R.E.M. - In Time (1988-2003): The Best Of R.E.M.


Year of Release: 2003
Label: Warner Bros
Catalog Number: 79543
Format: CD-DVD
Total Time: 76:08:00

Warner Bros. Records has released nine R.E.M. albums remastered with a DVD-A including bonus videos and unreleased tracks. This best of compilation is one of the finest I have ever heard. Rarely do I continually play best of sets - this is an exception to the rule.

R.E.M. is truly unique in many ways. In the 80s, their sound got the label of alternative rock, now it sounds like great rock music, period. I have always been one of the advocates of the 80s being the lost decade of music; R.E.M. blows that theory right out of the water. It is apparent to me that their legacy is intact by today's standards. Their catalog is remarkable and they clearly separated themselves from everyone else very early in their career. This band single handedly turned Athens, Georgia, into a hotbed of music rivaling cities like Austin and Los Angeles.

This music truly moved me; it made me feel complete again, it connected me with my fellow man and the cultures that the music spawns. Eighteen tracks is a lot of music and I must honestly say that each song stands alone as an individual accomplishment unrivaled on any scale. The sound is incredible, particularly with the orchestrated sections and some of the drum parts, the cymbals sound like they are right in your lap. The surround sound goes beyond that, giving each track the separation any music connoisseur would appreciate. Two videos of "Bad Day" provide a great opportunity to see how a song and a video can develop, one is a rehearsal and the other the original video.

This is an ambitious offering from Warner Records. I plan to get all the remasters one way or another. This is the best way to start and it is a good primer for the rest of the catalog.


Tracklisting:
Man On The Moon (5:14) / The Great Beyond (5:07) / Bad Day [previously unreleased] (4:07) / What's The Frequency, Kenneth? (4:01) / All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star) (4:45) / Losing My Religion (4:29) / E-Bow The Letter (5:26) / Orange Crush (3:52) / Imitation Of Life (3:58) / Daysleeper (3:40) / Animal [previously unreleased] (4:02) / The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (4:08) / Stand (3:12) / Electrolite (4:07) / All The Right Friends (2:48) / Everybody Hurts (5:18) / At My Most Beautiful (3:36) / Nightswimming (4:18)

Bonus Videos of Bad Day on DVD-A

(The Special Edition adds a second disk (no DVD) with: Pop Song '89 (2:58) / Turn You Inside-Out (4:18) / Fretless (4:51) / Chance (Dub) (2:34) / It's A Free World Baby (5:13) / Drive (4:01) / Star Me Kitten (featuring W.S. Burroughs) (3:31) / Revolution (3:05) / Leave (Alternate Version) (4:43) / Why Not Smile (3:02) / The Lifting (Demo Version) (5:21) / Beat A Drum (Demo Version) (4:28) / 2JN (3:27) / The One I Love (3:35) / Country Feedback (6:16))

Musicians:
Peter Buck - guitars
Mike Mills - bass
Michael Stipe - vocals
Bill Berry - drums

Discography:
Murmur (1983)
Reckoning (1984)
Fables Of The Reconstruction (1985)
Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
Document (1987)
Dead Letter Office (1987)
Green (1988)
Eponymous (1988)
Out Of Time (1991)
The Very Best Of R.E.M. (1991)
Automatic For The People (1992/2005)
Live Singles Box (1992)
Fan Box Set (1992)
Singles Box (1993)
B-Sides Box (1994)
Singles Collected (1994)
Monster (1994/2005)
The Originals (1995)
The Automatic Box (1995)
New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996)
In The Attic: Alternative Recordings 1985-1989 (1997)
Up (1998)
The Best Of R.E.M. (1998)
Reveal (2001)
20 Years Of R.E.M. (2001)
Document/Life's Rich Pageant (2003)
In Time (1988-2003): The Best of R.E.M. (2003)
Around The Sun (2004)
In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003 Rareties & B-Sides (2006)
And I Feel Fine?: The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 (2006)
R.E.M. Live (2007)
Accelerate (2008)
Live From London (2008)
Collection (2008)
Green/Monster (2008)
Live At The Olympia (2009)

Genre: Rock

Origin US

Added: February 25th 2005
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.remhq.com
Hits: 2473
Language: english

  

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