R.E.M. The Best of R.E.M. In Time: 1988-2003
Released: November 28, 2003 Origination Year: 2003 Time: 61:20 / 76:15 -2CD Tracks:33 Produced by: Various Style: Studio/ Collection Format: CD Enhancement: Bonus Disc Label: Warner Records Website: www.remhq.com
Track Listing Man on the Moon The Great Beyond Bad Day What's The Frequency, Kenneth? All the Way to Reno Losing My Religion E-Bow The Letter Orange Crush Imitation of Life Daysleeper Animal The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight Stand Electrolite All the Right Friends Everybody Hurts At My Most Beautiful Nightswimming Popsong 89 Turn You Inside Out Fretless Chance It's a Free World, Baby Drive Star Me Kitten Revolution Leave Why Not Smile The Lifting Beat A Drum 2JN The One I Love Country Feedback
R.E.M. Michael Stipe: Vocals Mike Mills: Bass Peter Buck: Guitars Bill Berry: Drums Retired 1997

R.E.M.’s greatest music stretches out over several labels providing fans with a strong selection of classic material. And like any great band that has offered their best in ‘greatest hits’ collections, R.E.M. now offers their best of the Warner years in several formats. The concentration for this review is their CD version which is offered in two styles, a single CD with ‘just the hits, ma’am, just the hits’ and a 2CD set that also allows for rare cuts and B-Sides. R.E.M. does not disappoint.

We don’t need to discuss the band much because their obvious fame precedes this review. What you’re here for is to decide whether the collection is worth its salt. And even then many of you already have formed your own opinion. So we’ll concentrate on the sound, the added bonuses found on the Limited Edition and the packaging.

It’s no secret the impact that R.E.M. has had over the years on fans. Their brand of melodic pop/rock with the combined strength of their insightful and philosophical lyrics has made them a favourite with the widest cross-section of fans. From the straight-out pop of “Stand”, found on their debut for Warner (Green) to the breakout of “Losing My Religion”, have all been translated into scintillating videos showcasing their ability to visually crystallize their thought. R.E.M.’s understanding of their surroundings in time has manufactured great music, much of it absorbingly beautiful.

In Time: 1988-2003 is an excellent showcase for the best of R.E.M. With the first disc containing the most logical inclusion of songs from the period indicated on the title, the album becomes a perfect representative piece of the Warner years. There is even a favourite of fans from Automatic For The People, “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” added to this collection. Automatic for the People was an album of sadness and disparity so the inclusion of Sidewinder helped to ease the overall melancholic effect. Its addition here is a plus.

A hallmark of R.E.M. is their incredibly textured music. It’s evident in everything that they have done. A single listen to “The Great Beyond” (reminiscent of “Imitation of Life”, to my ears) reveals the musical brilliance that forms the foundation of their timeless songs.

I am pleased to see New Adventures in Hi-Fi represented here with two tracks, the Patti Smith/R.E.M. hybrid, “E-Bow The Letter”, clearly the best track on NAiHF if not the darkest R.E.M. song ever, and “Electrolite”. I am a little surprised to see Monster under-represented as well as Out of Time, both with only one track apiece, “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” and “Losing My Religion”, respectively. Big songs, yes, but equally big albums. Which can only mean that this should have been a 2CD set without the Rarities and B-Sides.

Two new songs, “Bad Day” and “Animal” are thrown in to round out what had to be a brutal selection process. I can’t say that “Bad Day” was a great song, great enough to be included here. I think the band fell prey to the popular habit of throwing in a new song on a ‘best of’. The liner note fact that “Bad Day” has its beginning in 1986 and was finished in 2003 says it all. It even sounds like a thrown together song that obviously was stuck in somebody’s craw and needed birthing. It’s unfortunate that it finds its place on this collection edging out another song that would have been worthy of inclusion. “Animal”, on the other hand, works much better and therefore more acceptable as a new song.

For those who are considering the purchase of the 2CD Limited Edition with rarities and B-Sides, this extra disc offers acoustic renditions, alternate versions, demos, outtakes, and live cuts as its bonuses. There are 15 tracks included along with an interesting but clearly rehearsal quality “Pop Song ‘89” despite the fact that it is written in the liner notes to have been recorded as a B-Side for a single.

“Fretless”, an outtake from the Out of Time sessions that is almost as good as anything on the OoT album. “Fretless” is soft, brooding, and important. The other OoT outtake is “It’s a Free World, Baby” although I find it unimportant enough to have warranted not being included on the album. Other than a nice chorus, the song was rightfully not on Out of Time.

An incredible “Star Me Kitten” that features beat author, William Burroughs singing the lyrics is a true rarity in that it shows R.E.M.’s alignment with legend as well as style. Another inclusion is an acoustic demo of “Beat a Drum”, a song from Reveal. The liner notes indicate that R.E.M. planned to release 3 albums simultaneously from the Reveal sessions. This demo shows what the release might have been like. Overall, the second disc is more important than the release of the first disc thus encouraging the acquisition of the limited edition 2CD release. The second disc is a deep look at R.E.M. the band without the production that colours the band’s fine music.

This album contains a well designed together booklet that contains liner notes on each song giving the fan a deeper look at the thought process of the band. The album comes in a digipak trifold with a plastic slipcover that protects the digipak. Additionally, there is a poster included in the package.

Sonically, the album's tracks are incredible. If R.E.M. is your band, this album of favourites and included disc of rarities and b-sides becomes an important addition to your library.