One Lone Clone

Many years before R.E.M. became an arena-filling superband and Michael Stipe went bald and cuckoo, it was THE college band. Formed in 1980 by Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry, R.E.M. made intellectual, witty songs which were relevant to the times and pleasing to the ears. Stipe’s voice mumbled through lyrics yet resonated enough for their first album MURMUR to become the 1983 Album of the Year in the Rolling Stone Critics Poll. The world had taken notice of a relatively obscure band from Athens, Georgia and has never been the same since.

And I Feel Fine is a collection of the band’s best material from 1982 to 1987, produced while they were under the I.R.S. label. Arguably, this was the period when R.E.M. spoke their purest, when their minds were still full of idealism and truth. The album showcases their breakthrough songs (such as It’s the End of the World as We Know It and The One I Love), plus a lot of tracks that you never hear on the airwaves anymore and rarely find on iPods. The first disc contains singles while the bonus disc collects B-Sides, live cuts and previously unreleased songs – a veritable treasure trove of early material.

Consider it a historical narrative of R.E.M.’s early years. The CD has extensive liner notes, with the band’s members reminiscing about each track, what efforts they put into it, and what other trivial minutiae they could remember. And I Feel Fine serves as tangible proof that today's continuing alt rock scene was fathered by this foursome. While this album should definitely be on the shelves of R.E.M. completists, it should also be required listening to fans who are only familiar with R.E.M.’s latest songs, which tend to reflect the band’s advanced age. Give a listen and you’ll definitely agree with the title.