Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exceptional compliation of exceptional music., 4 Sep 2006
I am not in possession of this CD yet I have heard all the tracks in question from their various albums and the (very) simliar compliation released in 1991, 'R.E.M. - The Best of the I.R.S. Years'.
Without doubt R.E.M. produced, in my view, some of the greatest music of the 1980s. Starting with their excellent 1983 debut 'Murmur' on towards 1987's equally brilliant 'Document', and in between ('Fables of the Reconstruction' in particular stands out for me) probably only The Smiths had an equally consistant run of brilliant 'alternative'/'indie'/'college'/'jangle' ,or simply just rock for that matter, records.
This compliation neatly distills these albums on one CD, whereby one can hear the transition from 'Radio Free Europe's simple garage rock to the more intricate and expansive band that R.E.M. became by the end of the 1980s, heard on tracks such as 'Finest Worksong'.
Essentially my advice distilled is, basically, BUY, BUY, BUY this record!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It,s superb but you should really buy all the original albums, 11 Sep 2006
As someone who believes that R.E.M. lost a little something of what made them special when they signed to a major label ( though they did go on to produce one of their finest works for Warners with "Automatic For The People") this album represents an encapsulation of their most verdant period. Covering all their albums for I.R.S. including the mini debut album "Chronic Town"( represented by "Gardening At Night") this is a formidable collection of songs and with one or two exceptions ,"Losing My Religion" would certainly be one, covers all their stellar moments.
The first time I heard this band in 1983 when "Murmur" came out I was completely perplexed by the dichotomy between the ravishing music and Stipes incongruous half arsed vocals. But the songs still sound ravishing Talk About The Passion", and the elliptical "Radio Free Europe" sounded like the light of a new dawn then and still do now. No "Perfect Circle" is bit of a bad miss though.
"Reckoning" in 1984 beckoned a new confidence, adding a fresh rock mysticism to their previous chaste adoration. Every song represented here "So Central Rain", "Pretty Persuasion" "Don't Go Back To Rockville" and "7 Chinese Brothers" showcase the Mike Mill's garrulous perambulating bass and Bucks chiming lexicon of guitars. Stipes vocals are still mumbled but more to the fore.
1985,s "Fable Of The Reconstruction" is considered a weak link but is actually under-rated and the songs representing the album here prove it incontrovertibly. "Driver 8" and it's glistening index of chords, the ominous and dramatic "Feeling Gravitys Pull", the scurrying mischievous "Can't Get There From Here" and the taut obtuse "Life And How To Live It".
Having said that it's no doubt true that if they had continued on that slightly obscure tangent they would never have broken the mainstream so the straighter up unequivocal rock sound of "Lifes Rich Pageant" in 1986 was important for their destiny. It also contains for me their finest single moment the glorious "Fall On Me" which is like three different songs co-existing in some wondrous harmonic re-invention. The rest here isn't bad either from the thrilling "Begin The Begin" to the wonderful churning Cuyahoga" this album provided many of the bands greatest songs.
"Document" maintained their album every year record and was a further stride to the band that came to global recognition with muscular and striking rock songs like "The Finest Worksong" and the electric bolt of "The One I Love" (adopted as a love anthem by those who fail to pay attention to lyrics rather amusingly). There is also the breathless "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
There is an expanded version of this album available with extra tracks some previously unreleased and in one way it's easy to understand why people will buy that-because of the new material. It's hard to understand who will want this though. Brilliant though it is surely everyone with even a cursory interest in the band already own most of this stuff. Better not to content yourself with a selection of their I.R.S, years , their most fertile period, save up and buy the flaming lot.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dreadful remastering, 5 Nov 2008
The sound quality on this compilation is terrible, it is a child of the loudness wars and clips dreadfully! If you like the band's earlier music I would suggest you steer clear of this and get the older, 1991 IRS recording 'The Best Of REM'. Sure there are less tracks on that album but it's listenable!
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