If someone isn’t writing a thesis about how Indie Rock died when R.E.M. split up in 2011, I would be utterly shocked. Since the iconic band’s split, Michael Stipe and company have been nearly silent save for Stipe’s recent contribution to a David Bowie tribute in NYC, so any R.E.M. news comes as a breath of fresh air.
This one is for you vinyl collectors out there: the band is reissuing three albums on vinyl. 1986’s Lifes Rich Pageant, 1987’s Dead Letter Office, and 1988’s Eponymous will all get re-released on July 29. All will feature their original artwork. Both Dead Letter Office and Eponymous are compilations from various points in the band’s career. The former was their first collection of B-sides and covers, including The Velvet Underground’s “There She Goes,” while the latter was their first greatest hits style record.
Although we’d much prefer 180-gram reissues of R.E.M.’s original discography, this is a cool first step. These are perfect if you have a young one in the family that you are trying to get into the value of records, or if you are a completist and need to have every recording possible. Hopefully the next reissues include those mid-’80s releases that saw them become the rock legends they are today.
What albums do you think they should reissue next? The answer is Murmur. If you think the answer isn’t Murmur, we’re going to have many words.
Image: Warner Bros.
Matt Grosinger is the music editor of Nerdist and loves R.E.M. with all his heart, most especially Murmur.
