New Release: REMTV

It’s been a good year for fans of Athens, Georgia’s favorite sons…or didn’t you see our 73 posts about the release of R.E.M.’s Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2002 Sessions? Okay, so that’s a slight exaggeration, but just in case you haven’t heard about it…

No, no, we’re only joking. This time we’re here about a different release by the band, and this one is even more exciting: it’s REMTV, a six-DVD set that’s just hit stores and digs deep into the connection between R.E.M. and MTV by providing hours upon hours of footage of Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry from their earliest appearances all the way up through their dissolution in 2011. Heck, it’s not even limited to MTV: there’s also a pair of performances by the band on Nickelodeon’s Livewire from way back in 1983, their VH-1 Storytellers episode from 1998, and their 2008 appearance on The Colbert Report, all thoughtfully included as a result the various networks all being members of the Viacom family.

Not to toot our own horn, but we honestly can’t imagine that it won’t be at the top of every R.E.M. fan’s holiday gift list…unless, of course, they’re so excited about the prospect of watching it that they just have to run out and buy it for themselves. And that’s a very real possibility once you’ve checked out the list of contents, which includes live performances, award show highlights, television appearances, and – here’s the cherry on top – REM on MTV, a brand new documentary by Alexander Young which details the shared history between the band and the network.

Oh, and did we mention that the whole set comes with liner notes courtesy of Anthony De Curtis? If that’s not a mark of quality, we don’t know what is.

You might’ve caught the press release when we issued it a few weeks back, but if you didn’t, longtime R.E.M. manager Bertis Downs spoke lovingly of the contents of the set. “It occurred to us that there's all this footage of some of the band's absolute career highlights sitting in some MTV vaults in London and New York-- and thanks to a lot of effort and digging and arranging, this is our chance to share that music with various generations of R.E.M. fans in a pretty unique release,” said Downs. “And Alexander Young's documentary is a fine way to tell the story of R.E.M. through its various twists and turns, as captured in real time by MTV's cameras-- it has some great funny bits, too!”

Here’s the full track listing, so you know exactly how awesome this collection is. Try to at least finish reading it before you place your order, won’t you? It’s always better to be fully informed before making a purchase…even one as sweet as REMTV.

Disc 1
UNPLUGGED 1991 (04/10/91)

Half A World Away
Disturbance at the Heron House
Radio Song
Low
Perfect Circle
Fall on Me
Belong
Love is All Around
Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Losing My Religion
Pop Song 89
Endgame

OUTTAKES 1991

Fretless
Swan Swan H
Rotary Eleven
Get Up
World Leader Pretend

UNPLUGGED 2001 (05/21/01)

All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) *
Electrolite
At My Most Beautiful *
Daysleeper *
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
Losing My Religion
Country Feedback
Cuyahoga
Imitation of Life *
Find the River

OUTTAKES 2001

The One I Love
Disappear *
Beat a Drum *
I've Been High *
I'll Take the Rain *
Sad Professor *
The Great Beyond *

Disc 2
VH1 STORYTELLERS (10/23/98)

Electrolite
Daysleeper *
Losing My Religion
Perfect Circle
Sad Professor *
Fall On Me
I'm Not Over You *
The Apologist *
Man On The Moon

STORYTELLERS – OUTTAKES

New Test Leper
Parakeet *
(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville
Suspicion *
Walk Unafraid *
At My Most Beautiful *

THE CUTTING EDGE (06/14/84)

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville
Driver 8
Wendell Gee
Smokin' In The Boys Room
Time After Time (Annelise)
Driver 8

LIVEWIRE (10/30/83)

So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)
Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)

MTV 10th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (11/10/91)
Featuring members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Losing My Religion

VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS 1993 (09/02/93)
Including Brian Harris and Duane Saetveit

Everybody Hurts
Drive

VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS 1995 (09/07/95)

The Wake-Up Bomb

EUROPEAN MUSIC AWARDS 1998 (11/12/98)

Daysleeper *

EUROPEAN MUSIC AWARDS 2001 (11/08/01)

Imitation Of Life *

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION 2007 (03/12/07)

Begin The Begin
Gardening At Night
Man On The Moon

THE COLBERT REPORT (04/02/08)

Supernatural Superserious *

Disc 3
R.E.M. IN DALLAS (09/19/95)

I Took Your Name
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Crush With Eyeliner

R.E.M. UPLINK AT BOWERY BALLROOM (10/28/98)

Losing My Religion
Lotus *
Daysleeper *
E-Bow The Letter
The Apologist *
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
Walk Unafraid *
Man On The Moon
Radio Free Europe

LIVE IN COLOGNE (05/12/01)

All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) *
The Lifting *
Imitation Of Life *
The One I Love
She Just Wants To Be *
Walk Unafraid *
Losing My Religion
Man On The Moon
Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

LIVE IN COLOGNE OUTTAKES

What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Cuyahoga
Electrolite
I’ve Been High *
Find The River
I’ll Take The Rain *
At My Most Beautiful *
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)

Disc 4
R.E.M. AT THE TABERNACLE, LONDON (03/02/99)

Losing My Religion
Daysleeper *
Walk Unafraid *
Man On The Moon
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

MTV SONIC MILAN (05/02/01)

Losing My Religion
The Great Beyond *
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Daysleeper *
All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) *
The Lifting *
I’ll Take The Rain *
I’ve Been High *
Man On The Moon
She Just Wants To Be *
Imitation Of Life *

ROCK AM RING (06/03/05)

What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?
Leaving New York *
Imitation Of Life *
Electron Blue *
Man On The Moon

ROCK AM RING OUTTAKES

I Took Your Name
Bad Day
Drive
The Outsiders *
Leave
Me In Honey
Wanderlust *
Everybody Hurts
Electrolite
Orange Crush
The One I Love
Walk Unafraid *
Losing My Religion
Imitation Of Life *
The Great Beyond *
Animal *
I’m Gonna DJ *

Disc 5
LIVE AT ROLLING STONE, MILAN (03/18/08)

Living Well Is The Best Revenge *
Drive
Accelerate *
Hollow Man *
Electrolite
Houston *
Supernatural Superserious *
Bad Day
Losing My Religion
I’m Gonna DJ *
Horse To Water *
Imitation Of Life *
Until The Day Is Done *
Man On The Moon

LIVE AT OXEGEN FESTIVAL (07/12/08)

What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Drive
Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Man-Sized Wreath *
I’m Gonna DJ *
Supernatural Superserious *
Man On The Moon

R.E.M. IN ATHENS, GREECE (10/05/08)

Living Well Is The Best Revenge *
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Drive
Man-Sized Wreath *
Bad Day
Electrolite
(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville
The Great Beyond *
The One I Love
Losing My Religion
Let Me In
Orange Crush
Imitation Of Life *
Supernatural Superserious *
Man On The Moon

Disc 6
R.E.M. BY MTV (with deleted scenes)