from Rolling Stone:

R.E.M. will reissue their entire Warner Bros. catalog on February 15th, with each two disc set including the original album and a bonus DVD featuring the record remixed in 5.1 surround sound, as well as unreleased documentary and video footage.
The reissues span from R.E.M.'s 1988 Warner debut Green to this fall's Around the Sun, and mark the band's transition from indie favorites to one of the world's biggest bands.

"These days, there are R.E.M. fans who think 'Stand' or even 'Losing My Religion' is the first song the band ever wrote," bassist Mike Mills told Rolling Stone in 1991. "The people who listen to Top Forty are generally not R.E.M. record buyers -- or they weren't until the last year or two. It's kind of surprising to listen to the fourteen-year-old girls call up and go, 'How long have you been together? I like your first record.' And it's like 'No, no. See, the first record came out when you were about one year old.'"

Typical of the bonus material is the extra disc for Out of Time, which includes the unreleased documentary Time Piece, a blend of band member interviews and commentary on songs from the album that made R.E.M. a household name.

R.E.M. finish their U.S. tour Sunday with a show at Albuquerque's Kive Auditorium, before heading to Europe in January.



COLIN DEVENISH
(Posted Nov 24, 2004)

now, see? here's an act that's on Warner Bros., negotiated the ownership of their masters, and are now in a position to cash in on their back catalog when they need to most. and with that very same label! shock of shocks.


funny how things work out in exactly the opposite manner when an artist (whom we all know very well) never met a bridge he didn't want to burn. damn pyromaniac

About time. I've held out on buying their early stuff 'cos of the poor sound quality. So this is good news.

Cloudbuster said:

Except this starts with "Green" from '88. They aren't doing the early ones.

GangstaFam said:

Oh. I'll read your post with both eyes next time.

removes eye-patch...

GangstaFam said:

Yeah, phooey.. I want their IRS Records-era shit remastered!

CinisterCee said:

ME TOO!

This is just not enough.

GrayKing said:

Exactly.I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Prince had not went to war with Warners? Perhaps if the two sides had stayed on good terms,he could have negotiated to get ownership of his masters.

Damn it, I only just finished my REM collection a few months ago!

Wow, Warner Bros. is so supportive of its weird musical acts! Who'da thunk it!

Axchi696 said:

i hate re-issues.. It is only a filthy way of making easy money!!!