Listened to this (CD) many times over the weekend. The sound is a little more aggressive than I originally surmised (especially Man On The Moon?!), but not obnoxiously so. I'm just turning down the volume... I've been very familiar with this release since it came out and it's probably in my top three of favorite R.E.M. albums, but I sure wish they'd left out Ignoreland - interrupts what could be an almost perfect album, imo.
In comparing the waveforms for Man on the Moon (original vs. deluxe remaster), it appears the remaster is longer, at 5:13 while the original is 4:44.
One of my favourites! Works well in context - the events of the time demanded some response as I recall....
I’d love to hear comparisons between the hi-res, the DVD-A, and the original CD. I love the album and just want the best mastering I can get.
For what it's worth, I listened to most of that disc this morning and much of it I will never listen to again. So I would suggest cherry picking from the tracks.
For me it was the ´Photograph´- Demo by far; never knew that song existed at all. And I own all R.E.M. albums and all of their regular CD-Singles. Thought, I was only missing the Fanclub-Singles, but you just never know. Bouzouki Song (Monty Got A Raw Deal Demo) and Cello Scud (Sweetness Follows Demo) are the two complete Demos which are quite different to the well known album versions. And there are also complete Demos for Drive, Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight (Wake Her Up), Everybody Hurts (Michael´s Organ), Try Not To Breath (G-8 Passion + Voc.) and Star Me Kitten (Hey Love). But they are actually very similar to the released studio versions. The rest is all instrumentals with sometimes a bit of melodic Humming on Michaels Part. And sadly no complete alternative version of Find The River...
Every time someone mentions that this album is a masterpiece, I always think of Ignoreland. That song keeps this album from joining the list of rock masterpieces in my mind. It simply does not fit the mood or tone created by the other songs as a piece.
I guess when Michael asks, "I feel better, having screamed, don't you?," you guys would say no? I never was a big fan of it, but it has slowly grown on me. It's the only song that seems overtly angry and for that reason, I feel it is both necessary and fits.