R.E.M. 1980-2011??

[Moss]

Those first 5 albums (plus Chronic town) had such a huge place in my life. Saw them several times starting with the Fables tour. But it was probably time.

[DrNo]

I will always have a soft spot for Automatic and Monster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWkMhCLkVOg&ob=av3n

 

People always seem to hate on Monster but I still think it's a pretty interesting record. "Strange Currencies" is one of my favorite REM songs.

[Analogman]

 

People always seem to hate on Monster but I still think it's a pretty interesting record. "Strange Currencies" is one of my favorite REM songs.

 

That's about the only song I really care for on that album. I think that may have been one of last cassettes I bought.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Soemone asked about the IRS records, get the out of print MFSL remasters of murmur and reckoning. $30 or so on amazon but well worth it. All of the current remasters are too loud IMO.

 

Seconded. I didn't buy the recent Murmur reissue, but I bought Reckoning, and while it's fine, it's a little loud and not much of an improvement, if at all, over the "I.R.S. Years" version I already had. (These guys have done a TON of reissues, when you think about it...)

 

The Murmur MFSL gold disc is outstanding and well worth $30, which is probably what I paid for it when it came out in 1994 or so.

[TLF18]

i might be the only one who just doesn't get Automatic. sure, some good stuff, i dont HATE it. but just find it way overrated.

 

i love the first 5 albums, so in general that mid/late mellow style just never worked for me. but i did love Collapse Into Now.

 

but yes: person who said they might need to check out the pre-automatic stuff.... ABSOLUTELY!

[jakobnicholas]

"Up" is my favorite post-Berry record. I think Stipe took Berry's leaving very hard and didn't know if/how to go on as R.E.M. The lyrics reflect that. The record is filled with lyrics and characters who are struggling, yet also is very hopeful. And musically, Buck and Mills really treaded into some new territory, usually in a fantastic way. I saw R.E.M. on the "Up" tour and it was fanastic.

 

"Reveal" is a bit under-rated...not great, but I think a very 'nice' summer record. "Around The Sun" is a bit of a trainwreck, though with many promising elements. "Accelerate" seemed forced to me. "Collapse Into Now" is very solid, though it still lacks the magic that has slowly dissolved over the past 15 years.

 

R.E.M. will likely always be my 2nd favorite band ever, behind the Beatles.

[choo-choo-charlie]

A buddy of mine wrote a post about this...interesting predictions about what they'll all do next.

 

http://joelfrancis.com/2011/09/22/rip-rem/

[Analogman]

I was looking at the Lifes Rich Pageant (the first R.E.M. album I ever bought) 25th anniversary reissue on Amazon. I see there are complaints about it being loud. That is a shame.

[maxspr1]

The Lifes Rich Pageant 25th anniversary was worth every penny to me for the set of demos on disc 2. The LRP demo set was the first bootleg i ever owned back in 1987 or so and I've always wanted a nice clean copy, so this was perfect! The 25th Anniversary version of fables is also very cool because of its set of demos on disc 2--it's like hearing Fables as if it were recorded during the Reckoning sessions--crisp and clean and classic jangly R.E.M.. If you'd rather not have the remastered reissued versions, the IRS Vintage series (black border across the top) are an excellent choice as they both have a few rare bonus tracks, some of which aren't available on cd elsewhere (or at least not available elsewhere very easily or cheaply). they're also not "too loud," if that's a problem for you.

[Analogman]

I never messed with those re-issues either. I may have to check those out at some point.

[D. Boon]

I remember hearing Reckoning for the first time as a young teen and it permanently changed my musical perspective. It was the first album I truly fell in love with. Lifes Rich Pageant came to define much of my high school career and I followed their every move up through New Adventures (A vastly under-rated effort, in my opinion).

 

I'll cop to losing interest in their later work. It just never caught me like their younger efforts. But that arc of albums from Murmur through Document have to stand as one of the best runs by any band, ever. Has any band ever had a freshman effort as strong as Murmur (putting aside the Chronic Town EP, which was damn good)?

[uncool2pillow]

I bought Fables when MTV was playing Can't Get There From Here. I was, maybe, 13 or so. I didn't get the sound at all and gave the cassette to my brother. Then Document really sold me. It was one of the CDs I learned to play guitar to. Saw them twice. Green and Monster tours. Both good shows.

[blureu]

This is kind of interesting. Suggestions for a Dead Letter 25yr anniv reissue:

 

http://theseconddisc.com/2011/09/23/reissue-theory-r-e-m-dead-letter-office-25th-anniversary-edition/

[Autumnteeth]

Where Wilco was able to change and get better, the loss of Bill Berry was like a knife to the heart. Some good stuff after he left, Think At My Most Beautiful is one of the best and mos heartfelt love songs ever written, Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe was the lineup that produced some of the greatest music of two decades. I think people owe them a huge debt of gratitude for paving the way for modern music. It is no coincidence Peter Buck brought Uncle Tupelo to his house to record MArch 16-23. I think he saw something of himself, and REM, in Uncle Tupelo, and gave them the cover to grow when they could have sold out. Thanks for 30 great years,

[howdjadoo]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rem-remembrances-31-chart-milestones-239394

[rhino4evr]

this is really for the better. The band hasn't put out anything extremely substantial in quite a while. I am sure we will see a reunion tour sometime down the road. It's not like they left on bad terms.

[Cold Captain]

I can still listen to Life's Rich Pageant and Document and a few other songs from later in their "middle period." But the old stuff sounds dated, especially Reckoning. And the newer stuff just didn't grab me.

[Oil Can Boyd]

Tracklist for REM's next greatest hits release out November 15.

 

R.E.M., Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011

Disc 1:

1. “Gardening At Night”

2. “Radio Free Europe”

3. “Talk About The Passion”

4. “Sitting Still”

5. “So. Central Rain”

6. “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville”

7. “Driver 8″

8. “Life And How To Live It”

9. “Begin The Begin”

10. “Fall On Me”

11. “Finest Worksong”

12. “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”

13. “The One I Love”

14. “Stand”

15. “Pop Song 89″

16. “Get Up”

17. “Orange Crush”

18. “Losing My Religion”

19. “Country Feedback”

20. “Shiny Happy People”

Disc 2:

1. “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”

2. “Everybody Hurts”

3. “Man On The Moon”

4. “Nightswimming”

5. “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?”

6. “New Test Leper”

7. “Electrolite”

8. “At My Most Beautiful”

9. “The Great Beyond”

10. “Imitation Of Life”

11. “Bad Day”

12. “Leaving New York”

13. “Living Well Is The Best Revenge”

14. “Supernatural Superserious”

15. “ÜBerlin”

16. “Oh My Heart”

17. “Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter”

18. “A Month of Saturdays” *

19. “We All Go Back To Where We Belong” *

20. “Hallelujah” *

* New songs

[jakobnicholas]

As a HUGE R.E.M. fan, I have zero interest in the new greatest hits discs. I'll likely pay $3 on iTunes for the new songs.

 

You all think there's any chance they might someday release another Dead Letter Office-type record? Peter Buck has said forever that they have tons of unreleased bits over the years. I'm envisioning songs that never made the cut, alternate versions of album songs, some of their amazing covers, musical bits that never had lyrics....etc.

[Oil Can Boyd]

As a HUGE R.E.M. fan, I have zero interest in the new greatest hits discs. I'll likely pay $3 on iTunes for the new songs.

Agreed. And I really really hope that “Hallelujah” is a new REM song and not a new REM cover of the Leonard Cohen song. Because the world does not need another cover of that song ...

[IRememberDBoon]

theres not much better in this world than Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight

[Doug]

Looks like they're mostly sticking to the singles for their Greatest Hits, compilation, which makes sense. But I'm still a bit surprised that "Bang and Blame" and "Daysleeper" didn't make the cut but non-singles "Alligator..." and "Sitting Still" made it. And do FOUR songs from Collapse Into Now belong on that thing, but only one song each from Monster and Up? Overall I'm pleased with the compilation and will buy it as soon as it's available. I'm a REM completist, and I've just gotta have those three new songs. Even if there were no new tunes I'd still buy the damn thing.

 

By the way, I came up with my own 40-song compilation a few days ago, and I was picking songs for what I thought would be a mix of singles, most recognizable songs, and just-too-damn-good-to-be-left-off-any-retrospective-compilation tracks. There's about 50% overlap. It's mind-boggling how many great songs these guys have written.

 

Add my name to the list of folks craving a REM rarities box set.

[u2roolz]

I have this deep feeling inside me that if and when R.E.M. tours again they will open up for or rather share a double bill with U2.

I know they camethisclose in 1997 in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome.

 

They can obviously tour again and have nobody open for them, but I feel like they come off as close enough friends that maybe now the time is kind of right.

[auctioneer69]

"As a HUGE R.E.M. fan, I have zero interest in the new greatest hits discs. I'll likely pay $3 on iTunes for the new songs."

 

Agreed too. I can understand why the record company is doing it but it seems like a completely worthless exercise. I am hoping that we get a limited edition with a free live CD. Would love a "Pageantry" show or something from the tour in 2008.

 

As a complete aside I just got the Soft Boys "Underwater Moonlight". Absolutely brilliant. As a 25 year-long REM fan album I'm amazed didn't get this years ago.

[Analogman]

There are sorts of R.E.M. shows popping up on Dime a Doze these days. There was even an unreleased live album from 1984 posted the other day.