''iTunes Originals – R.E.M.'' is an album of interviews and original and previously recorded music by
R.E.M. released on December 28, 2004, to promote the album ''
Around the Sun
''Around the Sun'' is the 13th studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on October 5, 2004 on Warner Bros. Records.
Description
The album was released in three editions: Cassette (the band's final release on the medium), ...
'' and the Around the World tour. It was only made available through
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
. It was the second such iTunes-only release by the band, following ''
Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes
American alternative rock band R.E.M. has released fifteen studio albums, five live albums, fourteen compilation albums, one remix album, one soundtrack album, twelve video albums, seven extended plays, sixty-three singles, and seventy-seven ...
'' and before ''
Live from London''.
This release is notable for a (live in) studio version of "Permanent Vacation", a song that dates from R.E.M.'s earliest days (pre-''
Murmur''), but a recording of which was never released before (a low quality rehearsal version and live versions from 1980 and 1981 did appear on bootlegs however). The band rediscovered the song in the early 2000s and resumed playing it live, choosing to finally release it as part of iTunes Originals. It has no relation to the song or album by
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
, which was recorded 7 years after R.E.M. wrote their song.
Reception
Writing for
AllMusic,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
called the collection "a compelling listen for serious fans".
Track listing
All songs written by
Bill Berry
William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...
,
Peter Buck,
Mike Mills, and
Michael Stipe except where noted. Spoken word/non-song tracks in ''italics''.
#→ ''iTunes Originals – 0:06''
#"
Everybody Hurts" – 5:20
#→ ''The Beginning – 1:41''
#"Permanent Vacation" (*) – 2:27
#→ ''The Cause and Effect of
Pageant
Pageant may refer to:
* Procession or ceremony in elaborate costume
* Beauty pageant, or beauty contest
* Latter Day Saint plays and pageants, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or by members local to the area of the pageant
* ...
– 2:34''
#"These Days" (*) – 3:24
#→ ''The Biggest
College Band in the World – 1:18''
#"Exhuming McCarthy" (*) – 3:11
#→ ''
Bubblegum Pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
– 0:58''
#"
Stand" – 3:13
#→ ''Reaching Clarity in Lyric Writing – 1:27''
#"World Leader Pretend" – 4:19
#→ ''The Biggest Surprise Hit – 1:01''
#"
Losing My Religion" – 4:29
#→ ''
Monster
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
– 0:55''
#"
Bang and Blame" – 5:31
#→ ''
The Dark Horse Favorite Album – 0:56''
#"
E-Bow the Letter
"E-Bow the Letter" is the first single from American rock band R.E.M.'s 10th studio album, ''New Adventures in Hi-Fi'' (1996). It was released on August 19, 1996, several weeks before the album's release. During the same month, R.E.M. signed a th ...
" – 5:24
#→ ''The Impact of
Bill Berry
William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...
Leaving the Band – 2:15''
#"
At My Most Beautiful
"At My Most Beautiful" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. During the song's creation, members of the group noted its similarity to the work of the Beach Boys and purposefully fashioned it to resemble that band's output. Singe ...
" – 3:35
#→ ''A Song That Should Have Been a Hit – 0:43''
#"I've Been High" (*) – 3:24
#→ ''Coming Full Circle – 2:34''
#"Final Straw" – 4:06
#→ ''The Two Most Political Songs on the Album – 1:39''
#"I Wanted to Be Wrong" (*) – 4:46
#→ ''Inside "The Outsiders" – 1:00''
#"The Outsiders" (*) – 4:14
#→ ''A Profound Love of Music – 1:10''
#"The Boy in the Well" (*) – 5:07
Tracks with an asterisk (*) are live re-recordings exclusive to this compilation.
See also
*
iTunes Originals
''iTunes Originals'' is a series of digital releases that were only made available through Apple's iTunes Store. It was developed by iTunes executive Alex Luke who also developed Apple's "Live From" and "Single of the Week" programs. Each release ...
References
R.E.M.
R.E.M. compilation albums
2004 live albums
2004 compilation albums
R.E.M. live albums
Albums produced by Pat McCarthy (record producer)
Albums produced by Scott Litt
{{2004-rock-album-stub