R.E.M. Bowing Out With 40-Song Greatest Hits Collection

Robbie Daw | September 26, 2011 11:29 am

“It’s just like me to overstay my welcome, bless,” Michael Stipe sings on “All The Best,” the second track on R.E.M.’s 15th and final studio album Collapse Into Now, which was released in March. And, perhaps not wanting to have art fully imitate life, the band announced last week that they’ve parted ways (much to Coldplay’s dismay). R.E.M.’s final release is the two-disc, 40-song R.E.M., Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, 1982 – 2011, which arrives on November 15. Catch the tracklist below. Three new tracks round out the career-spanning collection: “Hallelujah, “A Month of Saturdays” and “We All Go Back to Where We Belong,” which will be released as a single on October 18. All were produced by Jacknife Lee.

“There is sadness because I will never play on the same stage as Peter and Michael again,” bassist Mike Mills tells Rolling Stone in a new interview conducted after the band’s break-up announcement last week. “We’re doing this for good reasons, and we end up looking back at all the fun, the joy and the incredible opportunities we had. It’s not because we have to or we can’t stand each other or we suck. We’re happy. But we’re done.”

One gripe with this new collection (make it three, actually): no “Drive,” “Strange Currencies” or “E-Bow The Letter”?

R.E.M., Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, 1982 – 2011

Disc 1: Gardening At Night Radio Free Europe Talk About The Passion Sitting Still So. Central Rain (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville Driver 8 Life And How To Live It Begin The Begin Fall On Me Finest Worksong It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) The One I Love Stand Pop Song 89 Get Up Orange Crush Losing My Religion Country Feedback Shiny Happy People

Disc 2: The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite Everybody Hurts Man On The Moon Nightswimming What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? New Test Leper Electrolite At My Most Beautiful The Great Beyond Imitation Of Life Bad Day Leaving New York Living Well Is The Best Revenge Supernatural Superserious ÜBerlin Oh My Heart Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter A Month of Saturdays We All Go Back To Where We Belong Hallelujah

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