R.E.M. may be no more, but the archives haven’t run dry yet. On Nov. 24, fans of the college rock’s gods will have a new treasure trove of goodies with the release of the cleverly-titled six-disc collection REMTV (via Rhino).
Today, Billboard offers a little taste of what’s to come — an exclusive premiere of one of the collection’s many, many archival live takes: a performance of the New Adventures in Hi-Fi track “E-Bow the Letter” performed at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom:
This is one of 99 live performances found across the six discs, almost half of them unique songs. And what would REMTV be without the band’s two Unplugged sessions (1991) and (2001)? Those are both included along with 1998’s VH1 Storytellers appearance (with outtakes), a 2008 Colbert Report appearance, their 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and much more — six discs are filled here, after all.
Rewinding the Charts: 20 Years Ago, R.E.M. Had A ‘Monster’ Smash
R.E.M. super fans have no doubt seen much of this material before, but the set also premieres a brand new, feature-length doc called R.E.M. By MTV, which follows how the channel shaped the band’s coming-of-age.
R.E.M. Has a ‘Lot of Stuff in the Vaults’
R.E.M. broke up in 2011, but rest assured, frontman Michael Stipe is keeping busy. His latest project? Teaching an NYU art class that deals with the internet’s “reckless cynicism.” We can relate!