On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of their debut EP “Chronic Town”, REM will release the work on CD – for the first time. From August 19th “Chronic Town” will also be available on vinyl and cassette. There are notes from producer Mitch Easter.
After their first single “Radio Free Europe” REM started recording their debut EP in autumn 1981. Working with producer Mitch Easter, the band was able to find their signature sound, heavily influenced by Patti Smith and The Velvet Underground.
Songs rarely heard at concerts
For Easter, “Chronic Town” almost has a “live quality” – that makes the record all the more fascinating for him. “You can actually hear what REM used to sound like, it’s just changed a bit with some fun in the studio,” wrote the producer. No other work is like “Chronic Town”. here fans can pre-order the EP.
However, the songs of the debut EP were hardly played during concerts. It was only in the 2000s that tracks like “Gardening At Night” or “Wolves, Lower” entered the band’s live repertoire for the first time. REM guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills are reuniting with Easter.
Chronic Town Songs:
Side One:
- Wolves, Lower
- Gardening At Night
- Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)
Side Two:
- 1,000,000
- stumble