h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't know if it's a B-side but Imitation of Life is superb.

only one?

I am a passenger
King of the road
Wall of death
Wichita Line man

It's the end of the world as we know it is great.

as is Stand.

But they were both A-sides.

I'm a rather big REM fan but I'm afraid I've never bought anything other than their albums so I wouldn't know what was an A and what was a B (other than their more obvious hits of course).

Same here. Wasn't sure which ones are A sides.

I've got a feeling (not positive though) that dead letter office was an album of mostly b sides/unreleased stuff.

Most of the b sides are just alternate or live versions of album songs...although the passenger is definately worth a listen just to hear micheal stipe shouting "lala lala lalala la" at the top of his lungs...v funny. Same with king of the road, sounds like the band just mucking around and accidentally falling into the song - mainly due to micheal not knowing half of the words.

There are a couple of album songs that where meant to be b sides, I am superman (can't remember the album but its the one with swan swan h on it) and from green the untitled song at the end starts off with "This world is big and so-awake
I stayed up late to hear your voice
This light is here to keep you warm
This song is here to keep you strong"
I'm pretty sure that underneath the bunker was meant to be a b side too.

PQ

King of the Road!

My favourites are

Wall of death, which I think is sooo cool.
Fruity organ is the best instrumental, in my opinion.

There is a single version of At my most beautiful recorded live, that you may have heard of, which has an amusing because it has an intro of Micheal rambling on. Also a bootleg of Moon river is an example of how well Micheal can sing.

don't know the name of it, but wet wet wet also did a cover of the same song for "four weddings and a funeral". REM's version was heaps cooler

Ah yes, I know it. It's comming, hang on cheaking amazon for sound track...

Love is all around!

Lex
-x-

Oooh... I liked 'Wall of Death' too, but I only had it on tape and it got chewed...

thanx Lex, i knew it was something simple, but it flew out of my brain as soon as i started thinking of it.

happens way to often

The demo type version of popsong 89 is bloody brilliant. I'm going to dig it out and play it now. Can't have listened to it in ten years.

It's only sort of a B-Side, but "Gardening at Night". Failing that, "Windout" or "Ages of You".

Aaagh! All my REM B-sides are thousands of miles away! Fortunately, I brought Automatic and Green with me

I've only brought 'Green' to university...

Oh! I've been listening to "Pop Song '89" this morning - so good, it's the first version i heard, before Green came out, and it's brilliant. The origonal acoustic version. Recorded and mixed in 4 minutes. Bloody Great. Released as the b'side of Stand.

I don't beleive I have heard that one, FNA Flinch. I used to think my REM collection is pritty extensive, but this conversation is making me realise that I have some catching up to do.



Lex

If All the Way to Reno is a B-Side it's my fave.