 Cherry Mash and Tinfoil Tiaras |
| Review Date: November 5, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Scott Smith, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Quite a number of interesting selections on this BEST OF (read: NOT Greatest Hits) album. As the band has said, these songs represent their favorites since the release of their previous best of cd, Eponymous. Although I do suspect that their label had something to do with adding 2 previously unreleased tracks. I was most surprised at the addition of Nightswimming, just because it happens to be my favorite REM tune. All the Way to Reno, Sidewinder and Electrolite are also surprises. I like the fact that these are the songs that the composers enjoy. Any fan of this band will be sure to enjoy this album. There's not a bad song in the bunch. |
Great retro disc, don't complain about lack of early hits!
|
| Review Date: October 29, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Eric Edelin, Baltimore, Maryland USA |
| Despite a couple of expensive imports, this is the only domestic disc to cover any post-Document material and is a great overview of R.E.M.'s 90s years. The remastering is crisp and superb, and the liner notes are entertaining and informative, written by Peter Buck of the group. This set puts together the big radio hits that everybody knows, with the lesser-known singles, and a few rarities and new songs (the obligatory new songs put on there to get hardcore fans to buy music they already own). So far, the consensus is that 'Drive' should have been included, and I more than agree, since it's my favorite song from 'Automatic For The People', but that's what owning the albums is for as well. Also, despite its uneven quality, their smash album 'Out Of Time' is represented only with 'Losing My Religion', and seems under-represented. Aside from small complaints about the tracklisting (which is outstanding, but not perfect, if there is such thing as a perfect greatest hits album), this is a wonderful pickup for fans and novices alike (I'm somewhere in-between, owning a few R.E.M. albums, but not any 90s after 'Automatic For The People',). As for the reviews regarding the lack of early hits, there is already a compilation covering that time period called 'Eponymous' and it has the songs you're looking for from their 1982-1987 period. |
REM's Consistency and Variety
|
| Review Date: February 1, 2004 |
| Reviewer: doomsdayer520, Pennsylvania |
| As usual when it comes to compilations, fans of the band (whose true love for the music could probably be called into question) are gonna gripe about the song selection. For an album-based band like REM who doesn't release that many singles, a truly "representative" collection is impossible. Sure I would like to see more selections from my favorite albums *Monster* and the criminally neglected *New Adventures* but if I feel like complaining about that, I might as well just listen to those albums. Therefore this collection is useful if you're looking for a mix of classic REM tracks in one place, and if you're in the mood for listening to songs from several different albums in one sitting - in fact the seven different albums from the Warner Brothers years plus a few soundtrack items. A fun bonus is the so-called new song "Bad Day" which is actually a new recording of an old song from the mid-80's, which was probably rejected in favor of the very similar "It's the End of the World...". Also, these tracks are not presented in chronological order, which may be confusing for the historically-minded, but I feel that the sequencing allows you to appreciate both the consistency and variety of REM's work over the years. A winning compilation, regardless of the quibbles every single person will have about the song selection. [~doomsdayer520~] |
Long awaited Best Of from the pioneers of alternative...
|
| Review Date: November 3, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Alex, Downers Grove, IL |
| First of all...was that reviewer on acid when they wrote that one-star review, saying the Spice Girls were better and that R.E.M. hadn't paid their dues? I don't even know where to start in on someone like that...but this review is about the album...IN TIME: THE BEST OF R.E.M. 1988-2003 This is a great album for any new R.E.M. fan to start, but I myself have been an avid fan for quite some time. I think that although they were great in the 80s, their music got even better and more diverse in the 90s. It includes songs from all their albums from GREEN to REVEAL, plus two excellent new tracks, "Bad Day" and "Animal." The former is a stunning takeoff on current politics, with the band getting back to a DOCUMENT-style rocker (the song was written around the time of LIFES RICH PAGEANT by the way, the album preceding DOCUMENT), while the latter gets off on a glam-rock sheen the band hasn't displayed in quite a while. It would have been a crime not to include arguably their best song ever, "Nightswimming," on this disc, and luckily we can heart that and other classics such as "Man On The Moon" and "Orange Crush." Only minor thing: would have liked to have seen more songs from MONSTER ("Bang And Blame" would really give this collection more edge), which is why a double disc set could be easily concievable. This single disc version is preferable over the limited edition for all but the hardest of hard core fans. That bonus disc contains largely live or alternate versions of well-known songs that sound better in their original state. If you're new to R.E.M., I also suggest picking up AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (their absolute best album and one of my favorite of all time) and OUT OF TIME for their more poppy material, while MONSTER showcases the band's love of distortion, and listeners looking for a relaxing, warm album would find REVEAL very fitting. I highly recommend every R.E.M. album included on this disc! |
A little bit of uh-huh...
|
| Review Date: November 8, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Robert T Edwards, Denver, CO |
| I think it is difficult--if not impossible--to argue with the band's own selections for a best-of album. Most of the lukewarm reviews here simply snipe at the selections, and say other songs should have made the list, instead of concentrating on what actually IS here. And what is on the album is terrific. The selection and sequencing is inspired, and as a result it sounds like a great album--far more so than the typical "best of" or "greatest hits" releases. The juxtaposition of "Kenneth" with "All The Way to Reno" is simply stunningly brilliant, and the closing trilogy (Everybody Hurts, At My Most Beautiful, Nightswimming) is perfect. The two new songs are both good but not great, with my preference strongly for "Bad Day," as a direct descendent from "It's the end of the world..." In summary, this is a great selection of their best work, and track for track is better than almost ANYTHING new. As a whole, a terrific collection of songs and a magnificent introduction for people who are either casual fans or those who haven't heard REM before. |
|
No details are available for this product
No video reviews found for this product.
