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Product Description
CD Description
REM s massive 1989 world tour in support of their Green album - released at the end of 88 - took up virtually the entire year. Beginning in Japan in late January and concluding back in the band s hometown of Athens, Georgia eleven months later, it was this tour which allowed REM to explode onto the mainstream, while still retaining their indie credentials. Playing throughout as a five piece for the first time - Peter Holsapple from the dB s was in tow on keyboards - this lengthy tour established the group as first division players a position they have retained ever since. This CD features the full show played at the Orlando Arena in Florida on 30th April 1989, also the subject of a live FM broadcast. The dynamic set played by the group that night featured 6 of the songs from Green, plus a heady mix of oldies from their previous 5 records, albeit with emphasis on 87 s Document and the previous year s Life s Rich Pageant. Completing the set with a couple of covers from fellow Athens collective Pylon, whose Crazy had already been featured as b-side to REM s Driver 8 single in 85, plus Academy Flight Song a live favourite for the band taken from the back catalogue of Boston s Mission Of Burma. All told, this legendary broadcast finds REM at the point in their career when huge worldwide success was beckoning, but when the group always firmly grounded had full control of exactly where they were and where they were going.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a bit of a strange one. "Songs for a green world" is a longstanding REM bootleg broadcast on US radio during their "Green tour" and recorded Live in concert in Orlando Florida on April 30th, 1989. There now appears to be a loophole that allows US broadcasts to be released in the UK (see Bruce Springsteen - Live at the Main Point) and what we have here is a recording which is largely typical FM radio bootleg quality, in short its generally good but not really great. Equally without being completely sure the photograph on the front cover doesn't look very much like REM circa 1989 and is possibly a good deal earlier? Views please.
What about the music? The answer is that this tour signified the transition of REM from the great alternative American band to the mainstream. While "Document" had seen a rise in their popularity it is the case that prior to "Green" R.E.M were largely known for Stipe's mysterious and often indecipherable lyrics, a profile largely confined to college rock stations and an ability to sound like absolutely nothing else at the time. "Green" changed all that producing a hit single in the US with "Stand" and commenced a four album sequence leading up to "Monster" (1994) which in the interim saw the release of their masterpiece "Automatic for the people" in 1992 and stadium size adulation. This bootleg charts the transition and effectively shows a band who are a very tight unit from years of gigging and still have within their ranks the great Bill Berry. That said while the songs on here are decent live versions of a range of studio classics none surpass the originals. There are some strong versions on offer of "I Believe", "Orange Crush" and a lovely atmospheric "King of the birds" (a song that prefigures the direction of their later work). Equally the live version of their greatest song "Perfect Circle" is very passable with a warm vocal from Stipe. Some of the other songs are unfortunately far less inspired and are largely decent live work outs. Of interest to fans here are the two cover versions of songs by Pylon a band of fellow musicians from Athens, Georgia who actually opened for the final leg of R.E.M.'s "Green" tour and were a huge influence on Stipe and Co in their early years. Their song "Crazy" is the opening track on R.E.Ms "Dead letter office" LP which is a largely a collection of B Sides and the live version here is ok. Much better is the second Pylon cover of "Academy fight song" which very much fits the R.E.M music ethic of that time. Overall then this album will be of interest largely for R.E.M. completists who probably own it in any case since any one with a search engine and a degree of curiosity can locate this on the internet without reaching for the credit card. For others interested in the development of this seminal but problematic band the recent re-release and 25th anniversary remaster of one of the bands greatest LPs 1986s "Life's Rich Pageant" would be money far better spent.
What about the music? The answer is that this tour signified the transition of REM from the great alternative American band to the mainstream. While "Document" had seen a rise in their popularity it is the case that prior to "Green" R.E.M were largely known for Stipe's mysterious and often indecipherable lyrics, a profile largely confined to college rock stations and an ability to sound like absolutely nothing else at the time. "Green" changed all that producing a hit single in the US with "Stand" and commenced a four album sequence leading up to "Monster" (1994) which in the interim saw the release of their masterpiece "Automatic for the people" in 1992 and stadium size adulation. This bootleg charts the transition and effectively shows a band who are a very tight unit from years of gigging and still have within their ranks the great Bill Berry. That said while the songs on here are decent live versions of a range of studio classics none surpass the originals. There are some strong versions on offer of "I Believe", "Orange Crush" and a lovely atmospheric "King of the birds" (a song that prefigures the direction of their later work). Equally the live version of their greatest song "Perfect Circle" is very passable with a warm vocal from Stipe. Some of the other songs are unfortunately far less inspired and are largely decent live work outs. Of interest to fans here are the two cover versions of songs by Pylon a band of fellow musicians from Athens, Georgia who actually opened for the final leg of R.E.M.'s "Green" tour and were a huge influence on Stipe and Co in their early years. Their song "Crazy" is the opening track on R.E.Ms "Dead letter office" LP which is a largely a collection of B Sides and the live version here is ok. Much better is the second Pylon cover of "Academy fight song" which very much fits the R.E.M music ethic of that time. Overall then this album will be of interest largely for R.E.M. completists who probably own it in any case since any one with a search engine and a degree of curiosity can locate this on the internet without reaching for the credit card. For others interested in the development of this seminal but problematic band the recent re-release and 25th anniversary remaster of one of the bands greatest LPs 1986s "Life's Rich Pageant" would be money far better spent.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Songs For A Green World will sit very well alongside my collection of REM bootlegs.
At times Michael's voice struggles to come across, but that won't be unusual for fans of REM pre-Out of Time.
The only knock on this release is that there isn't really a special moment during the album. It is good, but could have been from anywhere at any time during that tour.
I would expect that those who loved this era of REM work will already have a reasonable selection of live tracks from b-sides and bootlegs. If you have, I would question whether you will really listen to it more than once. If you haven't, I can recommend this.
At times Michael's voice struggles to come across, but that won't be unusual for fans of REM pre-Out of Time.
The only knock on this release is that there isn't really a special moment during the album. It is good, but could have been from anywhere at any time during that tour.
I would expect that those who loved this era of REM work will already have a reasonable selection of live tracks from b-sides and bootlegs. If you have, I would question whether you will really listen to it more than once. If you haven't, I can recommend this.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
As a package 'Songs for a Green World' sits nicely alongside REM's 'Tourfilm' as a document of mid-life REM. The decade between 1986-96 saw the band release arguably their best albums. This set is a bit more heavy with 'Document' era songs than the DVD coverage of the 'Green World Tour' and therefore, does offer something slightly different, whether you come to it as a fan with bootleg copies or as a relative newcomer to the band. Following on from their work on 'Green', REM would mine the rich seam of their folk influences to stunning effect on 'Out of Time' and especially on 'Automatic for the People'. Some of the best moments in this set are the early precursors to those later works with the intimate and delicate beauty of performance they achieve on 'Swan Swan H', 'King of the Birds', 'Perfect Circle' and 'You Are the Everything'. The powerful and anthemic songs that are largely missing from their post-96 work, such as 'Turn You Inside-Out', 'Gravity's Pull', 'Begin the Begin' and 'Finest Worksong' remind me of what I miss most about the post-Berry era.
The sound is good and on par with most live recordings the band itself has released. Stipe's voice is clearly not in top form on some of the tracks but the musicians playing is confident and relaxed. If you have to choose between '...Songs' and 'Tourfilm', get the latter, the performances on it are outstsanding!
The sound is good and on par with most live recordings the band itself has released. Stipe's voice is clearly not in top form on some of the tracks but the musicians playing is confident and relaxed. If you have to choose between '...Songs' and 'Tourfilm', get the latter, the performances on it are outstsanding!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Re Cover Shot
Listening to the CD for the first time, quality doesn't sound as bad as suggested by other reviewers. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Gavin Winters
Pity about the quality
I agree with Red on Black - cover photo definately before Green era. I returned this CD because the sound quality is poor and sounds like a bootleg - no mixing or balance, such a... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. N. A. Johnson
Superb Live Broadcast
I can't agree with the other reviewer with regards how interesting this cd is. The recording for me is the ultimate document illustrating the enormous changes REM made in the 88-91... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Johnny boy
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