Don’t tell a soul?  The Replacements are releasing their first-ever box set.  The hell-raising Minneapolis rockers have proudly told the story of stealing a clutch of tapes from their onetime home of Twin/Tone Records and chucking them into the Mississippi River back in 1987.  But happily, the band was more careful about subsequent masters, and the year later, held onto a stash of tapes that now will provide the basis of Dead Man’s Pop, a 4-CD/1-LP set reimagining their sixth album and third for Sire Records, Don’t Tell a Soul.  It’s due on September 27 from Rhino.

While Don’t Tell a Soul remains the group’s best-selling album and one of their most acclaimed, The Replacements were never fully satisfied with its sound.  Hence, Dead Man’s Pop.  The first disc features a new mix by original producer Matt Wallace, based on his 1988 Paisley Park mix.  This new version, Don’t Tell a Soul Redux, is presented on CD and 180-gram LP in the box.  It’s joined by a disc of unreleased tracks including a session with Tom Waits (We Know the Night: Rare & Unreleased ) and a 2-CD complete concert from June 2, 1989 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (The Complete Inconcerated Live).  Of the box’s 60 tracks, 58 are previously unreleased.

Box set co-producer Bob Mehr is quoted in the press release: “While it’s impossible to unhear a record that’s been around for three decades, this version, Don’t Tell A Soul Redux, is the album the band made and intended to release. In addition to Matt Wallace’s mix, Redux also restores several crucial elements from the sessions, including original drums tracks, vocal takes and tempos that were altered in post-production…[and] the band’s original sequence of the album.”  Matt Wallace adds, “The true spirit of The Replacements was always there on the recordings we did back in 1988, and now you can hear and feel it clearly…This was the project of a lifetime for me when we recorded it 30-plus years ago, and it’s even truer today as we’ve finally fulfilled our original vision.”

Paul Westerberg, Slim Dunlap, Tommy Stinson, and Chris Mars began recording Don’t Tell a Soul in June 1988 with Tony Berg at the famed Bearsville Studios, but the sessions were cut short and vaulted. Nine unreleased tracks from Bearsville appear on Dead Man’s Pop, including early versions of “I’ll Be You,” “Darlin’ One,” and “Achin’ To Be” and the never-before-released  “Last Thing in the World.” The box also features tracks the band recorded with Tom Waits, five of which have never been officially released: among them, “Lowdown Monkey Blues,” “We Know The Night,” and a cover of Billy Swan’s “I Can Help.”

The final two CDs in the box set preserve the band performing live in Milwaukee during the “Don’t Tell A Soul Tour.” A handful of tracks from the concert originally appeared on the promo-only EP Inconcerated Live (1989), but the bulk of the 29 songs included have never been released. The entire show has been newly mixed by Brian Kehew (Ramones, Faces).

This 12 x 12 hardcover book style package includes new liner notes from Bob Mehr (author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of The Replacements) and numerous rare photos.  The first 500 fans that purchase Dead Man’s Pop directly from Rhino.com will also receive a 14-track cassette featuring highlights from the box along with two additional unreleased tracks: the outtake “Asking Me Lies” and an instrumental of “I Won’t” (Bearsville Version). The cassette also features the original, unused cover art for Don’t Tell A Soul.

Look for Dead Man’s Pop on September 27 from Rhino.  You can peruse the track listing and pre-order below!

The Replacements, Dead Man’s Pop (Rhino, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Don’t Tell A Soul Redux

1. “Talent Show” – Matt Wallace Mix *
2. “I’ll Be You” – Matt Wallace Mix *
3. “We’ll Inherit The Earth” – Matt Wallace Mix *
4. “Achin’ To Be” – Matt Wallace Mix *
5. “Darlin’ One” – Matt Wallace Mix *
6. “Back To Back” – Matt Wallace Mix *
7. “I Won’t” – Matt Wallace Mix *
8. “Asking Me Lies” – Matt Wallace Mix *
9. “They’re Blind” – Matt Wallace Mix *
10. “Anywhere’s Better Than Here” – Matt Wallace Mix *
11. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Ghost” – Matt Wallace Mix *

CD 2: We Know The Night: Rare and Unreleased

1. “Portland” – Alternate Mix (Bearsville Version) *
2. “Achin’ To Be” – Bearsville Version *
3. “I’ll Be You” – Bearsville Version *
4. “Wake Up” – Alternate Mix – Bearsville Version *
5. “We’ll Inherit The Earth” – Bearsville Version *
6. “Last Thing In The World” *
7. “They’re Blind” – Bearsville Version *
8. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Ghost” – Bearsville Version *
9. “Darlin’ One” – Bearsville Version *
10. “Talent Show” – Demo Version
11. “Dance On My Planet” *
12. “We Know The Night” – Alternate Outtake *
13. “Ought To Get Love” – Alternate Mix *
14. “Gudbuy T’Jane” – Outtake
15. “Lowdown Monkey Blues” – Featuring Tom Waits *
16. “If Only You Were Lonely” – Featuring Tom Waits *
17. “We Know The Night” – Featuring Tom Waits (Rehearsal) *
18. “We Know The Night” – Featuring Tom Waits (Full Band Version) *
19. “I Can Help” – Featuring Tom Waits *
20. “Date To Church” – Matt Wallace Remix*

CD 3: The Complete Inconcerated Live, Part One

1. “Alex Chilton” *
2. “Talent Show” *
3. “Back To Back” *
4. “I Don’t Know” *
5. “The Ledge” *
6. “Waitress In The Sky” *
7. “Anywhere’s Better Than Here” *
8. “Nightclub Jitters” *
9. “Cruella De Ville” *
10. “Achin’ To Be” *
11. “Asking Me Lies” *
12. “Bastards Of Young” *
13. “Answering Machine” *
14. “Little Mascara” *
15. “I’ll Be You” *

CD 4: The Complete Inconcerated Live, Part Two

1. “Darlin’ One” *
2. “I Will Dare” *
3. “Another Girl, Another Planet” *
4. “I Won’t” *
5. “Unsatisfied” *
6. “We’ll Inherit The Earth” *
7. “Can’t Hardly Wait” *
8. “Color Me Impressed” *
9. “Born To Lose” *
10. “Never Mind” *
11. “Here Comes A Regular” *
12. “Valentine” *
13. “Left Of The Dial” *
14. “Black Diamond” *

(*) denotes previously unreleased track