Pleased to Meet Me

VINYL FORMAT. Bob Stinson was kicked out of the Replacements after Tim, allegedly because he was unwilling to make the musical leap forward necessary for Pleased to Meet Me. With Stinson left the band's hardcore roots, leaving behind the conflicting desires of Paul Westerberg's wish to be a serious singer/songwriter and for the group to become either the Faces or Big Star. The full-blown production works on the horn- and string-drenched "Can't Hardly Wait," but it makes other tracks irritating. For the most part, Westerberg's songs make the clean sound tolerable, particularly on the Stonesy "I.O.U.," the suicide sketch of "The Ledge," the power pop of "Never Mind" and "Valentine," and the lovely acoustic "Skyway." -allmusic.com