|
The Records: Green, Out Of Time, Automatic For The
People, Monster, New Adventures In Hi-Fi, Up, Reveal, Around The
Sun, In Time: The Best Of R.E.M.
The Gist: Warner Bros. Records has just gone through the
nine most recent R.E.M. albums and re-released them in
multi-format 2 disc sets. With each record you receive not only
a CD format stereo disc of the album as it was originally released,
but you also receive a DVD-A version of the record with some cool
bonus features. The DVDs have been re-mastered by surround genius
Elliot Scheiner into dazzling 5.1 mixes that make the music
sparkle in a way that it never has before.
The Extras: Each 2-disc set includes an expanded booklet
of liner notes that includes some archival and previously rare
photographs, as well as extended liner notes. Each of the DVDs
includes extra video footage: sometimes live concert excerpts,
sometimes previously unreleased studio footage, and even some
alternate edits/takes of videos that were released.
The Monster: Maybe it's just me, but when I put
the CD version of this record into my player, and then my old
CD of the same record, this new release sounds much more open
and lively. Perhaps there was a bit of remastering for the CD
re-releases as well. The guitars on "What's The Frequency,
Kenneth?" have never been so cleanly vibrant, and the orchestration
on "Strange Currencies" never so crystal clear and effervescent.
The delays on "Bang And Blame" seem more resonant and
longer lasting in their decays, and "Star 69" is full
of more impact than ever previously imagined. The DVD remaster
makes an even larger aural difference, and on a good stereo you
may hear things in the recording that you'd never before imagined.
This 5.1 format creates an almost entirely new album from the
familiar tracks - so much space and depth to the music. Monster's
DVD disc includes extras such as interviews with the band and
unreleased live performances of "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?,"
"Let Me In," and "I Don't Sleep, I Dream."
The liner notes by Gil Kaufman offer an interesting perspective
on the record that alienated so many fans, yet remains to this
day, one of the most visceral and unique of R.E.M.'s projects.
The Wrap-up: Are you a fan of R.E.M.? Did you think you
had just about everything that they'd ever done, and need stop
looking? Well, the jig is up. Here's a ton of new stuff for those
fanatical R.E.M. heads, as well as a nice presentation for those
making the move to the higher resolution DVD-Audio format. I came
for the extras, but I stayed for the excellent sound quality and
choice of formats.
-Embo Blake
Check out
more reviews
 Talk
Back
e-mail the chief
Like this article?
e-mail
it to a friend!
|
R.E.M.
(9 re-issues)
