R.E.M.: Automatic for the People [25th Anniversary Edition] (1992) [Blu-ray]

This November, Concord Music’s Craft Records imprint will reissue a 25th anniversary super deluxe edition of R.E.M.‘s 1992 album Automatic For The People.

The first CD features the remastered (‘from the original analogue tapes’) version of the original album, while disc two offers 13 tracks performed live at the band’s Greenpeace benefit concert at Athens, Georgia’s 40 Watt Club. This performance was about five weeks after the original album release and features four tracks from Automatic For The People. Twenty demo recordings fill up the third CD and many of them have placeholder titles such as ‘Peter’s New Song’ and ‘Bill’s Acoustic’, although where applicable, the titles of the songs they became are indicated! There are also a couple of previously unreleased tracks, ‘Mike’s Pop Song’ and ‘Devil Rides Backwards’. As with Out Of Time, expect a fair few instrumentals.

The fourth disc is a blu-ray which features a ‘Dolby Atmos’ surround sound mix of the album (plus bonus track ‘Photograph’ featuring Natalie Merchant).

This is a brand new 5.1 mix by original producer Scott Litt and engineer Clif Norrell, and indeed is the first studio album to be commercially released in this format. Dolby Atmos is basically the latest top-end 5.1 system, which with the right hardware, should deliver something outstanding, although the “Dolby Atmos mix also provides an enhanced sound experience on any surround sound setup”. In other words, even if you don’t have a Dolby Atmos compatible theatre amplifier, it should still sound great. The key takeaway from this is that you shouldn’t bin your DVD-A from 2005, because that well-regarded 5.1 mix by Elliot Scheiner is now unique.

Треклист Blu-ray:
1. Drive (Dolby Atmos Mix)
2. Try Not To Breathe (Dolby Atmos Mix)
3. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (Dolby Atmos Mix)
4. Everybody Hurts (Dolby Atmos Mix)
5. New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 (Dolby Atmos Mix)
6. Sweetness Follows (Dolby Atmos Mix)
7. Monty Got A Raw Deal (Dolby Atmos Mix)
8. Ignoreland (Dolby Atmos Mix)
9. Star Me Kitten (Dolby Atmos Mix)
10. Man On The Moon (Dolby Atmos Mix)
11. Nightswimming (Dolby Atmos Mix)
12. Find The River (Dolby Atmos Mix)
13. Photograph (Dolby Atmos Mix)
14. Drive (hi-res stereo)
15. Try Not To Breathe (hi-res stereo)
16. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (hi-res stereo)
17. Everybody Hurts (hi-res stereo)
18. New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 (hi-res stereo)
19. Sweetness Follows (hi-res stereo)
20. Monty Got A Raw Deal (hi-res stereo)
21. Ignoreland (hi-res stereo)
22. Star Me Kitten (hi-res stereo)
23. Man On The Moon (hi-res stereo)
24. Nightswimming (hi-res stereo)
25. Find The River (hi-res stereo)
26. Photograph (hi-res stereo)