The Replacements: Dead Man’s Pop

The Replacements had reached a crossroads when they recorded 1989’s Don’t Tell A Soul. With five albums behind them, they were far too good of a band to warrant the modest sales they received even after joining a major label. Their first two Sire releases, 1985’s Tim and 1987’s Pleased to Meet Me, deserved all the critical praise they received, but they didn’t fire up the marketplace. As a result, Don’t Tell A Soul underwent a lot of second-guessing, and Chris Lord-Alge’s late-in-the-game college radio-friendly mix prompted Paul Westerberg to say, “I thought the little things I’d cut in my …