny" and "Let It Be" will arrive April 22 via Rhino, Billboard.com can reveal.

Originally released on the band's hometown label, Twin/Tone, the albums were prepped for reissue by Replacements manager Peter Jesperson, with involvement from the surviving band members."

Here is the bonus material for the Replacements reissues (previously unissued tracks marked with *):

"Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out the Trash":

"Raised in the City," live, 1980 - demo*

"Shutup," live, 1980 - demo*

"Don't Turn Me Down," live, 1980 - demo*

"Shape Up," live, 1980 - demo*

"You Ain't Gotta Dance," studio demo*

"Get on the Stick," studio demo*

"Oh Baby," studio demo*

"Like You," outtake*

"Get Lost," outtake*

"A Toe Needs a Shoe," outtake*

"Customer," alternate take*

"Basement Jam," rehearsal*

"If Only You Were Lonely"

"Stink":

"Staples in Her Stomach," outtake*

"Hey, Good Lookin'," outtake*

"(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock," outtake*

"You're Getting Married," solo home demo*

"Hootenanny":

"Lookin' for Ya"

"Junior's Got a Gun," outtake - rough mix*

"Ain't No Crime," outtake*

"Johnny Fast," outtake - rough mix*

"Treatment Bound," alternate version*

"Lovelines," alternate vocal*

"Bad Worker," solo home demo*

"Let It Be":

"20th Century Boy"

"Perfectly Lethal," outtake*

"Temptation Eyes," outtake*

"Answering Machine," solo home demo*

"Heartbeat -- It's a Lovebeat," outtake - rough mix*

"Sixteen Blue," outtake - alternate vocal*

The Sire reissues are coming out in October, no details on the bonus material yet, but based on this list, I'd say the Sire bonus material will be Kick. Ass. Can you ask for more than an 'official' Mats recording of "Heartbeat -- It's a Lovebeat"? No, you cannot.

Mats 3D?

Not much news happening lately. Seems like the best we can hope for in 2008 is the Mats reissues (with bonus material!) that are meant to be coming out later this year (of course, I have been hearing that they are coming out "this year" since the Mesozoic era, so I advise against the holding of one's breath). Til we have some real news, here are some links/items of interest for a dreary winter Sunday.

» An interview with Jim Walsh author of "The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting") from OregonLive.com.

» If you've never been able to get your hands on a copy of the bonus track "Wonderful Copenhagen", (from the EU version of SG), you can now but it on iTunes (not to pimp out iTunes, but it is a good place to find off-the-beaten path singles).

» Check out this clip from "At The Movies With Ebert And Roeper", with guest critic Michael Phillips sitting in for Ebert. They review "U2 3D" and Roeper refers tot hem as the best band of the past 25 years. Phillips says "I don't know about them being the best band of the past 25 years, what about the Replacements...there's a band I'd like to see in 3D".

Random PW Video from YouTube: PW being interviewed on the set of the "World Class Fad" video for MTV and then grabbing the mike to interview some random people on the set, including the director of the video, Zach Snyder (who later found fame and fortune as the director of "300").