I'm lying in bed with my tablet Chromecasting to my TV the playlist I recently created. I am up to Green. Their first release with Warner Bros. Records. I am reminded of my youth when I would put in my cassette tape of Green at night and listen as I would fall asleep. It was not as obvious then as it is now that they were playing unique instruments, a foreshadowing of things to come. On songs like You Are The Everything, Peter Buck's mandolin shines like a star against the night sky in its beauty and clarity. Also present is Mike Mills playing accordion. The sound sweeps through the song in, what is to me, a soothing rhythm. It is now, with a broader audience and presumably more pressure, that the band continued to make their music in their image. This was the first album I bought of theirs and it sparked a lifelong love of music.
Each February I create a mix CD for Gina. It has happened every February since I have met her. This past year she suggested I do an R.E.M. mix. That is like asking me to pick my favorite child, or my favorite type of chocolate. However, I was able to narrow it down to 47 tracks spanning three CD's. The theme was alternate versions. The first track in the pairing (and one triplet) was the original album or single version. The following songs were either a live version, alternate mix, different vocal track or outtake recording. We had the opportunity to listen to all three CD's this past weekend. It was fun to create the compilation and to explain how the alternate versions were different.
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