Excellent Value - Excellent value for what is included! Wanted a live version of Harborcoat for a long time!
Not worth it for the price - Cutting right to my biggest complaint, the pricing on this is outrageous and unjustified. Unless you enjoy getting gouged, there is no real reason to buy this. I ve had Murmur on Vinyl since it s original release and thus having a remastered CD version is of little benefit. If they had added a lot of bonus tracks or something that would make this special, then perhaps I d be writing something different. Unfortunately, there probably isn t a lot in the vaults since back in the day REM was very generous about putting out great singles and EP s with excellent B-sides. If you want to spend $$, go out and find those because they are great and well worth it. As far as the 2nd disc goes, this show is easily sourced elsewhere and you can have the entire show, not just the parts they included here.I loved REM back in the 80 s, but lost interest with most of the rather bland material they were putting out although Accelerate is a nice album and the first thing I ve been interested in hearing since New Adventures. I still think they have something to say, but this particular release is nothing but a cash grab and a poor value at that. Don t buy it.
Terrific reissue no bonus studio tracks but an entire disc of a show from 1982 - Raw, direct and unique sounding Murmur hearlded a new band that had arrived with a sound that while influenced by others (such as The Soft Boys, The Byrds, etc.)still featured a band with their own strong identity. Murmur isn t necessarily the best REM album but it s a brilliant debut nonetheless. Producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon take a no frills approach to recording the band eschewing any fancy studio trickery to just capture the honest sound of the band in the studio. This remaster sounds better than the original U.S. CD (and similar to the vinyl if my memory serves we well)with stronger bass evident in the master and better clarity. While it isn t the best remaster out there (I prefer the MFSL Gold disc)it s probably the best version I ve heard outside of the Japan for Japan CD issued years ago (which, sadly, I no longer have). I am a bit disappointed that the original Hip-Tone single of Radio Free Europe wasn t included as a bonus track but that is available on the best of collection Eponymous (and it may also be available on other compilations as well).I would also have liked their EP Chronic Town remastered as well )but since it is available on the Dead Letter Office compilation, it ll probably be reissued at some point as well so can understand that)but that s a minor complaint. The real reason to get this if you already have a good sounding edition of this album is the second disc. It features a July 9, 1983 concert performed in Toronto, Canada at Larry s Hideaway. The show captures the band in a strong performance totally lacking self consciousness but filled with self confidence. The band races through material from their first album, their EP (released before the first album) and 7 Chinese Bros. that would end up on the band s second album.It s a terrific show and hopefully as they expand the REM reissues (assuming CDs aren t dead by then)we ll see further live shows that document the band around the time of the respective albums. The CD is issued in a cardboard holder with a plastic sleeve to protect it. Photos are inside on each panel of the gatefold sleeve. Inside is a poster of the cover with a number of brief essays on the making and marketing of the album.Highly recommended for fans of the band.
Great Band- Great Live CD - A must have for every fan !Makes you wish you had a time machine,...Thank you R.E.M.
The best live band since the very beginning - R.E.M. are the best live band ever, and this album can prove it!!!!Further more MURMUR is still one of the best album. you listen to it and you can think it has been recordered just yeasterday!!!!