R.E.M. – In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003

In general I don’t hold out much hope for compilations given they are stitched together for the casual listener rather than the collector/audiophile. This however is the exception, a sonic pass mark. Nice gatefold and booklet with commentary on each songs creation is a nice touch.

Would have loved to hear what Chris Bellman could have done with the mastering on this. Unfortunately, this is very hit or miss from song to song on sound quality, which is sometimes typical of songs thrown together for a greatest hits record. The sound on this can become very fatiguing to your ears especially at above average volume. Then songs like “E-Bow The Letter,” “Daysleeper,” “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite,” and “Electrolite” come on that sound excellent. Would have been nice to have it work out to get many of the classic songs that are missing put on this compilation too. Nice that it comes in a gatefold and poly-lined inner sleeves. Sound quality ranges from 3.0 to 4.5 on this.

Oooph yeah..rough amount of surface noise even after a clean and with the nicer sleeves. Less noticeable when the music is going but still very present.

Sound isn't good a lot of pops, sounds flat , cd sounds better

This awesome, I love this album, sounds great, only down side is it doesn’t have end of the world

Esta edición tiene un error en el lomo de la caja ya que dice 1998-2003, no 1988-2003.

Sounds quite meh for me, very flat mastering and digital.

My copy is really quiet and dynamic. I love R.E.M

Is this a gatefold lp or are they stuffed in one sleeve

R.E.M. attracted the attention of discerning post-punk audiences by virtue of Michael Stipe's barely intelligible vocal delivery of even less comprehensible lyrics, Peter Buck's raucous, reedy guitar, and Bill Berry's fervent, forceful drums. From incredibly murky sonic beginnings to the crystal clear versality of the post-IRS years, R.E.M. have forayed into a vast array of musical territories over the course of three decades, making subtle adjustments and enhancements to their distinctive sound on each of their dozen or so albums. Upon signing to Warner in 1988, Stipe's songwriting steadily improved to the extent that his enunciations and abstruse lyrics grew increasingly user friendly. Into the bargain was heftier production values, which spruced up the dense basslines, rolling rhythms and nasally vocal harmonies they refused to discard, adamantly preserving a modicum of their underground roots, a fact that went over the heads of those unaccustomed to garage rock and bubblegum pop, not to mention R.E.M.'s largely inaccessible primitive aesthetic.

"In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003" is a distillation of the most commercially successful material in the band's catalogue, i.e. the Warner years, and naturally, this certainty results in the compilation being divided into two phases, one heavier, the other less so. As the group's strong sales streak started to nosedive in the late '90s/early '00s, a disoriented period for Stipe and co to say the least, it makes sense that the culminating phase of R.E.M.'s augmented creative fertility is represented the most herein. By juxtaposing the standout singles alongside rarities and unreleased gems, R.E.M.'s cult status and vehemently alternative musical identity is called into question slightly, but not so much that it is tarnished. Certainly, the obscure additions of outtakes and oddities does come at the expense of worthier highlights from under-represented albums, though as I previously mentioned, this is due to the band still wanting to prove they have not lost the depth they had in their infancy. After all, compilations in general should not be more coherent and enjoyable than parent albums. "In Time" contradictorily triumphs in that respect to some degree, but that is merely because their post-"Monster" output is largely inconsistent. For what you get, namely the rock radio staples "Man On The Moon," "Everybody Hurts," "Orange Crush," "Losing My Religion," and "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" and the particularly excellent soundtrack cut "The Great Beyond", complaining about what is missing rather than what is included would be missing the point. A full picture of R.E.M. is unlikely to be compiled due to label restrictions, therefore this imperfect platter, which redeems itself by consolidating the insipid non-Bill Berry chapter in the band's convoluted life cycle, serves as a handy sampler that modestly brings listeners up to date with the Warner era.

Rating: 4.5/5