Pitchfork

This is a big month for fans of the Replacements, as Rhino is putting out heavily expanded and remastered versions of the seminal indie band's first four records, originally issued on the Minneapolis imprint Twin/Tone. When they say "expanded' they weren't kidding; spread across the four discs are no fewer than 30 bonus tracks, comprised of the usual grab-bag of outtakes, live versions, B-sides, demos, and alternate versions (light on the latter, which is always nice to see). Here are three of them.

"If Only You Were Lonely" is a legendary song in the Replacements canon. Originally appearing as the B-side to the "I'm in Trouble" 7", which was issued in August 1981 along with their debut album Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, "If Only You Were Lonely" is the earliest recorded evidence of Paul Westerberg working alone in ballad mode, though he's having a laugh with the lyrics on the countrified lament: "Tonight I'll be doing pull-ups on the toilet bowl" is the kind of image that stays with you.

Jumping ahead to the band's 1984 breakthrough Let It Be, "Perfectly Lethal" is a Westerberg original that didn't make cut. Let It Be's brevity is one of its many virtues, so I'm not going to say that this track should have been on it. But it's sharp, well-written song from a period when Westerberg was writing better than just about everybody, so it's fantastic to have it easily available. If you're not a fan of Let It Be goofs like "Gary's Got a Boner", well, you might have made room for this one.

Through their entire run, the Replacements had a knack for making covers sound like their own songs. "Temptation Eyes" was a 1970 single by California folk-rockers the Grass Roots; the original might remind you a bit of a less grandiose Blood, Sweat & Tears. The Replacements, who played the song live regularly in the early 1980s, rough it up and drag it through the gutter a bit.

Finally, can't do a post on the Replacements without mentioning a couple of live videos from a 1981 show that can be found on YouTube. It was a Twin/Tone showcase, our guys look healthy and even sober, Tommy must be about four years old, and the quality of the video cannot be fucked with. What else do you need?