Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011 (Deluxe Version)

iTunes Review

Taken together, these 40 tracks make the case for how this massively gifted quartet from Athens, Ga., changed rock history while retaining its quirky edge. R.E.M.’s early years as indie trendsetters are well-represented by such tracks as “Radio Free Europe”, “Fall on Me”, and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)”. Mega-hits like “The One I Love”, “Orange Crush”, and “Losing My Religion” document a band embracing fame as it expanded its sonic palette. Key songs from the post–Bill Berry era (especially “At My Most Beautiful” and “Living Well Is the Best Revenge”) reflect R.E.M.’s creative ambition in the face of new challenges. Rounding out this collection are three new tunes: “We All Go Back to Where We Belong” (a yearning, elegant number with soft-rock overtones), “Hallelujah” (grand, string-draped, and overtly spiritual), and “A Month of Saturdays” (a playful return to the band’s garage-rock roots). From jangle rock to orchestrated pop, this compilation hits all the high points and rediscovers some neglected tunes even longtime fans may have missed.