R.E.M.: In Time. The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003 (CD 2) CD Track Listing

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R.E.M. In Time. The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003 (CD 2) (2003)
\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: R.E.M. began their Warner contract in 1988 as the biggest band to emerge from the college-radio-fueled American underground. Fifteen years later, they released In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, the first overview of their long stint at Warner Records. During that decade and a half, R.E.M. had a turbulent journey. At the outset, their legend and influence as one of the key -- if not the key -- bands of the American underground was firmly in place, but their success kept growing, culminating in a breakthrough to international stardom in 1991 thanks to "Losing My Religion" and Out of Time. For a few years there, they were one of the biggest bands in the world, standing as role models and godfathers for the alt-rock explosion of the '90s; even as grunge ruled the U.S. and U.K., R.E.M. were having their biggest hits with the brooding Automatic for the People (1992) and the guitar-heavy return-to-rock Monster (1994). Then, midway through the decade, the road got a little bumpy. The Monster tour was plagued with problems, the most noteworthy being drummer Bill Berry's on-stage aneurysm in 1995. He left the band the next year, not long after the band parted ways with Jefferson Holt, their longtime manager who was immortalized in their 1984 song "Little America." Singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, and Mike Mills struggled to find their footing as a trio as they tackled more ambitious projects that found an ever more selective audience. Truth be told, this transition started on the final Berry album, 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which found R.E.M. expanding their sonic template to acclaim from critics and hardcore fans, even if they started to see the audience they won over the previous decade start to shrink. \n\nAll this means the Warner era for R.E.M. doesn't represent one particular phase of their career -- during their time at Warner, they went through two phases, with the first half being the culmination of their rise and the second being their awkward return to cult status. This divide is clear and fairly easy to pinpoint. In his track-by-track liner notes (neatly mirroring his notes for the 1987 rarities comp Dead Letter Office), Buck claims that dividing line is pre- and post-"Losing My Religion," which is true at least as far as stardom goes, but it could be argued that the classic period ended with Automatic, since that follow-up to Out of Time showed that R.E.M. could not only live with the fame, but flourish within it. Everything that followed Automatic came from a different narrative and derived from a different starting point, one that was removed from the jangle pop that lay at the heart of their first ten years as recording artists. Related, yes, but quite different -- more self-conscious, heavily produced, and deliberate, occasionally reaping great results but just as often sounding labored. It was a great contrast to early R.E.M., where the music seemed to flow naturally and easily. Though it has no early IRS material, In Time paints this contrast effectively, not only through the Green and Automatic material, but even through more recent material -- the new song "Bad Day" and the 2001 revamp of "All the Right Friends" (contrary to Buck's claim in the liners that the band did cut this for IRS; it even appeared as a bonus track to a European reissue of Dead Letter Office). Both are built on a swirling, jangling folk-rock guitar line, propulsive rhythms, intertwined vocal harmonies, and urgent vocals from Stipe. In other words, they sound like classic R.E.M., and they should -- they date from the '80s and bear co-writing credits with Berry. Unfortunately, they sound much fresher than the other new song, the overly fussy "Animal," which is the problem with In Time in a nutshell: the two phases of R.E.M.'s career don't sit well together, but here, they're given close to equal space. R.E.M. the quartet does get more time than R.E.M. the trio, and the latter did produce some really nice tracks, which are chronicled here: "The Great Beyond" is a minor masterpiece, "All the Way to Reno" is the best of their faux-lounge phase, and "Imitation of Life" and "Daysleeper" are good classicist R.E.M. Still, the immaculate production of Pat McCarthy's work with Buck, Mills, and Stipe has a denser, heavier, more laborious feel than Scott Litt's work with Berry, Buck, Mills, and Stipe, and the two not only don't fit together, the oddity of the pairing points out that there are a number of missing singles -- a full 17, if international releases and radio-only hits are counted (and, given the nature of '90s rock, they do count). And these aren't minor songs, either; they're modern rock radio staples: "Pop Song 89," "Texarkana," "Drive," "Ignoreland," "Bang and Blame," "Strange Currencies," "Crush With Eyeliner," "Bittersweet Me," and "Shiny Happy People," the latter of which is roundly hated by the band yet nevertheless should be on a hits compilation for the sake of completeness. Of course, not all the songs could fit on a mere 18-track compilation -- and if they went for a double-disc set, they'd be better off with a career-spanning set -- but the song selection leaves something to be desired, even if it does present a reasonably accurate portrait of R.E.M. the adult alternative pop band, and it certainly does point out the inconsistencies of the band's Warner work. So, in that sense, In Time is an effective collection, but it also remains a little disappointing since it not only could have been done better, but by its very nature, this compilation can't help but point out the creative cul-de-sac R.E.M. found themselves in at the end of their Warner career. It's not the fate that anyone would have predicted in 1988. [In Time was reissued as part of Warner's 2005 R.E.M. reissue series. Each album was presented in a double-disc digipack, containing a CD on the first disc and a DVD-A version of the album on the second. The DVD for In Time includes a 5.1 Surround mix of the album, the video for "Bad Day," a "video documentary," a rehearsal video for "Bad Day," and a photo gallery.] -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nHow do you condense 15 years of music down to 76 minutes? In the case of this survey of the second phase of R.E.M.'s career, the answer is: Exceptionally well. The dangling carrot for diehards is two new songs; the rapid fire "Bad Day" hurtles along like the kissing cousin of "It's the End of the World as We Know It," while "Animal" is anchored by a majestic drone reminiscent of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." In a surprising, but gratifying move, the rest of the program shortchanges the band's breakthrough, Out of Time (no "Shiny Happy People"), to better accommodate movie soundtrack contributions, and spotlight gems from the less commercial, post-Bill Berry albums Reveal and Up; with its baroque piano and multi-tracked vocal harmonies, the Beach Boys homage "At My Most Beautiful" is particularly gorgeous, while the burbling keyboards and slightly dazed singing of "All the Way to Reno" will appeal to Flaming Lips fans. --Kurt B. Reighley\n\nThis expanded edition covering the band's first decade-and-a-half at Warner now includes a DVD featuring a new 5.1 surround sound mix of all the album's tracks. That new bonus disc also features an October, '03 Vancouver rehearsal of the new song "Bad Day" that allows viewers the unique experience of switching between four different camera angles. Also includes the smart, network-news spoofing video for the same track. \n\nAmazon.com Album Description\nSPECIAL 2CD EDITION: The two-CD set adds a 16-selection CD of rarities, including live and acoustic versions of some of R.E.M.'s most popular songs, and a 40-page booklet. \n\nAmazon.com Album Description\nAfter putting Athens, GA, on the musical map in the early '80s, R.E.M. went on to become one of the world's biggest bands. Fusing folk, garage rock, pop sensibilities, and insightful lyrics delivered with Michael Stipe's inimitable lead vocals, these alt-rock forefathers built a massive indie following, and in 1988 unleashed their major-label debut, Warner Bros.' Green. This roots rock tour de force was followed in '91 by the Grammy-winning #1 blockbuster Out of Time, which led to an ongoing stream of masterpieces. These two classics, along with five more albums from R.E.M.'s extraordinary catalog-plus their retrospective Best Of-now each feature a Bonus DVD with Surround Sound audio and video extras. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nNot Quite The Best Of REM, July 26, 2005\nReviewer: Michael Schoenborn (London, England) \nWhenever any band (especially a band with the breadth of music and talent that REM possess) releases a "Best Of", it is bound to disappoint fans and casual listeners alike. Generally speaking, it is more likely to disappoint fans when their favourite non-single tracks are passed up for the more mediocre but commercially successful singles. And casual listeners tend to bemoan the inclusion of songs that they have never even heard of. \n\nMoreover, this collection faces the added handicap of not covering some of REM's best work, pre-1988 (that having already been covered by their 1988 Best Of, "eponymous"). So you won't find "End Of The World", "The One I Love", "Driver 8", "Superman" (which didn't make "eponymous" either) or "Radio Free Europe", etc. on this album. (Which is ashame given that people have the option of making their own Best Of albums via downloading). \n\nBut even considering these handicaps, this CD still fails in its mission of covering REM's Best of 1988-2003. Why? \n\n1. The missing: \n"Bang and Blame", "Shiny Happy People", "Crush with Eyeliner", "Drive", "Bittersweet Me" and anything from their MTV Unplugged (the acoustic "One I Love" is certainly worth a download). \n\n2. The shouldn't be there: \na) New songs ("Animal" and "Bad Day") are simply not REM's best. Unless the only qualification for that honour is being released on a CD called "the Best of REM". \nb) The soundtrack songs (especially "All The Right Friends" but also "The Great Beyond") are not up to par with the rest of the CD. \n\n3. Overall: \nThe album should have focused a bit more on "Out Of Time", "Automatic" and "Monster" and less on the more obscure "Reveal" and "Up". Especially if it was also going to gamble on new songs and soundtrack recordings at the expense of classics. \n\nIn the end, I love REM and this is a reasonable attempt at their "Best Of". However, they turned a compilation that could have been on par with U2's "Best of the 80s" into a compilation on par with U2's "Best of the 90s". \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nGood but flawed collection of late 80s-early 90s material, May 4, 2005\nReviewer: Greg Brady "columbusboy" (Capital City)\nThis does not claim to be the "all-time best" of R.E.M. That's why you won't find songs like "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" or "Fall on Me" from their time on the I.R.S. records label. It also doesn't claim to be a "greatest hits". Presumably then, this SHOULD be a collection of the best of their radio singles of that time frame that "casual" fans will already know coupled with cherry-picked album material in an effort to convince fringe fans to pick up some more of their albums. This disc is middling when viewed that way. \n\nPROS: \n1) The band's generally acknowledged commercial and critical peak (AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE) is well-represented with 3 tracks: "Everybody Hurts","Nightswimming" and "Man on the Moon". (Though "Drive" is also a highlight and frequently played on alternative/modern rock radio and really SHOULD be included as well) \n\n2) "The Great Beyond", though initially only released on the soundtrack to the Andy Kaufman tribute film "Man on the Moon", truly IS one of the band's finest moments between 1988-2003 and was a wise addition. \n\nCONS: \n1) "Out of Time" is arguably 1 of the 3 most popular of the band's albums (along with AUTOMATIC and GREEN) but only "Losing my Religion" appears here. "Texarkana" and "Radio Song" should also have made the cut as they're good, sound like the band, and would be "accessible" to casual fans. \n\n2) There's already a special edition 2CD version to drag in completists. (The 2nd disc is nothing but B sides and other rarities) Leaving the 2 new songs ("Bad Day" and "Animal") off this version as well as "All the Right Friends" (from the "Vanilla Sky" soundtrack) would have made room for better material for fringe fans. Those 3 could have been on the special edition. Release a CD single for "Bad Day" if you want casual fans who like the tune to be able to buy it. \n\n3) "Monster" is admittedly not the most popular R.E.M. album among casual fans, but using the catchy "Bang and Blame" might have been a way to attract more interest from those who've thought "I only know 'What's the Frequency' on there!" \n\nBOTTOM LINE: \nIt's a pretty good collection but the omissions might keep casual fans from buying it. They'll probably try and wait until the day comes that a comprehensive set (including Warner Brothers AND I.R.S. material) of Greatest Hits/best of appears. Medium fans who have an album or two will probably find this meets their needs best.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nREM's unimaginative best, July 11, 2004\nReviewer: MAGA (Lampasas, Texas United States) \nREM is one of the greatest bands ever, OK? I will never deny that. I have all of their albums and have seen them many times in concert. However, there are two kinds of REM fans. There are the ones that have been with them all along and still like listening to "Murmur" and "Lifes Rich Pagent." Then there are those fans that love "Out of Time" and "Automatic For the People." Now, i will give you that Austomatic was a great album, Out of Time was not. However, the differences between the two groups are demonstrated by a love of the early, non-commercial stuff and the mid '90s commercial stuff. The compilation is all about the mindless singles that gave REM mainstream success. Excluding "Electrolite," none of these songs really needed to be included for a "best of" album. It was an attempt by REM to pick up a paycheck because their most recent albums were not selling well. Sad but true.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nThe first good thing since "Out of Time.", June 24, 2004\nReviewer: A music fan\nIf that's a compliment.\nHere's a new and strange recipe for success. Release an unlistenable album every 18 months or so, but make sure that there's at least one song per disc that will make a bit of a splash on the radio. Watch fans buy the record--hoping for more of the great sound they heard on the air--then watch these disappointed fans flood used record stores across the country with a million billion copies of Monster and Reveal. After fifteen years of this, select out a few of the radio tracks and a few of the droning unlistenable stuff, add two new tracks, re-release and re-repeat.\n\nI know: There are two schools of thought here. One is that the early albums (Murmur, Reckoning) rocked hard and that everything after (with bumps at Out of Time and Automatic) has been kind of a gradual descent into experimental stuff that sounds intriguing once, but which would never, ever make it into one's CD wallet for a long roadtrip. The other is that the band has been getting better and better with every album. Sorry to be blunt, but those who adhere to this second point of view are members of a small and dedicated cult who are desperately trying to cling onto god-knows-what delusions they have about this band. I'd never let any of these people within a hundred yards of the CD player at a party.\n\nIf you're a member of the esoteric order of Stipe and enjoy tracks like Reveal's "All the Way to Reno," then this is the album for you. However, if you like the early REM and the REM of the radio, you'll probably be better off getting one of your REM cultist buddies to make you a mix tape. Not that I'm advocating piracy, but if this is the legal, band-selected "best of," that might be the only way to get a good REM sampler.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nA BETTER COLLECTION MAY COME ANOTHER DAY, June 24, 2004\nReviewer: Crabby Apple Mick Lee (INDIANAPOLIS, IN USA) \nIn many ways the 1990's were not kind to R.E.M.. The band became fantastically popular during the early part of the decade-especially with OUT OF TIME-but the remaining years have seen the boys from Athens, Georgia sink almost to obscurity with increasing indifference greeting each new CD. It is tempting to date the start of this slide with the departure of drummer Bill Berry; but the slide began before his catatrophic health problems.\nThe truth is that most people tend to either love or dislike any particular R.E.M. song. (With a couple of exceptions, I defy anyone to tell me what Michael Stipe is talking about,) There is hardly any middle ground. Hence, it is easy for any listener to cherry pick his favorite songs from each album to come up with his own greatest hits CD. Approaching the R.E.M. songbook this way reminds us that even in the dark recent years R.E.M. has had some excellent songs. Unfortunately, the listener may also be caught by surprise at just how few songs from R.E.M. he actually likes-the standard length CD may in fact be too much time to fill.\n\nThis collection begins with three excellent songs. "Man On The Moon" is the tribute to Andy Kaufman that slips from its subject to the transcendent in the course of five minutes. "The Great Beyond" likewise takes Andy Kaufman is its subject yet I have always felt it was a fitting epitaph to the baby-boom generation. "Bad Day" is a good R.E.M. rant and new contribution for this CD. \n\nWe then hit the buzsaw of "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" and "All The Way To Reno"-two rather frantic songs the Michael Stipe apparently likes but always struck me as rather tedious.\n\nThings pick up with "Losing My Religion"-a dramatic sounding song that many take literally about losing one's faith (its actually a Southern expression meaning losing one's temper). "E-Bow The Letter" fills some space. \n\n"Orange Crush", "Imitation of Life" and "Daysleeper" again forms a trio of excellent songs to hang your hat on. Of these, "Imitation of Life" is the most deserving of a fresh exposure as this is a song that really soars above most R.E.M. material but was unjustly ignored with the rest of the UP CD.\n\nThe rest of this collection inspires the attention to drift. "Stand" and "Everybody Hurts" have long been popular favorites; but I don't think they survive the test of time. "At My Most Beautiful" is supposed to be a tribute to the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson but it ends up like many such tributes by winding up being a pale imitation of the real thing.\n\nMany fans will look at the playlist and ask "how come there's nothing from MURMUR or LIFES RICH PAGEANT?" A careful look at the title will reveal that this collection begins with 1988-the year R.E.M. made a label change. For a sampling of the early years, pick up a copy of EPONYMOUS. The more adventurous may find they'll like the early R.E.M. a little better.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nSickening, May 15, 2004\nReviewer: Matthew Ridgway (Grand Rapids, Michigan United States) \nAny true R.E.M. fan, and there aren't any post Bill Berry, will tell you what a travesty this 'collection' is. To call this a 'Best of' anything is either outright stupidity or blatant ego-stroking.\nIf it makes the band feel better about themselves to place Stipe tripe from the last two mediocre efforts alongside classic stuff from Out of Time by all means do so, but I checked out with Bill and they should have had the personal dignity to do likewise.\nI'm BEGGING you guys to stop, for the love of God and all the fans like myself who try with all our might to defend how great you WERE to people who see how lousy you ARE.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nYou're always "In Time" with R.E.M., February 12, 2004\nReviewer: Timothy Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States)\nThis is a curious way to get aquainted with one of America's best bands. Frankly, if you're a fan, it's likely that you already have all the songs on the single CD version here (minus the two new selections - more on those later). If you desire more, pony up for the set with the bonus disc of rarites and b-sides. That R.E.M. seemed to be in a state of perpetual flux makes them all the more interesting to listen to, as they consistently would release an album that would confound the expectations of fans of recordings that preceded. From the masterful "Out Of Time" to "Monster" to "Up," there is hardly an album that you could call atypical. With the exception of Michael Stipe's unique lyrical bent and Peter Buck's angular guitar playing, the main consistency about R.E.M. was change.\nThe main reason to own this then would either to be a newcomer looking for a few favorites or a die hard looking for new songs. "Bad Day" isn't exactly a draw for me, it sounds too much like a rough draft of "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" to convince me otherwise, though it is amazing that the sentiments expressed on either song still hold true today. "Animal" sounds like a little slice of "Monster" and is the better of the two. A little more kicking in the rock department and a little fresher sounding. And even though "The Great Beyond" was out on a soundtrack and CD Single, it's nice to have it on a proper R.E.M. album. \n\nIt's also nice to have the highlights of "New Adventures In Hi-fi," "Up," and "Reveal" mixed in, as I feel these albums to be vastly underrated. The waltzing "Daysleeper" is one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, and Patti Smith's contribution to "E-Bow the Letter" should make any band jealous. Of course the "hits" are here, too, even if this isn't billed as a greatest hits CD. "Losing My Religion," "Everybody Hurts" and "Stand" were the songs that made each of their respective albums connect with the radio listening public. (Caveat inserted, "Shiny Happy People" isn't here, but no big loss, in my opinion.)\n\nAs Peter Buck puts it on the CD's fine liner notes, R.E.M.'s career is pretty much divided into pre and post "Losing My Religion." It's wonderful to have both sides of the mountain on one disc. I give "In Time" four stars for much the same reason I gave 10,000 Maniacs' "Campfire Songs" collection the same rating. Since this is a band that makes consistent albums, the kind you can listen to all the way through, you can do just as well with most any album. But for a good, casual listen, "In Time" turns the trick very nicely.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nCompelling comp that begs re-evaluation of their catalogue, October 31, 2003\nReviewer: David Pearlman "sound fanatic" (Arlington, MA United States) \nCommon wisdom on R.E.M.: Their IRS years were artistically the best, the Warner years their most commercial. Artism and commerciality came together for Automatic for the People, and then the band sank in sea of directionless, mostly hitless post Automatic albums. \nThe truth: Monster, Automatic's followup, was a failure, but it was really the only failure in their career (maybe second, depending on how you feel about 1988's Green). While Monster was too noisy and too short on memorable tunes, the followup, New Adventures in Hi Fi, toned things down and upped the songwriting quality. 1998's Up improved things even more, and 2001's Reveal is, I believe, the sleeper album in R.E.M.'s catalogue: One of their absolute best albums ever, released at a time when they'd pretty much falled out of commercial favor.\n\nGiven that the truth and the common wisdom are hardly coincident, it's probably not that surprising how good this best-of plays. Most of the expected staples are here, for sure, and they're surely familiar enough to anyone with even a modest interest in R.E.M. to be beside the point. But it's the remainder of this collection that really drives home the point that R.E.M. is still an important band. One would be hard pressed to argue that lesser-heard tracks such as All the Way to Reno or Electrocute aren't at least the equal of any hit the band has put out. And the two "new" tracks that flesh out this collection, particularly "Bad Day", while obviously included as lures to those who already own all the band's albums, are of a piece with the rest of the collection.\n\nSure, one can nit-pick the track listing. Personally, I'd gladly toss off Stand and What's the Frequency Kenneth, and I and wonder why a great song like Me in Honey didn't make it. But those are just personal preferences. This obviously carefully chosen collection does what it should: Highlight the band's strengths, and strengthen the highlights of the bands output through context.\n\nAs for the bonus disc in the special edition, it's a pretty swell addition for fans, with some key b-sides, as well as alternate versions of some of their best album tracks. This disc will play as a must for any fan, and a welcome edition for anyone just catching up now.\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Patti Smith \nProducer: Bertis Downs (Compilation) \n\nAlbum Notes\nR.E.M.: Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Bill Berry.\nIncludes liner notes by Peter Buck.\nR.E.M.: Michael Stipe (vocals); Peter Buck (guitar, mandolin); Mike Mills (bass guitar); Bill Berry (drums).\n\nMany of those who revere R.E.M. tend to fixate on the Athens band's earlier days, when the Byrds-gone-new-wave jangle of Peter Buck's guitar and the inscrutable murmurs of curly-headed frontman Michael Stipe ruled the college-rock roost and set the standard for what came to be known as "alternative rock." Thus, it's often overlooked that the band didn't simply fade away after breaking through to the mainstream in the late-'80s. True to its title, IN TIME: THE BEST OF R.E.M. (1988-2003) chronicles the journey the group made after they became stars.\nEver willing and able to defy expectations, R.E.M. steadfastly refused to commercialize their sound or tart it up to fit the arenas that became their venues. IN TIME addresses the prolific 1988-1992 era with everything from the driving fan-favorite "Orange Crush" to the transcendent, tension-filled folk-rocker "Losing My Religion" and the soul-influenced, empathetic anthem "Everybody Hurts." Representing their days after the departure of drummer Bill Berry are songs such as the dusty desert twang of "All the Way to Reno" and the "It's the End of the World As We Know It" companion piece, "Bad Day." Observing their chosen post-fame path, it's obvious that long after Stipe had shorn his locks and the music industry made them rich, R.E.M. remained staunchly committed to creating the kind of artful, idiosyncratic music that had made them alt-rock icons in the first place.\n\nIndustry Reviews\n...Hearing all these tracks on one collection makes it pleasingly apparent that this is one of the very few commercially successful bands that have maintained quality songwriting throughout its career without selling out once...\nCMJ (11/03/2003)\n\n4 stars out of 5 - 'Country Feedback', always a favourite of 'true' fans, is rendered here in all its half-spoken, ragged glory, pure spilt essence of R.E.M.\nUncut (01/01/2004)\n\n4 stars out of 5 - Two CDs of some of the most melodic and fiercely intelligent music of the last 15 years...\nMojo (12/01/2003)\n\n4 stars out of 5 - ...Supremely melodic, slightly unsettling music that, in its archetypally opaque way, has usually managed to soundtrack it time...\nQ (12/01/2003)\n\n...The band's most user-friendly album....Weepy keepers like Losing My Religion and Everybody Hurts [join] two new songs [that] fall firmly within the group's tradition of beatific/moody sing-alongs you can't get out of your head... - Rating: A-\nEntertainment Weekly (10/31/2003)\n\n4 stars out of 5 - ...[This] retrospective of the more cerebral Warner years shows that R.E.M. stuck to their principles and kept on their path...\nRolling Stone (11/27/2003)
This rock cd contains 16 tracks and runs 71min 45sec.
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