R.E.M. At The BBC - box set (October 19th)

goldrush

R.E.M. grew up with the BBC, and this historic relationship is lovingly celebrated across an incredible collection that beautifully illustrates the career trajectory of one of modern music’s greatest bands. The collection—available as a super-deluxe edition 8-CD/1-DVD box set, as well as 2-CD, 2-LP and digital formats—comprises a treasure trove of rare and unreleased live and studio recordings culled from the BBC and band archives. This is a must-have collection for R.E.M. fans and an authoritative introduction for newcomers.

In-studio performances featured in the 8-CD/1-DVD box set include a John Peel Session (1998), Drivetime and Mark and Lard appearances (2003) and a glorious Radio 1 Live Lounge performance (2008). Live broadcasts include a rough-and-tumble show from Nottingham’s Rock City (1984), the stunning 1995 Milton Keynes Monster Tour (their first after a six-year break), a blistering 1999 Glastonbury headline set and an invitation-only 2004 show at London’s St James’s Church.

The DVD kicks off with a sixty-minute intimate retrospective of the band’s legendary performances at the BBC in the Accelerating Backwards film – previously broadcast only in the UK and available commercially for the first time here.  Accelerating Backwards also includes revealing interviews with Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, further testifying to R.E.M.’s long, special relationship with the BBC.  The DVD also offers a complete 1998 Later….With Jools Holland episode uniquely dedicated to the band, plus TV appearances on Top of the Pops and more.

The package liner notes add yet more behind-the-scenes insight to this definitive retrospective collection. Assorted BBC personalities reminiscence about what it was like to work with R.E.M both on stage and off. Respected BBC DJ/Presenter Jo Whiley recalls, “Their Glastonbury performance in 1999 was a dazzling moment: the band storming through an all-killer, no-filler setlist. As a headline performance, it was a triumph and, for me, it’s up there as one of the Glastonbury greats.”  Of a 2001 Top of the Pops performance, BBC Producer Mark Hagen muses, “”Michael once told me that he hears in colors and it was one of those nights when you felt that you could reach out and touch the music as it flowed through the air, a glorious rolling cloud of green. Just like a kudzu vine in a dream.”  Acclaimed rock journalist Tom Doyle also provides an overview of the entire thirty-year period.

In addition to the comprehensive box set, The Best of R.E.M. at the BBC is also available via 2-CD and 2-LP formats. The Best of collection offers a selection of in-studio performance and live broadcast highlights. R.E.M. at the BBC will also be available to stream or download, with the digital album offering mirroring discs 1 to 8 from the box set.

The first instant grat. single—a memorable version of “Losing My Religion” recorded in 1991 for BBC 1’s Into The Night session—is available when you pre-order the box set or Best of album (Listen or Pre-order Here). New instant grat. singles will be released each week leading up to street date.

goldrush

Disc 1 (64:17) – Sessions

Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991

1. World Leader Pretend 4:36
2. Fretless 5:16
3. Half A World Away 3:33
4. Radio Song 4:05
5. Losing My Religion 4:42
6. Love Is All Around 3:09

John Peel Studio Session, 25 October 1998

1. Walk Unafraid 4:04
2. Daysleeper 3:18
3. Lotus 4:13
4. At My Most Beautiful 3:16

Mark and Lard, BBC Radio 1, 15 October 2003

1. Bad Day 4:03
2. Orange Crush 3:55

Drivetime, BBC Radio 2, 15 October 2003

1. Man On The Moon 4:59
2. Imitation Of Life 3:41

Radio 1 Live Lounge, 26 March 2008

1. Supernatural Superserious 3:23
2. Munich 3:18

 

Disc 2 (62:32) – Sessions

BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998

1. Introduction :26
2. Losing My Religion 4:44
3. New Test Leper 5:53
4. Lotus 4:48
5. Parakeet 4:23
6. Electrolite 4:23
7. Perfect Circle 4:39
8. The Apologist 4:40
9. Daysleeper 4:44
10. Country Feedback 7:23
11. At My Most Beautiful 4:14
12. Walk Unafraid 4:52
13. Man On The Moon 6:11

 

Disc 3 (58:49) – Live Broadcasts

Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984

1. Second Guessing 2:57
2. Hyena 2:57
3. Talk About The Passion 3:04
4. West Of The Fields 3:07
5. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville 4:29
6. Auctioneer (Another Engine) 3:01
7. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) 4:51
8. Old Man Kensey 4:24
9. Gardening At Night 3:26
10. 9-9/Hey Diddle Diddle/Feeling Gravitys Pull 5:39
11. Windout 1:49
12. Driver 8 3:25
13. Pretty Persuasion 3:33
14. Radio Free Europe 3:49
15. Wendell Gee 3:21
16. Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars) 4:47

 

Disc 4 (51:59) – Live Broadcasts

Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995

1. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? 3:58
2. Crush With Eyeliner 4:42
3. Drive 3:51
4. Turn You Inside Out 4:17
5. Try Not To Breathe 3:50
6. I Took Your Name 4:15
7. Undertow 5:16
8. Bang And Blame 4:58
9. I Don’t Sleep I Dream 4:14
10. Strange Currencies 4:31
11. Revolution 3:20
12. Tongue 4:38

 

Disc 5 (56:43) – Live Broadcasts

Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995

1. Man On The Moon 5:46
2. Country Feedback 6:49
3. Half A World Away 4:04
4. Losing My Religion 4:54
5. Pop Song 89 3:27
6. Finest Worksong 3:48
7. Get Up 2:54
8. Star 69 4:00
9. Let Me In 3:59
10. Everybody Hurts 7:24
11. Fall On Me 3:11
12. Departure 3:52
13. Its the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 5:15

 

Disc 6 (43:05) – Live Broadcasts

Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999

1. Lotus 4:36
2. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? 4:09
3. So Fast, So Numb 4:47
4. The Apologist 4:36
5. Fall On Me 3:26
6. Daysleeper 3:29
7. The Wake-Up Bomb 5:01
8. The One I Love 3:27
9. Sweetness Follows 5:50
10. At My Most Beautiful 3:37

 

Disc 7 (53:28) – Live Broadcasts

Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999

1. Losing My Religion 5:24
2. Everybody Hurts 6:47
3. Walk Unafraid 4:17
4. Star 69 3:04
5. Finest Worksong 4:22
6. Man On The Moon 5:43
7. Why Not Smile 2:10
8. Crush With Eyeliner 4:40
9. Tongue 5:19
10. Cuyahoga 4:37
11. Its the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 6:58

 

Disc 8 (55:24) – Live Broadcasts

St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004

1. Intro :47
2. So Fast, So Numb 5:13
3. Boy In The Well 5:20
4. I Wanted To Be Wrong 5:19
5. E-Bow The Letter (with Thom Yorke) 5:09
6. Around The Sun 5:02
7. Aftermath 3:58
8. Losing My Religion 4:47
9. Walk Unafraid 5:10
10. Leaving New York 4:48
11. Imitation Of Life 4:35
12. Man On The Moon 5:34

 

Disc 9 (DVD) – Television Broadcasts

 

Accelerating Backwards

Moon River

Pretty Persuasion

Pop Song 89

Orange Crush

Losing My Religion

Half A World Away

Crush With Eyeliner

Man On The Moon

Daysleeper

Imitation Of Life

So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)

All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)

Leaving New York

 

Later… with Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.

Intro

Losing My Religion

Lotus

New Test Leper

Daysleeper

Electrolite

At My Most Beautiful

The Apologist

Country Feedback

Parakeet

So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)

Walk Unafraid

Man On The Moon

The Passenger

 

Bonus Videos

I’ve Been High

Nightswimming

Bad Day

deadendp

I have mine on order.  Went with the CD/DVD box set.  

ledvedderman

Very cool. I think I’ll definitely be ordering it. Glad to see Around the Sun stuff on there. I honestly don’t get the vast hate for that album. Yeah there are a couple duds, but there are some fantastic songs on there. 

2-feign-reluctance

Hell to the yes. Christmas present!!

deadendp

2-feign-reluctance said:

Hell to the yes. Christmas present!!

I had a gift certificate so for me, it is a birthday gift!

brianlux

Wow- looks great! 

JOEJOEJOE

Finally something to get with my Amazon gift cards!

deadendp

JOEJOEJOE said:

Finally something to get with my Amazon gift cards!

Any time I have pre-ordered music with Amazon, the price has gone down by the time it arrived.  Last one was a pre-order vinyl that started at $20.98 and was shipped out costing maybe slightly less than $16.50. 

Tim Simmons

I wish this whole set was getting pressed on vinyl. The vinyl best of is only half good. 

jerparker20

I’ll gladly shell out $30 bones for this.

goldrush

deadendp said:

2-feign-reluctance said:

Hell to the yes. Christmas present!!

I had a gift certificate so for me, it is a birthday gift!

My birthday is at the beginning of November so I’ve already dropped a hint or two with my better half!  

lolobugg

Damn, I really want this. brings back some great memories.

BikePHL

jerparker20 said:

I’ll gladly shell out $30 bones for this.

Wow!  Seems like a steal 30 buck!!!  I was expecting it to be way more.

jbrownie

One of those rare times when I'll pass on the $30 vinyl in favor of the $60 CD box. So much more material (obviously)...and this STILL isn't all of the BBC material.

Can I just say how much I wish Michael had never written 'Losing my Religion'? Hate that song...& I'd get 7 versions on the cd set (I think)? Ah well. Minor quibble. Love me some REM!

lolobugg

Santa Claus?  bring this straight to the ghetto... I need this comp.

deadendp

This is the box set that seems to be fighting me.  On Friday, the first copy arrived in a bubble envelope with a lovely dent in the front of the box.  Since it was $60, I opted to request a replacement.  The replacement arrived this morning and it was very well packaged.  No dents!  

Whoever did internal labeling these discs was high when they did it.  Nothing is labeled right.  I have had to delete and download again, tinkering with the specifications within the labeling.  Originally, it downloaded from the CDs to iTunes into one giant lump. 3x song 1, 3x song 2... It only started to divide the discs out at disc 4, where they are labeled different from discs 1-3, needing to be renamed to fit within the box set description.  

Sounds great though! 

jbrownie said:

One of those rare times when I'll pass on the $30 vinyl in favor of the $60 CD box. So much more material (obviously)...and this STILL isn't all of the BBC material.

Can I just say how much I wish Michael had never written 'Losing my Religion'? Hate that song...& I'd get 7 versions on the cd set (I think)? Ah well. Minor quibble. Love me some REM!

I feel that way about It's The End Of The World . . . A beloved local alternative radio station switched formats (thanks, Clear Channel ) and in protest to losing their jobs and the station format, 107.9 The End played that song for 24 hours straight. Just can't do it. 

Tim Simmons

vinyl is cut well. I have quibbles with the track selection (like Why not include E-Bow with Thom Yorke?). I wish it dind't favor the hits as much. But i get why they did. 

bootlegger10

Folks, stop buying the reissues.  These are bands.  Make them play live music or release new material for money. 

Tim Simmons

Its all we're gonna get at this point. 

kramer73

bootlegger10 said:

Folks, stop buying the reissues.  These are bands.  Make them play live music or release new material for money. 

This band isn't playing together any more.  Where have you been?