R.E.M Announce 25th Anniversary Reissue of Automatic For The People for November 2017 Release and Unveil Unreleased Song “Mike’s Pop Song”

When an album (and the artist behind it) reach a certain height, it only makes sense to reissue it, and that is absolutely the case with R.E.M.’s landmark album, Automatic For the People. The highly praised album will be getting the reissue treatment November 10 for its 25^th anniversary.

The LP will be released through Craft Recordings on a variety of formats, including a Deluxe Anniversary Edition, which will feature the original album mixed in Dolby Atmos. The new Dobly Atmos mixing will deliver “a leap forward from surround sound with expansive, flowing audio that immerses the listener far beyond what stereo can offer.” The new mixing will also transport the listener “inside the recording studio with multi-dimensional audio—evoking a time when listening to music was an active, transformative experience, and reigniting emotions you felt when you first heard the album in 1992.”

Along with the freshly remastered original tracks (even the bonus “Photograph”), the reissue features a  treasure chest of previously unheard material, (some 20 tracks) including the song, “Mike’s Pop Song,” as well as “Devil Rides Backwards.” “Mikes Pop Song” was shared today, and it fits in perfectly with the original tracks. Mellow instrumentals and soothing vocals, all hallmarks of R.E.M., are present in this unheard treat. Both the Deluxe Edition and the regular 2-disc anniversary will also feature a full live set, Live at the 40 Watt Club 11/19/92, performed in the band’s hometown of Athens, GA.

Along with the music, the 12”x12” boxed Deluxe Edition will feature a 60-page book, offering behind the scenes photos of the group, as well as liner notes from Scottish music journalist Tom Doyle, who interviewed all four members of the band. Not enough for R.E.M., though. The Deluxe edition also features a Blu-ray, featuring the new mix, a high resolution master of Automatic For The People, seven music videos, and the original 1992 EPK video. There will also be vinyl reissues available down the road.

Automatic For the People solidified R.E.M.’s reputation as one of the most influential artists of all time, garnering the band loads of praise both from critics and the charts. The album reached #1 on the UK charts and #2 in the US, selling 18 million copies around the world, and received several Grammy nominations including Album of the Year.

Get your wallets ready for November 10, and check out the new song below. Some members of R.E.M. have been active in the supergroup Filthy Friends, who recently just released a new album.