Eponymous

R.E.M. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002UVY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,555 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #49 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Jangle Pop

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars End of Indie Rock As We Knew It, and REM Did Fine, March 17, 2000

By 

Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eponymous (Audio CD)

This collection gathers the better radio tracks from REM's first (and, to these ears, best) six years together. It's hard to remember how organic and dynamic underground-turned-mainstream hits like "South Central Rain" and "Radio Free Europe" (heard here in its original demo version) were until you hear them again, especially in the 80s when alternative radio was restricted to college frequencies.

The group had already concocted muscular folk-rock melodies based on the genre's heroes. The Byrds' country and folk-rock influences all the songs, as does Alex Chilton's Box Tops and Michael Nesmith's First National Band ("Rockville" closes with a quote from Johnny Rivers' "Poor Side of Town.")Who could forget Michael Stipe's distinctive voice buried in musical quicksand, and trying to decipher his cryptic lyric images?

Highlights include the staples "The One I Love" and the fun, if silly "It's The End of The World" (the conductor, Communist, comic and critic fit together only rythmically), the gorgeous "Fall On Me" from their only Don Gehman-produced album (with softheaded Biblical imagery reminiscent of his other major client, John Mellencamp) and Bill Berry's great drumming throughout, especially on "Can't Get There From Here" and "Gardening at Night." Recommended early music from a Hall of Fame-bound rock band.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Greatest Hits" Collection, May 16, 2001

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Eponymous (Audio CD)

Eponymous was the final release by R.E.M. on the IRS label. Even though it was released to fulfill contractual obligations, it is a great overview of the band's work for the seminal label. There most well known songs from this era like "The One I Love", "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville", "Can't Get There From Here" and "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" are included. There are few treats like the original 7" Hibtone version of "Radio Free Europe", an alternative take of "Gardening At Night" and a horn mix of "The Finest Worksong". If you are only familiar with the band's Warner Brothers output, then Eponymous is a great place to start to hear what the band sounded like in their early, formative years.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made me a convert, January 14, 2005

By 

mwreview "mwreview" (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Eponymous (Audio CD)

Eponymous was the first R.E.M. album I purchased and it turned me into a loyal fan. I soon snatched up their entire back catalog and they were a significant part of my music listening life for years to come. That is about as good a tribute to an album I can give.

Of course, being a greatest hits compilation, all the songs here are great, but there are some alternative mixes here for fans who already have these songs on the studio releases. There is a different version of "Radio Free Europe" here although I like the one on Murmur better. The bass stands out more on the Murmur mix whereas the bass on this album's version is less prominent and seems to be covered up as well as some of the other sound details. I do prefer the different vocal mix to "Gardening at Night" than the one on Chronic Town. The Chronic Town version has very weak sounding vocals which had a negative effect on the song. The vocals here are a lot clearer so the song sounds much better. I disagree with the note on the record sleeve that the Eponymous version of "Finest Worksong" (the 12" and 7" version) is better than the original off Document. This mix has a horn section that I do not care for. A track that some R.E.M. fans may not have is "Romance." It is a very early track that surfaced on the "Made in Heaven" soundtrack (a film I have never heard of but it briefly plays this track). It turns out to be one of my favorite R.E.M. songs. The intense bass really drives the song and makes it unique. Eponymous is worth picking up for that track alone. Eponymous also includes interesting comments about each track.