A little more on the
R.E.M. album....
Compiled by Peter Buck some time around 1986-1987, and officially released in April 1987, this album compiles a whole bunch of R.E.M. b-sides, out-takes and cover version. Peter reckoned listening to the album should be like browsing through a junk shop; a reasonable analogy.
High points of the album include three wonderfully ragged Velvet Underground covers (There She Goes Again, Pale Blue Eyes, and Femme Fatale), Voice Of Harold, which features Michael Stipe singing the cover notes of an old gospel album over the instrumental track to Seven Chinese Brothers, the jolly Bandwagon, and a really fun cover of Aerosmith's Toys In The Attic.
The album comes complete with wittily self-deprecating cover notes from Peter (as well as a little self portrait), and the CD version usually includes R.E.M.'s first release for I.R.S., the Chronic Town EP. IMHO, Dead Letter Office is not just for R.E.M. completists, but a fun album in itself, not to mention pretty good value for money!