R.E.M.: Murmur Deluxe Edition (Universal)

When I first heard the news, my heart jumped ever so slightly. I was so excited that Universal were releasing one of their famed Deluxe Edition versions of an album I loved, R.E.M.’s 1983 full-length debut, Murmur. "What cool gems had they unearthed?" I wondered. Sure, there had been many before, enough that I had been able to compile my own nine-track compilation of B-sides and extras, but I didn’t have access to their vaults. My mind reeled with possibilities.

Then it was revealed that the album's second disc would be a live recording of the band from the Murmur tour (July 9, 1983 at Larry’s Hideaway in Toronto). Still good, still good. I didn’t have any live recordings from that tour, and got even more excited when I learned they’d not only played their cover of the Velvet Underground's "There She Goes Again" during the show, but that they had also played two songs they’d later record for their second album, Reckoning ("7 Chinese Brothers," "Harborcoat") and a third from one of my favorite albums, the still-three-years-off Lifes Rich Pageant ("Just a Touch").

But then the CD arrived, and my hopes were dashed. Don’t get me wrong, Murmur is still just as good as it always is, and it sounds great here — it’s just that this collection is kind of, well, pointless. I’m not sure who the intended audience is, but I can’t imagine anyone being satisfied.

First off, casual R.E.M. fans shouldn’t bother, since Murmur is available on its own for a lot less. Especially since they won’t care about the live stuff. While casual fans of a band, be they R.E.M.'s or someone else's, will sometimes buy an album they already have if it comes with even more songs, they don't typically buy live albums unless they have a unique hit or breakout song on them you can’t get anywhere else. Which happens sometimes, just ask Peter Frampton (all of Frampton Comes Alive), Eric Clapton ("Cocaine" from Just One Night), and, uh…wait, I'll think of one…oh, Bruce Springsteen's cover of Edwin Starr's "War" on Live/1975-85). But when you consider how many live albums there have been over the years - heck, Rush has more than three - it's just not that common of an occurrence. Especially not when you have to buy an album you already own to get it.

Which leaves people like me, hardcore fans who would re-buy an album we've owned since the early-'80s just to get a live show from that era. Which I would happily have done in this case, had Deluxe actually included the whole show. According to all accounts of this concert I was able to find online, all of which come from far crappier-sounding bootlegs of it that have circulated around for years, this version of the Toronto show picks up partway into the gig - something a hardcore fan would never do - thus missing out on the songs "Wolves, Lower" and "Moral Kiosk." It also, for some reason, skips over "Pretty Persuasion" and a cover of "Moon River," which came mid-set. Call me obsessive (go ahead, I don't mind), but I want the whole show. Uncut, unedited, from start to finish. And this ain’t it.

What makes these omissions really annoying is that the tracks they did include only take up about an hour on the disc. There's plenty of room for the rest of the show. And if not, they could've put it on two discs (or started it on disc 1). I can’t speak for all my fellow R.E.M. obsessives, but I think we would've all paid for a three-disc set if it had the whole show. Of course, they could've just released this show on its own, or put something in the package that would let obsessives download the whole show, but don’t get me started on would've, should've, could've possibilities.

Further irritating things is that, if those missing songs were not available for some reason - though there's nothing about it in the materials I was sent, the liner notes weren't included in my review copy - there are plenty of complete shows from around then they could've included instead. Granted, I don't know of any from the Murmur tour, or I'd already own them, but there are two from the year before (May 14, 1982 in Atlanta, Georgia and November 23, 1982 in Lawrence, Kansas) that would've fit nicely, as both have many songs that would later turn up on Murmur as well as the same kind of goodies in the Toronto set, such as the B-side "Ages of You" and the song "Romance" that wouldn’t be released until it was recorded during sessions for 1987's Document.

Or they could’ve just included all the outtakes from that era. Sure, most have been released elsewhere, but not all of them, and even if there isn’t anything new, having all those tracks on a single CD would’ve been great. I know, I made one myself.

It pains me to say all this, it really does. R.E.M. is one of my favorite bands of all time, and Murmur is one of their best albums, which is quite an accomplishment when you consider how many great albums they’ve recorded over the years. And it sounds great here (though it also sounds great on the last CD I bought, and the one before that, and the one before that). As does the live stuff; it’s a great show for all its incompleteness. But unless you’re someone who has to own every album R.E.M. releases, regardless if it has anything you need or not - i.e. someone I'd call obsessive - this just isn’t worth it. - Paul Semel

Mr. Semel owns every song R.E.M. ever released. And a couple they didn’t.