aficionado this unplugged collection is a very nice bonus but sadly not a must-have. Some of R.E.M.’s later work also works well with the acoustic treatment, including “Daysleeper” and “I’ll Take The Rain.”Īs an unabashed R.E.M.

It’s ironic that the climax of the 2001 show are two tracks from Out of Time. It immediately follows “Losing My Religion” on the setlist and the one-two stomach punch of these songs is undeniable. Hidden on Out of Time is another quality deep cut by the name of “Country Feedback.” I have a feeling this may be a divisive R.E.M. It’s more straightforward and that plays to the song’s inherent strengths. You would think that after 10 years of playing the damn song the guys would grow tired of it but this acoustic version crackles with life. “Losing My Religion” finds itself as a part of both performances, but the latter version is just plain better. “World Leader Pretend” concludes the first concert on a high note – I gained a new appreciation for this track after hearing this rendition.Īh, but the 2001 concert shines in comparison to its somewhat dull predecessor. emotionality that comes through well in this format. These latter two songs stand out from this performance because of their novelty to a long-time listener of R.E.M. Tracks not included on previous albums like “Fretless” and “Rotary 11” also show up. The 1991 Unplugged concert did not stick to an Out of Time redux, but rather includes tracks from their first album Murmur (“Perfect Circle”) Document and Green are well-represented too. Deep cuts like “Disturbance at the Heron House” and “Sad Professor” make appearances. The tracklist is surprisingly robust with a total of 33 songs. So you’d think that the gem here would be the 1991 part of this collection.

Stipe, Mills, and Buck settled into the veteran rock band routine and failed to recapture the magic of their music from 1987 to 1992. released five albums and lost Bill Berry, their long-time drummer. The 1991 concert captures an ascendant band that was about to hit its apex in the popular culture. 1991 was the year Out of Time was released, which would be followed up the next year with the band’s seminal album Automatic For The People. These took place in 19 and a lot happened in those ten years for the band. Of its highs with this unplugged collection.Īlbum Review: To commemorate Record Store Day 2014, Rhino released a four-LP collection of R.E.M.’s two MTV Unplugged performances. Unplugged: 1991 & 2001 – The Complete Sessions

Rem unplugged