Monster

So, R.E.M.'s Monster is now 25 years old. There's a new bells-and-whistles reissue out that compiles the album with a bunch of demos, a live performance from the tour and a new Scott Litt mix of the album. Apparently he wasn't happy with the original finished product and had wanted to remix it for like ever, and this reissue gave him that opportunity.

After living with this album for 25 years, yeah the new mix sounds very different. It's a lot cleaner. The vocals are pushed more to the front. A lot of the fuzziness and reverb are dialed down or gone. After one full listen, I think I prefer the original but, like I say, that's the version that's been in my head for all this time. It just feels raw and dirty, more rough around the edges. The new mix provides an interesting juxtaposition as to what might have been. But don't just take my word for it, you can hear it for yourself right here (it's disc 3).