R.E.M. will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its grunge-era return-to-rock Monster this fall with a 6-disc box set that will include previously unheard demos, an unreleased live concert, the “Road Movie” film and a newly remixed version of the album by original producer Scott Litt. See full details, including tracklist, right here.
R.E.M. has followed up the recent release of its deluxe multi-disc expanded reissue of 1992’s Automatic For the People with a new 24-minute mini-documentary about the making of that record, a film called “Automatic Unearthed” that is streaming on YouTube. Watch the full program right here.
R.E.M. famously only performed a single concert in support of Automatic For the People, a benefit for Greenpeace at the 40 Watt Club in the band’s hometown of Athens, Ga., on Nov. 19, 1992. Audio from that show, previously issued as B-sides, is included as a bonus on the band’s recent Automatic reissue.
Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted. This week’s releases include a new box set of early Husker Du material, an expanded R.E.M. reissue and a Tears For Fears best-of.
R.E.M. has offered up the latest taste of its upcoming multi-disc 25th anniversary reissue of Automatic For the People in the form of a demo of the song “Photograph,” an AFTP-era track that, in its completed version, would feature a duet between Michael Stipe and Natalie Merchant and appear on 1993’s Born to Choose.
A second previously unreleased demo of an unheard song from R.E.M.’s sessions for its 1992 classic Automatic for the People has been released ahead of that album’s reissue next month, a song called “Devil Rides Backwards” that’s being billed as the album’s “great lost track.”
We brought you news of R.E.M.’s expanded reissue of Automatic For the People yesterday, but now the band officially has announced the project, and given fans the first taste of one of its 20 unreleased demos in the form of “Mike’s Pop Song,” a sweet, “fully realized” track sung by Mike Mills. Stream it right here.
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