R.E.M. | ||
| Allmusic Biography : R.E.M. marked the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground. While there were a number of hardcore and punk bands in the U.S. during the early 80s, R.E.M. brought guitar pop back into the underground lexicon. Combining ringing guitar hooks with mumbled, cryptic lyrics and a D.I.Y. aesthetic borrowed from post-punk, the band simultaneously sounded traditional and modern. Though there were no overt innovations in their music, R.E.M. had an identity and sense of purpose that transformed the American underground. Throughout the 80s, they worked relentlessly, releasing records every year and touring constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. Along the way, they inspired countless bands, from the legions of jangle pop groups in the mid-80s to scores of alternative pop groups in the 90s, who admired their slow climb to stardom. It did take R.E.M. several years to break into the top of the charts, but they gained a cult following after the release of their debut EP, Chronic Town, in 1982. Chronic Town established the haunting folk and garage rock that became the bands signature sound, and over the next five years, they continued to expand their music with a series of critically acclaimed albums. By the late 80s, the groups fan base had grown large enough to guarantee strong sales, but the Top Ten success in 1987 of Document and "The One I Love" was unexpected, especially since R.E.M. had only altered their sound slightly. Following Document, R.E.M. slowly became one of the worlds most popular bands. After an exhaustive international tour supporting 1988s Green, the band retired from touring for six years and retreated into the studio to produce their most popular records, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992). By the time they returned to performing with the Monster tour in 1995, the band had been acknowledged by critics and musicians as one of the forefathers of the thriving alternative rock movement, and they were rewarded with the most lucrative tour of their career. Toward the late 90s, R.E.M. were an institution, as their influence was felt in new generations of bands. Though R.E.M. formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980, Mike Mills (born December 17, 1958) and Bill Berry (born July 31, 1958) were the only Southerners in the group. Both had attended high school together in Macon, playing in a number of bands during their teens. Michael Stipe (born January 4, 1960) was a military brat, moving throughout the country during his childhood. By his teens, he had discovered punk rock through Patti Smith, Television, and Wire, and began playing in cover bands in St. Louis. By 1978, he had begun studying art at the University of Georgia in Athens, where he began frequenting the Wuxtry record store. Peter Buck (born December 6, 1956), a native of California, was a clerk at Wuxtry. Buck had been a fanatical record collector, consuming everything from classic rock to punk and free jazz, and was just beginning to learn how to play guitar. Discovering they had similar tastes, Buck and Stipe began working together, eventually meeting Berry and Mills through a mutual friend. In April of 1980, the band formed to play a party for their friend, rehearsing a number of garage, psychedelic bubblegum, and punk covers in an converted Episcopalian church. At the time, the group played under the name the Twisted Kites. By the summer, the band had settled on the name R.E.M. after flipping randomly through the dictionary, and had met Jefferson Holt, who became their manager after witnessing the groups first out-of-state concert in North Carolina. Over the next year and a half, R.E.M. toured throughout the South, playing a variety of garage rock covers and folk-rock originals. At the time, the bandmembers were still learning how to play, as Buck began to develop his distinctive, arpeggiated jangle and Stipe ironed out his cryptic lyrics. During the summer of 1981, R.E.M. recorded their first single, "Radio Free Europe," at Mitch Easters Drive-In Studios. Released on the local indie label Hib-Tone, "Radio Free Europe" was pressed in a run of only 1,000 copies, but most of the those singles fell into the right hands. Due to strong word of mouth, the single became a hit on college radio and topped The Village Voices year-end poll of Best Independent Singles. The single also earned the attention of larger independent labels, and by the beginning of 1982, the band had signed to I.R.S. Records, releasing the EP Chronic Town in the spring. Like the single, Chronic Town was well received, paving the way for the groups full-length debut album, 1983s Murmur. With its subdued, haunting atmosphere and understated production, Murmur was noticeably different than Chronic Town and was welcomed with enthusiastic reviews upon its spring release; Rolling Stone named it the best album of 1983, beating out Michael Jacksons Thriller and the Polices Synchronicity. Murmur also expanded the groups cult significantly, breaking into the American Top 40. The band returned to a rougher-edged sound on 1984s Reckoning, which featured the college hit "So. Central Rain (Im Sorry)." By the time R.E.M. hit the road to support Reckoning, they had become well known in the American underground for their constant touring, aversion to videos, support of college radio, Stipes mumbled vocals and detached stage presence, Bucks ringing guitar, and their purposely enigmatic artwork. Bands that imitated these very things ran rampant throughout the American underground, and R.E.M. threw their support toward these bands, having them open at shows and mentioning them in interviews. By 1985, the American underground was awash with R.E.M.sound-alikes and bands like Game Theory and the Rain Parade, which shared similar aesthetics and sounds. Just as the signature R.E.M. sound dominated the underground, the band entered darker territory with its third album, 1985s Fables of the Reconstruction. Recorded in London with producer Joe Boyd (Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake), Fables of the Reconstruction was made at a difficult period in R.E.M.s history, as the band was fraught with tension produced by endless touring. The album reflected the groups dark moods, as well as its obsession with the rural South, and both of these fascinations popped up on the supporting tour. Stipe, whose on-stage behavior was always slightly strange, entered his most bizarre phase, as he put on weight, dyed his hair bleached blonde, and wore countless layers of clothing. None of the new quirks in R.E.M.s persona prevented Fables of the Reconstruction from becoming their most successful album to date, selling nearly 300,000 copies in the U.S. R.E.M. decided to record their next album with Don Gehman, who had previously worked with John Mellencamp. Gehman had the band clean up its sound and Stipe enunciate his vocals, making Lifes Rich Pageant their most accessible record to date. Upon its late summer release in 1986, Lifes Rich Pageant was greeted with the positive reviews that had become customary with each new R.E.M. album, and it outstripped the sales of its predecessor. Several months after Lifes Rich Pageant, the group released the B-sides and rarities collection Dead Letter Office in the spring of 1987. R.E.M. had laid the groundwork for mainstream success, but they had never explicitly courted widespread fame. Nevertheless, their audience had grown quite large, and it wasnt that surprising that the groups fifth album, Document, became a hit shortly after its fall 1987 release. Produced by Scott Litt -- who would produce all of their records over the course of the next decade -- Document climbed into the U.S. Top Ten and went platinum on the strength of the single "The One I Love," which also went into the Top Ten; it also became their biggest U.K. hit to date, reaching the British Top 40. The following year, the band left I.R.S. Records, signing with Warner Bros. for a reported six million dollars. The first album under the new contract was Green, which was released on U.S. Election Day 1988. Green continued the success of Document, going double platinum and generating the Top Ten single "Stand." R.E.M. supported Green with an exhaustive international tour, in which they played their first stadium dates in the U.S. Though they had graduated to stadiums in America, they continued to play clubs throughout Europe. The Green tour proved to be draining for the group, and they took an extended rest upon its completion in 1989. During the break, each member pursued side projects, and Hindu Love Gods, an album Buck, Berry, and Mills recorded with Warren Zevon in 1986, was released. R.E.M. reconvened during 1990 to record their seventh album, Out of Time, which was released in the spring of 1991. Entering the U.S. and U.K. charts at number one, Out of Time was a lush pop and folk album, boasting a wider array of sounds than the groups previous efforts; its lead single, "Losing My Religion," became the groups biggest single, reaching number four in the U.S. Since the bandmembers were exhausted from the Green tour, they chose to stay off the road. Nevertheless, Out of Time became the groups biggest album, selling over four million copies in the U.S. and spending two weeks at the top of the charts. R.E.M. released the dark, meditative Automatic for the People in the fall of 1992. Though the band had promised a rock album after the softer textures of Out of Time, Automatic for the People was slow, quiet, and reflective, with many songs being graced by string arrangements by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Like its predecessor, Automatic for the People was a quadruple platinum success, generating the Top 40 hit singles "Drive," "Man on the Moon," and "Everybody Hurts." After piecing together two albums in the studio, R.E.M. decided to return to being a rock band with 1994s Monster. Though the record was conceived as a back-to-basics album, the recording of Monster was difficult and plagued with tension. Nevertheless, the album was a huge hit upon its fall release, entering the U.S. and U.K. charts at number one; furthermore, the album received accolades from a number of old-school critics who had been reluctant to praise the band, since they didnt "rock" in conventional terms. Experiencing some of the strongest sales and reviews of their career, R.E.M. began their first tour since Green early in 1995. Two months into the tour, Bill Berry suffered a brain aneurysm while performing; he had surgery immediately and had fully recovered within a month. R.E.M. resumed their tour two months after Berrys aneurysm, but his illness was only the beginning of a series of problems that plagued the Monster tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal tumor in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery for a hernia. Despite all the problems, the tour was an enormous financial success, and the group recorded the bulk of a new album. Before the record was released in the fall of 1996, R.E.M. parted ways with their longtime manager Jefferson Holt, allegedly due to sexual harassment charges levied against him; the groups lawyer, Bertis Downs, assumed managerial duties. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was released in September 1996, just before it was announced that the band had re-signed with Warner Bros., reportedly for a record-breaking sum of 80 million dollars. In light of such a huge figure, the commercial failure of New Adventures in Hi-Fi was ironic. Though it received strong reviews and debuted at number two in the U.S. and number one in the U.K., the album failed to generate a hit single, and it only went platinum where its three predecessors went quadruple platinum. By early 1997, the album had already begun its descent down the charts. However, the members of R.E.M. were already pursuing new projects, as Stipe worked with his film company, Single Cell Pictures, and Buck co-wrote songs with Mark Eitzel and worked with a free jazz group, Tuatara. In October of 1997, R.E.M. shocked fans and the media with the announcement that Berry was amicably exiting the group to retire to life on his farm; the remaining members continued on as a three-piece, soon convening in Hawaii to begin preliminary work on their next LP. Replacing Berry with a drum machine, the sessions resulted in 1998s Up, widely touted as the bands most experimental recording in years. It was only a brief change of direction, since R.E.M.s next album, 2001s Reveal, marked a return to their classic sound. Around the Sun followed in 2004. A worldwide tour convened in 2005, which included an appearance at the London branch of Live 8. In 2007, R.E.M. were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and began work on their next album, Accelerate, which was released in 2008. The album sported a faster, more guitar-driven sound than Around the Sun, which had received lukewarm reviews and sold poorly, particularly in America. It earned rave reviews and topped charts around the world (although it halted at number two in America). For 2011s Collapse into Now, the band favored a more expansive sound, one that combined Accelerates rock songs with slower ballads and moody atmospherics. Reviews were mostly positive, and it debuted in the Top Five in America. Unexpectedly, in September 2011, R.E.M. announced their amicable breakup after 31 years together. Immediately after the split, the band issued a double-disc compilation entitled Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage: 1982-2011, covering their years at both I.R.S. and Warner. In 2015 the band signed a deal with Concord Bicycle to distribute their Warner recordings, and the first fruits of this partnership surfaced in 2016, when a 25th Anniversary Edition of Out of Time appeared in November of that year. The next installment in this reissue campaign was a 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Automatic for the People in November 2017. A year later, the group released R.E.M. at the BBC, a box set containing eight CDs and a DVD chronicling all their live work for the British Broadcasting Company. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 32 Title: Murmur Released: 1983-04-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Free Europe (04:05) 2 Pilgrimage (04:29) 3 Laughing (03:58) 4 Talk About the Passion (03:22) 5 Moral Kiosk (03:32) 6 Perfect Circle (03:30) 7 Catapult (03:56) 8 Sitting Still (03:18) 9 9‒9 (03:04) 10 Shaking Through (04:30) 11 We Walk (03:01) 12 West of the Fields (03:18) |
| Murmur : Allmusic album Review : Leaving behind the garagey jangle pop of their first recordings, R.E.M. developed a strangely subdued variation of their trademark sound for their full-length debut album, Murmur. Heightening the enigmatic tendencies of Chronic Town by de-emphasizing the backbeat and accentuating the ambience of the ringing guitar, R.E.M. created a distinctive sound for the album -- one that sounds eerily timeless. Even though it is firmly in the tradition of American folk-rock, post-punk, and garage rock, Murmur sounds as if it appeared out of nowhere, without any ties to the past, present, or future. Part of the distinctiveness lies in the atmospheric production, which exudes a detached sense of mystery, but it also comes from the remarkably accomplished songwriting. The songs on Murmur sound as if theyve existed forever, yet they subvert folk and pop conventions by taking unpredictable twists and turns into melodic, evocative territory, whether its the measured riffs of "Pilgrimage," the melancholic "Talk About the Passion," or the winding guitars and pianos of "Perfect Circle." R.E.M. may have made albums as good as Murmur in the years following its release, but they never again made anything that sounded quite like it. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 32 Title: Reckoning Released: 1984-04-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Harborcoat (03:55) 2 7 Chinese Bros. (04:15) 3 So. Central Rain (03:15) 4 Pretty Persuasion (03:53) 5 Time After Time (Annelise) (03:32) 6 Second Guessing (02:51) 7 Letter Never Sent (03:02) 8 Camera (05:51) 9 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (04:33) 10 Little America (02:58) |
| Reckoning : Allmusic album Review : R.E.M. abandoned the enigmatic post-punk experiments of Murmur for their second album, Reckoning, returning to their garage pop origins instead. Opening with the ringing "Harborcoat," Reckoning runs through a set of ten jangle pop songs that are different not only in sound but in style from the debut. Where Murmur was enigmatic in its sound, Reckoning is clear, which doesnt necessarily mean that the songs themselves are straightforward. Michael Stipe continues to sing powerful melodies without enunciating, but the band has a propulsive kick that makes the music vital and alive. And, if anything, the songwriting is more direct and memorable than before -- the interweaving melodies of "Pretty Persuasion" and the country rocker "(Dont Go Back To) Rockville" are as affecting as the melancholic dirges of "Camera" and "Time After Time," while the ringing minor-key arpeggios of "So. Central Rain," the pulsating riffs of "7 Chinese Bros.," and the hard-rocking rhythms of "Little America" make the songs into classics. On the surface, Reckoning may not be as distinctive as Murmur, but the records influence on underground American rock in the 80s was just as strong. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 32 Title: Fables of the Reconstruction Released: 1985-06-11 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Feeling Gravity’s Pull (04:51) 2 Maps and Legends (03:10) 3 Driver 8 (03:24) 4 Life and How to Live It (04:08) 5 Old Man Kensey (04:10) 6 Can’t Get There From Here (03:40) 7 Green Grow the Rushes (03:45) 8 Kohoutek (03:16) 9 Auctioneer (Another Engine) (02:44) 10 Good Advices (03:30) 11 Wendell Gee (03:00) |
| Fables of the Reconstruction : Allmusic album Review : For their third album, R.E.M. made a conscious effort to break from the traditions Murmur and Reckoning established, electing to record in England with legendary folk-rock producer Joe Boyd. For a variety of reasons, the sessions were difficult, and that tension is apparent throughout Fables of the Reconstruction. A dark, moody rumination on American folk -- not only the music, but its myths -- Fables is creepy, rustic psychedelic folk, filled with eerie sonic textures. Some light breaks through occasionally, such as the ridiculous collegiate blue-eyed soul of "Cant Get There From Here," but the groups trademark ringing guitars and cryptic lyrics have grown sinister, giving even sing-alongs like "Driver 8" an ominous edge. Fables is more inconsistent than its two predecessors, but the group does demonstrate considerable musical growth, particularly in how perfectly it evokes the strange rural legends of the South. And many of the songs on the record -- including "Feeling Gravitys Pull," "Maps and Legends," "Green Grow the Rushes," "Auctioneer (Another Engine)," and the previously mentioned pair -- rank among the groups best. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 32 Title: Lifes Rich Pageant Released: 1986-07-28 Tracks: 18 Duration: 51:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Begin the Begin (03:28) 2 These Days (03:24) 3 Fall on Me (02:50) 4 Cuyahoga (04:21) 5 Hyena (02:51) 6 Underneath the Bunker (01:27) 7 The Flowers of Guatemala (03:57) 8 I Believe (03:50) 9 What If We Give It Away? (03:34) 10 Just a Touch (03:00) 11 Swan Swan H (02:43) 12 Superman (02:53) 13 Tired of Singing Trouble (00:59) 14 Rotary Ten (01:58) 15 Toys in the Attic (02:26) 16 Just a Touch (live in-studio) (02:38) 17 Dream (All I Have to Do) (live) (acoustic) (02:38) 18 Swan Swan H (live) (acoustic) (02:41) |
| Lifes Rich Pageant : Allmusic album Review : Fables of the Reconstruction was intentionally murky, and Lifes Rich Pageant was constructed as its polar opposite. Teaming with producer Don Gehman, who previously worked with John Mellencamp, R.E.M. developed their most forceful record to date. Where previous records kept the rhythm section in the background, Pageant emphasizes the beat, and the band turns in its hardest rockers to date, including the anthemic "Begin the Begin" and the punky "Just a Touch." But the cleaner production also benefits the ballads and the mid-tempo janglers, particularly since it helps reveal Michael Stipes growing political obsessions, especially on the environmental anthems "Fall on Me" and "Cuyahoga." The group hasnt entirely left myths behind -- witness the Civil War ballad "Swan Swan H" -- but the band sound more contemporary both musically and lyrically than they did on either Fables or Murmur, which helps give the record an extra kick. And even with excellent songs like "I Believe," "Flowers of Guatemala," "These Days," and "What if We Give It Away," its ironic that the most memorable moment comes from the garage rock obscurity "Superman," which is sung with glee by Mike Mills. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 32 Title: Document Released: 1987-03-21 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Finest Worksong (03:50) 2 Welcome to the Occupation (02:48) 3 Exhuming McCarthy (03:21) 4 Disturbance at the Heron House (03:34) 5 Strange (02:33) 6 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (04:05) 7 The One I Love (03:17) 8 Fireplace (03:24) 9 Lightnin’ Hopkins (03:21) 10 King of Birds (04:10) 11 Oddfellows Local 151 (05:22) |
| Document : Allmusic album Review : R.E.M. began to move toward mainstream record production on Lifes Rich Pageant, but they didnt have a commercial breakthrough until the following years Document. Ironically, Document is a stranger, more varied album than its predecessor, but co-producer Scott Litt -- who would go on to produce every R.E.M. album in the following decade -- is a better conduit for the band than Don Gehman, giving the group a clean sound without sacrificing their enigmatic tendencies. "Finest Worksong," the stream-of-conscious rant "Its the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," and the surprise Top Ten single "The One I Love" all crackle with muscular rhythms and guitar riffs, but the real surprise is how political the mid-tempo jangle pop of "Welcome to the Occupation," "Disturbance at the Heron House," and "King of Birds" is. Where Lifes Rich Pageant sounded a bit like a party record, Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made all the more indelible by its righteous anger. In other words, its not only a commercial breakthrough, but a creative breakthrough as well, offering evidence of R.E.M.s growing depth and maturity, and helping usher in the P.C. era in the process. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 32 Title: Dead Letter Office Released: 1987-04-28 Tracks: 15 Duration: 43:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Crazy (03:03) 2 There She Goes Again (02:49) 3 Burning Down (04:13) 4 Voice of Harold (04:25) 5 Burning Hell (03:49) 6 White Tornado (01:56) 7 Toys in the Attic (02:30) 8 Windout (02:00) 9 Ages of You (03:44) 10 Pale Blue Eyes (02:54) 11 Rotary Ten (02:00) 12 Bandwagon (02:17) 13 Femme Fatale (02:50) 14 Walter’s Theme (01:31) 15 King of the Road (03:15) |
| Dead Letter Office : Allmusic album Review : Arriving mere months before Document took the group into the Top Ten, the B-sides and rarities collection Dead Letter Office sums up all of the quirks and idiosyncrasies that made R.E.M. the leading underground guitar pop band of the 80s. While only a handful of songs on Dead Letter Office rank among the groups best, the record is extremely entertaining, even for casual fans, particularly because it captures the wild spirit of R.E.M. that was evident at their concerts, but not always on their records. Among the gems scattered throughout the collection are the cheerily ridiculous "Band Wagon," "Voice of Harold" (which features Michael Stipe singing the liner notes to a gospel album over the backing of "7 Chinese Brothers"), covers of the Velvet Underground, Pylon, and Aerosmith, the ringing pop of "Burning Down" (which is later reworked as "Ages of You"), and "Walters Theme," a drunken attempt at a commercial for a local restaurant that segues into a clueless cover of "King of the Road." The material may be slight, but its fun -- and R.E.M.s albums arent always fun. [The CD version of Dead Letter Office contains the groups debut EP, Chronic Town.] | ||
 | Album: 7 of 32 Title: Eponymous Released: 1988-10-17 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Free Europe (original Hib‐Tone single) (03:49) 2 Gardening at Night (different vocal mix) (03:30) 3 Talk About the Passion (03:22) 4 So. Central Rain (03:15) 5 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (04:33) 6 Can’t Get There From Here (03:40) 7 Driver 8 (03:24) 8 Romance (03:27) 9 Fall on Me (02:50) 10 The One I Love (03:17) 11 Finest Worksong (Mutual Drum Horn mix) (03:51) 12 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (04:05) |
| Eponymous : Allmusic album Review : Basically a singles collection from R.E.M.s first five albums, Eponymous gives the listener a sense of the bands change from folk-rock to rock. The songs are intelligently selected, distilling most of the best moments from their first five albums for I.R.S. Included is the original single of "Radio Free Europe," and different mixes of "Gardening at Night" (where its actually possible to hear the vocal) and "Finest Worksong," and the previously unreleased (and unspectacular) "Romance." | ||
 | Album: 8 of 32 Title: Green Released: 1988-11-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pop Song 89 (03:04) 2 Get Up (02:41) 3 You Are the Everything (03:44) 4 Stand (03:12) 5 World Leader Pretend (04:19) 6 The Wrong Child (03:38) 7 Orange Crush (03:52) 8 Turn You Inside‐Out (04:17) 9 Hairshirt (03:55) 10 I Remember California (05:03) 11 [untitled] (03:09) |
| Green : Allmusic album Review : As far as major-label debuts by underground bands go, Green is fairly uncompromising. While it displays a more powerful guitar sound on "Get Up," "Turn You Inside Out," and "Orange Crush," it also takes more detours than Document, whether its the bizarrely affecting contemporary folk of "The Wrong Child" and "You Are the Everything," the bubblegum of "Stand" and "Pop Song 89," or the introspection of the lovely "Hairshirt" and "World Leader Pretend." But instead of presenting a portrait of a band with a rich, eclectic vision, Green is incoherent. While its best moments are flat-out great, the band has bitten off more than it can chew; many of the songs sound like failed experiments, and its arena-ready production now sounds slightly dated. Nevertheless, half of the record is brilliant, and it certainly indicates that R.E.M. are continuing to diversify their sound. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 32 Title: The Collection Released: 1990 Tracks: 66 Duration: 3:44:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Free Europe (original Hib‐Tone single) (03:49) 2 Gardening at Night (different vocal mix) (03:30) 3 Talk About the Passion (03:22) 4 So. Central Rain (03:15) 5 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (04:33) 6 Can’t Get There From Here (03:40) 7 Driver 8 (03:24) 8 Romance (03:27) 9 Fall on Me (02:50) 10 The One I Love (03:17) 11 Finest Worksong (Mutual Drum Horn mix) (03:51) 12 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (04:05) 1 Finest Worksong (03:50) 2 Welcome to the Occupation (02:48) 3 Exhuming McCarthy (03:21) 4 Disturbance at the Heron House (03:34) 5 Strange (02:33) 6 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (04:05) 7 The One I Love (03:17) 8 Fireplace (03:24) 9 Lightnin’ Hopkins (03:21) 10 King of Birds (04:10) 11 Oddfellows Local 151 (05:22) 1 Feeling Gravity’s Pull (04:51) 2 Maps and Legends (03:10) 3 Driver 8 (03:24) 4 Life and How to Live It (04:08) 5 Old Man Kensey (04:10) 6 Can’t Get There From Here (03:40) 7 Green Grow the Rushes (03:45) 8 Kohoutek (03:16) 9 Auctioneer (Another Engine) (02:44) 10 Good Advices (03:30) 11 Wendell Gee (03:00) 1 Crazy (03:03) 2 There She Goes Again (02:49) 3 Burning Down (04:13) 4 Voice of Harold (04:25) 5 Burning Hell (03:49) 6 White Tornado (01:56) 7 Toys in the Attic (02:30) 8 Windout (02:00) 9 Ages of You (03:44) 10 Pale Blue Eyes (02:54) 11 Rotary Ten (02:00) 12 Bandwagon (02:17) 13 Femme Fatale (02:50) 14 Walter’s Theme (01:31) 15 King of the Road (03:15) 16 Wolves, Lower (04:13) 17 Gardening at Night (03:30) 18 Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars) (03:53) 19 1,000,000 (03:06) 20 Stumble (05:41) 1 Begin the Begin (03:28) 2 These Days (03:24) 3 Fall on Me (02:50) 4 Cuyahoga (04:21) 5 Hyena (02:51) 6 Underneath the Bunker (01:27) 7 The Flowers of Guatemala (03:57) 8 I Believe (03:50) 9 What If We Give It Away? (03:34) 10 Just a Touch (03:00) 11 Swan Swan H (02:50) 12 Superman (02:53) |
 | Album: 10 of 32 Title: Out of Time Released: 1991-03-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Song (04:15) 2 Losing My Religion (04:28) 3 Low (04:56) 4 Near Wild Heaven (03:19) 5 Endgame (03:50) 6 Shiny Happy People (03:46) 7 Belong (04:07) 8 Half a World Away (03:28) 9 Texarkana (03:40) 10 Country Feedback (04:09) 11 Me in Honey (04:06) |
| Out of Time : Allmusic album Review : The supporting tour for Green exhausted R.E.M., and they spent nearly a year recuperating before reconvening for Out of Time. Where previous R.E.M. records captured a stripped-down, live sound, Out of Time was lush with sonic detail, featuring string sections, keyboards, mandolins, and cameos from everyone from rapper KRS-One to the B-52s Kate Pierson. The scope of R.E.M.s ambitions is impressive, and the record sounds impeccable, its sunny array of pop and folk songs as refreshing as Michael Stipes decision to abandon explicitly political lyrics for the personal. Several R.E.M. classics -- including Mike Mills Byrds-y "Near Wild Heaven," the haunting "Country Feedback," and the masterpiece "Losing My Religion" -- are present, but the album is more notable for its production than its songwriting. Most of the songs are slight but pleasant, or are awkward experiments like "Radio Song"s stab at funk, and while this sounds fine as the record is playing, theres not much substantive material to make the record worth returning to. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 32 Title: The Best of R.E.M. Released: 1991-09-30 Tracks: 16 Duration: 59:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars) (03:53) 2 Radio Free Europe (04:05) 3 Perfect Circle (03:30) 4 Talk About the Passion (03:22) 5 So. Central Rain (03:15) 6 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (04:33) 7 Pretty Persuasion (03:49) 8 Green Grow the Rushes (03:45) 9 Can’t Get There From Here (03:40) 10 Driver 8 (03:24) 11 Fall on Me (02:50) 12 I Believe (03:50) 13 Cuyahoga (04:21) 14 The One I Love (03:17) 15 Finest Worksong (03:50) 16 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (04:05) |
 | Album: 12 of 32 Title: Automatic for the People Released: 1992-10-06 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Drive (04:30) 2 Try Not to Breathe (03:50) 3 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (04:08) 4 Everybody Hurts (05:18) 5 New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 (02:15) 6 Sweetness Follows (04:21) 7 Monty Got a Raw Deal (03:17) 8 Ignoreland (04:27) 9 Star Me Kitten (03:16) 10 Man on the Moon (05:14) 11 Nightswimming (04:17) 12 Find the River (03:50) |
| Automatic for the People : Allmusic album Review : Turning away from the sweet pop of Out of Time, R.E.M. created a haunting, melancholy masterpiece with Automatic for the People. At its core, the album is a collection of folk songs about aging, death, and loss, but the music has a grand, epic sweep provided by layers of lush strings, interweaving acoustic instruments, and shimmering keyboards. Automatic for the People captures the group at a crossroads, as they moved from cult heroes to elder statesmen, and the album is a graceful transition into their new status. It is a reflective album, with frank discussions on mortality, but it is not a despairing record -- "Nightswimming," "Everybody Hurts," and "Sweetness Follows" have a comforting melancholy, while "Find the River" provides a positive sense of closure. R.E.M. have never been as emotionally direct as they are on Automatic for the People, nor have they ever created music quite as rich and timeless, and while the record is not an easy listen, it is the most rewarding record in their oeuvre. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 32 Title: The Automatic Box Released: 1993-11-30 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:03:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Its a Free World Baby (05:16) 2 Fretless (04:49) 3 Chance (dub) (02:36) 4 Star Me Kitten (demo) (03:04) 1 Winged Mammal Theme (02:59) 2 Organ Song (03:23) 3 Mandolin Strum (03:47) 4 Fruity Organ (03:28) 5 New Orleans Instrumental #2 (03:47) 1 Arms of Love (03:34) 2 Dark Globe (01:54) 3 The Lion Sleeps Tonight (02:41) 4 First We Take Manhattan (06:04) 1 Ghostrider (03:47) 2 Funtime (02:15) 3 Memphis Train Blues (01:41) 4 Pop Song ’89 (acoustic) (02:58) 5 Everybody Hurts (live 1993 MTV Awards) (05:32) |
| The Automatic Box : Allmusic album Review : Since R.E.M. had to date failed to deliver a Warner Bros.-era sequel to Dead Letter Office, The Automatic Box had to satiate hardcore fans looking for an easy way to collect the odds and ends, rarities, and B-sides the band released between Green and Automatic for the People. During this time, R.E.M. became less prolific in their B-side output, choosing to rely on instrumentals, alternate takes, live tracks, and covers instead of the original songs that functioned as B-sides for their IRS singles, and this trend intensified following Monster, when they began releasing almost no B-sides of note whatsoever. Which means that the 17 songs on the four-disc set The Automatic Box -- theres really no reason for these cuts to be spread out over four discs, other than it makes for a true collectors item this way -- are in many ways the last batch of worthy non-LP tunes the band produced, which makes it all the more useful for hardcore fans. But be forewarned: just because this is a good summary of their best rarities from this era doesnt mean its necessary. As a matter of fact, theres only one great song here, the eerie "Fretless," and "Its a Free World Baby" is the only tune that comes close to rivaling that. Theres also an interesting acoustic version of "Pop Song 89" and an alternate of "Star Me Kitten," plus six good covers: "Arms of Love," "Dark Globe," "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," "First We Take Manhattan," "Ghostrider," and "Funtime." The remaining eight songs are all instrumentals, none of which are particularly interesting. That wont matter to some fans, but for those with discriminating tastes, The Automatic Box has a handful of cuts that are worthwhile, but too much dreck to make it a true bargain. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 32 Title: Singles Collected Released: 1994-09-22 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:07:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Free Europe (edit) (03:12) 2 There She Goes Again (02:49) 3 So. Central Rain (03:15) 4 King of the Road (04:45) 5 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (edit) (03:54) 6 Catapult (04:00) 7 Can’t Get There From Here (edit) (03:13) 8 Bandwagon (02:17) 9 Wendell Gee (03:00) 10 Crazy (03:03) 11 Fall on Me (02:50) 12 Rotary Ten (02:00) 13 Superman (02:44) 14 White Tornado (01:50) 15 The One I Love (03:17) 16 Maps and Legends (live) (03:16) 17 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (edit) (03:11) 18 Last Date (02:17) 19 Finest Worksong (other mix) (03:46) 20 Time After Time Etc. (08:22) |
| Singles Collected : Allmusic album Review : This 20-song collection of European singles and B-sides from the 80s is a good history of R.E.M. The A-sides chronicle the bands journey from college radio wonders ("Radio Free Europe" and "So. Central Rain") to international recognition ("The One I Love" and "Its the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"). The B-sides fill in the gaps in the story, detailing the bands influences (a rather sunny version of the Velvet Undergrounds "There She Goes Again") as well as their sense of humor (the drunken rendition of "King of the Road"). Also included among the B-sides are the surf-tinged instrumental "White Tornado," which showcases Bill Berrys propulsive drumming, and a live version of "Time After Time," which starts off with Michael Stipe a cappella before transitioning into a poignant rendition of "So. Central Rain" done with only vocals and sparse electric guitar. With R.E.M.s career spanning three decades, this collection is a great starter for fans who dont remember the bands early days or for those who want to reminisce. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 32 Title: Monster Released: 1994-09-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? (04:00) 2 Crush With Eyeliner (04:38) 3 King of Comedy (03:41) 4 I Don’t Sleep, I Dream (03:28) 5 Star 69 (03:08) 6 Strange Currencies (03:53) 7 Tongue (04:13) 8 Bang and Blame (05:30) 9 I Took Your Name (04:03) 10 Let Me In (03:28) 11 Circus Envy (04:15) 12 You (04:54) |
| Monster : Allmusic album Review : Monster is indeed R.E.M.s long-promised "rock" album; it just doesnt rock in the way one might expect. Instead of R.E.M.s trademark anthemic bashers, Monster offers a set of murky sludge, powered by the heavily distorted and delayed guitar of Peter Buck. Michael Stipes vocals have been pushed to the back of the mix, along with Bill Berrys drums, which accentuates the muscular pulse of Bucks chords. From the androgynous sleaze of "Crush With Eyeliner" to the subtle, Eastern-tinged menace of "You," most of the album sounds dense, dirty, and grimy, which makes the punchy guitars of "Whats the Frequency, Kenneth?" and the warped soul of "Tongue" all the more distinctive. Monster doesnt have the conceptual unity or consistently brilliant songwriting of Automatic for the People, but it does offer a wide range of sonic textures that have never been heard on an R.E.M. album before. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 32 Title: New Adventures in Hi‐Fi Released: 1995-09-25 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:05:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us (04:31) 2 The Wake‐Up Bomb (05:08) 3 New Test Leper (05:26) 4 Undertow (05:09) 5 E‐Bow the Letter (05:24) 6 Leave (07:17) 7 Departure (03:29) 8 Bittersweet Me (04:05) 9 Be Mine (05:33) 10 Binky the Doormat (05:01) 11 Zither (02:34) 12 So Fast, So Numb (04:12) 13 Low Desert (03:31) 14 Electrolite (04:05) |
| New Adventures in Hi‐Fi : Allmusic album Review : Recorded during and immediately following R.E.M.s disaster-prone Monster tour, New Adventures in Hi-Fi feels like it was recorded on the road. Not only are all of Michael Stipes lyrics on the album about moving or travel, the sound is ragged and varied, pieced together from tapes recorded at shows, soundtracks, and studios, giving it a loose, careening charm. New Adventures has the same spirit of much of R.E.M.s IRS records, but dont take the title of New Adventures in Hi-Fi lightly -- R.E.M. tries different textures and new studio tricks. "How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us" opens the album with a rolling, vaguely hip-hop drum beat and slowly adds on jazzily dissonant piano. "E-Bow the Letter" starts out as an updated version of "Country Feedback," then it turns in on itself with layers of moaning guitar effects and Patti Smiths haunting backing vocals. Clocking in at seven minutes, "Leave" is the longest track R.E.M. has yet recorded and its one of their strangest and best -- an affecting minor-key dirge with a howling, siren-like feedback loop that runs throughout the entire song. Elsewhere, R.E.M. tread standard territory: "Electrolite" is a lovely piano-based ballad, "Departure" rocks like a Document outtake, the chiming opening riff of "Bittersweet Me" sounds like it was written in 1985, "New Test Leper" is gently winding folk-rock, and "The Wake-Up Bomb" and "Undertow" rock like the Monster outtakes they are. New Adventures in Hi-Fi may run a little too long -- it clocks in at 62 minutes, by far the longest album R.E.M. has ever released -- yet in its multifaceted sprawl, they wound up with one of their best records of the 90s. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 32 Title: Essential R.E.M.: R.E.M. in the Attic (Alternative Recordings 1985–89) Released: 1997-10-07 Tracks: 15 Duration: 50:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Finest Worksong (other mix) (03:47) 2 Driver 8 (live) (03:31) 3 Gardening at Night (different vocal mix) (03:30) 4 Swan Swan H (acoustic) (02:42) 5 Disturbance at the Heron House (live) (03:26) 6 Maps and Legends (live) (03:16) 7 Tired of Singing Trouble (00:59) 8 Just a Touch (live in the studio) (02:38) 9 Toys in the Attic (02:26) 10 Dream (All I Have to Do) (02:38) 11 The One I Love (live) (04:06) 12 Crazy (03:03) 13 Can’t Get There From Here (radio edit) (03:14) 14 Last Date (02:17) 15 Time After Time etc. (live medley) (08:22) |
 | Album: 18 of 32 Title: Up Released: 1998-10-26 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:04:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Airportman (04:13) 2 Lotus (04:31) 3 Suspicion (05:37) 4 Hope (05:01) 5 At My Most Beautiful (03:35) 6 The Apologist (04:29) 7 Sad Professor (04:03) 8 You’re in the Air (05:23) 9 Walk Unafraid (04:33) 10 Why Not Smile (04:02) 11 Daysleeper (03:39) 12 Diminished / I’m Not Over You (06:00) 13 Parakeet (04:12) 14 Falls to Climb (05:06) |
| Up : Allmusic album Review : New Adventures in Hi-Fi functioned as the starting point for Up, R.E.M.s first album without drummer Bill Berry and their first that truly repudiates the legacy of jangle pop. Up is dominated by keyboards, muted percussion, buried guitars, and moody melodies -- only "Daysleeper" finds the group in familiar sonic territory. Whats striking about the album is that it doesnt sound like a dramatic departure; even without the ringing guitars, it sounds like R.E.M., albeit R.E.M. trying to be adventurous and hip. To a certain extent, thats a good thing, since it proves that the band has developed a signature sound more elastic than many would have predicted, and that they are skilled enough to successfully take risks with their sound. Above all else, Up is an accomplished and varied record, the work of smart record-makers. It is also the work of veteran musicians -- for the first time, R.E.M. sound like theyre playing catch-up, trying to keep their hip status intact. Occasionally, they pull it all together, as on the ominous opener "Airportman" and the darkly seductive "Suspicion," but they stretch their capacities to the breaking point nearly as often, as on the Pet Sounds pastiche "At My Most Beautiful," which comes off as second-rate High Llamas. Most of Up, however, falls in between those two extremes, winding up as self-consciously moody, down-tempo songs that fail to make an impression because they either dont take enough chances or they fail to speak directly -- they are simply well-crafted tracks that are easy to admire, but hard to love. Ultimately, that is what distinguishes this new incarnation of R.E.M. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 32 Title: Reveal Released: 2001-05-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Lifting (04:39) 2 I’ve Been High (03:26) 3 All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star) (04:44) 4 She Just Wants to Be (05:22) 5 Disappear (04:10) 6 Saturn Return (04:54) 7 Beat a Drum (04:20) 8 Imitation of Life (03:57) 9 Summer Turns to High (03:31) 10 Chorus and the Ring (04:31) 11 I’ll Take the Rain (05:51) 12 Beachball (04:13) |
| Reveal : Allmusic album Review : Give em credit for realizing that Up was a dead end, an avenue paved with forced experimentalism that signified nothing. Dock them points for harboring the desire to wander down that path, choosing to indulge in fuzzy details that add texture but not character. These two impulses balance each other as R.E.M. delivered Reveal, an album that feels like their stab at All That You Cant Leave Behind -- a conscious return to their classic sound. Since theyre fiercely protective of their anointed position of underground pioneers, theyre not content to sit still and spin their wheels, turning out a record that apes Automatic for the People. So, they return to the lushness of Out of Time, melding it with the song-oriented Automatic -- and undercutting it all with the sober sonic trickery of Up and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Because Reveal is song-oriented, it initially plays more accessibly than Up, but these songs are cloaked in the same kind of deliberate studiocraft that made Up feel stilted. Its not as overt, of course -- the drum machines and loops have taken a backseat -- but its still possible to hear the clipped Pro Tools effects on "Summer Turns to High," for instance, and most tracks are a little fussy in their aural coloring. This prevents Reveal from being an album to wholeheartedly embrace, even if it attempts to be as rich as Automatic and even if it succeeds on occasion. There are some very good pop songs here -- windswept and sun-bleached beauties like "Imitation of Life," the dusty "All the Way to Reno (Youre Gonna Be a Star)," and "Beachball," the one time their Beach Boys obsessions click. Still, none of these moments shine as brilliantly as the best moments of New Adventures and ultimately theyre weighed down by the albums aesthetic, which emphasizes sonic construction over the songs. This is mood music, not music that creates a mood, which becomes evident as the record stagnates during its second half. Reveal winds up sharing the same strangely distant feel of Up, even if its a tighter, better record. When R.E.M. werent trying as hard, when they werent meticulously crafting their sound, they made records that were as moody, evocative, and bracing as Reveal intends to be. Here, its just all a bit too studied to ring true. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 32 Title: Document / Lifes Rich Pageant Released: 2003-03-17 Tracks: 35 Duration: 1:59:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Finest Worksong (03:50) 2 Welcome to the Occupation (02:48) 3 Exhuming McCarthy (03:21) 4 Disturbance at the Heron House (03:34) 5 Strange (02:33) 6 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (04:05) 7 The One I Love (03:17) 8 Fireplace (03:24) 9 Lightnin’ Hopkins (03:21) 10 King of Birds (04:10) 11 Oddfellows Local 151 (05:22) 12 Finest Worksong (other mix) (03:47) 13 Last Date (02:16) 14 The One I Love (live) (04:06) 15 Time After Time Etc. (08:22) 16 Disturbance at the Heron House (live) (03:26) 17 Finest Worksong (lengthy club mix) (05:52) 1 Begin the Begin (03:28) 2 These Days (03:24) 3 Fall on Me (02:50) 4 Cuyahoga (04:21) 5 Hyena (02:51) 6 Underneath the Bunker (01:27) 7 The Flowers of Guatemala (03:57) 8 I Believe (03:50) 9 What If We Give It Away? (03:34) 10 Just a Touch (03:00) 11 Swan Swan H (02:43) 12 Superman (02:53) 13 Tired of Singing Trouble (00:59) 14 Rotary Ten (01:58) 15 Toys in the Attic (02:26) 16 Just a Touch (live in-studio) (02:38) 17 Dream (All I Have to Do) (live) (acoustic) (02:38) 18 Swan Swan H (live) (acoustic) (02:41) |
 | Album: 21 of 32 Title: In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 Released: 2003-10-17 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:16:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Man on the Moon (05:14) 2 The Great Beyond (05:07) 3 Bad Day (04:07) 4 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? (04:00) 5 All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star) (04:44) 6 Losing My Religion (04:28) 7 E‐Bow the Letter (05:24) 8 Orange Crush (03:52) 9 Imitation of Life (03:57) 10 Daysleeper (03:39) 11 Animal (04:02) 12 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (04:08) 13 Stand (03:12) 14 Electrolite (04:05) 15 All the Right Friends (02:48) 16 Everybody Hurts (05:18) 17 At My Most Beautiful (03:35) 18 Nightswimming (04:17) |
| In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 : Allmusic album Review : R.E.M. began their Warner contract in 1988 as the biggest band to emerge from the college-radio-fueled American underground. Fifteen years later, they released In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, the first overview of their long stint at Warner Records. During that decade and a half, R.E.M. had a turbulent journey. At the outset, their legend and influence as one of the key -- if not the key -- bands of the American underground was firmly in place, but their success kept growing, culminating in a breakthrough to international stardom in 1991 thanks to "Losing My Religion" and Out of Time. For a few years there, they were one of the biggest bands in the world, standing as role models and godfathers for the alt-rock explosion of the 90s; even as grunge ruled the U.S. and U.K., R.E.M. were having their biggest hits with the brooding Automatic for the People (1992) and the guitar-heavy return-to-rock Monster (1994). Then, midway through the decade, the road got a little bumpy. The Monster tour was plagued with problems, the most noteworthy being drummer Bill Berrys on-stage aneurysm in 1995. He left the band the next year, not long after the band parted ways with Jefferson Holt, their longtime manager who was immortalized in their 1984 song "Little America." Singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, and Mike Mills struggled to find their footing as a trio as they tackled more ambitious projects that found an ever more selective audience. Truth be told, this transition started on the final Berry album, 1996s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which found R.E.M. expanding their sonic template to acclaim from critics and hardcore fans, even if they started to see the audience they won over the previous decade start to shrink. All this means the Warner era for R.E.M. doesnt represent one particular phase of their career -- during their time at Warner, they went through two phases, with the first half being the culmination of their rise and the second being their awkward return to cult status. This divide is clear and fairly easy to pinpoint. In his track-by-track liner notes (neatly mirroring his notes for the 1987 rarities comp Dead Letter Office), Buck claims that dividing line is pre- and post-"Losing My Religion," which is true at least as far as stardom goes, but it could be argued that the classic period ended with Automatic, since that follow-up to Out of Time showed that R.E.M. could not only live with the fame, but flourish within it. Everything that followed Automatic came from a different narrative and derived from a different starting point, one that was removed from the jangle pop that lay at the heart of their first ten years as recording artists. Related, yes, but quite different -- more self-conscious, heavily produced, and deliberate, occasionally reaping great results but just as often sounding labored. It was a great contrast to early R.E.M., where the music seemed to flow naturally and easily. Though it has no early IRS material, In Time paints this contrast effectively, not only through the Green and Automatic material, but even through more recent material -- the new song "Bad Day" and the 2001 revamp of "All the Right Friends" (contrary to Bucks claim in the liners that the band did cut this for IRS; it even appeared as a bonus track to a European reissue of Dead Letter Office). Both are built on a swirling, jangling folk-rock guitar line, propulsive rhythms, intertwined vocal harmonies, and urgent vocals from Stipe. In other words, they sound like classic R.E.M., and they should -- they date from the 80s and bear co-writing credits with Berry. Unfortunately, they sound much fresher than the other new song, the overly fussy "Animal," which is the problem with In Time in a nutshell: the two phases of R.E.M.s career dont sit well together, but here, theyre given close to equal space. R.E.M. the quartet does get more time than R.E.M. the trio, and the latter did produce some really nice tracks, which are chronicled here: "The Great Beyond" is a minor masterpiece, "All the Way to Reno" is the best of their faux-lounge phase, and "Imitation of Life" and "Daysleeper" are good classicist R.E.M. Still, the immaculate production of Pat McCarthys work with Buck, Mills, and Stipe has a denser, heavier, more laborious feel than Scott Litts work with Berry, Buck, Mills, and Stipe, and the two not only dont fit together, the oddity of the pairing points out that there are a number of missing singles -- a full 17, if international releases and radio-only hits are counted (and, given the nature of 90s rock, they do count). And these arent minor songs, either; theyre modern rock radio staples: "Pop Song 89," "Texarkana," "Drive," "Ignoreland," "Bang and Blame," "Strange Currencies," "Crush With Eyeliner," "Bittersweet Me," and "Shiny Happy People," the latter of which is roundly hated by the band yet nevertheless should be on a hits compilation for the sake of completeness. Of course, not all the songs could fit on a mere 18-track compilation -- and if they went for a double-disc set, theyd be better off with a career-spanning set -- but the song selection leaves something to be desired, even if it does present a reasonably accurate portrait of R.E.M. the adult alternative pop band, and it certainly does point out the inconsistencies of the bands Warner work. So, in that sense, In Time is an effective collection, but it also remains a little disappointing since it not only could have been done better, but by its very nature, this compilation cant help but point out the creative cul-de-sac R.E.M. found themselves in at the end of their Warner career. Its not the fate that anyone would have predicted in 1988. [Initial pressings of In Time carried a misprint on their spines that billed the collection as the best of 1998-2003, which could be seen as a revealing Freudian slip, in a way.] | ||
 | Album: 22 of 32 Title: Around the Sun Released: 2004-10-04 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Leaving New York (04:49) 2 Electron Blue (04:12) 3 The Outsiders (04:14) 4 Make It All Okay (03:44) 5 Final Straw (04:07) 6 I Wanted to Be Wrong (04:35) 7 Wanderlust (03:03) 8 Boy in the Well (05:22) 9 Aftermath (03:53) 10 High Speed Train (05:03) 11 The Worst Joke Ever (03:38) 12 The Ascent of Man (04:07) 13 Around the Sun (04:28) |
| Around the Sun : Allmusic album Review : Ten years after the commercial zenith of Monster and seven years after the departure of linchpin Bill Berry, R.E.M. have never seemed as directionless as they do on their 13th album, Around the Sun. To a certain extent, R.E.M. have seemed unsure ever since Monster -- sporadically brilliant as it is, New Adventures in Hi-Fi was an effort to clear the decks and redefine the band in the wake of its breakthrough to superstar status. It pointed in a few directions the group could follow, but Berry left the band before they could follow those paths, leaving Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe at a bit of a loss on what to do next. They initially responded with the overly experimental, overly serious Up in 1998, which gave way to the classicist Reveal in 2001. While these two records were of a piece -- heavy on keyboards, containing far more deliberate performances than anything recorded with Berry -- they had different characters and feels, which was not unusual for R.E.M.; since the careening, ragged Reckoning followed the hazy, dreamlike Murmur, each album had an element of a surprise, offering something different than what came before. Thats not the case with Around the Sun, which refines and polishes the blueprint of Reveal to the point that Q-Tips rap on "The Outsiders" fades into the background as if it were another overdubbed keyboard or acoustic guitar. This is as slow and ballad-heavy as Automatic for the People, but where that album was filled with raw emotion and weird detours, Around the Sun is tasteful and streamlined, from its fussy production to its somber songwriting. Automatic may have been obsessed with death and regret, but it was empathetic and comforting. In contrast, Around the Sun offers no weighty themes -- it dabbles in politics and relationships, but the lyrics never seem to mesh with the music -- and its emotionally removed, keeping listeners at a considerable distance. Here, R.E.M. write songs like craftsmen without distinction -- the songs are sturdily constructed but bland, lacking musical and lyrical hooks. The band sound as if they were going through the motions, hoping to save the tunes in the mix. With their layered, low-key production, R.E.M. seem hell-bent on leaving behind anything that could be construed as their signature sound, so keyboards and drum machines are pushed to the front as Bucks guitar strums instead of jangles and Mills background vocals are buried in the mix under Stipes double-tracked harmonies. Change is all well and good, but this doesnt feel like organic change; it feels like the end result of too many hours in the studio tinkering with synthesizers and overdubs, resulting in a record as studiously serious as Wilco but as radio-friendly as U2. By straddling these two extremes, R.E.M. wind up with a record thats neither fish nor fowl -- all the quirks in the production have been sanded down and glossed over so it can slip right onto adult alternative rock airwaves, but its too insular, too overthought to appeal to either a wide audience or R.E.M.s dwindling cult following. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 32 Title: iTunes Originals: R.E.M. Released: 2004-12-28 Tracks: 30 Duration: 1:22:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Itunes Originals (00:06) 2 Everybody Hurts (05:18) 3 The Beginning (01:41) 4 Permanent Vacation (02:27) 5 The Cause and Effect of Pageant (02:34) 6 These Days (03:24) 7 The Biggest College Band in the World (01:18) 8 Exhuming McCarthy (03:10) 9 Bubblegum Pop (00:58) 10 Stand (03:11) 11 Reaching Clarity in Lyric Writing (01:27) 12 World Leader Pretend (04:18) 13 The Biggest Surprise Hit (01:01) 14 Losing My Religion (04:27) 15 Monster (00:54) 16 Bang and Blame (05:29) 17 The Dark Horse Favorite Album (00:56) 18 E-Bow the Letter (05:24) 19 The Impact of Bill Berry Leaving the Band (02:15) 20 At My Most Beautiful (03:35) 21 A Song That Should Have Been a Hit (00:43) 22 Ive Been High (03:24) 23 Coming Full Circle (02:34) 24 Final Straw (04:06) 25 The Two Most Political Songs on the Record (01:39) 26 I Wanted to Be Wrong (04:46) 27 Inside "The Outsiders" (01:00) 28 The Outsiders (04:14) 29 A Profound Love of Music (01:10) 30 The Boy in the Well (05:07) |
 | Album: 24 of 32 Title: And I Feel Fine… The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987 Released: 2006-09-11 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:18:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Begin the Begin (03:28) 2 Radio Free Europe (04:05) 3 Pretty Persuasion (03:51) 4 Talk About the Passion (03:22) 5 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (04:33) 6 Sitting Still (03:18) 7 Gardening at Night (03:30) 8 7 Chinese Bros. (04:15) 9 So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) (03:15) 10 Driver 8 (03:23) 11 Can’t Get There From Here (03:40) 12 Finest Worksong (03:50) 13 Feeling Gravity’s Pull (04:51) 14 I Believe (03:49) 15 Life and How to Live It (04:08) 16 Cuyahoga (04:21) 17 The One I Love (03:17) 18 Welcome to the Occupation (02:47) 19 Fall on Me (02:50) 20 Perfect Circle (03:30) 21 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (04:05) |
 | Album: 25 of 32 Title: Accelerate Released: 2008-03-28 Tracks: 11 Duration: 34:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Living Well Is the Best Revenge (03:11) 2 Man‐Sized Wreath (02:33) 3 Supernatural Superserious (03:23) 4 Hollow Man (02:39) 5 Houston (02:05) 6 Accelerate (03:33) 7 Until the Day Is Done (04:08) 8 Mr. Richards (03:46) 9 Sing for the Submarine (04:50) 10 Horse to Water (02:18) 11 I’m Gonna DJ (02:07) |
| Accelerate : Allmusic album Review : For years, R.E.M. promised that their next album would be a rocker, an oath to fans that perhaps made sense during the early 90s, when they were exploring the pastoral fields of Out of Time and the gloomy folk of Automatic for the People, but in the years after Bill Berrys 1997 departure, the desire of longtime fans for the group to rock again was merely a code word for the wish that R.E.M. would sound like a band again. Apart from a few fleeting moments -- "The Great Beyond," their "Man in the Moon" re-write for the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic, Man in the Moon; "Bad Day," a mid-80s outtake revived for a greatest-hits album -- R.E.M. not only didnt sound like a band, but they seemed at odds with themselves and their very strengths, culminating in the amorphous, mummified Around the Sun, a record so polished and overworked it didnt sound a bit like R.E.M., not even like the art-pop outfit the band turned into after Berrys retirement. It was a situation so dire that the band recognized the need for corrective steering, so they stripped themselves down to bare-bones for 2008s Accelerate. In every way Accelerate is the opposite of Around the Sun: at 36 minutes, its defiantly lean, its heavy on Peter Bucks guitars and Mike Mills backing vocals, its songs dont drift, they attack. Even the songs constructed on acoustics feel like theyre rockers, maybe because they hearken back to the eerie, ramshackle grace of "Swan Swan H" whose riff echoes through both "Houston" and "Until the Day Is Done." This is not the only time that R.E.M. deliberately refers to the past on Accelerate, but reverential self-reference is the whole idea of this project: theyre embracing their past, building upon the legacy and the very sound of such underground rock landmarks as Lifes Rich Pageant and Document. Not that this album could be mistaken for an exhumed classic from the 80s: Michael Stipes lyrics are forthright and never elliptical, and the same could be said about the music, as its sonically streamlined and precise, hallmarks of a veteran band. One of the benefits of being veterans is knowing how to create a record this focused, and Accelerate benefits greatly from its concentrated blast of guitars, as the brevity of the album makes R.E.M. seem vital even as theyre dredging up the past. By no longer denying the jangle and pop that provided a foundation for the groups success, they sound like a band again. Such praise dangerously threatens to oversell Accelerate, however, suggesting that the album has either the unearthly mystique of Murmur or the ragged enthusiasm of Reckoning when it has neither. This is a careful, studied album from a band that knew they were on the brink of losing their audience and, worse, their identity. Accelerate finds R.E.M. attempting to reconnect with their music, with what made them play rock & roll in the first place, instead of methodically resurrecting a faded myth. They reconnect handsomely, creating an album the can stand next to work from their peers, like Dinosaur Jr.s exceptional comeback Beyond and Sonic Youths casually vital Rather Ripped (whose "Incinerate" reverberates in the dissonant open-ended "Accelerate"). As comebacks go, thats relatively modest, but the very modesty of Accelerate is what makes it such a successful rebirth as R.E.M. no longer denies what they were or what they are, and, in doing so, they offer a glimpse of what they could be once again. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 32 Title: Green / Monster Released: 2008-09-05 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:30:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pop Song 89 (03:04) 2 Get Up (02:41) 3 You Are the Everything (03:44) 4 Stand (03:12) 5 World Leader Pretend (04:19) 6 The Wrong Child (03:38) 7 Orange Crush (03:52) 8 Turn You Inside‐Out (04:17) 9 Hairshirt (03:55) 10 I Remember California (05:03) 11 [untitled] (03:09) 1 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? (04:00) 2 Crush With Eyeliner (04:38) 3 King of Comedy (03:41) 4 I Don’t Sleep, I Dream (03:28) 5 Star 69 (03:08) 6 Strange Currencies (03:53) 7 Tongue (04:13) 8 Bang and Blame (05:30) 9 I Took Your Name (04:03) 10 Let Me In (03:28) 11 Circus Envy (04:15) 12 You (04:54) |
| Green / Monster : Allmusic album Review : This two-fer from Warner Bros. features a pair of R.E.M. LPs: Green and Monster originally issued on Elektra in 1988 and 1994 respectively. Among the 23 songs are the hits "Stand," "Pop Song 89," "Whats the Frequency, Kenneth?" and "Crush with Eyeliner." Most casual listeners would be better served by the 21-track collection And I Feel Fine...: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 32 Title: Collapse Into Now Released: 2011-03-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Discoverer (03:31) 2 All the Best (02:46) 3 Überlin (04:15) 4 Oh My Heart (03:21) 5 It Happened Today (03:49) 6 Every Day Is Yours to Win (03:26) 7 Mine Smell Like Honey (03:13) 8 Walk It Back (03:24) 9 Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter (02:45) 10 That Someone Is You (01:44) 11 Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I (03:04) 12 Blue (05:46) |
| Collapse Into Now : Allmusic album Review : Righting themselves via their long-awaited return to rock Accelerate, R.E.M. regrouped and rediscovered their core strengths as a band, strengths they build upon on its 2011 sequel, Collapse into Now. Cautiously moving forward from Accelerate’s Lifes Rich Pageant blueprint, R.E.M. steer themselves toward the pastoral, acoustic moments of Out of Time and Automatic for the People without quite leaving behind the tight, punchy rockers that fueled Accelerate’s race to the end zone. This broadening of the palette is as deliberate as Accelerate’s reduction of R.E.M. to ringing Rickenbackers, and while it occasionally feels as if the bandmembers sifted through their past to find appropriate blueprints for new songs, there is merit to their madness. R.E.M. embrace their past to the extent that they disdain the modern, reveling in their comfortable middle age even if they sometimes slip into geezerhood, with Michael Stipe spending more than one song wondering about kids these days. He’s not griping; he’s merely accepting his age, which is kind of what R.E.M. do as a band here, too. Over a tight 41 minutes, they touch upon all the hallmarks from when Bill Berry still anchored the band, perhaps easing up on the jangle but devoting plenty of space to rough-hewn acoustics and mandolin, rushing rock & roll, and wide-open, eerie mood pieces that sound like rewrites of “E-Bow the Letter.” Any slight element of recycling is offset by craft so skilled it almost seems casual. This may impart a lack of urgency to Collapse into Now but it also means that it delivers R.E.M. sounding like R.E.M., something that has been in short supply since the departure of Berry. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 32 Title: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982–2011 Released: 2011-11-11 Tracks: 40 Duration: 2:32:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gardening at Night (03:29) 2 Radio Free Europe (04:05) 3 Talk About the Passion (03:20) 4 Sitting Still (03:17) 5 So. Central Rain (03:14) 6 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (04:32) 7 Driver 8 (03:24) 8 Life and How to Live It (04:07) 9 Begin the Begin (03:28) 10 Fall on Me (02:51) 11 Finest Worksong (03:49) 12 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (04:07) 13 The One I Love (03:17) 14 Stand (03:11) 15 Pop Song 89 (03:05) 16 Get Up (02:39) 17 Orange Crush (03:52) 18 Losing My Religion (04:28) 19 Country Feedback (04:09) 20 Shiny Happy People (03:46) 21 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (04:08) 1 Everybody Hurts (05:18) 2 Man on the Moon (05:14) 3 Nightswimming (04:17) 4 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? (04:01) 5 New Test Leper (05:24) 6 Electrolite (04:05) 7 At My Most Beautiful (03:33) 8 The Great Beyond (05:07) 9 Imitation of Life (03:57) 10 Bad Day (04:05) 11 Leaving New York (04:49) 12 Living Well Is the Best Revenge (03:12) 13 Supernatural Superserious (03:24) 14 Überlin (04:14) 15 Oh My Heart (03:20) 16 Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter (02:44) 17 A Month of Saturdays (01:40) 18 We All Go Back to Where We Belong (03:35) 19 Hallelujah (03:41) |
| Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982–2011 : Allmusic album Review : R.E.M. close out their Warner contract -- not to mention their entire career -- with the double-disc Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage, their first compilation to combine early recordings from their time at IRS with their major-label hits for Warner. Its misleading to look at these as merely two separate eras, as it more accurately breaks down into a three-act structure: the IRS years when R.E.M. were the kings of college rock; the stretch between 1988-1995 when they were international superstars; and then the slow decline of 1998-2011, the years after Bill Berry, the years when Peter Buck, Michael Stipe, and Mike Mills tried to redefine the group as a trio before finally realizing theyd said all they could say. Part Lies gives equal time to each act -- there are 13 songs from IRS, 14 from the golden years at Warner, 13 from the trio years (including a revival of the mid-80s outtake "Bad Day," which feels like a slight stretch) -- an eminently fair move that tells the story while slightly obscuring the import of the tale. Inevitably, the jangle pop and murk of the 80s are downplayed -- "Cant Get There from Here," "Pretty Persuasion," "Feeling Gravitys Pull" are missing -- in favor of a heavy dose of new millennial material, including three songs from 2011s respectable Collapse into Now and three perfectly fine new songs, which means the last ten or so cuts are songs that fairweather fans of either the 80s or 90s just wont care much about or possibly even know. Nevertheless, this last act is shown in a good light -- the benefit of a comp is that its totally possible, even welcome, to downplay dull lapses like Around the Sun -- and, when combined with well-chosen highlights from the bands powerful first two acts, adds up to a thorough narrative of R.E.M.s entire career. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 32 Title: Original Album Series Released: 2013-02-11 Tracks: 62 Duration: 4:09:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Airportman (04:13) 2 Lotus (04:31) 3 Suspicion (05:37) 4 Hope (05:01) 5 At My Most Beautiful (03:35) 6 The Apologist (04:29) 7 Sad Professor (04:03) 8 You’re in the Air (05:23) 9 Walk Unafraid (04:33) 10 Why Not Smile (04:02) 11 Daysleeper (03:39) 12 Diminished / I’m Not Over You (06:00) 13 Parakeet (04:12) 14 Falls to Climb (05:06) 1 The Lifting (04:39) 2 I’ve Been High (03:26) 3 All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star) (04:44) 4 She Just Wants to Be (05:22) 5 Disappear (04:10) 6 Saturn Return (04:54) 7 Beat a Drum (04:20) 8 Imitation of Life (03:57) 9 Summer Turns to High (03:31) 10 Chorus and the Ring (04:31) 11 I’ll Take the Rain (05:51) 12 Beachball (04:13) 1 Leaving New York (04:49) 2 Electron Blue (04:12) 3 The Outsiders (04:14) 4 Make It All Okay (03:44) 5 Final Straw (04:07) 6 I Wanted to Be Wrong (04:35) 7 Wanderlust (03:03) 8 Boy in the Well (05:22) 9 Aftermath (03:53) 10 High Speed Train (05:03) 11 The Worst Joke Ever (03:38) 12 The Ascent of Man (04:07) 13 Around the Sun (04:28) 1 Living Well Is the Best Revenge (03:11) 2 Man‐Sized Wreath (02:33) 3 Supernatural Superserious (03:23) 4 Hollow Man (02:39) 5 Houston (02:05) 6 Accelerate (03:33) 7 Until the Day Is Done (04:08) 8 Mr. Richards (03:46) 9 Sing for the Submarine (04:50) 10 Horse to Water (02:18) 11 I’m Gonna DJ (02:07) 1 Discoverer (03:31) 2 All the Best (02:46) 3 Überlin (04:15) 4 Oh My Heart (03:21) 5 It Happened Today (03:49) 6 Every Day Is Yours to Win (03:26) 7 Mine Smell Like Honey (03:13) 8 Walk It Back (03:24) 9 Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter (02:45) 10 That Someone Is You (01:44) 11 Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I (03:04) 12 Blue (05:46) |
| Original Album Series : Allmusic album Review : 2013’s Original Album Series offers five R.E.M. albums from the latter part of their career -- 1998 to 2011 -- for a budget price. Packaging is basic to save costs, with each album in a paper sleeve that replicates the artwork. While Up, Reveal, Around the Sun, Accelerate, and Collapse arent the bands most essential albums, this is a quick and cheap way for casual fans to get up to speed. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 32 Title: Complete Warner Bros. Rarities 1988–2011 Released: 2014-05-16 Tracks: 131 Duration: 8:27:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Funtime (live) (02:14) 2 Ghost Riders (03:47) 3 Dark Globe (01:52) 4 Pop Song 89 (acoustic version) (02:57) 5 Memphis Train Blues (01:39) 6 Skin Tight (live, Orlando, Florida 1989‐04‐30) (02:02) 7 Losing My Religion (acoustic live at KFOG) (04:44) 8 Losing My Religion (live in Dublin 2005) (04:53) 9 Rotary Eleven (02:32) 10 You Are the Everything (live Greensboro Coliseum, NC 11/10/1989) (04:43) 11 Love Is All Around (live) (03:13) 12 Shiny Happy People (Dance to the Music mix) (04:44) 13 Shiny Happy People (Pop mix) (04:04) 14 Shiny Happy People (Hip mix) (03:36) 15 It’s a Free World Baby (05:12) 16 Winged Mammal Theme (02:55) 17 First We Take Manhattan (06:04) 18 Everybody Hurts (album fade) (04:58) 19 Mandolin Strum (03:45) 20 Orange Crush (live version) (01:52) 21 Man on the Moon (album edit) (04:44) 22 Arms of Love (03:32) 23 World Leader Pretend (live Charleston WV 4/28/91) (05:16) 24 Belong (live Charleston WV 4/28/91) (04:40) 25 Low (live Charleston WV 4/28/91) (04:59) 26 The Lion Sleeps Tonight (02:41) 27 Fretless (04:49) 28 Everybody Hurts (live 9/2/93 L.A. MTV video awards) (05:33) 29 Orange Crush (instrumental) (03:48) 30 Fall on Me (live) (03:23) 31 Me in Honey (live) (04:16) 32 Finest Worksong (live) (04:11) 33 Drive (live 1992) (04:16) 34 Funtime (live 1992) (02:16) 35 Radio Free Europe (live 1992) (04:43) 36 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth (live at SNL 11/12/94) (04:06) 37 Bang and Blame (live at SNL 11/12/94) (04:54) 38 I Dont Sleep, I Dream (live at SNL 11/12/94) (03:49) 39 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth (radio version) (03:59) 40 Monty Got a Raw Deal (live) (04:22) 41 Everybody Hurts (live Athens GA 92) (05:41) 42 Man on the Moon (live Athens GA 92) (05:22) 43 Bang and Blame (album version without between track noise) (04:52) 44 Losing My Religion (live Athens 1992 applause faded) (04:42) 45 Country Feedback (live Athens 1992 applause faded) (04:18) 46 Begin the Begin (live Athens 1992) (03:47) 47 Undertow (live) (05:04) 48 Wichite Lineman (live) (03:18) 49 New Test Leper (live acoustic) (05:28) 50 Tricycle (01:57) 51 Departure (live – Rome soundcheck) (03:33) 52 Wall of Death (03:07) 53 The Wake Up Bomb (live version Atlanta) (05:07) 54 Binky the Doormat (live version Atlanta) (05:02) 55 King of Comedy (808 State remix) (05:36) 56 Be Mine (Mike on Bus version) (04:53) 57 Love Is All Around (03:03) 58 Sponge (04:05) 59 Emphysema (04:22) 60 Sad Professor (live in the studio) (03:59) 61 Why Not Smile (Oxford American version) (03:00) 62 Surfing the Ganges (LP version) (02:27) 63 Suspicion (live in studio version) (05:39) 64 Lotus (Weird mix) (04:33) 65 Electrolite (live from Jools Holland) (03:58) 66 Man on the Moon (live from Jools Holland) (05:14) 67 Suspicion (live at Ealing Studios) (05:27) 68 At My Most Beautiful (radio remix) (03:33) 69 Passenger (recorded from Later with Jools Holland) (07:11) 70 Country Feedback (recorded from Later with Jools Holland) (06:50) 71 So. Central Rain (live from Later) (04:03) 72 The Great Beyond (04:14) 73 The One I Love (live from Glastonbury Festival) (03:10) 74 Everybody Hurts (live from Glastonbury Festival) (06:20) 75 Man on the Moon (live from Glastonbury Festival) (05:24) 76 Yellow River (02:34) 77 165 Hillcrest (01:34) 78 Imitation of Life (live from Trafalger Square) (03:53) 79 Summer Turns to High (32 Chord Song demo) (03:10) 80 I’ve Been High (live video version Channel V Sydney) (03:16) 81 The Lifting (original version) (05:20) 82 Beat a Drum (Dalkey demo) (04:26) 83 2JN (03:26) 84 Favorite Writer (02:56) 85 Out in the Country (03:22) 86 Adagio (unused tune) (03:29) 87 Turn You Inside‐Out (live version) (04:16) 88 Chance (dub) (02:34) 89 Drive (live version 1994) (04:00) 90 Star Me Kitten (03:31) 91 Revolution (03:05) 92 Leave (alternate version) (04:42) 93 The Lifting (demo) (05:20) 94 The One I Love (live version MMM Sydney) (03:24) 95 Maps and Legends (live rehearsal version) (03:18) 96 Tongue (live rehearsal version) (03:51) 97 Little America (live rehearsal version) (02:59) 98 South Central Rain (live rehearsal version) (03:28) 99 Imitation of Life (live rehearsal version) (03:50) 100 So Fast, So Numb (live Athens rehearsal sessions 2004) (03:52) 101 All the Right Friends (live Athens rehearsal sessions 2004) (02:50) 102 Animal (new mix) (03:55) 103 Pretty Persuasion (live NYC 2003) (04:01) 104 Welcome to the Occupation (live NYC 2003) (02:45) 105 You Are the Everything (live Raleigh, NC Oct. 10, 2003) (03:30) 106 These Days (live Toronto – Sept. 30,2003) (03:27) 107 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (live Oslo NRK P1 national radio – Oct. 25, 2003) (04:35) 108 Wanderlust (live Santa Barbara, CA 2004) (03:03) 109 Sweetness Follows (live – recorded in Cincinnati – Oct. 27,2004) (04:03) 110 Horse to Water (live in Vancouver) (02:36) 111 Indian Summer (05:01) 112 Living Well Is the Best Revenge (live in London) (03:15) 113 Auctioneer (live in London) (02:46) 114 Hollow Man (live in London) (02:44) 115 Supernatural Superserious (live in London) (03:22) 116 Fall on Me (live in London) (02:48) 117 West of the Fields (live in London) (03:13) 118 Horse to Water (live in London) (02:18) 119 Man‐Sized Wreath (live in London) (02:35) 120 Man on the Moon (live in London) (04:53) 121 Mr. Richards (Vancouver) (03:54) 122 Living Well Jesus Dog (04:21) 123 Airliner (02:21) 124 Redhead Walking (02:11) 125 Houston (iTunes live from London) (02:18) 126 Harborcoat (live at the Olympia) (04:13) 127 Letter Never Sent (live at the Olympia) (03:17) 128 Second Guessing (live at the Olympia) (02:55) 129 Pretty Persuasion (live at the Olympia) (04:26) 130 NOLA—4/26/10 (02:53) 131 That Someone Is You (live in the studio) (01:45) |
 | Album: 31 of 32 Title: Complete Rarities - I.R.S. 1982–1987 Released: 2014-05-19 Tracks: 50 Duration: 2:45:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Free Europe (original Hib-Tone single) (03:48) 2 Sitting Still (original Hib-Tone single) (03:16) 3 White Tornado (01:56) 4 Gardening at Night (Different vocal mix) (03:30) 5 Gardening at Night (acoustic) (03:54) 6 All the Right Friends (live in studio) (03:54) 7 Moon River (02:21) 8 Pretty Persuasion (live in studio) (04:02) 9 There She Goes Again (live in studio) (02:49) 10 Tighten Up (live in studio) (04:09) 11 Ages of You (live) (03:48) 12 We Walk (live) (03:17) 13 1,000,000 (live) (03:26) 14 Gardening at Night (Electric demo) (04:44) 15 Just a Touch (live in studio) (02:38) 16 King of the Road (live in studio) (03:14) 17 Pale Blue Eyes (live in studio) (02:54) 18 Voice of Harold (04:25) 19 Walter’s Theme (live in studio) (01:32) 20 White Tornado (live in studio) (01:52) 21 Wind Out (01:59) 22 Wind Out (with Friends) (live in studio) (02:00) 23 9-9 (live) (03:06) 24 Gardening at Night (live) (03:48) 25 Catapult (live) (04:03) 26 Ages of You (03:39) 27 Bandwagon (02:12) 28 Burning Down (03:59) 29 Burning Hell (03:49) 30 Crazy (03:03) 31 Driver 8 (live) (03:30) 32 Bad Day (03:03) 33 Femme Fatale (live in studio) (02:50) 34 Hyena (demo) (02:49) 35 Mystery to Me (demo) (02:01) 36 Rotary Ten (02:01) 37 Theme From Two Steps Onward (demo) (04:37) 38 Tired of Singing Trouble (00:59) 39 Toys in the Attic (02:28) 40 Romance (03:27) 41 Last Date (02:16) 42 Finest Worksong (Lengthy club mix) (05:52) 43 Finest Worksong (Mutual Drum Horn mix) (03:51) 44 Finest Worksong (Other mix) (03:46) 45 Maps and Legends (live) (03:16) 46 Disturbance at the Heron House (live) (03:26) 47 The One I Love (live) (04:06) 48 Swan Swan H (acoustic) (02:42) 49 (All I Have to Do Is) Dream (02:38) 50 Time After Time, Etc. (live) (08:22) |
 | Album: 32 of 32 Title: R.E.M. at the BBC Released: 2018-10-19 Tracks: 104 Duration: 7:29:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 World Leader Pretend (live from Into the Night on BBC Radio 1 / 1991) (04:39) 2 Fretless (live from Into the Night on BBC Radio 1 / 1991) (05:18) 3 Half a World Away (live from Into the Night on BBC Radio 1 / 1991) (03:36) 4 Radio Song (live from Into the Night on BBC Radio 1 / 1991) (04:08) 5 Losing My Religion (live from Into the Night on BBC Radio 1 / 1991) (04:45) 6 Love Is All Around (live from Into the Night on BBC Radio 1 / 1991) (03:12) 7 Walk Unafraid (live from John Peel studio session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:06) 8 Daysleeper (live from John Peel studio session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (03:19) 9 Lotus (live from John Peel studio session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:15) 10 At My Most Beautiful (live from John Peel studio session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (03:19) 11 Bad Day (live from Mark and Lard on BBC Radio 1 / 2003) (04:05) 12 Orange Crush (live from Mark and Lard on BBC Radio 1 / 2003) (03:58) 13 Man on the Moon (live from Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 / 2003) (05:02) 14 Imitation of Life (live from Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 / 2003) (03:44) 15 Supernatural Superserious (live from BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge / 2008) (03:25) 16 Munich (live from BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge / 2008) (03:18) 1 Introduction (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (00:26) 2 Losing My Religion (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:44) 3 New Test Leper (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (05:53) 4 Lotus (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:48) 5 Parakeet (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:23) 6 Electrolite (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:23) 7 Perfect Circle (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:39) 8 The Apologist (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:40) 9 Band Introductions (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (01:04) 10 Daysleeper (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:44) 11 Country Feedback (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (07:23) 12 At My Most Beautiful (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:14) 13 Walk Unafraid (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (04:52) 14 Man on the Moon (live from John Peel public session on BBC Radio 1 / 1998) (06:11) 1 Second Guessing (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (02:57) 2 Hyena (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (02:57) 3 Talk About the Passion (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (03:04) 4 West of the Fields (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (03:07) 5 (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (04:29) 6 Auctioneer (Another Engine) (03:01) 7 So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) (04:51) 8 Old Man Kensey (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (04:24) 9 Gardening at Night (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (03:26) 10 9‐9 / Hey Diddle Diddle / Feeling Gravitys Pull (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (05:39) 11 Windout (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (01:49) 12 Driver 8 (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (03:25) 13 Pretty Persuasion (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (03:33) 14 Radio Free Europe (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (03:49) 15 Wendell Gee (live from Rock City, Nottingham / 1984) (03:21) 16 Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) (04:47) 1 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:54) 2 Crush With Eyeliner (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:42) 3 Drive (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:51) 4 Turn You Inside Out (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:17) 5 Try Not to Breathe (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:50) 6 I Took Your Name (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:15) 7 Undertow (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (05:16) 8 Bang and Blame (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:58) 9 I Don’t Sleep I Dream (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:14) 10 Strange Currencies (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:31) 11 Revolution (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:20) 12 Tongue (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:38) 1 Man on the Moon (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (05:46) 2 Country Feedback (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (06:50) 3 Half a World Away (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:04) 4 Losing My Religion (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:54) 5 Pop Song 89 (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:27) 6 Finest Worksong (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:48) 7 Get Up (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (02:54) 8 Star 69 (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (04:00) 9 Let Me In (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:59) 10 Everybody Hurts (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (07:24) 11 Fall on Me (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:11) 12 Departure (live from the National Bowl, Milton Keynes / 1995) (03:52) 13 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (05:15) 1 Lotus (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:36) 2 What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:09) 3 So Fast, So Numb (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:47) 4 The Apologist (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:36) 5 Fall on Me (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:26) 6 Daysleeper (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:29) 7 The Wake‐Up Bomb (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (05:01) 8 The One I Love (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:27) 9 Sweetness Follows (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (05:50) 10 At My Most Beautiful (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:37) 1 Losing My Religion (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (05:24) 2 Everybody Hurts (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (06:47) 3 Walk Unafraid (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:17) 4 Star 69 (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:04) 5 Finest Worksong (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:22) 6 Man on the Moon (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (05:43) 7 Why Not Smile (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (02:10) 8 Crush With Eyeliner (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:40) 9 Tongue (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (05:19) 10 Cuyahoga (live from Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:37) 11 It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) (06:58) 1 Intro (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (00:47) 2 So Fast, So Numb (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (05:13) 3 Boy in the Well (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (05:20) 4 I Wanted to Be Wrong (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (05:19) 5 E‐Bow the Letter (05:09) 6 Around the Sun (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (05:02) 7 Aftermath (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (03:58) 8 Losing My Religion (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (04:47) 9 Walk Unafraid (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (05:10) 10 Leaving New York (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (04:48) 11 Imitation of Life (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (04:35) 12 Man on the Moon (live from St. James’s Church, London / 2004) (05:34) |