R.E.M. - In View - The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003 Details

It's Been A Good Day (Well, 15 years actually)

This DVD, as Tony Blair might put it, is a ‘tidying-up exercise’, inasmuch as it features all the videos they’ve produced since they released “Parallel”, their last promo compilation.

It also features a few videos that have appeared on previous releases, since it’s officially The Best Of everything they’ve ever done since 1988, when they first signed to Warner Bros. after leaving the independent label I.R.S.

So we go as far back as “Stand”, right up to “Bad Day”, stopping off at various points in between. And what a ride it’s been.

Despite originally rejecting the short video format, then toying with it, then subverting it and finally embracing it, R.E.M. have always produced such interesting and striking visuals. Spurred on by Michael Stipe and his art-school background, the band managed to notch up a fair amount of airtime on MTV without resorting to that channel’s usual video clichés.

With this release, the whole range of REM’s visual output is available for easy dissection. From the sombre tone of “Everybody Hurts” (the band on their way to a funeral get stuck in traffic) to the wackiness of “Bad Day” (the guys play at being anchormen on a non-existent TV news show) there’s something for REM fans from all across the spectrum.

Who knows? They may even pick up a few new converts along the way…

If you've ever followed the music of REM, then you'll love this - shame some of their earlier material (pre '88) wasn't included, especially the excellent 'One I love'. It's worth checking out the bonus videos - lotus is freaky!