Grammy-nominated rock band, R.E.M. announced the release of the 25th-anniversary reissue of the band’s famed 1996 album New Adventures In Hi-Fi. The reissue is set to drop Friday (October 29).
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R.E.M., which officially broke up in 2011, will “never reunite,” said the band’s frontman and singer, Michael Stipe. The Georgia-born group, which rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, still boasts legions of fans thanks to emotive hits like, “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts.”
The band also shared a remastered version of the song, “New Test Leper,” from the upcoming release, which you can check out here below.
The new 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will feature a bevy of B-sides and rarities, previously unreleased video footage, in-depth interviews with all four founding band members, along with interviews with Patti Smith and Thom Yorke, never-before-seen archival photos, and much more.
According to a technical-sounding statement about the new reissue project, “The bonus-filled 2-CD/1-Blu-ray Deluxe Edition offers a trove of audio-visual content, including the newly remastered album, 13 B-sides and rarities, a never-before-released 64-minute outdoor projection film (shown on buildings across five cities in 1996 to promote the album’s original release), and a previously unreleased 30-minute EPK.
“Additionally, the Blu-ray features New Adventures in Hi-Fi in stunning Hi-Res and 5.1 Surround Sound audio, plus five HD-restored music videos including ‘Bittersweet Me,’ ‘Electrolite,’ and ‘E-Bow the Letter.’ Housed in a 52-page hardcover book, the collection includes archival photographs—many of which have never been published—plus new liner notes from journalist Mark Blackwell and reflections from all four original band members, as well as from Patti Smith, Thom Yorke, and producer Scott Litt.
“An Expanded Edition is also available as a 2-CD or digital collection, including the remastered album along with B-sides and rarities. The 2-CD offers an exclusive 24” x 24” poster and four collectible postcards, as well as a booklet featuring new liner notes and archival photos. Additionally, the newly remastered album will be available as a 2-LP set, pressed on 180-gram vinyl, with lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Fans can preview all physical formats via the official unboxing trailer here. A limited-edition pressing on clear and black marbled vinyl is also available exclusively at R.E.M.’s official store (limited to 1,000 worldwide), along with special New Adventures in Hi-Fi merchandise.”
NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRACK LISTS:
Deluxe Edition (2-CD/1-Blu-Ray):
Disc 1 – New Adventures in Hi-Fi (remastered audio)1. How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us
2. The Wake-Up Bomb
3. New Test Leper
4. Undertow
5. E-Bow the Letter
6. Leave
7. Departure
8. Bittersweet Me
9. Be Mine
10. Binky the Doormat
11. Zither
12. So Fast, So Numb
13. Low Desert
14. Electrolite
Disc 2 – B-sides and Rarities
1. Tricycle (Instrumental)
2. Departure (Live Rome Soundcheck / Rome, Italy / 2/22/1995)
3. Wall of Death
4. Undertow (Live / Atlanta, GA / 11/18/1995)
5. Wichita Lineman (Live / Houston, TX / 9/15/1995)
6. New Test Leper (Live Acoustic / Seattle, WA / 4/19/1996)
7. The Wake-Up Bomb (Live / Atlanta, GA / 10/4/1995)
8. Binky the Doormat (Live / Atlanta, GA / 11/18/1995)
9. King of Comedy (808 State Remix)
10. Be Mine (Mike on Bus version)
11. Love Is All Around
12. Sponge
13. Leave (Alternate Version)
Disc 3 (Blu-Ray)
1. R.E.M. Outdoor Projections – Saturday Sept 7, 1996 – 5 cities (64:56)
2. New Adventures in Hi-Fi EPK – previously unreleased 30 min version (29:13)
3. New Adventures in Hi-Fi 5.1 Audio
4. New Adventures in Hi-Fi – Hi-Resolution Audio
5. E-Bow the Letter (Music Video)
6. Bittersweet Me (Music Video)
7. Electrolite (Music Video)
8. How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us (Music Video)
9. New Test Leper (Music Video)
Expanded Edition (2-CD):
Disc 1 – New Adventures in Hi-Fi (remastered audio)1. How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us
2. The Wake-Up Bomb
3. New Test Leper
4. Undertow
5. E-Bow the Letter
6. Leave
7. Departure
8. Bittersweet Me
9. Be Mine
10. Binky the Doormat
11. Zither
12. So Fast, So Numb
13. Low Desert
14. Electrolite
Disc 2 – B-Sides and Rarities
1. Tricycle (Instrumental)
2. Departure (Live Rome Soundcheck / Rome, Italy / 2/22/1995)
3. Wall of Death
4. Undertow (Live / Atlanta, GA / 11/18/1995)
5. Wichita Lineman (Live / Houston, TX / 9/15/1995)
6. New Test Leper (Live Acoustic / Seattle, WA / 4/19/1996)
7. The Wake-Up Bomb (Live / Atlanta, GA / 10/4/1995)
8. Binky the Doormat (Live / Atlanta, GA / 11/18/1995)
9. King of Comedy (808 State Remix)
10. Be Mine (Mike on Bus Version)
11. Love Is All Around
12. Sponge
13. Leave (Alternate Version)
New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Vinyl):
Side A
1. How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us
2. The Wake-Up Bomb
3. New Test Leper
Side B
1. Undertow
2. E-Bow the Letter
3. Leave
Side C
1. Departure
2. Bittersweet Me
3. Be Mine
4. Binky the Doormat
Side D
1. Zither
2. So Fast, So Numb
3. Low Desert
4. Electrolite
(All photos by Chris Bilheimer)
