R.E.M. fetes 25 years of ‘Reveal’

For my money, there isn’t a better R.E.M. album from the band’s Berry-less era than 2001’s Reveal, the closest they’ve come to creating a Beach Boys record.

And on Nov. 20, the Athens greats will celebrate the LP’s 25th anniversary with an expanded edition that comes amended with The Black Sessions Revealed, a never before released 17-song performance recorded for Radio France from Paris on May 7, 2001.

Available as a deluxe 2-CD/Blu-ray set and expanded digital edition, Reveal (25th Anniversary Edition) pairs the original 12-track album with the complete Radio France performance, which finds R.E.M. moving between then-new Reveal material and classics spanning their catalog, including “The One I Love,” “Losing My Religion” and “Man on the Moon.” All formats feature reimagined cover art by longtime R.E.M. designer Chris Billheimer. 

The physical set’s accompanying Blu-ray presents Reveal in high-resolution audio and 5.1 surround sound, alongside the music videos for “Imitation of Life,” “All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star)” and “I’ll Take the Rain,” plus the album’s original EPK. Housed in a 32-page hardcover book featuring archival photographs, the deluxe set also includes new liner notes by journalist Birgit Fuss, with fresh reflections from Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills.

“We were not thinking about a buoyant summertime record, but that is certainly what it turned into,” recalls Mills in Fuss’ new liner notes. “It’s very happy, and also kind of wistful in some ways. It looks at summers present and summers past.” 

For Mills, that wistful feeling is present throughout the entire album. 

“I’ve always said it’s our most underrated record,” Mills adds. “Not only are the songs and the performances good, but it captures a feeling that holds throughout the entire record.”

Fuss, who was introduced to Reveal during her time at Rolling Stone Germany, was also highly cognizant of the summertime hues of this song cycle. 

“It was hard to believe that, after so many autumn records, this band had suddenly made a summer album,” she writes in the new liner notes.

Yet the album’s August vibes had to overcome Stipe’s case of writer’s block while the band was working on the album in Dublin with producer Pat McCarthy. 

“I jumped on a plane and chased the sun,” he recalls. “I wrote ‘Disappear’ and ‘I’ve Been High.’ And finished ‘Imitation of Life’ on a beach.”

 

VIDEO: R.E.M. “Imitation of Life”

As the album’s lead single, “Imitation of Life” became its biggest hit and remained a staple of R.E.M. concerts until the band’s retirement. Following its success came two more singles in “All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star)” — highlighted by a Michael Moore-directed video shot on location in a Brooklyn high school — and “I’ll Take the Rain,” the group’s very first animated video.

As for The Black Sessions, the inclusion of these live recordings illustrate an interesting period in R.E.M.’s touring schedule. Similar to the promotion of 1992’s Automatic for the People, the trio chose to perform a limited series of promo appearances, most important of which were these sessions for Radio France featuring the expanded live edition of the band rounded out by guitarist Scott McCaughey, a keyboardist who shall not be named and drummer Joey Waronker. 

“We were having a good time,” Mills recalls. 

Buck adds, “It’s a cool performance of a lot of songs that we didn’t really play live that much, so it’s nice to have that out there. Something a little different.”

The Black Sessions Revealed will also be available separately as a 2-LP set, bringing the intimate 2001 performance to vinyl for the first time. Additionally, REMHQ.com will offer exclusive Neon Orange vinyl of the original Reveal album and Neon Pink vinyl of The Black Sessions Revealed, alongside new anniversary merchandise.

Pre-orders for all formats are available here. 

REVEAL (25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

 2-CD/BLU-RAY

Disc 1

Reveal

The Lifting

I’ve Been High

All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)

She Just Wants To Be

Disappear

Saturn Return

Beat A Drum

Imitation Of Life

Summer Turns To High

Chorus And The Ring

I’ll Take The Rain

Beachball

 

Disc 2

The Black Sessions Revealed

Recording made by RADIO FRANCE for The Black Sessions, May 7, 2001

Imitation Of Life

The Great Beyond

What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)

Daysleeper

I’ve Been High

Electrolite

The Lifting

At My Most Beautiful

I’ll Take The Rain

The One I Love

She Just Wants To Be

Walk Unafraid

Losing My Religion

Man On The Moon

So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)

It’s the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

 

Disc 3 – BluRay

Hi-Resolution Audio

5.1 Surround Sound

Imitation Of Life (music video)

All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) (music video)

I’ll Take The Rain (music video)

Reveal EPK

 

2-LP VINYL

Side A

Imitation Of Life

The Great Beyond

What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)

 

Side B

Daysleeper

I’ve Been High

Electrolite

The Lifting

At My Most Beautiful

 

Side C

I’ll Take The Rain

The One I Love

She Just Wants To Be

Walk Unafraid

 

Side D

Losing My Religion

Man On The Moon

So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)

It’s the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

 

AUDIO: R.E.M. “Imitation of Life (The Black Sessions version)”