Unplugged: The Complete 1991 And 2001 Sessions

30年以上の活動と15枚のスタジオ・アルバム、数々の名作ミュージックビデオや伝説的ツアーを経て、解散した“アメリカ最高のロックン・ロール・バンド、R.E.M.。ライヴ・パフォーマンスもまた、彼らの大きな魅力の一つだったが、その彼らが、グラミー賞やエミー賞も受賞したMTVの人気シリーズ、「アンプラグド」に出演した時のパフォーマンスが、コンプリート・セットとなって登場した!しかも今回が世界初CD化!! CD1に収められているのは1991年の「アンプラグド」でのパフォーマンス。彼らにとって初の全米No.1に輝き、全世界で1,000万枚以上の驚異的セールスを記録した通算7作目『アウト・オブ・タイム』をリリースした彼らは、アルバムから世界的な大ヒットとなった「ルージング・マイ・レリジョン」の他、「ラヂオ・ソング」など3曲を披露。それに加え、ファンからの人気も高い「フォール・オン・ミー」や「世界の終わる日[It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)]」、更にザ・トロッグスのカヴァー「ラヴ・イズ・オール・アラウンド」も収録されている。CD2には、2001年の「アンプラグド」でのパフォーマンスを収録。異例とも言える2回目の出演である。1991年のものと大きく異なる点は、1997年に脱退したオリジナル・ドラマー、ビル・ベリーがいないこと。この時のパフォーマンスでは、「イミテーション・オブ・ライフ」や「オール・ザ・ウェイ・トゥ・リノ(ユーアー・ゴナ・ビー・ア・スター)」など、その当時の最新作『リヴィール』からの楽曲を中心に披露。この他には、「セントラル・レイン」や「クヤホガ」、「ファインド・ザ・リヴァー」などが収録されている。今回のCD化における最大の注目ポイントは、1991年、2001年の収録時に放映されなかった「未放映楽曲」も完全収録していること。1991年のものからは、「スワン・スワン H」や「ワールド・リーダー・プリテンド」など5曲を、そして2011年のものからは、「ジ・ワン・アイ・ラヴ」や、「アイル・テイク・ザ・レイン」など6曲が追加されている。これぞまさにコンプリート!!

Originally released as a quadruple-vinyl Record Store Day exclusive then later a double-CD set, Complete Unplugged Sessions captures two separate acoustic shows from R.E.M.: one from 1991, performed just after the release of Out of Time, the other from a decade later, just after they released Reveal, their second album without Bill Berry. Oddly, of these two performances, the one that feels the most like classic R.E.M. is the 2001 gig; even with the absence of Berry and an emphasis on latter-day Baroque pop typified by "At My Most Beautiful," this is a band that's playing as a band, augmented by some extra musicians -- trusty Scott McCaughey, along with Posie Ken Stringfellow, fill out the band while Joey Waronker provides percussion -- but nevertheless evoking nearly every era of R.E.M. by providing tight, assured versions of "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)," "Cuyahoga," and "The One I Love," along with a savvy acoustic revision of "Country Feedback." Naturally, there are quite a few selections from Up and Reveal, but those songs sound a bit richer when stripped down and placed in context with the rest of the band's catalog. In contrast, the 1991 set seems like a snapshot of a particular point in time, namely the florid folk-rock of Out of Time. Berry anchors the band on congas, Peter Buck never skimps on mandolin, Peter Holsapple offers sonic coloring (sometimes via an organ), and Mike Mills harmonizes sweetly with Michael Stipe. This is a sound the group never tried before and never did again (Automatic for the People grew out of this but its melancholy stands as a counterpoint to the essential lightness of Out of Time). R.E.M. also peppered their 1991 set list with song choices that remain surprising -- the Troggs' "Love Is All Around" is covered, the B-sides "Fretless" and "Rotary 11" are unearthed, and they performed a nimble rearrangement of "Radio Song," which was distinguished on record by KRS-One's rap -- and that, along with the distinct instrumentation, keeps the 1991 set fresh. Together, these two Unplugged Sessions -- which, in this incarnation, include 11 performances not featured on either broadcast -- make for a bit of a treat for hardcore R.E.M. fans, a document when the group was near the peak of their powers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|

Originally released as a quadruple-vinyl Record Store Day exclusive then later a double-CD set, Complete Unplugged Sessions captures two separate acoustic shows from R.E.M.: one from 1991, performed just after the release of Out of Time, the other from a decade later, just after they released Reveal, their second album without Bill Berry. Oddly, of these two performances, the one that feels the most like classic R.E.M. is the 2001 gig; even with the absence of Berry and an emphasis on latter-day Baroque pop typified by "At My Most Beautiful," this is a band that's playing as a band, augmented by some extra musicians -- trusty Scott McCaughey, along with Posie Ken Stringfellow, fill out the band while Joey Waronker provides percussion -- but nevertheless evoking nearly every era of R.E.M. by providing tight, assured versions of "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)," "Cuyahoga," and "The One I Love," along with a savvy acoustic revision of "Country Feedback." Naturally, there are quite a few selections from Up and Reveal, but those songs sound a bit richer when stripped down and placed in context with the rest of the band's catalog. In contrast, the 1991 set seems like a snapshot of a particular point in time, namely the florid folk-rock of Out of Time. Berry anchors the band on congas, Peter Buck never skimps on mandolin, Peter Holsapple offers sonic coloring (sometimes via an organ), and Mike Mills harmonizes sweetly with Michael Stipe. This is a sound the group never tried before and never did again (Automatic for the People grew out of this but its melancholy stands as a counterpoint to the essential lightness of Out of Time). R.E.M. also peppered their 1991 set list with song choices that remain surprising -- the Troggs' "Love Is All Around" is covered, the B-sides "Fretless" and "Rotary 11" are unearthed, and they performed a nimble rearrangement of "Radio Song," which was distinguished on record by KRS-One's rap -- and that, along with the distinct instrumentation, keeps the 1991 set fresh. Together, these two Unplugged Sessions -- which, in this incarnation, include 11 performances not featured on either broadcast -- make for a bit of a treat for hardcore R.E.M. fans, a document when the group was near the peak of their powers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine