I'm now listening to their new compilation of stuff from the IRS era. Some of these songs are incredible...really Good! (Listening now is the early version of All The Right Friends...)

It's curious, but the first REM album i bought was Life's rich pageant...and it's still my favorite!

Opinions?

new compilation?

MikeMatronik said:

I'm a pretty huge REM fan, but I think my opinion goes against the grain of many... the Warner Bros years are their pinnacle. My favorite REM albums are Automatic For the People, New Adventures in HiFi, Monster, and Reckoning. Obviously, Reckoning is from IRS, but the other 3 aren't, and if you expanded my ranking, there would be more Warners-era album above the IRS ones.

Automatic and New Adventures are just head-and-shoulders above everything else, though. Automatic is probably the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life, and I love the schitzo-ness of New Adventures.

It's called "And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987"

Here's the tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. "Begin the Begin" (from Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986) – 3:29
2. "Radio Free Europe" (from Murmur, 1983) – 4:06
3. "Pretty Persuasion" (from Reckoning, 1984) – 3:51
4. "Talk About the Passion" (from Murmur, 1983) – 3:22
5. "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" (Single version) (from single, 1984) – 4:33
6. "Sitting Still" (from Murmur, 1983) – 3:18
7. "Gardening at Night" (from Chronic Town, 1982) – 3:29
8. "7 Chinese Bros." (from Reckoning, 1984) – 4:15
9. "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" (from Reckoning, 1984) – 3:15
10. "Driver 8" (from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985) – 3:23
11. "Cant Get There From Here" (Single version) (from single, 1985) – 3:39
12. "Finest Worksong" (from Document, 1987) – 3:48
13. "Feeling Gravitys Pull" (from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985) – 4:51
14. "I Believe" (from Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986) – 3:49
15. "Life and How To Live It" (from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985) – 4:08
16. "Cuyahoga" (from Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986) – 4:21
17. "The One I Love" (from Document, 1987) – 3:17
18. "Welcome to the Occupation" (from Document, 1987) – 2:47
19. "Fall On Me" (from Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986) – 2:51
20. "Perfect Circle" (from Murmur, 1983) – 3:29
21. "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" (from Document, 1987) – 4:05

Bonus disc

1. "Pilgrimage" (Mike's pick – from Murmur, 1983) – 4:30
2. "These Days" (Bill's pick – from Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986) – 3:25
3. "Gardening at Night" (Slower electric demo) – 4:44
4. "Radio Free Europe" (Hib-Tone version) – 3:48
5. "Sitting Still" (Hib-Tone version) – 3:16
6. "Life and How to Live It" (Live at Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands, 14 September 1987) – 6:36
7. "Ages of You" (Live at The Paradise, Boston, 13 July 1983) – 3:48
8. "We Walk" (Live at The Paradise, Boston, 13 July 1983) – 3:17
9. "1,000,000" (Live at The Paradise, Boston. 13 July 1983) – 3:25
10. "Finest Worksong" (Other mix) – 3:47
11. "Hyena" (Demo) – 2:50
12. "Theme from Two Steps Onward" – 4:37
13. "Superman" (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) (from Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986)) – 2:53
14. "All the Right Friends" (Demo) – 3:53
15. "Mystery to Me" (Demo) – 2:01
16. "Just a Touch" (Live in-studio version) – 2:38
17. "Bad Day" (session outtake from Lifes Rich Pageant, originally called "PSA") – 3:03
18. "King of Birds" (last song cut from the Best of...) – 4:09
19. "Swan Swan H" (Live, acoustic from Athens, GA: Inside Out) – 2:43
20. "Disturbance at the Heron House" (Peter's pick – from Document, 1987) – 3:32
21. "Time After Time (annElise)" (Michael's pick – from Reckoning, 1984) – 3:31

Axchi696 said:

The first WB album I bought was monster...my second REM album overall...

Love Star 69!

But I guess my favorite WB has to be Hi-Fi...

I like Michael Stipe's mumbling and Bill's druming from the IRS period. I sometimes sing Fall on Me on the shower...
[Edited 9/18/06 14:04pm]

I think Monster gets one hell of a bad rap amongst REM fans, and music critics in general. It was a case of REM following the trends in alternative music instead of leading, but other than that, the music was top notch. Obviously everyone knows the singles (What's the Frequency, Bang and Blame), but the rest of the album was just as good. The experiments really came off well(Let Me In, Tongue), I really dig the fuzzy guitar tone (Crush With Eyeliner, Circus Envy), and this is the closest you'll ever get to "punk" REM (Star 69).

I think it's funny that New Adventures gets so much critical love because the rock stuff on Adventures sounds a lot like Monster (most likely because it was recorded on the Monster tour).

My favorites by REM are: 1. Murmur; 2. New Adventures...; 3. Document...

But I am interesed more in get the IRS albums.

Thanks Matronix for the information.

IRS invented the cassingle!!


basically I like "Radio Free Europe"
[Edited 9/18/06 23:36pm]

REM is such a crapfest

To me the only REM release i didnt really get into was "UP", it just seemed that they were in the middle and a little confused. To compare the 80's REM to 90's and 00's is not a fair comparison, different world, different times, older mind set. Overall as a band though i rank them just as high as U2 as far being influential to others and important to their times. Though U2 at a point sold out with the whole ZOO thing, which they admit they did, i dont feel REM ever sold out.

I think the after REM jumped to WB, they decided to change not only their image but also their whole style overall, which pissed off alot of old REM fans and the screams of sellout were everywhere.'

Of course the fans soon had to eat their words.

Overall I dont think its fair to compare the two eras.


Theres some great stuff on both labels. To me it seemed that once they signed to WB Stipe kinda felt like he was an adult now and should start acting like one.

btw, great 2nd disc!!

Im picking this one up.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

I know i know...If it ain't funk, it's junk!

"Monster"

is one of my all time fav albums by any artist/group

so i'd have to go for the WB REM

MikeMatronik said:

Losing My Religion has got to be one of the worst song ever

FuNkeNsteiN said:

It's so funky!

Honestly, I like the eras about the same. A lot of great singles and album tracks, but also songs I just don't like. I'm replacing Eponymous with this new album.

MikeMatronik said:

makes me wanna dance all nite!

CinisterCee said:

That is awesome!

MikeMatronik said:

I'm very dissapointed with myself for not buying that two disc addition when it came out.