The third installment of the Deluxe Edition releases from The Replacements’ catalog - Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out The Trash - came out in October on Rhino Records. It was preceded by the re-imagined Don’t Tell a Soul (original release 1989), Dead Man’s Pop (2019 - reviewed here) and Pleased to Meet Me (original release 1987) ( 2020 - reviewed here). DMP was enthusiastically received as the longed-for remix of the DTAS album without the dated gloss and sheen that many felt flawed the original, and included a full concert from the tour supporting the album. PTMM was more of a document about the making of that record, with focus on outtakes and alternative takes to the ones that made the final cut. 

The Sorry Ma package takes both approaches and offers both the alt-takes and outtakes and includes an ultra-cleaned-up full-show from the era. The “7-inch Bundle” package includes a new pressing of their first single “I’m In Trouble” backed with the fan-favorite-rarity “If Only You Were Lonely,” a bumper sticker, a couple of pins, and a flyer reprint. 

Like the other sets, there’s one LP and the rest of the set is spread across 4 CDs. The LP is “The Alternate Sorry Ma…” consisting of the prime alternate versions of the original track list with a studio demo thrown in. It sounds great, and it’s always fun to hear different versions of the songs so entrenched onto your brain from 40 years of regular rotation (Fleetwood Mac did it recently with their `75 self-titled record and Rumours), but unlike Dead Man’s Pop there’s little actual improvement over the original, and it’s somewhat of a novelty, but still a rowdy, worthwhile listen.

CD One is the original album remastered for the collection. Remasters are fun, but with the original LP pressing, the original CD, and the 2008 remastered CD already in my collection, it wasn’t exactly a selling point for me. The catalog has been remastered at least four or five times by now and I’m looking for new content.

The real meat and potatoes of the box are on the remaining CDs. CD Two is called Raised in the City - The Early Recordings and includes 25 demos and basement recordings that preceded the actual album recording sessions. There are several never-before heard tracks and some great early takes on some that are more well known. Consistent with Rhino releases, the sonic quality is as good as can be given the primitive recording methods and aging tape.

CD Three is called Tape’s Rolling - Studio Outtakes, Alternatives and Home Demos. As the title states, there’s more focus on the “official” recording sessions with some intimate Paul Westerberg demos at the end. The LP is pulled from the best of this disc, and while it lacks the gusto and nostalgic attachment to the original release, it’s an interesting and notable look into those sessions. There’s a few unreleased gems – “Like You” features some smokin’ Bob Stinson guitar work – and the Westerberg solo-acoustic demos are really cool to hear. “You’re Pretty When You’re Rude” and an early, different version of “If Only You Were Lonely” are both fantastic and left me wondering how much more of this type of stuff there might be lying around.

CD Four is a polished-up live recording from Minneapolis’ heralded 7th Street Entry in 1981. While it doesn’t quite pack the audio-punch that For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986 does, or even the live set from Dead Man’s Pop - it certainly makes up for it with the snotty-punk raw energy of a hungry, young band on their way up from the frozen streets of the Twin Cities to theater stages and glowing media praise across the country. It’s a treasure that certainly rises above the “novelty” status and will be in steady rotation by Replacements’ fans forever. Watch for it on vinyl at an upcoming Record Store Day (I have a feeling).

The packaging is consistent with the other sets - a nice, hard-cover folder with an extensively thorough saddle-stitched book full of liner notes, interviews, and commentary by Bob Mehr - author of the definitive Replacements’ bio Trouble Boys called Deliberate Noise - the Making of Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out The Trash. There are endless stories and never-before seen photos. You’ll need a good block of time to get through it, but you couldn’t possibly ask for more. 

Unfortunately, also consistent with the other sets is Rhino’s uncanny ability to take an amazing, beautiful, extensive, and thoroughly and lovingly compiled product and finish it of with mind-bafflingly stupid packaging decisions. There’s a 12x12 paper track sheet that is inexplicably GLUED to the back cover of the package. It’s that “removable” glue that’s easily separated from plastic or metal, but paper - not so much. Despite my intensely careful attempt, the removal left two significant blemishes on the back cover. An informal poll has my fellow fans batting about .500 in this department; some coming out unscathed, some with identical damage. It could have just as easily been held in place by the shrink-wrap. The box it was shipped in appeared ok on the outside, but the top of the spine was crushed in, either during production, packing or shipping. And somehow, they couldn’t quite get the photo-copied flyer, pins, and stickers done on time and have promised to send them when they can. And don’t get me started on the way pre-orders NEVER arrive until AFTER the release date. Like the months-long delay in receiving Dead Man’s Pop, the bent promo place-mats carelessly thrown in to the PTMM box, and the crushed corner of my Black Sabbath Volume 4 Deluxe Edition I’m left perplexed as to how something so truly awesome could be finished and delivered so carelessly with such insulting consistency. 

This Deluxe Edition of Sorry Ma is a treasure-trove for Replacements fans, especially those who feel that they lost their edge as they matured and much prefer the early stuff. This era is chronicled in depth, with Rhino’s fantastic attention to sonic quality and extensive quantity. I’d point a newbie elsewhere, probably one of their middle-era official releases, but those of us who’ve been listening for 40 years and longing for more, more, more will love this collection. 

Can’t wait to see what’s next! 

Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
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