R.E.M. - CD Singles Reviews

A slight foreword: the R.E.M. singles catalogue is a massive, incoherent kudzu batch of random issues and re-issues that is bound to drive any collector mad (not to mention drain their wallets). As an American band - and an "alternative" act at that - the physical singles market was never of too much concern for the band or their label, as airplay was the key factor in the US market. But the overseas markets, especially European markets, practically demanded CD singles and their label basically went all laissez-faire on this, allowing various regional markets to do whatever they wanted. So the UK would do the whole CD1/CD2 dual-issue single where they could, Europe would issue their own single-issue variant and sometimes multiple as different countries had different songs take off, and of course there were also perfunctory CD single issues in the US as well. Each R.E.M. single, especially in the early 1990s, can have multiple different variants where the various b-sides are all over the place, often overlapping. When it came to building my R.E.M. CD singles collection, my key priorities were one, to obtain as many of the unique b-sides physically as I could; and two, minimise the variants of the same song. Therefore my collection is a messy selection of issues from all over the world, and I've detailed the issues in the tracklists.

Because of all of the above, R.E.M. were never really a band who paid attention to b-sides. R.E.M. were a democracy and that meant that if even one member didn't see it worth pursuing a particular idea or a demo, it wouldn't get recorded. This means their studio sessions were quite economical and there weren't much in the way of excess material to include as b-sides. Because for R.E.M. b-sides were predominantly something that had to be recorded to sate label requests in overseas jurisdictions, any studio tracks which ended up in the singles were either covers or instrumental style experiment goof-offs that were recorded in a day. There's also live songs. Lots and lots of live songs. In other words, if you ever were to dive into the world of collecting R.E.M. singles, temper your expectations.

• 1991: Losing My Religion
• 1991: Shiny Happy People
• 1991: Near Wild Heaven
• 1991: Radio Song
• 1992: Drive
• 1992: Man on the Moon
• 1993: The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
• 1993: Everybody Hurts
• 1993: Nightswimming
• 1993: Find the River
• 1994: What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
• 1994: Bang and Blame
• 1996: E-Bow the Letter
• 1996: Electrolite
• 1998: Daysleeper
• 1998: Lotus
• 1999: At My Most Beautiful
• 1999: The Great Beyond
• 2001: Imitation of Life
• 2001: All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)
• 2004: Leaving New York

LOSING MY RELIGION

EUR CDS: 1) Losing My Religion; 2) Rotary Eleven; 3) After Hours (Live)
UK Collectors' Edition CDS: 1) Losing My Religion; 2) Stand (Live 1989); 3) Turn You Inside-Out (Live 1989); 4) World Leader Pretend (Live 1989)

There are two kinds of immortal hit singles. Some are simply Damn Fantastic Songs. The others have a magical, spellbinding aura to them that pretty much guarantees that they were born to be legendary songs. "Losing My Religion" is one of the latter. As soon as you hear it for the first time, it's pretty clear why it was such a huge song. It never had any other choice. It's arresting in its delivery, the sort of song that takes control of the room it plays in instantly. It's mystical and mysterious and very dramatic, sounding out of this world and extremely important right from the get-go. It's the moment that R.E.M. turned from an excellent band into something truly remarkable, and it still sounds fresh and unlike anything else.

The main "snag" of the European CDS is "Rotary Eleven", a bluesy instrumental which could have come from a secret agent cartoon, complete with a kitschy organ and adorably twangy guitars. I imagine it was a fun giggle for the band to jam it out in the studio after hours, and some of that amusement translates to the listener too - it's a silly throwaway piece of novelty fluff, but it's an entertaining genre pastiche and gently camp. Meanwhile, the live version of "After Hours" continues R.E.M.'s tradition of shoddy Velvet Underground covers. The sound quality isn't great, the song isn't much to write home about to begin with and the band perform it like the pre-curtain call song of a cheap variety show performance, defiant against any rotten vegetables that might get thrown at them. It's... vaguely fun I guess but mainly it just shows that Warner was desperate for any kind of original material to include in the singles.

In the UK Warner issued a "collectors' edition" for each of the Out of Time singles, all of which contained three live tracks to "collectively form a unique record of R.E.M. in concert" (per the liner notes). Most of these were taken from the 1989 Green tour and lifted directly off the Tourfilm live video, these included. The three songs are all excellent to begin with, R.E.M. are a consistently great live band and Tourfilm is a really good concert documentary, so it's an enjoyable bunch of songs. None of them offer anything new compared to the studio versions (beyond the megaphone in the chorus for "Turn You Inside-Out") so they're not particularly exciting in that regard and why they're rating so "low" here, but there is that little extra live energy and vigour if you're looking for that.

Stipe live banter QOTD: "This song goes out to the Exxon Corporation" ("Turn You Inside-Out").

Physically: The EUR CDS single is in a slim jewel case, with not much info in the cover slip - not even a date or recording place for "After Hours". The UK collectors' edition is packed in a standard jewel case, and the booklet folds into a poster featuring one of the promo shots of the band from this era (the one where they're all in the field, same as is the album booklet).

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE

UK/EU Standard CDS:: 1) Shiny Happy People; 2) Forty Second Song; 3) Losing My Religion (Live Acoustic Version)
UK Collectors' Edition CDS:: 1) Shiny Happy People; 2) I Remember California (Live 1989); 3) Get Up (Live 1989); 4) Pop Song 89 (Live 1989)

Hello, I'm unfashionable and weird and I love this song! It's stupidly upbeat, ridiculously fluffy and childishly bouncy, and oh my it does it all so excellently. I'm personally not interested about its possible darker lyrical connotations or subversive qualities or whatever else people theorise about it to make it less happy-go-lucky, which if you ask me is just bogus anyway that people try and justify their love for a silly bubblegum song with. Instead, I'm openly in love with how joyful and fun this is. The cavalcade of vocal harmonies during its choruses and near the end is especially fantastic (Kate Pierson is such a brilliant foil to Stipe), and the whole song simply radiates comradery warmth and good feeling. I can completely understand why the band regards it as a novelty song best buried under the annals of time, but I do have to say they make an excellent cutesy pop band when they get in the mood. It's adorable, goofy and absolutely, totally brilliant piece of pop music. And it's such a mad thing to follow up "Losing My Religion"!

"Forty Second Song" is a short instrumental (though not forty seconds short) bar from some non-lyrical melodies from Stipe, and it falls neatly in line with the Out of Time aesthetic: gentle organ, acoustic guitars, a touch of mandolin, etc. It's almost certainly a demo sketch that the band never finished (slots in perfectly with the demos we've heard from the album since, in fact). It's pretty and could perhaps amounted to something more if the band had continued to work on it, but it does also feel like it says all it has to say in its short duration and it doesn't amount to much more than a pleasant and cutesy if completely inconsequential little extra. The acoustic "Losing My Religion" is what it says on the tin and the only downside of it is that if you're a dedicated R.E.M. nerd, you'll have heard this performed acoustically so many times that hearing it again from a different session doesn't amount to much. This is a perfectly solid, thoroughly enjoyable performance of one of the all-time great songs, stripped down to a format that happens to suit it very well - and there's genuinely nothing to complain about it.

The UK Collectors' Edition version of the single comes with three more live cuts taken straight out of Tourfilm, and they're once more great snapshots of the band growing into their position as an arena band and sounding like they own the place. "I Remember California" is probably the most interesting cut from a collector's perspective because it became a real live rarity after the Green Tour and so that's nice to have, though purely as a song it's my least favourite out of the three cuts here; the synth strings it receives here are equal parts eery and a little cheesy, but I do also appreciate Mills' increased backing vocal duties in the end. "Get Up" is performed with the foot firmly on the gas pedal, lacing the little pop number with some punk energy. "Pop Song 89" rounds off the selection enjoyably, not really diverging from the album version at all but it's a proven little firecracker live. As usual, consistently really good but you're not necessarily missing out anything by not hearing these versions (if you want to hear them, just watch Tourfilm so you get the visuals too).

Stipe live banter QOTD: "Pacific, Coast - the closer, I get - the further, away - I'm here" ("I Remember California", uttered in a random stop-start cadence like reciting a piece of poetry)

Physically: Once again, the standard CDS is in a slim jewel case with the bare minimum of credits info in the cover slip (though you do get a screenshot of the video), while the collectors' edition CD comes in a standard jewel case with a fold-out booklet. This time the inner artwork is... close-up photos of an old European passport (or visa document or equivalent) and black and white photos of an old man and a child. Don't ask me.

NEAR WILD HEAVEN

1) Near Wild Heaven; 2) Tom's Diner (Live 1991); 3) Low (Live 1991); 4) Endgame (Live 1991)

Mike Mills' backing vocals have always been one of R.E.M.'s signature elements but he rarely got to be the lead outside a number of b-side cover songs. And yet, out of the three album lead vocals he ever got, two of them ended up being released as singles so clearly the band had faith in Mills standing in the spotlight. Of those songs, "Near Wild Heaven" is Mills' greatest lead vocal moment. It's a genuinely, disarmingly lovely tune: the sweetest melody paired with the brightest jangle, an excellent chorus that lifts to flight effortlessly and an aura of summery free-spiritedness that makes it impossible to resist. It has the feel of a great number of golden classic vintage pop songs, played with the confidence of a band who had just started their imperial phase. Stipe takes over Mills' harmony role and the switch between his huskiness and Mills' softness works as effectively this way around as it does normally. In fact, it's Mills' lead vocals that really make the song so effortlessly lush - it's a gentle, bright song and Mills' cuddly pillow of a voice is the perfect match, whereas Stipe would've likely given it a wholly different tone. And speaking of Stipe, he relishes his role as the counterweight backing vocalist - he's a joy to listen to here as well.

The live cuts offered as b-sides this time all come from a London concert in March 1991, and the particular songs included seem to have been deliberately chosen to compliment the A-side: they're softer and/or a little more light-hearted, and they have a feel of cosy comradery between the audience and the band. The Out of Time intermission instrumental "Endgame" is a good example: it isn't exactly a song that sets concerts alight but here it sounds so relaxed and casual it's hard not to smile with it, and when Stipe asks for people to join in on the harmonies towards the end it feels like an on-the-whim, genuine piece of loving engagement with the fans rather than a serious stadium-like attempt at a singalong. "Low", originally a song with a darker, colder edge hidden in its relatively calm demeanour, is presented with a fully acoustic treatment (bar the organ) which warms it up, making it a little less brooding without straying too far away from the original. The (debatable) main highlight however is the rowdy performance of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" - it starts out unassumingly enough with Stipe reciting the song a cappella, but soon they're throwing in beatboxing, new lyrics about currency exchange rates improvised on the spot, funky beats (or attempts thereof) and outrageous (or "unbelievable!") ad libs from the rest of the band (including Billy Bragg). They had become one of the world's biggest bands by this point but here they're just a group of goofballing friends caught during a moment of joviality and the good vibes radiate to the listener.

Stipe live banter QOTD: the genuine burst of giggle when he's taken by surprise by one of the other band members' ad libs in "Tom's Diner".

Physically: "Near Wild Heaven" for whatever reason only ever got the UK Collectors' Edition single - all the other single issues were 7" or cassette. So like the other Collectors' Editions this is a standard jewel case, and the sizeable if rather empty booklet only features more photos from the same collection as the cover, some pictures of peaches and the standard blurb about how this is one in a set of multiple collectors' edition singles etc etc.

RADIO SONG

US Maxi-Single:: 1) Radio Song (Tower of Luv Bug Mix); 2) Love Is All Around (Live 1991); 3) Belong (Live 1989)
UK Collectors' Edition CDS:: 1) Radio Song; 2) You Are the Everything (Live 1989); 3) Orange Crush (Live); 4) Belong (Live)

Out of Time started off R.E.M.'s folky mandolin years, but the album itself kicks off with this odd duck of a funk rock exercise: Mills' slap bass, Stipe adopting a hip-hop cadence and a guest feature from KRS-One all sound like nothing you'd expect from R.E.M. and also absolutely nothing like the rest of the album. Controversially, I love it - the feel of it is so powerfully energetic and vibrant I struggle to think how anyone could not enjoy it, and the chorus is poignantly soaring as if to remind that yes, it's still the R.E.M. you know and love. But they're no longer the R.E.M. you know either.

But, the lead track on the US maxi-single edition of the single isn't the actual "Radio Song", but rather the "Tower of Luv Bug Mix" which as far as I know was never released as any kind of an airplay candidate that would explain its A-side status. The hip-hop producer Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor's version is quite possibly even cheesier and/or cornier than the original song, full of bright and sunny backing vocal parts from a new female vocalist, funky organs and a classically late 80s/early 90s hip-hop beat. It effectively makes the original song's hip-hop influences more obvious - and it's also dated even more strongly than the original version. That ends up making it kind of... adorable? Not intended to be so of course, but there's a kind of lovely, nostalgic feel-good vibe to it thanks to its chosen production aesthetic and that makes it worth revisiting, even if it by no means replaces the original. And speaking of adorable, there's the Mills-lead cover of "Love Is All Around" from Rockline, London concert in 1991 which produced many of this era's live b-sides: it's the same acoustic arrangement that would go on to appear more famously on e.g. the 1991 MTV Unplugged session and though it offers nothing new if you've already heard that take, it's always a charmingly goofy little number which is strengthened by Mills' inate adorkability. The live version of "Belong" from 1989 rounds up the set nicely - it's faithful to the studio version that they'd commit to tape about a year and a half later, perhaps even to a fault if you're looking for something unique, but it's a big personal favourite R.E.M. song of mine and this just proves how well it soars live.

The live b-sides on the UK collectors' edition are more of a mixed bag, in more than one way. The version of "You Are the Everything" is once again taken off Tourfilm and it's a stunning version of one of the band's best compositions: slightly slower than the album version, but despite being performed in front of countless people it sounds even smaller and sparser. The other two live cuts do not come with any kind of detail as to when or where they were recorded, but suspect that they too are either from Tourfilm or the 1991 Rockline concert, given they're where all the other live cuts on this era's singles come from. In fact, I suspect that this version of "Belong" is exactly the same as the one found on the US maxi-single version because they sound completely identical (though with a slightly different mix, perhaps), even though the tracklist suggests this is almost 40 seconds longer: but that extra time is empty audience noise after the performance ends and the fading-out introduction to the next song (which sounds like "Exhuming McCarthy" based on the drum hits)! The rendition of "Orange Crush" is a powerhouse rendition of a song that was always destined to kick off a storm live - and it's nice to hear the audience already activate to the "huh! huh! huh! huh!" bit this early into the song's live presence.

Stipe live banter QOTD: "Be all that you can be, in the aaa-aaa-aaarmy!" sung with a not-sure-if-intentionally cracking voice right before "Orange Crush" kicks off.

Physically: The US maxi-single is a digipak case with a photo of the band and KRS-One in the inner cover part. The UK Collectors' Edition follows the same suite as the previous ones, coming in a jewel case with a fold-out booklet - the centerfold image is the same photo.

DRIVE

1) Drive; 2) It's a Free World, Baby; 3) Winged Mammal Theme; 4) First We Take Manhattan

"Drive" is a curious song, and it certainly doesn't sound like an obvious single. It's moody and introspective, crawling onwards rather than rushing onward with an attention-captivating hook: Stipe mumbles over gently picked acoustic guitar while the rhythm section slowly slumbers behind, and the song seems to take ages to get off the ground. But it's not a song made to shift units: the band were already big enough at this point that they had the creative control to not do that as the lead single. Instead, it's a statement of intent - an introduction to what Automatic for the People represents, hinting at what would be waiting for the listener when the album did finally arrive. But it became a hit nonetheless, and that's likely because of its two extremely strong not-so-secret weapons. One is that each and every line that Stipe utters is incredibly captivating and evocative melodically, every single quietly resigned sigh of his holding the power to sieze the listener. It's a song made out of instantly engaging vocal melodies, whether it's the slowly burning verses or the more obvious, deliberately downplayed calls for a crowd singalong in the chorus. The second ace in the sleeve is how the song unveils its full final form. After the second chorus an electric guitar suddenly interrupts the familiar proceedings, lashes out in what feels like a skyscraping moment of sound, followed by the majestically brooding strings that had been biding their time in the background, now revealing their whole wingspan. It's breathtaking when it happens, every single time you hear the song. It's at that point when "Drive" establishes itself as one of the band's most gorgeous songs.

The UK "collector's edition" CD single is the best bang for your buck out of the myriad of regional versions of "Drive" if you're looking to fill your library of R.E.M. studio material. The Out of Time outtake "It's a Free World, Baby" is one of R.E.M. very, very few officially released album leftovers, and worth the price of inclusion alone in that respect. You could describe it as "chamber funk" if you wanted to: its quirky bass and breezily laidback groove are a world away from "Drive" and definitely link it to the more happy-go-lucky experimentation of its original parent album, but in its chorus it attains a suddenly evocative soar that clearly identifies it as an early 90s R.E.M. anthem, with a wonderful dash of Stipe/Mills vocal interplay just to sweeten the deal. It's a bit of an odd duck of slightly disparate parts put together and you can see why it was exiled, but it's a very good song with some tight, strong melodies and a characteristic sense of quirkiness that the late 80s/early 90s version of the band loved to include.

Almost as if to counter the "meatiness" of the having a bonafide R.E.M. original as a b-side, the other two b-sides of the disc represent the two most common strands of throwaway studio material the band would begin to include on their singles from hereon in - i.e. instrumentals and cover songs. Representing the former we have the whimsical "Winged Mammal Theme" which was R.E.M.'s proposed entry for the Batman Returns soundtrack and, well, you can understand why its lighthearted riffing on the 60s Batman theme didn't quite fit in with Burton's vision for the Batverse and it got turned down - but it's a fun piece of silly novelty (is that cheesy MIDI keyboard sound an intentional choice, I wonder?) and one of the band's best instrumental b-sides, coming a little bit together as a song rather than just a style exercise. The set is rounded off with the Leonard Cohen cover "First We Take Manhattan", originally appearing in a tribute compilation a year earlier. It's got a particularly great-sounding organ, a mean groove across the entire tight rhythm section and as a cherry on top, a charming Mills-lead chorus contrasting with Stipe's commandeering verses. It stands out in the sea of R.E.M.'s cover choices as one which feels close to something a bit more integral, that there was a reason to record it beyond just to fill up space on a disc. It's one of their best borrowed songs.

Physically: A jewel case, with a fold-out booklet featuring more of the Corbijn-shot photos of the band from this era, introducing the moody grayscale imagery synonymous with the album.

MAN ON THE MOON

1) Man on the Moon; 2) Fruity Organ; 3) New Orleans Instrumental #2; 4) Arms of Love

If "Drive" was more of an introduction to the new album's prevailing tone, then "Man on the Moon" released as the next single after was the "radio friendly unit shifter" intended to hook the listener via airplay. It's one of R.E.M.'s most earnest anthems: a celebration of and tribute to Andy Kauffman's life which is channeled through one of their most immortally and effortlessly soaring choruses. Automatic for the People is a deeply melancholy and often somber album, and "Man on the Moon" plays an important role showing the light at the end of the tunnel and lifting the record up towards its beautiful final run of songs - as a stand-alone song, it's an immediately resonant and powerful anthem radiating with warmth and joy without being overbearing about it. It's a gorgeous, glorious song - but you probably know that already given it's one of their biggest hits.

The b-sides start off with a couple of instrumentals. "Fruity Organ" is exactly what it says on the label: the obnoxiously cheery (and fruity) organ in the verses steals the attention and together with the jaunty rhythm, sounds like it came straight from the incidental score for a kids show. The "choruses" move towards a more traditionally R.E.M.-ca-early-90s soundscape and the organ is switched to a less tackier variety, and you start moving a bit closer to something with a bit of substance instead of a silly novelty thing - but it's clear this is a throwaway demo that got a bit of polish and was turned into an instrumental. "New Orleans Instrumental #2" continues in line with the first part familiar from Automatic for the People, gently moving in place on top of a soft bass groove and gentle electric piano notes: it's a lovely bit of atmosphere to dip into and feels like an actual finished instrumental piece, and though it pales in comparison to its more famous sibling it's enjoyably cosy. The extra tracks are rounded off with a cover of Robyn Hitchcock's "Arms of Love" which sounds like it came straight from the unplugged sessions the band were playing instead of actual concerts during this period. It's a nice rendition with a lovely bit of harmonising from Berry and Mills in the chorus, and the band's love for the song comes through in the sentimental mood of their intimate version. Once again, all very cosy, which seems to be the prevailing mood of the b-sides this time around.

Physically: This is another UK collector's edition version, so it comes in a standard jewel case and a fold-out booklet with shots of the band and miscallenous people, which look like candid backstage photos from the "Man on the Moon" video set.

THE SIDEWINDER SLEEPS TONITE

UK Collector's Edition CD1: 1) The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite; 2) The Lion Sleeps Tonight; 3) Fretless
UK Collector's Edition CD2: 1) The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite; 2) Organ Song; 3) Star Me Kitten (Demo)

So the UK CD singles market wakes up and here we get the first example of the CD1/CD2 dichotomy that became a standard in the country for singles. R.E.M.'s label played ball and engaged with it, at least for a few of these singles, once it was clear that there was more money to be made in the singles from this mega-smash of an album.

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" plays the part of the the token ray of sunshine found on most melancholy, downbeat albums. And it is indeed so very cheery, to the point that you can audibly hear Michael Stipe burst into a genuine little giggle during the third verse as he minces his pronunciation of Dr Seuss' name. The band basically wrote it off the moment the album was released (never played live!) and that's a great shame. This is possibly the gold standard of R.E.M.'s cheery, bubblegum-adjacent pop songs. It's incredibly irresistible, genuinely joyous but never unbearably so, down to earth but positively surreal: the alternative rock version of the mythical Perfect Pop Song. On the album it plays an important role in balancing things out, as a single it gets to frolic away unchained and it's a wonder to listen every single time. A special mention goes out to the string section which enters at the exact perfect moment in the song, truly lifting it to another level and completing it.

The big snag of the "Sidewinder" single issues across the board is "Fretless", the other leftover from Out of Time that got recycled into a bonafide b-side for the next album (after a quick stint via the Until the End of the World soundtrack). It's a really good with a particularly wonderful atmosphere, full of slow-burn tension that is distinctly Out of Time in texture (the acoustic warmth, the organ, the small-scale strings) but more Automatic for the People in tone. Kate Pierson once again shares vocal duties with Stipe (as she did across Out of Time) and they work together beautifully. It's a gorgeous mood piece, and worth tracking down. The other b-side on the CD1 issue is the band's take on the classic "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", a cheeky nod to where the band lifted off the intro vocal melody and title for "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite". It's an affectionately accurate rendition of the stupidly charming original - a novelty song that I have some affinity for courtesy of it being such a childhood staple - and the best thing about R.E.M.'s version is simply the fun of hearing the band acting so earnestly goofy and light-hearted with nothing but joy in their hearts. Just like the original this leans more on the novelty side of things, but as far as random covers go it does a good job raising a smile on the face.

The CD2 b-sides open up with "Organ Song", which is self-explanatory enough: it's a three and a half minute, particularly regal sounding solo organ piece (sure sounds like a church organ but I imagine it's a sample), and how much you enjoy it depends 100% on how much you love organs. I really enjoy organs, and so I'm happy to just float in the majestic atmosphere of this beautiful instrument for a couple of minutes while it fills the room. This leads wonderfully into the similarly organ-lead demo for "Star Me Kitten", which is basically there in terms of the final song - the structure and much of the arrangement are already as they would be on the album, minor refinements nonwithstanding. The biggest difference are Stipe's guide vocals, 1/3 actual words and 2/3 vaguely word-shaped mumbling as he's figuring out the melody while dropping a few key lines he's thought of in advance. It's gorgeous and pretty, just as the album version is, but somewhat of a filler b-side given the similarities to the canonical version - but there's I guess some entertainment to be had in Stipe's more particular vocal delivery.

Physically: Both CD1 and CD2 are in standard jewel cases, with small fold-out booklets featuring more stills from the music video shoot.

EVERYBODY HURTS

UK Collector's Edition CD1: 1) Everybody Hurts (Edit); 2) New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 (Long Version); 3) Mandolin Strum
UK Collector's Edition CD2: 1) Everybody Hurts (Edit); 2) Chance (Dub); 3) Dark Globe

"Everybody Hurts" is a song that could have easily gone wrong. It could very well have been melodramatic, cheesy, overblown or all above. Stipe chose to make the song as direct as possible to get the message through, and that too could have gone awry. It's testament to R.E.M.'s skills that "Everybody Hurts" turned out to avoid all those pitfalls. Stipe sells the simple lyrics by pouring his heart and soul into singing them and graces them with sincerity that lifts them up, and the arrangement of the music never becomes too tall and retains a sense of intimacy even when it starts to grow into its string-soaring epic size. It sounds like a genuine reach to support, rather than a forced stadium moment. That it became one of the iconic rock ballads of the 90s isn't really a surprise, but from its arrangement to its sentiment it feels out of place in that crowd. It's an intimate song that almost accidentally grows big over the course of its length, and that's why it still retains its magic. The edit featured here cuts off a little bit of the intro and outro, but doesn't touch the body of the song itself.

Almost as if to counter the emotional weight of the A-side, the additional tracks scattered across the two UK "collector's edition" singles are a lot more lightweight and fluffy in nature (though I really don't think that was intentional). The b-sides for CD1 are two instrumentals, both titled very aptly. The long version of "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" stretches out the gorgeous midnight pondering atmosphere of the Automatic for the People interlude by an additional minute, doing nothing different or new with the extra time but simply presents more of what it's made of - which is by no means a bad thing when you're talking about this lush, lovely mood piece. "Mandolin Strum" is another Out of Time demo given a little bit of polish and a new lease of life a few years later, and it's perky little number featuring the titular Buck's go-to instrument of the time. Maybe with a little extra work it could have turned into something more, but you can hear why it was left on the wayside because it effectively repeats a lot of Out of Time's tricks (the organ, the mandolin, the warm acoustic feel) but in a more reductive manner compared to the album; still, if you're in love with that album's soundscape there's more of it here.

The CD2 bonus tracks open with "Chance (Dub)", a song Peter Buck claims the rest of the band had put together when he was taking a brief break outside the studio - he therefore takes no responsibility for this ludicrously stupid goof-off where an obnoxious drum machine, a cavalcade of pogoing synth lines chosen for their irritability factor and an ad libbing, quasi-rapping Michael Stipe fight for the spotlight. It's nonsense and pure filler from the second it starts, but it's also just so irrationally charming - a real behind the scenes look of close friends fooling around with the instruments around them like dorky college kids, forgetting for a little bit that they're one of the biggest bands in the world. The second extra track is a Syd Barrett cover which was originally released as a b-side during the Green era, recycled under the excuse that it was at the time unavailable on any other CD; I'm not too familiar with the original but the R.E.M. version is a beautiful and simple piano rendition, where Stipe sings like it comes from the heart. Poignant and pretty.

Physically: Two jewel cases, once more. The inner fold of the small booklet for CD1 features a photo of the band. CD2's booklet folds into a poster with... another photo of the band.

NIGHTSWIMMING

1) Nightswimming; 2) World Leader Pretend (Live 1991); 3) Belong (Live 1991); 4) Low (Live 1991)

"Nightswimming" really doesn't strike as a single for me: a simple ballad featuring just a piano (and some strings) doesn't exactly scream an alt rock hit. But hey, we're at single #5 and the album has already conquered the entire earth so what is there exactly to promote anymore? Let's just go with whatever. Maybe there's some distant chance that someone simply thought that this deep cut deserved to be heard by a few more people, and if that's the case then kudos. "Nightswimming" is one of the most uncomplicated and earnest songs in R.E.M.'s back catalogue and simply an astonishingly beautiful song - Stipe's honest and warm delivery, Mills' crystal clear piano providing a beautiful backdrop for it, and those elegant strings bringing in a touch of regality. It's a wonderful piece of music and an odd single as it is, it became another hit. Fair play.

The b-sides consist of three live cuts recorded at The Capital Plaza Theatre in April 1991, for American Public Radio. It's a short acoustic set, recorded just a couple of weeks after the 1991 MTV Unplugged concert, and if you've heard that (and let's face it, you probably have by the point you start hunting down or reading about R.E.M. CD singles) then you know how these go already - all three songs were part of the MTV setlist too. The songs suit the sparser arrangements perfectly and still somehow sound lush, and the lower tempos and intimate air give them a lovely sense of warmth; Mills' increased vocal presence also lends into that overall comforting gentleness. By this point these renditions have been road tested and perfected and there aren't any surprises for seasoned veterans. "World Leader Pretend" hones in on its wistfulness, "Belong" comes with some great vocal acrobatics and layered harmonies from Mills, and a soft organ is dug out for "Low" to add to its ambience. All really competent, great recordings - and completely superfluous for fans who own the MTV Unplugged album.

Stipe live banter QOTD: none, actually - the recordings don't include any preamble (beyond a quick hello and introduction on "World Leader Pretend") and the most Stipe says between the songs is a quick "thank you".

Physically: Jewel case. The booklet has no additional pages and the inner centerfold has a few more photos similar to the cover: moody and grainy. One of them's of the moon - thematically appropriate.

FIND THE RIVER

1) Find the River; 2) Everybody Hurts (Live at the MTV Video Music Awards 1993); 3) Orange Crush (Instrumental)

It's the sixth single from the Automatic for the People campaign and you can absolutely tell that they are stretching whatever scraps they can find for the b-sides. It's a real sign of desperation when an instrumental of a now-five year old song randomly ends up as one of the bonus tracks. Meanwhile the other b-side is a live performance from just two months prior (I love how the cover sticker tries to paint this "previously unreleased live version" as something enticing). This isn't the most exciting release for a b-side collector, that's for sure.

But skipping past the glibness, I do think instrumental versions are actually a strain of bonus material that often gets massively underestimated by people, myself included. Yes it's just the same familiar song without all those centerpiece vocal hooks and melodies, but you forget just how much we as humans latch onto those vocals on a subconscious level. You may think you know all the nuances of the musical backing of a song but then you listen to an instrumental version and it somehow opens up the song in a different way now that you can't pay attention to the vocals. "Orange Crush" was a brilliant song to begin with and the instrumental version here isn't going to alter anyone's opinion on it in a significant way, but it is an interesting thing to listen through simply because it comes out alive a little bit differently in an unexpected manner, now that you can hear all the guitar and bass flourishes in full. The live version of "Everybody Hurts" meanwhile is far less interesting; again, a GREAT song, but it's one that (especially in a live setting) is set to go big and loud in that universally embracing manner. This version sounds like the band are holding off from doing that and it comes across more muted: like they were deliberately trying to keep quiet so as not to wake up the neighbours.

"Find the River" itself is a stunning piece of music, one of R.E.M.'s quiet standout moments and an absolutely devastatingly powerful closer to its parent album; it's a sad song but yet also beautifully sweet. I wouldn't have chosen it as a single myself but the last single of each R.E.M. campaign always tends to be selected by pure RNG in the first place.

Physically: Slim jewel case, with a very bare-bones inner sleeve - mainly just advertises both the album and the This Film Is On VHS.

WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH?

1) What's the Frequency, Kenneth? (Radio Version); 2) Monty Got a Raw Deal (Live); 3) Everybody Hurts (Live); 4) Man on the Moon (Live)

R.E.M. kick off their return to a more electric sound with this monster of a hit: full of groove and fuzzy guitars, swanky vocal melodies and a big chorus with a cryptic lyric. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" is a great song and an immediate song, written to grab you from the instant that snare hits after the textural riff intro. Perhaps that immediacy is the reason why, despite obviously being a great song, it's not quite the stand-out for me as it used to be and I prefer some of the weirder parts of Monster, but it's hard to fault this as a lead single choice. The radio version swaps out the line with the naughty word sneaked into the very last chorus (often missed by radio play!) with another repetition of a prior line, but otherwise it's identical to the album version.

The b-sides for the Monster singles were planned out with an interesting premise, certainly for the mid-1990s. On 19th November 1992 R.E.M. played one of the few full concerts during their extended break from touring, for a benefit event organised for Greenpeace held at the 40 Watt Club in Athens (Georgia, USA) where the band had first started playing live all those years ago. It was the first time many of the Out of Time and Automatic for the People songs would be aired out live in a full-band, electric form instead of the unplugged sessions they had been doing here and there in the past year. The Monster singles capture the entire concert across their respective b-sides (apart from the first version of "Drive" which was performed twice during the evening, and a cover of "Love Is All Around" they'd been trotting through the unplugged sessions), with the high-concept idea that once you had all the singles you could (legally!) copy the tracks on tape to form your own DIY live album.

The "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" single kicks off the concert with three live debuts, all from Automatic for the People. In hindsight wheeling out future crowd-roaring giants like "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon", and neither sound quite as gigantic yet as they would become - though playing them in a cosy, intimate club setting and the obvious lack of a grand string section might have something to do with that. In that sense, this version of "Everybody Hurts" is a little bit special because while it's still obviously a big song, it's not played like a grand torchlight anthem with all the fireworks going off; it's a little more intimate and personal, and still thoroughly captivating and beautiful. "Man on the Moon" is similarly a bit more low-key, underlining the americana flair with the prominent slide guitar and mid tempo flow, and again it's just neat to hear this song without the roaring explosiveness that would become a natural part of it later in the touring life. For big fans (so probably all you who are reading a review of a R.E.M. CD single) the most interesting part of this excerpt of the concert is the wonderful deep cut and live rarity "Monty Got a Raw Deal" which to my knowledge isn't present on any other R.E.M. live collection; it's played pretty note-to-note to the album version so nothing particularly revelatory here, but it's got a slightly looser feel.

Physically: Slim jewel case with not much in the inside liner notes, just small photos of the band caught in various ad hoc moments as well as the song credits.

BANG AND BLAME

1) Bang and Blame; 2) Losing My Religion (Live); 3) Country Feedback (Live); 4) Begin the Begin (Live)

In a discography as big as R.E.M.'s, some singles naturally slip through the cracks and do not get canonised in any way. "Bang and Blame" is one of those - you rarely hear anyone mention it, it's not in any compilations despite its single status, the band barely touched it past its mother tour and it's not a song that bounces immediately out of Monster's tracklisting for most people. That's doing a disservice to a great song. Mills' hooky back-and-forth bass leads the listener through the hypnotically swaying verses while Buck's guitar takes the center stage in the abrupt, minimalistic chorus - R.E.M. take the classic grunge quiet-loud-quiet structure and deliver it in a way that sounds, above all, uniquely R.E.M.-esque in its faint dreaminess under all the distorted guitars. There's a quietly aching lament buzzing somewhere deep inside, but it comes lashing out as bursts of sudden muscle and aggression - it's one of the key songs of Monster and the fact that it's largely forgotten despite being the album's second single is, as said, pretty sad. As a nerd for details as well, I also have a huge soft spot for the oddball organ that pops up to sway in the background right before the song is about to fade away - a curious little element that manages to turn the song to a different path right before it closes. The version of the song on this single excludes the little interlude jam that hangs from the end of the track on the album, in case anyone should need a "neat" version of "Bang and Blame" for their records.

The b-sides continue the full November 1992 Live for Greenpeace concert that started on the "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" single. This version of "Losing My Religion" is one of its very first non-acoustic performances, thrown out casually early in the set before it clicked that something like this should really be near the set closure, and it comes out a lot more raw and energetic than its studio counterpart largely thanks to the amped-up guitars that are featured high in the mix. "Country Feedback" goes the other way: later down the line it would become an intense bundle of fiery, emotional drama in concert, tearing into its guts more passionately than the album version had, but this debut(?) live performance is a lot more laid back. The slide guitar is the shining star of this mostly acoustic performance, crying behind Stipe's painedly bellowing vocals - goes to show that even if you take away the titular feedback of the studio version or the high pressure of its ultimate live versions, underneath there is a haunting song regardless of form. The gig energy is then brought back with "Begin the Begin", which itself brings back the slide guitar from the previous song and that already gives this storming performance its own little twist - it works shockingly well as well, who'd have thought a slide guitar could sound so rocking? Otherwise the song is played faithfully to the original which, given how it was practically designed to be a live firecracker, goes down a treat as always. Three excellent live performances from a fun, in some ways interesting concert - can't really complain this time around.

Stipe live banter QOTD: "We're going to play four more songs, three of which I don't have the words to, so I'm going to ask anyone who knows the words really well please come down to the front. If it looks like I'm faltering, just holler the first word and I'll pick up from there".

Physically: Slim jewel case with again little in the way of liner notes... except for the full lyrics to "Bang and Blame". Yes, R.E.M. did in fact publish their lyrics officially in print well before 1998 (and outside "World Leader Pretend"), so that's one for your trivia banks.

E-BOW THE LETTER

1) E-Bow the Letter; 2) Tricycle; 3) Departure (Rome Soundcheck Version); 4) Wall of Death

"E-Bow the Letter" is a wild choice for a single - let alone the lead single of the album and from an album that's otherwise so unlike it - but it's a statement piece. By the mid-90s R.E.M. had the clout to release anything they wanted as a single, even if it's a five and half minute (no radio edit!) drone-y and ethereal spoken word piece. But given the controversial rock and roll tones of Monster "E-Bow the Letter" was perhaps a peace offering, showing the band were back to the softer sounds of their early 1990s hits - even if still more electric. It's one of my all-time favourite songs - R.E.M. and otherwise - and it's arguably the source for a lot pet likes I've got, because this is where I got my love for the beautifully haunting sounds of an e-bowed guitar and the magic of a wonderfully executed spoken word piece for. Stipe isn't fronting this one as much as he is a conduit for the song, and together with the incredible arrangement and Patti Smith's feature is powerful and otherwordly. The whole song is otherwordly.

The b-sides are much more in tune with New Adventures in Hi-Fi, in that they're more laidback and loose and so unlike the A-side. The short surf rock instrumental "Tricycle" is another soundcheck fool-around jam and its iron wire guitar riff is hooky enough, but it's not going to get anyone wanting to hear it again anytime soon. The Rome soundcheck version of "Departure" is an alternative take on the New Adventures deep cut, and between its more limp energy and the idiculously fruity organ sound it's obvious why this wasn't the version the band went for. The Richard Thompson cover "Wall of Death" is the best of these b-sides, with R.E.M. briefly indulging in their Americana aspirations: there's some beautiful harmonies between Mills and Stipe, and some lush piano touches. It's not going to make anyone's favourite b-sides list, but it's got a little heart to it which sells it enough for it to finish the CD single gracefully.

ELECTROLITE

1) Electrolite; 2) The Wake-Up Bomb (Live); 3) Binky the Doormat (Live); 4) King of Comedy (808 State Remix)

The issue I have with R.E.M. releasing live versions of Monster / New Adventures in Hi-Fi songs from the ongoing tour as b-sides is that both albums were meant to be played live - the latter was even recorded live for most parts, with some studio clean up to remove audience noise etc. Therefore, live versions of these songs are just the album versions. This isn't even like it was with the version of "Departure" on the "E-Bow the Letter" single where the alternative recording actually featured a slightly different take on the song; both "Binky the Doormat" and "The Wake-Up Bomb" sound exactly as they're on the album. They're great songs, but seeing them on this tracklist feels like a con job. So the low rating for the b-sides isn't because of the songs themselves, it's their utter redundancy.

If you want something you can rate low, it's the 808 State remix of "King of Comedy". It's a textbook example of the most stereotypical remix you could think to find in a mid-90s alternative rock single. It is incredibly of its time and not in a way that would push it all the way back to nostalgic, and it's got none of the swagger, groove or charm of the original.

And thus, once again, if you were to combine the scores for the A-side and the bonus tracks together you'd once again really underrepresent how great the lead track is. "Electrolite" is a little cloud casually drifting along: a series of anecdotal, stream-of-consciousness verses gently tied together with a quaintly simple chorus, Buck's banjo and Mills' loungey piano. It doesn't show off, act big or dress to impress, and that's why it's such a charmer of a song. It's so incredibly free of the world's weight it's infectious, and it's so easy to fall in love with it and go on a jaunty little stroll together. It's also a case where I'd say the music video is essential viewing: its non-sequitur feel matches the song perfectly and the surreal visuals are inseparable from the song.

DAYSLEEPER

1) Daysleeper; 2) Emphysema; 3) Why Not Smile (Oxford American Version)

Two perfect, brilliant songs surrounding an overlong novelty instrumental. "Daysleeper", the most traditionally R.E.M.-esque song off Up, is one of the highlights of an overall magnificent album and therefore makes its way by default among the band's very best songs - it's a beautiful, atmospheric classic watching the world with weary eyes and aching to rest with such tenderness to its breath. The Oxford American version of "Why Not Smile" strips away the electronic elements of the album version and in their place is simply a gently-picked acoustic guitar and a beautiful organ, bringing the song closer to a more vintage R.E.M. sound while heightening the intimacy of an already very touching song and providing it with additional warmth and comfort. It's such a great take that I actually can't decide whether I prefer this one to the original or not, as both versions have their own unique strengths. A must-have R.E.M. b-side - one of few.

And then there's "Emphysema", an instrumental practice space foolaround that sounds like it should accompany a secret agent scene in a cartoon; its hokey percussion and distinctive organ reminding me a great deal of the band's early 90s instrumental filler bonus tracks. It's more enjoyable than the average throwaway R.E.M. b-side instrumental but it really has no reason to go on for four and a half minutes when it's had its say in a little over a minute.

LOTUS

1) Lotus; 2) Surfing the Ganges; 3) Lotus (Weird Mix)

If you are a fan of "Lotus", as I am, you owe yourself the small effort it takes to get hold of and listen to the Weird Mix found on this single. It's not a remix, a remake or anything like that: a careful eye might even catch this by looking at the track times and seeing how both the original version and the Weird Mix share the same running time. Rather, the Weird Mix is the exact same as the original "Lotus" - except, as the title says, it's mixed all weird. There's a lot of stereo isolation, a lot of dimmed sounds; at first it sounds like the work of a drunken mixer which the band found hilarious to the point of wanting to release it. The thing is though, the screwball mixing isn't random. The mix here pushes back the instruments that formerly dominated the song - the drums, the strings, the electric piano - and raises all the background elements to the forefront instead. "Lotus" is a remarkably dense song, full of countless little sounds from hidden melodies to seemingly random buzz sounds, together forming a thick jungle of sonic ideas that make the song so bewildering and immense. By tweaking the mix like the Weird Mix does, all those background details are now revealed. Did you know that there's bells in the track? No? There they are, perfectly audible in the Weird Mix. And suddenly, the denseness of "Lotus" begins to open up in ways that even its most hardcore listener had never realised before.

The other b-side "Surfing the Ganges" is an above-average R.E.M. instrumental, meaning that it's perfectly passable but nothing more than a curiosity. I do appreciate its whimsy and playfulness, even if it feels like Mills found a cheap vaguely sitar-sounding MIDI pattern in his keyboard and the whole Ganges thing was born out of that, but no one is going to reminisce about this song ever.

AT MY MOST BEAUTIFUL

1) At My Most Beautiful (Radio Remix); 2) Passenger (Live); 3) Country Feedback (Live)

On Up the openly positive notes, optimistic lyrics and incredibly pretty melodies of "At My Most Beautiful" are a moment's break from the album's general melancholy, on its own it sounds like an uncharacteristically lovelorn ballad for R.E.M. I would say this is one of the band's most unusual singles even though it's such a soft and open song. But it is their loveliest single, with Mills backing vocals to die for. It's become one of my personal favourite love songs, as sappy and mushy as it is - but it's earnest about its affectations rather than trying to play an act, and the arrangement is a little marvel around Stipe's genuinely happy performance. The radio remix included here simply increases the volume in parts of the mix and production, and doesn't alter the song itself.

The b-sides for the issue I have are two live tracks taken from the Later With Jools Holland 1998 R.E.M. special (later included in the R.E.M. at the BBC box set). The audience-rousing Iggy Pop cover "Passenger" rocks out with a free spirit with all its la la la las and it's one of the more exciting covers the band have included as part of their b-sides - and it's a live track to boot, ticking off two categories in one go. "Country Feedback" is always amazing live, and sometimes I'd say it's one of the few songs that are always improved in a live setting because the band really lets the song's emotional ache out when performing it. And once again, it delivers. It's not the best live version I've heard of the song (that'll be the Perfect Square DVD performance), but it's still excellent.

THE GREAT BEYOND

1) The Great Beyond (Radio Edit); 2) Everybody Hurts (Live from Glastonbury); 3) The One I Love (Live from Glastonbury)

After Up's dense electro-melancholy, R.E.M. could have gone anywhere. Perhaps then that when Milos Forman asked R.E.M. to write a new theme song (and the incidental score) for the film he had titled after one of the band's earlier classics, he coincidentally pushed the band towards a new direction. "The Great Beyond" was in many ways a return to tradition: a full-band rock song with everyone going back to their traditional roles, grand in scope and stadium-ready, almost like nothing had ever happened in-between. But Up's influence is in the sonic precision of the production: it's busy and pristine, little bits and pieces moving around. The studio has become one of the instruments, but the sound still breathes. In many ways "The Great Beyond" would set the tone for the following Reveal, which effectively ran with the ideas presented here.

"The Great Beyond" has become something more than just a soundtrack cut: it's an iconic song in its own right, a classic for the band and one of their latter-day tracks that even the skeptics can agree with. It feels like a rebirth and sounds blissful about it, full of hope and wide-eyed wonder. It's a phenomenal song through and through, full of impactful segments that come together into a regal whole. The bridges where the song starts taking flight after the subdued verses, Stipe's rapid-fire delivery in the chorus, the starry-eyed optimism of its lyrics, the gorgeous grand finale, and all those lovely little details in its production. It is a brilliant piece of music and an R.E.M. essential.

The b-sides are like an emphasis of R.E.M.'s grand return that the A-side represents. The 1999 Glastonbury headline show is a milestone of its own, the band reclaiming their spot on top of the world after Up confused a good chunk of the general audience, blasting through a set of favourites with fired-up energy. Choosing two of the band's biggest hits from that gig for this single probably isn't too much of a coincidence. They're good renditions of great songs, and particularly "The One I Love" sounds huge - not the kind of live b-sides you'd place in a regular rotation because they don't really show anything new about the songs, but they're a good listen and the version of "The One I Love" has found a comfortable slot in my super-nerdy home-made digi-box set of b-sides and rarities (and later on the full concert was released on the R.E.M. at the BBC box set as well).

IMITATION OF LIFE

1) Imitation of Life; 2) The Lifting (Original Version); 3) Beat a Drum (Dalkey Demo)

In a fun twist to the usual fare on how bands operate with b-sides, when you see an original song in the tracklist of a new R.E.M. single you can safely shrug and move on - it's just going to be another two-minute throwaway instrumental jam they pulled out in the studio while they were bored. But if you see any hint of a song being an alternative version of any sorts, a demo or an early version or anything like that, pay attention because that's where this band shines.

The two b-sides are a real treasure, both original versions of two Reveal songs. The original version of "The Lifting" bears practically no resemblance to the album version outside the lyrics and even those have been changed in places. There's no sign of the energetic, soaring opener that signals the band's return to a dynamic band sound on the album. Instead, the original "The Lifting" floats along in a meditational haze, driven by atmospheric guitar lines, tablas and strings. It rings out with a regal sound, gorgeously casting an atmospheric dream for five and a half minutes. It's so excellent that you wish the band had kept the music for another piece of lyric because it's too good to be thrown away completely when the final arrangement started to take form.

The demo of "Beat a Drum" is a far more conventional alternate take as it's got a fairly clear resemblance to the album version - the key difference here is that the song is stripped down to only voice, piano and acoustic guitar. It's sometimes said by people that the true strength of a song can be measured by taking it down to the bare bones and seeing if it still sounds good, and what was already one of Reveal's best moments reveal that yes indeed it works just as well with the bare minimum. It's a beautiful version of a wonderful song, still pastoral and awestruck but now closer and more intimate.

Fantastic A-side too. Almost as if to ensure people that the band has recovered from the depression that fueled the experimental Up, "Imitation of Life" was released as the lead single for Reveal and is as classic of a R.E.M. song as a song can be. Its sound is undeniably something that could only be R.E.M. and it comes off triumphantly. It's got a huge chorus for crowds to sing along to on the arena stages that band were ready to embrace again (even if ironically Reveal had no release tour), with a warm and lush sound to sink into, some classic Mills backing vocals and Buck jangles to cherish and Stipe being as excellent as he's ever been.

If you're a R.E.M. singles collector, keep this one at the top of your priorities list.

ALL THE WAY TO RENO (YOU'RE GONNA BE A STAR)

1) All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star); 2) Yellow River; 3) Imitation of Life (Live from Trafalgar Square)

Such a gorgeous song. Lazy summer afternoon weariness, 1960s psychedelia throwback in the arrangement, great vocals from both Stipe and Mills (whose backing vocals really make the chorus) full of those little vocal melody details that Stipe has always been so great at. It's always struck me just how relaxed it sounds, above all: it's a busy song if you break it into its components but as a whole it lulls around in its own space, gently floating above ground and going through its five minutes with no rush at all. It pulls the world into slow motion around it. More the chance to appreciate how lush it is, really. I've always considered this as one of the essential latter-day R.E.M. singles although in retrospect it's rarely talked in the same way as e.g. "Imitation of Life" or "Leaving New York" are - maybe my memories of this being constantly on repeat on music video channels and my own CD players throughout 2001-2002 is clouding my memory.

I've also always had an odd, almost nostalgic appreciation for the original "Yellow River" even though I have no recollection of ever listening to it all that much - some pop culture osmosis quirk I guess - so I have a ready-made affection towards R.E.M. covering it. It's wholly faithful to the original, and the main thing to pay attention to this from the R.E.M. side of things is that Mills gets the lead vocals. His gentle affectation works perfectly with the song and the overall recording is rather cute, in lack of a better word. The live version of "Imitation of Life" is pleasantly explosive, already showing itself off as the live anthem staple it was always destined to be. The song itself is of course great, but this live version doesn't do anything that would mean one should actively seek it out.

LEAVING NEW YORK

1) Leaving New York; 2) You Are the Everything (Live); 3) These Days (Live)

Sadly after the b-side peak period of the past two albums, the Around the Sun singles bring back the usual live affairs. Both "You Are the Everything" and "These Days" being 1980s deep cuts foreshadow the band's impending personal archive binge, but I'm not a big fan of the recordings here. The performances are pretty faithful to the originals but they're almost too pristinely so, and because all the audience noise has been mixed out you might as well be listening to to slightly weaker studio versions. The lack of audience energy and interaction or any live feeling in general really brings both of these great songs down: especially the performance of "These Days" which is just so flaccid.

Regarding the actual lead track, Around the Sun tends to be viewed by most as somewhat of a letdown but even its most ardent naysayers have problems denying the greatness of "Leaving New York" - a damn near perfect track that's only slightly tarnished by Stipe's erratic grammar decision in the chorus. Gorgeous vocal harmonies layered over and over eachother, beautifully wistful mood and a grandiose chorus that brings the song into widescreen mode, peaking as the track moves to simply repeat those layered backing vocals over and over again, increasing the intensity of each unique line every go around. What a stunner.