Finally, a live record from R.E.M. (R.E.M. Live - R.E.M.)

Member Name: Wezzo

Product:	R.E.M. Live - R.E.M.
Date:	25/10/07 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb set; great value

Disadvantages: DVD editing/production is disconcerting at first; no DVD extras

It may surprise many to learn that until October 2007, R.E.M. had not released a live album. Live DVDs, certainly; the occasional live track as a B-side on a single, too. But fans were unable to get their hands on a traditional live album for the first twenty-five years of the band's career - talk about long-awaited! It's no surprise, then, that R.E.M. Live was widely anticipated in the run up to its release. The opportunity to own a full R.E.M. concert on CD, with a full DVD of the same performance, was a chance that couldn't be missed for many fans. Did it live up to expectations, though?

Let's start with the basics. R.E.M. Live is presented in a CD-size fold-out digipak. Lead vocalist Michael Stipe adorns the front cover, in a funky red and black; opening the package once reveals similar shots of band members Mike Mills and Peter Buck. Opening the package again fully extends the digipak, revealing four panels - two holding the two CDs, one holding the DVD, one holding a booklet. The booklet is not too exciting - it's really just a list of credits. The disc hubs seem slightly loose, but none of my discs managed to come loose in the post so I can't imagine it'll be much of a problem.

The package presents a full 22-track live performance from the band's "Around the Sun" tour - this one recorded in Dublin in 2005. As part of the "Around the Sun" tour, it will come as no surprise that a fair percentage of the tracks are from that album, but comprising only six of the 22 tracks here, they don't exactly overwhelm the set - there's plenty of room for old favourites too.

Things kick off with "I Took Your Name", from the band's "Monster" (1994). An energetic rocker, it gets things off to a good start, with Stipe clearly on top vocal form. It's not a personal favourite of mine but I think this live version improves on the original somewhat. "So Fast, So Numb" ("New Adventures In Hi-Fi", 1996) follows, another of the band's harder rock songs. A superb track, it matches the stellar original and is given a nice urgency when performed live.

"Boy In The Well" is the set's first track from 2004's "Around the Sun". Generally seen as one of the better tracks on a generally weak album upon original release (though I'd be inclined to disagree on both points), it's given a new lease of life here; it retains its original slow tempo, but somehow comes off stronger and more powerful than the studio version.

"Cuyahoga" ("Lifes Rich Pageant", 1986) is the first pre-Warner Brothers era track to be performed, and it's pretty solid, though the subsequent "Everybody Hurts" ("Automatic for the People", 1992) overshadows it considerably - despite suffering from overplay on radio and TV, its power when performed live cannot be denied. It's certinly the most moving track here.

We go back to "Around the Sun" next, for "Electron Blue". Again, the band manage to improve on the studio version substantially, though it's still not one of the stronger cuts here, and is overshadowed by "Bad Day" (single and best-of only, 2003), which is as catchy as ever, and retains its position as one of R.E.M.'s best songs of recent years.

"The Ascent of Man" ("Around the Sun", 2004) is one of my favourites of the performance - Michael Stipe's chorus of elongated "yeah, yeah!"s is immensely singable, and Mike Mills' backing vocals get a real chance to shine. "The Great Beyond" (single and best-of only, 1998) is also superb, performed at a rather fast pace that sees Stipe get a nice vocal workout! "Leaving New York" returns us to 2004's "Around the Sun" once again, for a wonderful nostalgic ballad that is given an added air of poignancy when performed live.

"Orange Crush" ("Green", 1989) is an all-around fun rocker that sees the whole band shine; it segues nicely into a politically-charged double-header of "I Wanted To Be Wrong" and "Final Straw" that rounds out the "Around the Sun" material present here in style. "Imitation of Life" ("Reveal", 2001) follows, one of the strongest tracks here, made all the more enjoyable by Stipe's admission that he often sings the chorus off-key (as, indeed, he does here).

"The One I Love" ("Document", 1988), one of the band's earliest hits, gets a stomping performance here; while "Walk Unafraid" ("Up", 1998) grows nicely from a tense ballad to a full-on rocker in yet another stellar Stipe performance - and Peter Buck, on guitar, shines too. The classic "Losing My Religion" ("Out of Time", 1991) also gets a fine rendition, Buck's mandolin sounding wonderful in what appears to be the final track of the set proper.

The encore, comprising five tracks, contains several of the show's many highlights. "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" ("Monster", 1994), a personal favourite, gets a fantastic lively performance here; the more subdued fan favourite "Drive" ("Automatic for the People", 1992) follows, sung beautifully by Stipe.

The two most exciting tracks follow. "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" ("Reckoning", 1984), which sees Mike Mills take over lead vocal duties, is superb; Mills is not as strong a vocalist as Stipe but his voice really suits the country-pop of the track, and Daniel Ryan (of The Thrills) makes a fine guest appearance. "I'm Gonna DJ", meanwhile, is likely to prove a real draw to hardcore fans of the band - it's a previously unreleased track which sees the band go in a vastly different direction to their recent ballad-heavy albums, sounding more like a superior "Monster" outtake than something left off of "Around the Sun". It deserves to be included on their next studio album, if this excellent live cut is anything to go by.

The set rounds out with "Man on the Moon" ("Automatic for the People", 1992), a lively version of an excellent song. It offers nothing surprising but it's a solid close to the set.

Tracks they don't play? Well, there are always going to be a few that don't make the cut. Personally, I'm sorry to see "Around the Sun"'s "Aftermath" didn't make the cut, as it was by far that album's strongest, in my book. Earlier favourites like "Fall On Me", "So. Central Rain" and "Nightswimming" are also sadly missing, but R.E.M. do have over 200 tracks to their name at this stage - it's unrealistic to expect all your favourites to show up! They do a fair job of delving into their back catalogue, as it is, though if you're happy to settle for just the DVD, you might also want to consider their "Perfect Square" DVD, which places more focus on covering the hits (though it was recorded before "Around the Sun"'s release, and as such, does not include any material from that album).

The concert, totalling around 1 hour 45 minutes, is split across the two CDs in an unusual ratio - 17 tracks on disc 1, 5 on disc 2. Presumably the last five are the encore so it was deemed to make sense to split things there, but you can't help but feel it would have made even more sense to split them 11-11. It's not much of an issue, though, especially if (like myself) you primarily listen to your music on a computer or MP3 player. The CD audio quality is clear and sharp, as would be expected, and retains the occasional ad-libbing present in the original performance - a welcome inclusion in my book, though others might not appreciate it so much.

The DVD features the same 22 tracks, performed on a dark indoor stage at The Point Depot, Dublin. Its presentation of the concert (produced by Splinter Films) is, on the whole, violent and fast-moving, comprised of quick cuts a-plenty, frequent drifting in and out of focus, changes in the colour palette and quickly-panning steadycam shots. It's not a presentation for everyone, and will likely take even the most seasoned of concert DVD connisseurs by surprise, but once I got into it I rather enjoyed it - though thankfully the frenzy is toned down somewhat for the quieter tracks ("Everybody Hurts", "Final Straw", "Leaving New York", "Drive" et al.)

Video appears clean and sharp, though the frenetic presentation, use of unusual filters and drifting of focus makes it hard to judge the quality objectively. Let's just say it serves its purpose. It's presented in NTSC picture format - UK buyers, take note: this is not the standard picture format for UK DVD releases, so make sure both your TV and your DVD player can read NTSC-format discs (almost all modern TVs and DVD players can).

In the audio department, you have a choice of PCM stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1. The latter is obviously preferable, offering a superb sonic experience, but the stereo will suit most just fine as well. (Several online reviews I've seen have stated that there is no Dolby Digital 5.1 option, but it's there on my copy!) The DVD is region-free, so no worries about compatibility in that arena. There are no bonus features here, sadly; nor are there any subtitle options, so you'll have to find the lyrics elsewhere if you want to sing along!

The set can be found online for under £12 (£11.99 at Play.com, £11.98 at Amazon.co.uk) which is superb value in my book - you'd probably expect to pay that for just the DVD, so the fact you're getting both CD and DVD formats is a great deal. Warner Bros distribute the set, which was released in the UK on October 15th 2007, and in the USA on October 16th 2007.

The DVD is exempt from BBFC classification and there is no parental advisory sticker but there is one instance of strong language (an f-bomb in the lyrics of "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?") and one of milder language ("shit", in "Bad Day").

Summary: A quality package - a must for R.E.M. fans