Customer Reviews
Some covers, some junk, and some gems. - By: Phil (philj@remfan.com), 14 Aug 2001 
The album's a great collection of rarities from their early years. The last five tracks are the bands debut ep 'Chronic town' & they are very good indeed.
A collection of out-takes with a few gems. - By: , 03 May 2000 
This is R.E.M. from the early days & predominantly showcases material that didn't make such albums as 'Reckoning' & 'Life's Rich Pageant'; but also featuring some covers & some material from as far back as 1981.
Much of it is well worthwhile, having that 80s indie sound, rhythmically very strong, particularly on tracks such as 'Ages Of You' & 'Carnival Of Sorts(Box Cars)'. The covers indicate their influences, with three Velvet Underground numbers and, less impressively, an Aerosmith one. Some of the material, though, was shelved for a reason, as some honest liner notes by Peter Buck reveal.
This is not only recommended for R.E.M. die-hard fans but also to those tentatively backtracking to their earlier material (but be sure to stop off at 'Document' on the way).
A great selection of rarities and outtakes. - By: , 20 Nov 1999 
What a great album! The Velvet Underground songs are fabulous but my personal favourite has to be "Voice of Harold".
