R.E.M. Announce Reveal (25th Anniversary Edition)
Fairly often these days, I see a fresh round of social-media discourse on whether or not R.E.M. have been forgotten, whether new generations don't appreciate what the college-rock godfathers brought to the game. Basically, people constantly talk about whether R.E.M. get talked about enough, which would certainly suggest that they do get talked about. R.E.M. haven't been a band for 15 years now, but they're in no danger of fading away anytime soon. There's always an R.E.M. anniversary to celebrate. Just yesterday, Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy announced their latest R.E.M. tribute-act tour,
Fairly often these days, I see a fresh round of social-media discourse on whether or not R.E.M. have been forgotten, whether new generations don't appreciate what the college-rock godfathers brought to the game. Basically, people constantly talk about whether R.E.M. get talked about enough, which would certainly suggest that they do get talked about. R.E.M. haven't been a band for 15 years now, but they're in no danger of fading away anytime soon. There's always an R.E.M. anniversary to celebrate. Just yesterday, Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy announced their latest R.E.M. tribute-act tour, this time saluting the 40th anniversary of Document . Today, R.E.M. themselves unveil plans for a 25th-anniversary edition of Reveal .
R.E.M. were deep into the legacy-act portion of their career when they released the sunny, low-key 2001 album Reveal . Drummer Billy Berry had left before the release of their previous album, 1998’s Up , and the other guys' decision to keep going without him was at least a tiny bit controversial. On Reveal , they pivoted away from the electronic textures that they dabbled in on Up , digging into a more resigned version of their classic jangle. Among R.E.M. heads, Reveal has gained a reputation as one of the band's most underrated records, so maybe this reissue will give it a chance to become properly rated.
Longtime designer Chris Billheimer did the revamped Reveal cover art, and the reissue pairs the original album, now available in high-resolution audio and 5.1 surround sound, with The Black Sessions Revealed , a complete recording of a previously unreleased 17-song Radio France performance from May 2001. ( The Black Sessions Revealed will also be available as a double LP on its own.) The Reveal reissue also includes a Blu-ray with music videos and the original electronic press kit, as well as a 32-page hardcover book with liner notes from writer Birgit Fuss. Check out the live version of lead Reveal single "Imitation Of Life" below.
Reveal (25th Anniversary Edition) is out 11/20 on Craft/Concord. Pre-order it here , and check out the details on all the various physical editions here .
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