R.E.M. - The Originals [3CD Set] (1995)

1982 - Chronic Town EP
1983 - Murmur
1984 - Reckoning




AMG review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:

Chronic Town established R.E.M.'s signature sound immediately, expanding the jangling riffs of their debut single, "Radio Free Europe," into a full-fledged modus operandi. Recorded at Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studios, the EP has an endearingly ragged sound – it's a garage band playing jangling pop songs, and while the music is melodic and memorable, it has an underground mentality that keeps it from sounding conventional. Not only does the lo-fi production keep the music underground, but so do Peter Buck's ringing arpeggios, Michael Stipe's incomprehensible mumbled vocals, and the band's amateurish enthusiasm. They might not be accomplished players, but already their songwriting is distinctive, with "Gardening at Night," "Wolves, Lower," and "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" ranking as early classics.

Tracklist:
01 1,000,000 (03:04)
02 Stumble (05:39)
03 Wolwes, Lower (04:08)
04 Gardening At Night (03:30)
05 Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars) (03:51)






AMG review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:

Leaving behind the garagey jangle pop of their first recordings, R.E.M. developed a strangely subdued variation of their trademark sound for their full-length debut album, Murmur. Heightening the enigmatic tendencies of Chronic Town by de-emphasizing the backbeat and accentuating the ambience of the ringing guitar, R.E.M. created a distinctive sound for the album – one that sounds eerily timeless. Even though it is firmly in the tradition of American folk-rock, post-punk, and garage rock, Murmur sounds as if it appeared out of nowhere, without any ties to the past, present, or future. Part of the distinctiveness lies in the atmospheric production, which exudes a detached sense of mystery, but it also comes from the remarkably accomplished songwriting. The songs on Murmur sound as if they've existed forever, yet they subvert folk and pop conventions by taking unpredictable twists and turns into melodic, evocative territory, whether it's the measured riffs of "Pilgrimage," the melancholic "Talk About the Passion," or the winding guitars and pianos of "Perfect Circle." R.E.M. may have made albums as good as Murmur in the years following its release, but they never again made anything that sounded quite like it.

Tracklist:
01 Radio Free Europe (04:06)
02 Pilgrimage (04:30)
03 Laughing (03:59)
04 Talk about the Passion (03:24)
05 Moral Kiosk (03:33)
06 Perfect Circle (03:31)
07 Catapult (03:56)
08 Sitting Still (03:18)
09 9-9 (03:05)
10 Shaking Through (04:30)
11 We Walk (03:02)
12 West of the Fields (03:19)
13 There She Goes Again (two track live recording) (02:50) #
14 9-9 (live 20th April 1984) (03:06) #
15 Gardening at Night (live 20th April 1984) (03:49) #
16 Catapult (live 27th April 1984) (04:04) #

# - bonus track






AMG review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:

R.E.M. abandoned the enigmatic post-punk experiments of Murmur for their second album, Reckoning, returning to their garage pop origins instead. Opening with the ringing "Harborcoat," Reckoning runs through a set of ten jangle pop songs that are different not only in sound but in style from the debut. Where Murmur was enigmatic in its sound, Reckoning is clear, which doesn't necessarily mean that the songs themselves are straightforward. Michael Stipe continues to sing powerful melodies without enunciating, but the band has a propulsive kick that makes the music vital and alive. And, if anything, the songwriting is more direct and memorable than before – the interweaving melodies of "Pretty Persuasion" and the country rocker "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" are as affecting as the melancholic dirges of "Camera" and "Time After Time," while the ringing minor-key arpeggios of "So. Central Rain," the pulsating riffs of "7 Chinese Bros.," and the hard-rocking rhythms of "Little America" make the songs into classics. On the surface, Reckoning may not be as distinctive as Murmur, but the record's influence on underground American rock in the '80s was just as strong.

Tracklist:
01 Harborcoat (03:54)
02 7 Chinese Bros. (04:18)
03 So. Central Rain (03:16)
04 Pretty Persuasion (03:53)
05 Time After Time (annElise) (03:31)
06 Second Guessing (02:52)
07 Letter Never Sent (03:00)
08 Camera (05:50)
09 (Don't Go Back To) Rockville (04:35)
10 Little America (03:43)


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"wv" in filename -> lossless (wavpack)
"mp" in filename -> lossy (mp3)

RCT82 –> Chronic Town EP
RM83 –> Murmur
RR84 –> Reckoning

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