And I Feel Fine: The Best Of 1982-87, The IRS Years

With Michael Stipe recently seen on the telly eating shrimp with celeb chums, it's easy to lump him REM with the U2s of this world as the big but slightly boring and out of touch megastar rock bands who have little to say anymore but might occasionally kick out the odd decent single. But this is to forget, or if you're younger perhaps not realise, quite how influential and important a band REM are.

For that reason this compilation of their IRS years is truly a must buy. It serves as a reminder of how essential this early music was and how it has, generally, remained remarkably timeless. Lo-fi before the term was invented early singles such as Radio Free Europe and Don't Go Back to Rockville are the sort of songs you would hope to trip across today. The sparse uncomplicated simplicity of these songs help REM escape the dated '80s sound that other US and UK bands of the time fail to do when you hear them now. The lack of the, then obligatory, synthesizer helps. Whilst later '80s/early '90s work may not escape that charge so easily (think Out of Time material), the songs collected here reflect an enigmatic young band full of joy and the ability to writing from a great pop tune to deeper, darker and lyrically confused experimentation.

They were also a band of rare beauty and Perfect Circle, to my mind, remains one of the greatest REM songs but is rarely lauded. To have it tracked here next to the wondrous Fall On Me is an excellent decision and shows the compiler has thought this through properly. Play those two songs back to back a couple of times and you may well think this is the best fiver you ever spent. At the very least you'll agree that it's value for money!