R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant 25th Anniversary Reissue Announced

It’s not just my aching shoulder today reminding me of advanced years... Rather this very special announcement that Athens, GA rockers R.E.M. will continue their generous reissue series this July with a 25th anniversary edition of Lifes Rich Pageant. I remember well hearing the original release for the first time and the effect was staggering. This maked a bold step for prolific foursome and my college boy ears welcomed it.  Lifes Rich Pageant made a brilliant addition that year to my collection that featured life changing discs from the Replacements to Husker Du. In 1986 College Radio was king and it was stuff like this that made it that way.  This release will feature a newly remastered version of the pivotal 1986 album as well as a bonus CD that includes nineteen unreleased demos — one of which is a song that’s never officially seen the light of day.

The band announced today the expanded reissue is due out July 12th as a double set on Capitol/I.R.S. and on 180-gram audiophile vinyl via Mobile Fidelity. The set will feature new liner notes by music journalist and author Parke Puterbaugh in a special CD package “presented in a lift-top box with a poster and four postcards.”

The bonus disc, dubbed “The Athens Demos,” features nineteen tracks recorded in March 1986 at John Keane’s studio in Athens, GA. Among the tracks are early recordings of all 12 Lifes Rich Pageant tracks, plus several songs later recorded for subsequent releases: “Bad Day,” “Rotary Ten,” “Two Steps Onward,” “Mystery To Me,” “All The Right Friends” and “March Song (King Of Birds),” an early instrumental of “King Of Birds” from Document.

The real treasure, for longtime fans though is the inclusion of the demo for “Wait,” a track never before officially released by the band.

Track list: R.E.M., Lifes Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition)

Disc 1: Original Album
01. “Begin The Begin”
02. “These Days”
03. “Fall on Me”
04. “Cuyahoga”
05. “Hyena”
06. “Underneath The Bunker”
07. “The Flowers of Guatemala”
08. “I Believe”
09. “What If We Give It Away?”
10. “Just a Touch”
11. “Swan Swan H”
12. “Superman”

Disc 2: The Athens Demos (All Previously Unreleased)
(Recorded March 1986 at John Keane’s Studio, Athens GA)
01. “Fall On Me”
02. “Hyena”
03. “March Song (King Of Birds)”
04. “These Days”
05. “Bad Day”
06. “Salsa (Underneath The Bunker)”
07. “Swan Swan H”
08. “Flowers Of Guatemala”
09. “Begin The Begin”
10. “Cuyahoga”
11. “I Believe”
12. “Out Of Tune”
13. “Rotary Ten”
14. “Two Steps Onward”
15. “Just A Touch”
16. “Mystery To Me”
17. “Wait”
18. “All The Right Friends”
19. “Get On Their Way (What If We Give It Away)”

Begin the Begin (Again)

R.E.M. Releasing Dublin Rehearsals and Deluxe Reckoning

I honestly didn’t think I would still be talking about a band I fell in love with over twenty seven years ago let alone getting excited about the prospect of more additions to my music library. But a certain Athens band does have a certain effect on me. After what could be best be described as a “stellar” 2008, R.E.M. have a couple of releases planned for the current year. Although no new music is planned they'll release a live album culled from their 2007 Dublin, Ireland working rehearsals and a deluxe version of 1984's pivotal album Reckoning.

According to a recent posting on R.E.M.’s website REMHQ- “…the Dublin package will be something very special including more than 'just the music,' although 'just the music' those five nights at the Olympia was pretty incredible itself".

R.E.M. played a string of shows in Dublin in July 2007 to warm up for their tour and test new material that ended up on last year's Accelerate.

Also planned this year is a deluxe version of the band’s seminal 1984 album Reckoning. Let’s hope it maintains the same artistic integrity and creative vision their deluxe version of Murmur had late last year. No word yet on what bonus material will be included. Personally I’m hoping for nicely remastered cover versions the "Velvet’s Pale Blue Eyes" and "Femme Fatale".

Lastly, in a recent REMHQ interview Peter Buck has said R.E.M. plan to regroup in the next few months to begin work on "exploratory demos" for a new album for likely release in 2010.

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, drummer Bill Rieflin and multi-instrumentalist Scott McCaughey are touring Australia as part of Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 in support of last month's release of the band's second album, Goodnight Oslo. The band will play 13 U.S. shows and an April 16 gig at Toronto's Mod Club next month and will also perform at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee on June 13th.