Album of the Day

After practically inventing college rock on a string of releases for I.R.S., R.E.M. signed with major label Warner Bros. - and alternative fans held their breath. They needn't have feared; the deal came with creative freedom, which the Athens quartet had clearly put to good use on GREEN. The 1988 collection was a conscious effort to break from the sound of previous recordings, with band members trying new instruments and coming up with such diverse songs as “Orange Crush,” “You Are The Everything” and “Stand.” Rhino's 25th anniversary Deluxe Edition adds 21 songs from one of the final shows on the supporting tour – a Greensboro, NC gig that features the band playing most of the new album plus earlier faves like “Fall On Me” and songs they had yet to record. R.E.M.'s Mike Mills was born on this day in 1958, and we'll celebrate the birthday with the double-platinum GREEN.