R.E.M. at the BBC


R.E.M. at the BBC is a 2018 live album box set by American alternative rock band R.E.M. released on October 19, 2018. The eight-disc compilation features sessions recorded between 1984 and 2008, including a bonus DVD of videos. Additionally, a two-disc best-of collection was released on the same day.

Recording and release

Sources include one unedited full show—1995's performance at Milton Keynes—while additional, shorter sessions were recorded for BBC programs such as a John Peel session, Drivetime, Mark and Lard, and BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.
On September 20, a promotional video for "Orange Crush" was released, followed on September 27 by "E-Bow the Letter", featuring Radiohead singer Thom Yorke.

Reception

In The Irish Times, Stephen Jones gave the album seven out of 10, writing that it includes some "real treats" but criticizes some "tinny and echoey" recordings. Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound rated the album an eight out of 10, summing up that it is a useful document of R.E.M.'s career: "Live at the BBC is obviously preposterously big... but actually that’s kind of fine in the digital era—it’s not that old fashioned beast ‘the live album’, but a whole sprawling history to immerse yourself in, eras hurtling by." Under the Radars Michael James Hall gave the box set 8.5 out of 10, praising the performances for being able to "remind you just how masterful they were as songwriters". James Parker of The Atlantic gave the album a positive review, calling it a "a vast and slightly dizzying retrospective". David Fricke of Rolling Stone made this release one of his weekly picks. For Pitchfork Media, Chris Randle gave the collection a 7.4 out of 10, praising Stipe's lyrics and singing in particular. For Exclaim!, Ian Gormely awarded At the BBC an eight out of 10, praising the compilation's diversity, with "surprisingly little overlap across the collection" and summing up, "Though the material included here is strong, due to the limitations its compilers were working with... it doesn't necessarily represent the best or most unique sets of their respective eras." Ian Rushbury of PopMatters also gave the set an eight out of 10 in his review, calling the group, "without doubt, an outstanding live band" and writing that the DVD is "invaluable".

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, except where noted.
  1. "World Leader Pretend" – 4:36
  2. "Fretless" – 5:16
  3. "Half a World Away" – 3:33
  4. "Radio Song" – 4:05
  5. "Losing My Religion" – 4:42
  6. "Love Is All Around" – 3:09
  8. "Walk Unafraid" – 4:04
  9. "Daysleeper" – 3:18
  10. "Lotus" – 4:13
  11. "At My Most Beautiful" – 3:16
  13. "Bad Day" – 4:03
  14. "Orange Crush" – 3:55
  16. "Man on the Moon" – 4:59
  17. "Imitation of Life" – 3:41
  19. "Supernatural Superserious" – 3:23
  20. "Munich" – 3:18
  21. Introduction – 0:26
  22. "Losing My Religion" – 4:44
  23. "New Test Leper" – 5:53
  24. "Lotus" – 4:48
  25. "Parakeet" – 4:23
  26. "Electrolite" – 4:23
  27. "Perfect Circle" – 4:39
  28. "The Apologist" – 4:40
  29. "Daysleeper" – 4:44
  30. "Country Feedback" – 7:23
  31. "At My Most Beautiful" – 4:14
  32. "Walk Unafraid" – 4:52
  33. "Man on the Moon" – 6:11
  34. "Second Guessing" – 2:57
  35. "Hyena" – 2:57
  36. "Talk About the Passion" – 3:04
  37. "West of the Fields" – 3:07
  38. " Rockville" – 4:29
  39. "Auctioneer " – 3:01
  40. "So. Central Rain " – 4:51
  41. "Old Man Kensey" – 4:24
  42. "Gardening at Night" – 3:26
  43. "9–9"/"Hey Diddle Diddle" /"" – 5:39
  44. "Windout" – 1:49
  45. "Driver 8" – 3:25
  46. "Pretty Persuasion" – 3:33
  47. "Radio Free Europe" – 3:49
  48. "Wendell Gee" – 3:21
  49. "Carnival of Sorts " – 4:47
  50. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" – 3:58
  51. "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:42
  52. "Drive" – 3:51
  53. "Turn You Inside Out" – 4:17
  54. "Try Not to Breathe" – 3:50
  55. "I Took Your Name" – 4:15
  56. "Undertow" – 5:16
  57. "Bang and Blame" – 4:58
  58. "I Don't Sleep I Dream" – 4:14
  59. "Strange Currencies" – 4:31
  60. "Revolution" – 3:20
  61. "Tongue" – 4:38
  62. "Man on the Moon" – 5:46
  63. "Country Feedback" – 6:49
  64. "Half a World Away" – 4:04
  65. "Losing My Religion" – 4:54
  66. "Pop Song 89" – 3:27
  67. "Finest Worksong" – 3:48
  68. "Get Up" – 2:54
  69. "Star 69" – 4:00
  70. "Let Me In" – 3:59
  71. "Everybody Hurts" – 7:24
  72. "Fall on Me" – 3:11
  73. "Departure" – 3:52
  74. "It's the End of the World as We Know It " – 5:15
  75. "Lotus" – 4:36
  76. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" – 4:09
  77. "So Fast, So Numb" – 4:47
  78. "The Apologist" – 4:36
  79. "Fall on Me" – 3:26
  80. "Daysleeper" – 3:29
  81. "The Wake-Up Bomb" – 5:01
  82. "The One I Love" – 3:27
  83. "Sweetness Follows" – 5:50
  84. "At My Most Beautiful" – 3:37
  85. "Losing My Religion" – 5:24
  86. "Everybody Hurts" – 6:47
  87. "Walk Unafraid" – 4:17
  88. "Star 69" – 3:04
  89. "Finest Worksong" – 4:22
  90. "Man on the Moon" – 5:43
  91. "Why Not Smile" – 2:10
  92. "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:40
  93. "Tongue" – 5:19
  94. "Cuyahoga" – 4:37
  95. "It's the End of the World as We Know It " – 6:58
  96. Intro – 0:47
  97. "So Fast, So Numb" – 5:13
  98. "Boy in the Well" – 5:20
  99. "I Wanted to Be Wrong" – 5:19
  100. "E-Bow the Letter" – 5:09
  101. "Around the Sun" – 5:02
  102. "Aftermath" – 3:58
  103. "Losing My Religion" – 4:47
  104. "Walk Unafraid" – 5:10
  105. "Leaving New York" – 4:48
  106. "Imitation of Life" – 4:35
  107. "Man on the Moon" – 5:34
  108. "Moon River"
  109. "Pretty Persuasion"
  110. "Pop Song 89"
  111. "Orange Crush"
  112. "Losing My Religion"
  113. "Half a World Away"
  114. "Crush with Eyeliner"
  115. "Man on the Moon"
  116. "Daysleeper"
  117. "Imitation of Life"
  118. "So. Central Rain "
  119. "All the Way to Reno "
  120. "Leaving New York"
  121. Intro
  122. "Losing My Religion"
  123. "Lotus"
  124. "New Test Leper"
  125. "Daysleeper"
  126. "Electrolite"
  127. "At My Most Beautiful"
  128. "The Apologist"
  129. "Country Feedback"
  130. "Parakeet"
  131. "So. Central Rain "
  132. "Walk Unafraid"
  133. "Man on the Moon
  134. "The Passenger"
  135. "I've Been High"
  136. "Nightswimming"
  137. "Bad Day"

    Best Of

  138. "World Leader Pretend" – 4:36
  139. "Half a World Away" – 3:33
  140. "Radio Song" – 4:05
  141. "Losing My Religion" – 4:42
  143. "Lotus" – 4:13
  144. "At My Most Beautiful" – 3:16
  146. "Electrolite" – 4:23
  147. "Perfect Circle" – 4:39
  148. "Daysleeper" – 4:44
  150. "Country Feedback" – 6:49
  152. "Bad Day" – 4:03
  153. "Orange Crush" – 3:55
  155. "Nightswimming" – 4:20
  157. "Man on the Moon" – 4:59
  159. "Imitation of Life" – 3:41
  160. "Supernatural Superserious" – 3:23
  161. " Rockville" – 4:29
  162. "So. Central Rain " – 4:51
  163. "Gardening at Night" – 3:26
  164. "Driver 8" – 3:25
  165. "Radio Free Europe" – 3:49
  167. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" – 3:54
  168. "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:42
  169. "Drive" – 3:51
  170. "Half a World Away" – 4:04
  171. "Pop Song 89" – 3:27
  172. "Finest Worksong" – 3:48
  174. "Fall on Me" – 3:26
  175. "The One I Love" – 3:27
  176. "Everybody Hurts" – 6:47
  177. "It's the End of the World as We Know It " – 6:58
  179. "E-Bow the Letter" – 5:09
  180. "Losing My Religion" – 4:47
  181. "Man on the Moon" – 5:34

    Personnel

R.E.M.

Chart Peak
position
Spanish Albums 62