Dead the letter office before clicking on this link to go back to the main REM page... Dead Parrot Office Overall Album Score: 8.3 out of 10 The very end of this compilation album contains the group's debut EP, Chronic Town, which was released in 1982 before Murmur. Instead of reviewing those songs along with Dead Letter Office, I reviewed that album separately, and I am reviewing all of the songs on this album minus that EP! ... So, if you want a more accurate review of Dead Letter Office, ya also ought to consult my review of Chronic Town! (And, this is really cool, because you're getting two necessary R.E.M. albums in one!! But for my reviewing purposes, it's probably best for me to separate them.) Well, what can I say about this album? ... If R.E.M. were slightly less popular in their day, this compilation album would probably have never existed, and we'd be seeing these things as bonus tracks tacked onto CD reissues of their albums. Just the same, though, even R.E.M. rejects can hold a lot of water! This album contains several covers (three of them are Velvet Underground songs ... which gives you some idea what band they liked listening to). Several tracks are earlier versions of songs that appeared on other R.E.M. albums (or, in one case, one song was another version of another songs that appears in this compilation disc as well), and there are several originals. So ... yes, this is an album full of rejects. Only existing R.E.M. fans need consider this. Overall Album Score: 8.3 out of 10 (This is a must-have for seasoned R.E.M. fans AND ONLY seasoned R.E.M. fans.) Average Song Score: 8.3 (Of course, R.E.M. are still top-dawg when it comes to their songs. It's kind of amazing an album full of rejects can be so good. I guess that's R.E.M. for ya! They're cool!) Album Tilt: N/A (Considering this isn't a real "album" I don't feel much need to award a score here.) Artist Rating: N/A (I suppose I could give a score here, but ... these are rejects, and this is an undisguised compilation album. No artist points are necessary.) Track Reviews Crazy 8.5/10 This is a pretty good song! It's a cover of a fellow independent artist from the 80s (called Pylon). Of course, I haven't heard the original. But this cover makes for a regular-sounding R.E.M. tune! And that's cool. There She Goes Again 8.5/10 Why, it's a Velvet Underground cover!!! (Yaaaaaay!) And they cover like madddd ... and ... this just sounds like a regular old R.E.M. tune, too. Hmmhmmm! Burning Down 9/10 I like this song! ... It has a good melody, harmonies, instrument-playing ... you name it! It's probably good! (This later turned into "Ages of You," which appears later in this compilation album, incidentally.) Voice of Harold 9/10 This was later turned into "7 Chinese Brothers" ... That was a good song! This is a good song, too! That's why I'm soooooo happy today! Burning Hell 8.5/10 Hmmm! This looks like R.E.M.'s attempt at doing something MEAN and something HARD and something GRUFF!! GR! ... I don't know ... Michael Stipe isn't a very convincing death-metal meanie if you ask me. But the song is good ... and it's interesting just to hear him try. White Tornado 8/10 This is an interesting surfer instrumental. HmmHM! Toys in the Attic 8/10 Stupid R.E.M. does a stupid AEROSMITH cover!!! What stupid-heads these guys are!! Okay ... this is better than I might originally have thought that it would be. But why are they covering Aerosmith? Windout 8/10 This is a short song! ... And it's pretty good. Ages of You 8.5/10 Hmmmmmmm ... I've heard this one before! ... Oh yeah ... A different version of this is on this album somewheres. It's good in all its forms. Pale Blue Eyes 8/10 Another Velvet Underground cover??? What on earth do these guys see in those guys? Hmmm ... Oh well. That was a pretty good song to start with, and R.E.M. does a good job playing it. Yup. Rotary Ten 8/10 This is a jazzy instrumental! ... Oh boyyyyyye! Bandwagon 9/10 Ooooooooooo!!!! Here's a good song! ... This is also another reason why R.E.M. fans might want to pick up this compilation disc. This is a good reg'lar old R.E.M. song! (Yaaaaaay!) Femme Fatale 8/10 ANOTHER Velvet Underground cover????! And why is Michael Stipe singing it wrong? ... Heck if I know. Walter's Theme 7/10 I'm not sure what the story is with this one ... it sounds like a warm-up jam section. It's alright. King of the Road 8/10 Ewwwwww! A country music cover! ... Ick. Send me a LIVE letter from your office by clicking on this link here!

All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. Soda crackers are his meat.