R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue

[(Folkie)]

I found this brief interview with Michael Stipe and Mike Mills about the 25th anniversary reissue of Out of Time very revealing:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for- ... -1.3858028

[(jdogric12)]

They were on Today over this last weekend and talked about a lot of stuff - pretty neat.

http://www.today.com/popculture/r-e-m-s ... re-t105169

[(rkbsound)]

One of my least favorite albums, but I will probably get it anyway. Such a great band, with every members contributions evident. Mitch Easter guided them to their best work.

[(Folkie)]

One of my least favorite albums, but I will probably get it anyway. Such a great band, with every members contributions evident. Mitch Easter guided them to their best work.

I agree with you that Mitch Easter was perhaps their best producer. But let's not slight Joe Boyd (Fables of the Reconstruction) and Don Gehman (Lifes Rich Pageant). In my opinion, the latter two albums are up there with Murmur among the band's greatest.

[(indianation65)]

REM is my favorite band of all time, and it took a lot to knock KISS to #2.

I can do without "Out of Time" myself. I never cared for it, but it was/is always hard to compare the REM Warner Bros. albums to the IRS bunch. It's not even close.

Regardless, a reissue is not in order for me, but we all have our tastes don't we...

Addendum: For me, Peter Buck pickup up a Les Paul over a Rickenbacker changed the sound of the band. I liked a lot of the Warner Bros. albums, but they pale, and so does the sound.

...wisdom

[(crstory)]

Agree with Joe. The IRS stuff is wonderful. They lost me past Document.

[(indianation65)]

I just clicked the link again, and reread the text...

Stipe says he hates "nostalgia, hates the idea of looking in the rear view mirror," so what is the thing to do? Hey, let's do a Reissue and talk about it!

As stated REM is my favorite band of all-time, and Stipe is my least favorite member. I think I'll pull out "Reckoning" today. I love it.

...wisdom

[(jdogric12)]

I just clicked the link again, and reread the text...

Stipe says he hates "nostalgia, hates the idea of looking in the rear view mirror," so what is the thing to do? Hey, let's do a Reissue and talk about it!

As stated REM is my favorite band of all-time, and Stipe is my least favorite member. I think I'll pull out "Reckoning" today. I love it.

...wisdom

Sure, but I think it's fair to allow him this self-concession in absence of new work, and in light of whatever "goodies" they're including with it.

[(Folkie)]

Reckoning includes five essential R.E.M. tracks: "Harborcoat," "7 Chinese Bros.," "Pretty Persuasion," "So. Central Rain," and "Rockville." But I think the album as a whole is much more uneven than Murmur, Fables, or Lifes Rich Pageant, which I count as their three best. I think it's misleading to say that the I.R.S. years were uniformly great. Document was considerably weaker than anything that had come before; and I think if Green hadn't been such a true clunker, the last album for I.R.S. would have been recognized as the mediocre record it is.

[(indianation65)]

Yes, everything is "opinion," and my opinion is that the entirety of "Reckoning" is greatness, not just 5 of the 10 songs, and "Document," mediocre or the worst of the IRS catalogue, hardly. "The Finest Worksong" is anthem'ish, just like "Begin the Begin," or any other anthem'ish REM song.

Yes, it's all opinion, and as for "Green" being a clunker, I wouldn't go that far because there are far worse Warner Bros./REM offerings, like "Out of Time" and "Monster."

The big difference in the two REM label offerings:

1. Stipe and his politics...snore!
2. Stipe vocal clarity
3. Buck chose a Les Paul over a Rickenbacker, and the "sound" changed.
4. Once they got to "Up," they wanted to be Radiohead, which I believe the bands were good buddies by this time, so why not "change."

...wisdom? Who knows...

[(Folkie)]

I couldn't resist sharing this hour-long interview with Mike Mills. It touches on the formation of the band and the early years, not just the Warner Bros. period:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Uq6o5RhrE

Would have liked to hear from Peter, too, but I guess you can't have it all.