Road Movie (video)

Infobox music DVD
Name = Road Movie
Type = Live performance
Artist = R.E.M.


Released = 1996
Recorded = Omni Theater
Atlanta, Georgia
Rating =
Genre = Rock music
Region =
Length =
Label = Warner Bros.
Director =
Producer =
Reviews =
Last DVD = "Parallel"
(1995)
This DVD = "Road Movie"
(1996)
Next DVD = ""
(2003)

"Road Movie" is a documentary-style film by rock group R.E.M., available on both VHS and DVD, charting the group's 1995 worldwide tour in support "Monster", released in late 1996. Directed by Peter Care, the ninety-minute effort features nineteen songs (all but one a montage) performed over the final three nights (November 18, 19 and 21) of the tour, at the Omni Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. The set-list reads very much like a complete R.E.M. show - gigs on the "Monster" tour were opened by either "I Took Your Name" or "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" (with the former taking precedence in this case), while the last song of the night was invariably "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" (as it is here). The film is a companion piece to the "Tourfilm" documentary (note the symmetry in the names), which chronicles the band's 1989 tour on the back of the previous year's "Green".

The songs included, by album, are: "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" from "Document"; "Orange Crush" as the sole offering from "Green"; "Losing My Religion" and "Country Feedback" from "Out of Time"; "Everybody Hurts", "Find the River" and "Man on the Moon" from "Automatic For The People"; "I Took Your Name", "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", "Crush with Eyeliner", "Tongue", "Star 69", "Let Me In" and "Strange Currencies" from the new "Monster"; and "Undertow", "The Wake-Up Bomb" and "Binky the Doormat" from the then-forthcoming "New Adventures in Hi-Fi". "Revolution" was eventually released on the "Batman & Robin" soundtrack in 1997.

Track listing

# "I Took Your Name" (unedited from the second night)
# "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
# "Crush with Eyeliner"
# "Undertow"
# "The Wake-Up Bomb"
# "Revolution"
# "Losing My Religion"
# "Binky the Doormat"
# "Orange Crush"
# "Strange Currencies"
# "Tongue"
# "Man on the Moon"
# "Country Feedback"
# "Find the River"
# "The One I Love"
# "Star 69"
# "Let Me In"
# "Everybody Hurts"
# "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" (mostly from the final night)

The performances of "Undertow," "The Wake-Up Bomb," and "Binky the Doormat," were included as b-sides on the "Bittersweet Me" and "Electrolite" singles.

During the performance of "Let Me In," Mike Mills plays Kurt Cobain's guitar (upside down because Cobain was left-handed).

Aside from the members of R.E.M., the video also features guest musicians Nathan December, Scott McCaughey, and Australian violinist Amanda Brown, the latter of whom joins the band for "Losing My Religion," "Binky the Doormat," "Strange Currencies," "Find the River" and "Everybody Hurts." For those fans who were unable to make it to any of the dates, it gives an example of the structure of the live show. The piece spotlights filmic backdrops by artists such as James Herbert, Jem Cohen, Jim McKay, Dominic DeJoseph and Lance Bangs. Moving with the times, it has also been released in DVD format.

The movie was debuted at the 50th Edinburgh International Film Festival in start date|1996|8. The following month, during outside listening parties in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, preview showings were projected onto buildings three stories high.

In 2001, to coincide with the release of "Reveal", a three-video box set comprising "Tourfilm", "Parallel" and "Road Movie" was released in the UK. ("This Film Is On" replaced "Road Movie" in the DVD-format release.)

Personnel

R.E.M.

*Bill Berry - drums, percussion, bass, vocals
*Peter Buck - guitar
*Mike Mills - bass, keyboard, vocals
*Michael Stipe - vocals

Additional musicians:

*Amanda Brown - violin
*Nathan December - guitar
*Scott McCaughey - guitar, keyboard