R. E. M. - Document, Reconsidered (aka The Athens Variations)

 A Classic Albums Revisited project

Document, Reconsidered

Live & studio recordings, none officially released
Soundboard & preFM sources (quality: Ex to Ex-)

An all-soundboard, all-lossless reassessment of album no. 5 with alternative versions

SAMPLE TRACK: "The One I Love" live in Athens, Aug. 19, 1987 (sbd)

ROB SEZ:  What if R. E. M. took all those adjectives they used to describe album no. 5 (noisy, angular, sparky, crunchy, etc.), kept them firmly in mind while playing the songs as if their reputations depended on it, and let the fans hear the result? What if that music—recorded decades ago in Athens, GA—could become a soundtrack to the discontent so many are feeling now? That's the concept that animated this project, but it was just my private pipe dream for many moons.

Fast forward to early 2025, when I gained access to a tasty haul of 1980s-era R. E. M. 
soundboard recordings, courtesy of Pat the Wiz—the legendary sound tech whose superb recordings are revered in and around Athens, GA The recordings were digitally transferred from Pat's first-generation analog copy of the master reels. They're as close to perfect as you can get, absent a new transfer from Pat's master. THANK YOU, PAT!  

Among these recordings was a pristine digital file capturing the band's brief, jaw-dropping set at the 40 Watt Club on Aug. 19, 1987—recorded just after completing Document with Scott Litt. As I listened, I realized my whacky idea might just have legs. The 9-song set included no less than 5 stunning versions of Document songs, performed with a kind of virtuosic fury that was bound to impress hometown friends and peers. Pat also supplied me with a soundboard recording of another brief set at the 40 Watt, this one recorded Feb. 10, 1987. It had 2 additional—impressively angular & noisy—versions of songs that would appear months later on the completed album.  

Those 7 live variants, preserved in excellent audio quality and copied from the master analog reels, left me looking for alternative recordings of just 4 more songs from Document. The 1989 vinyl bootleg Finest Worksongs supplied 2 full-band demos, recorded at John Keane's Athens studio in February 1987. That left "King of Birds," with a couple of excellent live versions from the 1989 world tour to choose from. The last song I needed was "Strange," the Wire cover. After listening to dozens of possibilities, I couldn't source anything in good quality with a strong performance. (It didn't help that Michael never seemed to be able to remember the verses!) But then I recalled the Red Rain bootleg CD, featuring the band's live performance in Utrecht, Netherlands in 1987. Although most of the bootleg material was nabbed for Document's 25th anniversary edition bonus disc, a couple of tracks were omitted—including "Strange."

Job done. Time for you to see what you think. (Don't overlook the tracks in the Leftovers folder. You might find something you like better than what I chose for the comp.)

One correction: after I created the artwork, I discovered that "King of Birds" is from the Miami gig on 4/29/89 instead of next day's show in Orlando. At some point, I will update the artwork & post it here.

By the way: all that "political stuff" Peter and Michael talked about in the late 1980s— the comments a lot of fans didn't appreciate? Go back and read 'em. They were spot on, applying as much or more today than they did in the late 1980s. "Exhuming McCarthy"? More like revivifying and cloning him. "Crazy, crazy world. Crazy, crazy times." (M. Stipe, "Fireplace")

HUMONGOUS thanks to Pat the Wiz. Sincere thanks also to Colin for helpful audio consultation.

FLAC

 

MP3@320

*STAY TUNED* There's more where this came from...

            

Peter Holsapple & Worst Case Scenario - Chicago 1989

The Cubby Bear

Chicago, IL

March 5, 1989

Leukemia benefit show
  

NOTE: each of the two sets has its own separate download

audience recording (sound quality VG; club show with some distracting crowd noise)

    

Robyn Hitchcock & Peter Buck, collaborating once again.

MUCH APPRECIATION to the taper and to dB’s Fan for sharing.      

Peter Holsapple setlist:

Six Degrees or less from Robyn H. & Peter B.

01 This is Where I Belong (Kinks cover) 

02 She Got Soul

03 I’m Running Over

04 Bald Headed Baby

05 Soul Kiss

06 Big Brown Eyes

07 Second Time Around

08 Lonely Is as Lonely Does

09 Next to the Last Waltz

10 Black and White*

11 Judy*

12 Neverland*        

*with Peter Buck (aka “Mr. Good Wrench”) on guitar

MP3@320
 

Peter H. called on Robyn Hitchcock & Peter Buck to play this benefit with him.
photo by k-dj via Flickr

Worst Case Scenario setlist:

01 I Wanna Destroy You (Robyn Hitchcock) --> Twist and Shout (Isley Bros. / Beatles cover)

02 Do Right Woman (Moman / Penn tune)

03 Changed the Locks (L. Williams cover)

04 Revolution Number 1 (Beatles cover)

05 Roof Is Leaking (Dion cover)

06 Queen of Eyes (Robyn Hitchcock)

07 Mr. Spaceman (Byrds cover)

08 The Rumor (The Band cover)

09 You Can’t Do That (Beatles cover)

10 It Takes a Lot to Laugh… (Bob Dylan cover)

11 Robyn speaks

12 The Bells of Rhymney (P. Seeger / I. Davies cover) end cut, faded
     

Performed, but missing from this recording:

         ·      Mr. Tambourine Man (Dylan/Byrds cover)

         ·      The Child In You (Peter H. solo)

          
THIS INFO courtesy of the fine folks at The Asking Tree (comprehensive Robyn Hitchcock fan site)

Musicians:

Peter Buck

Robyn Hitchcock

Peter Holsapple

Andy Metcalfe

Morris Windsor
 

MP3@320

FURTHER INFO about this performance:

Originally, this was to be a Peter Holsapple solo show in aid of "Concert For A Cure" to benefit the Leukemia Society of America. But with help from his friends (Peter Buck, Robyn Hitchcock, Morris Windsor & Andy Metcalfe), it turned into a "Worst Case Scenario" performance (one of the pseudonymous names used by Peter Buck, Robyn Hitchcock & various musical friends). At the time, Peter H. was a touring member of R.E.M. and Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians were a support act for R.E.M.

A similar show took place a few days later in Minneapolis (compare & contrast the setlists):

8 March 1989 - Seventh Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN

The Cars She Used To Drive / Wax Doll / Freeze / Falling Leaves / Swirling / Calvary Cross / Birdshead / Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis) / More Than This / The Lizard / Queen Of Eyes / Revolution / I Wanna Destroy You / Twist And Shout / The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show / Do Right Woman, Do Right Man / Eight Miles High / Rain

(as with the Chicago show, this was preceded by a solo set by Peter Holsapple)

ABOVE INFO courtesy of the fine folks at The R.E.M. Timeline.        
                  

R.E.M. with Peter H - MTV Unplugged 1991, etc.

R.E.M. with Peter Holsapple
(various venues, years, etc.)

 

Repercussion: The dB’s and R.E.M. have all kinds of ties through the years (see below). Here, I’ve hand-picked some choice tracks, many of which are R.E.M. with Peter H singing lead vocals. The MTV Unplugged set is a nifty R.E.M. acoustic show with Peter as accordion and mandolin-playing sideman. Stay with this one until you get to the bonus tracks…

BIG THANKS to the tapers, uploaders, Margaret Griffis for permission to use her great photo, and Ed A for the inspiration

Peter and Peter, jamming in 1984 
photo by Margaret Griffis via Flickr

Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ (aud.)

1982-11-27

01 Sloop John B

02 Judy

Hobo's, Knoxville, TN (aud.)

1982-11-10

03 Neverland

MTV Unplugged (DVD audio rip)

Chelsea Studios, NYC

1991-04-10 (R.E.M.’s first MTV Unplugged session)

04 Half a World Away

05 Disturbance at the Heron House

06 Radio Song

07 Low

08 Perfect Circle

09 Fall On Me

10 Belong

11 Love is All Around

12 It's the End of the World as We Know It

13 Losing My Religion

14 Pop Song '89

BONUS TRACKS:

The dB’s were the first group 
to perform at

the R.E.M. Tribute Show in 2009

Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV (pre-FM soundboard)

1991-04-28

15 White Train

 

R.E.M. Tribute Concert (aud.)

Carnegie Hall, NYC

2009-03-11

16 Fall On Me (The dB’s cover R.E.M.)
so-so recording of a strong performance

LINKS DELETED
Viacom, which owns MTV, said this was
a copyright violation, so I yanked 'em.
  

Peter Buck plays on “Black & White” during The dB’s opening set for an R.E.M. show in 1984

Page Auditorium, Duke University, Durham, NC photo by Batchain

THE dB's - R.E.M. CONNECTION

• Chris Stamey forms The dB's in NYC a year or so before R.E.M. got started in Athens, GA. Having in common a southern upbringing and similar musical tastes (eg, Television & Big Star), R.E.M. looks up to The dB's, who were pioneers in the DIY American indie rock scene.
• In early 1981, R.E.M. manager Jefferson Holt asks Peter Holsapple about possible producers for some of their first professional studio recordings. Peter H recommends that they look up his childhood friend Mitch Easter in Winston-Salem, NC. (If you know much about R.E.M.'s early recordings, all I have to say at this point is "the rest is history.")
• R.E.M. opens for The dB's at Friday's in Greensboro, NC on Oct. 20, 1981 (see music post HERE).
• After the live tour following the release of Repercussion, members of The dB's are at loose ends. R.E.M. invites Peter H to open for them as a solo, acoustic act. Peter H does exactly that at about two dozen shows in Oct. and Nov. of 1982.  (The first 3 tracks above are from a couple of these shows.)
• At the time the album Like This is released, The dB's open for R.E.M. early Sept. to mid Oct. 1984.
• Peter Buck uses his pull at R.E.M.'s label, IRS Records, to lobby the powers-that-be to sign The dB's to the IRS roster. It happens in early 1987.
• After the release of The dB's The Sound of Music album on IRS Records in August of 1987, the band once again opens for R.E.M. on the latter's "Work Tour." The dB's play numerous opening slots from late Oct. through the end of Nov. in 1987. Ironically, The Sound of Music goes out of print while The dB's are on tour because IRS devotes most of its vinyl-pressing capacity to produce more copies of R.E.M.'s increasingly-popular Document album, which features the hit song "The One I Love."
• After The dB's call it quits in 1988, Peter H is invited to join R.E.M. as a touring musician with the band, mainly playing additional guitar and keyboard. He plays with R.E.M. for nearly all dates of the "Green World Tour" in 1989.
• Peter H joins R.E.M. in the recording studio in late 1990 as they work on tracks for their next album, Out of Time (including the eventual U.S. Top 10 hit, "Losing My Religion"). He also joins them for the promotional tour in 1991 which followed the release of the album. One of these is the Mountain Stage appearance in April from which the above track, "White Train," was taken.
• Following reported differences over credit and compensation for the R.E.M. songs on which Peter H played (those that were commercially released), he is not invited to join the band for the Automatic for the People recording sessions or subsequent promotional appearances. Afterwards, all parties downplay the significance of any differences, and continue to praise each others' personal character and musical accomplishments.
• The dB's are invited to perform at a tribute show, "The Music of R.E.M. at Carnegie Hall," in 2009 (see above). The dB's are first on the bill, performing "Fall On Me."