Album of the Day: R.E.M. - Dead Letter Office

Dead Letter Office (1987)

After Lifes Rich Pageant, R.E.M. had amassed enough material from the B-sides of their singles to compile them all into a compilation album.  While it's not an official main album, it is a nice overview of the fun that the band got into during the first 7 years of their career.

1) Crazy - 5/5
B-side of "Driver 8" and "Wendell Gee."  This is a cover of a song from the Athens-grown band Pylon, which was an influence on R.E.M. as they were starting out.  This is a really cool song and I enjoy both versions of it.  A strong choice to open with.

2) There She Goes Again - 4/5
B-side of "Radio Free Europe." Another cover, this time of a Velvet Underground song.  I kind of like how Stipe makes it a bit more melodic than the original making for a very easy listen.

3) Burning Down - 3/5
B-side of "Wendell Gee." An early song from the Chronic Town days.  It definitely feels like it could have fit on Fables of the Reconstruction.  It's a bit of a basic R.E.M. song, but since that album was lacking that sound, it would have been a welcome addition there.

4) Voice of Harold - 3/5
B-side of "So. Central Rain." As you listen, you'll realize that this is the music to "7 Chinese Bros." but the lyrics are all weird.  That's because Stipe is singing/reading the liner notes to a gospel record called The Joy of Knowing Jesus by the Revelaires.  This was apparently a vocal exercise to get Stipe ready for the actual song, so it's cool for that reason.  Not really a great song, but cool.

5) Burning Hell - 2/5

B-side of "Can't Get There from Here." Another Fables of the Reconstruction reject.  The style is definitely imitating/parodying devil-centric heavy metal music.  Cute, but not my cup of tea.

6) White Tornado - 2/5

B-side of "Superman." This was recorded the same day as their very first single, "Radio Free Europe" (the original 1981 take, not the one from Murmur).  Kind of a surfer rock instrumental, but not a very captivating one, unfortunately.

7) Toys in the Attic - 2/5

B-side of "Fall On Me." A cover of the Aerosmith song.  It seems this was more of an excuse for the band to have fun with a new type of song, rather than a real attempt to make it their own, so it just pales in comparison to the original.

8) Wind Out - 3/5

Track from the Bachelor Party soundtrack.  R.E.M. needed a party song for a 1984 party movie.  This definitely works, and I could imagine it playing in the background of a party scene, but it doesn't quite get my blood pumping like an all-time great party anthem should.

9) Ages of You - 4/5

B-side of "Wendell Gee." Recorded along with "Burning Down," this one really surprised me.  I had just assumed after multiple listens that it was a cover of some '50s or '60s rock song but it's an original.  It was supposed to be another Chronic Town song and while I like it, I'm not sure it would have fit on that EP.  But I'm glad it was eventually released.

10) Pale Blue Eyes - 3/5

B-side of "So. Central Rain." Another Velvet Underground/Lou Reed cover.  It's nice, but it doesn't quite match the beauty of the original.

11) Rotary Ten - 1/5

B-side of "Fall On Me." Another instrumental piece, but an underwhelming one at that.  I've listened to this album multiple times and I keep mentally blocking it out and forgetting about it.

12) Bandwagon - 3/5

B-side of "Can't Get There from Here." A fine song, but it's a bit too short.  When it's over and the next song starts, I assume they are just two different parts of the same song.

13) Femme Fatale - 4/5

B-side of "Superman." I hope you want more Velvet Underground covers! Fortunately, this cover works a bit better than "Pale Blue Eyes" in retaining the spirit and tone.

14) Walter's Theme - 3/5

B-side of "So. Central Rain." An instrumental piece with some ad-libbed ramblings from Stipe.  Apparently, this is from a drunken recording session, along with the next song.  The music's pretty fun, but it's more of a novelty.

15) King of the Road - 3/5

B-side of "So. Central Rain." Speaking of novelty, the drunken stupor continues as the band ambles their way through this classic song.  They don't horribly butcher it, fortunately, and it would fit in the background of any dive bar soundtrack.  Almost karaoke-like.  It's charming, but not really meant to be reviewed and criticized.

Overall: 3.08/5 - B-

It certainly is not the best album, but it has enough to offer to keep even casual R.E.M. fans interested.  It's more of a museum of their musical history than a complete album, but it's clear that there is heart and soul in these tracks, even if most of them miss the mark.  A couple of the ones I rated highly probably won't enter my usual rotation of R.E.M. listening (except for "Crazy") but it's nice to know that these songs exist in one place.