CD Reviews

R.E.M. | Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011

Warner Bros (2011)

By ZETH LUNDY | November 16, 2011

2.0 Stars

Now R.E.M. have died two deaths: first, when drummer and founding member Bill Berry split for the comforts of country life in 1997, and then nail-in-the-coffin style, when the Athens, Georgia, band announced its official break-up two months ago. Cue the definitive best-of compilation album. A two-disc career overview of the most formative American rock band of the late 20th century should be easy enough, but Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage fails by making the obvious choice at every turn. Sure, there's plenty here that can't be denied, no matter who you are: "Gardening at Night," "Talk About the Passion," "Fall on Me," "Country Feedback," etc. But where's "Wolves, Lower"? "These Days"? "Everybody Hurts" instead of "Drive"? Only one track from the band's unfairly maligned Monster? Neophytes may be the target here, but as a long-form mixtape, Part Lies could go deeper. It doesn't help that the obligatory new tracks aimed at longtime fans — "We All Go Back to Where Belong," "A Month of Saturdays," and "Hallelujah" — are weak bait. This ain't all bad — it's just that the real truth is that R.E.M. were better.

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