R.E.M. - And I Feel Fine - The Best of the I.R.S. Years
In October of 2006, R.E.M. was nominated for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, it was their first year eligible. I.R.S. Records wasted no time putting together the fourth collection of classics by the band on the label (and an accompanying DVD with all their music videos, live performances and interviews.) This way, when the public went out to purchase their obligatory "Best Of" collection for a band they maybe didn't keep up on, they weren't given only the option of the Warner Bros. best of. (Collections like The Best Of R.E.M., Eponymous, and R.E.M. Singles Collected were not exactly in heavy rotation at the time.)
My initial reaction was one of exasperation, considering the band's output around that time. Another collection of older songs only further proved the group's stagnation. After being tempted by the bonus disc, however, (which contained such tasty treats as the B-Side to the original Radio Free Europe 7", on CD for the first time, and the demo versions of "Bad Day" and "All The Right Friends") I got my copy and was pleasantly surprised.
From the acoustic demo of "Swan Swan H" to live cuts like "1,000,000," the bonus tracks are every bit as good as the fantastically remastered classics on the first of the two discs. The liner notes include stories from the band as to why certain songs were selected, and where some of the rarer tracks are taken from. And I Feel Fine is the comprehensive overview of R.E.M.'s seminal early period that they have always needed.
And I Feel Fine, The Best Of The I.R.S. Years - 8 out of 10