Anybody riled up and/or made misty-eyed by the recent R.E.M. tour in which the boys from Athens pulled out all sorts of oldies -- this (silver) disc's for you. A vintage German TV broadcast -- from the "Rockpalast" program, source of many a coveted converted-from-P.A.L.-format VHS tape over the years -- this captures 'em at an early peak, circa the Fables Of The Reconstruction album. There's Michael Stipe, bleached blond hair (and newly-shorn locks) and black eyeliner, alternately solemn and sarcastic at the mic; Mike Mills and Pete Buck, still in their bouncing ping-pong balls mode; and Bill Berry, mono-browed and assured at his kit. Ah, the memories...
With a setlist well-stuffed with R.E.M. classics and even more classic covers (see setlist above), and so many classic MOMENTS (such as Stipe pledging allegiance to the flag to intro "Little America"), how can you pass this up? I saw R.E.M. many times during this period and can personally testify that the TV broadcast absolutely does justice to their natural charisma, their offhand sense humor and their undeniable rock 'n' roll prowess.
It's a great transfer too, with only very slight graininess detectable to indicate it's not taken directly from the broadcast itself. A notation at the end reads "Rockpalast Classics" -- possibly this was a subsequent rebroadcast that netted a high-quality recording somewhere in the loop.
The packaging is outstanding, too. The DVD itself is a picture disc, and housed in the clear plastic clamshell is a full-color 2-sided insert with stills from the broadcast.
A classy production all around. -- OSWALD
