Search - R.E.M. :: Document

THE DVD AUDIO REVIEW

Will Munney | 01/06/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I won't review the actual songs on this disc - who cares? When I read reviews, it's only to find out about some technical aspect or other of the product. If I want someone's opinion of the musical content, I'll throw a seance and consult the ghost of Lester Bangs, not some schmuck who maybe wrote for their high school paper. That's a big problem I had when I was looking for reviews for this item, specifically the dvd audio version - Amazon just lumps in all the regular release reviews, and these dvd audio or SACD mixes are something else altogether. So let me tell you what you can expect. First, this mix was done by Elliot Scheiner. I'm starting to like this guy more and more, and Elliot, if your old lady ever throws you out of the house, you can come kick it on my couch anytime. For a couple nights only. Then you're on your own. This guy did all the subsequent dvd audio mixes for R.E.M., every studio release from Green to Around the Sun. He also turned up for the Flaming Lips' Yoshimi mix, my favorite of the three they did. Yoshimi was wacky, cuz the Lips are wacky. The R.E.M. mixes are more restrained, and he mostly takes advantage of the 5.1 surround capacity by just letting the mixes breathe more - he spreads out the tracks more fully, so the sound is just way more dynamic, rather than use the medium to have a tambourine sound flying around the room, or shove a lead vocal into a rear speaker for the sake of being cute. Of course every once in awhile something like that'll happen, but I think he does it tastefully and in context. Sometimes in the course of reading reviews for these surround mixes, a reviewer will comment on how the clarity and seperation is so much more magnified, they swear they hear things they never heard in the original stereo mix. What they don't know is that sometimes, they never heard these things because those sounds never appeared in the original mix. Remember, these people who do the remixes, like Mr. Scheiner, have access and often carte blanche to the original tapes, and often during a recording/mixing session, the artists will lay down any ol' crazy stuff just to see if it flies, then decide whether to throw it onto the final mix or bury it low, or just discard it altogether. The people doing these remixes can decide to bring up these tracks or different takes or extra or alternate vocal takes, and there are at least a couple here on this disc that come to mind, notably extra guitar lines from Mr. Buck on Disturbance and The One I Love. That's cool with me. I don't know about these whiny buffoons who want to preserve the sanctity of the original work. If you paint a walrus mustache on the original Mona Lisa, maybe you've got a case for outrage - maybe, I say - because that's an original, and there was only really ever meant to be the one. But when these people go to make a record, it's with record company bucks, and the record company often plans on printing up at least a couple of copies to try to sell to people. If someone later down the road wants to present an alternate take on the work, it's not as if the government dispatches a military attachment to come to your house to retrieve the other version. By all means, keep listening to the version that best fits you and your outlook on life. As for me, I'm glad I have both versions, cuz I'm a man who likes options. One more thing: this edition is out of print, because the format never really took off as hoped for. So if you want it, chances are you'll have to shell out the bucks. I'll only advise you that it's worth it if you love the original Document and you have a terrific DTS surround setup, if not a player with actual dvd audio high resolution circuitry (preferred), and enjoy sitting down and really listening to music, free from distractions. And also if your kids won't have to skip some meals to accomodate the purchase, which potentially would be frowned upon by those close to you. I truly believe this format was just a little ahead of its time, and that now with home theater systems becoming more and more commonplace, and music fans becoming more aware that mp3 is great for convenience but lousy for any worthwhile home sound system, that proper marketing and especially good word-of-mouth can earn the format at least a respectable share of the market. So spread the word. And thanks for this one, Mr. Scheiner!"

Best Album - Ever?

WVU Rick | Longwood, FL USA | 03/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not only is this the best REM CD, it just may be my favorite album of all time. The blend of great music, 80's materialism commentary, production and good old REM weirdness hit every rock and alternative bone in my body. After hearing certain albums 50+ times, I've burned out on some fantastic classic rock but this CD offers something new every time I play it. What the heck is Oddfellows about? Who cares, it's cool! Enjoy."

A Must Have REM Album. Vinyl.

Norbie | Oz | 01/27/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Item info: Vinyl 180g. Audiophile Quality. Faithfully Restored. Limited Edition. Unfortunately there are no special items included with the release.



My 20c in the Vinyl vs CD Debate: They are two different formats that have advanteges and disadvantages over each other. I am not a fanatic that believes the only way to appreciate music is to only listen to vinyl. I read a great post - If we wanted to really appreciate early Louis Armstrong recordings does that mean that to appreaciate them is to listen to old 78s? The reason why a lot of people use the word "warmth" when they refer to the sound the vinyl gives off is that CD is clearer than vinyl, and doesn't hide all the neuances of the recording like vinyl. Anyway, lets get to the review.





This is a classic period album not just from the REM Cannon, but a classic album from the 80's. I have just started collecting vinyl albums and this is a great place to start from. The album comes in heavy (compared to normal vinyl) 180g which produces a wonderful feeling when listening to it. The album has three classic tracks from the alternative scene of the 80's: "Finest Worksong", "The One I Love", and "It's The End Of The World As We Know It And I Feel Fine." If you are debating over which REM Album on Vinyl to start a collection you can not go wrong with "DOCUMENT." To me, unlike their previous albums before "DOCUMENT" this album still sounds fresh and not out of date. Maybe the remastering has something to do with it.



Norbie



ps. sorry about all my bad grammar.

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