REM "remasters?"

[Craig in Indy]

Does anyone know anything about any supposed remasters of the early REM catalog? I got a copy of Life's Rich Pagaent from a dubious record club I belong to because according to their website it was supposed to have been remastered, but the packaging looks exactly like the original CD issue. I don't want to open it unless I know it's really been remastered, or else I won't be able to return it if necessary.

I know they really did redo the first two albums, Murmur and Reckoning, and packaged them in "deluxe editions" with companion live CDs, but Pageant, Reconstruction and Document are still single-disc packages, though they're being marketed as remastered. I can't find any info from any independent source about it, though.

Anyone here have any experience with them?

 

[LG]

Sorry Craig none of my sources have any info about the remasters except a 24-bit upgrade to a compilation album.

 

[Craig in Indy]

Well, I've been doing some digging on the 'net and found out a few things about these albums. Apparently there are plans to do formal remasters of the IRS albums, though they're dragging them out over the next few years. They should be easy to distinguish from the original releases because they'll be marketed as the "Deluxe Editions" I mentioned in my OP, in new packaging and paired with live concert CDs. The only problem is they've only done the first two albums so far (Murmur and Reckoning), with Fables of the Reconstruction (my second favorite REM album) scheduled for release sometime next year, and Life's Rich Pagaent (my very favorite) not scheduled for rerelease until sometime in 2011, and Document sometime in 2012.

Ha! I should live so long.

The bottom line is that the copy of Pagaent I got from my crappy record club has in fact NOT been remastered at all, despite the fact that the club claimed it had been. I do believe it's going back in tomorrow's mail. If anyone wants to know what the club is, so they can avoid it, it's yourmusic.com. Their prices are great, but they almost never have any artists I'm interested in. I've got a small handful left in my queue, and once I get them, I'm going to quit.

 

[Craig in Indy]

Oh, BTW, the sound on the Murmur remaster is great, at least for REM. Well worth getting if you like the original album. I haven't had a chance to listen to Reckoning yet.

 

[LG]

Thanks I'll keep it in mind.