Road Movie (R.E.M.)
Encyclopedia
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 1994. 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 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.
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 violin
ist 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 . 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.)
Additional musicians:
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, charting the group's 1995 worldwide tour in support Monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
, released in late 1994. Directed by Peter Care
Peter Care
Peter Care is an English director of music videos, commercials and film. He has directed music videos for R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison and Depeche Mode, amongst others.- Biography :...
, 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 in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. 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?
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" is a song by the American alternative rock group R.E.M. from their 1994 album Monster. It was the first single taken from the album, released three weeks later. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart. Due to its...
" (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)
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
"It's the End of the World as We Know It " is a song by the rock band R.E.M., which appeared on their 1987 album Document, the 1988 compilation Eponymous, and the 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982–1987...
" (as it is here). The film is a companion piece to the Tourfilm
Tourfilm
Tourfilm is a documentary-style concert film by American rock band R.E.M. The film chronicles the band's 1989 Green tour of North America...
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
Document (album)
Robert Christgau praised the album, and called "It's the End of the World as We Know It " an "inspirational title." Stephan Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that "Where Lifes Rich Pageant sounded a bit like a party record, Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made...
; "Orange Crush" as the sole offering from Green; "Losing My Religion" and "Country Feedback" from Out of Time
Out of Time (album)
Out of Time is the seventh album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on Warner Bros. Records in 1991. With Out of Time R.E.M.'s status grew from that of a cult band to a massive international act. The record topped the album sales charts in both the U.S...
; "Everybody Hurts", "Find the River" and "Man on the Moon" from Automatic For The People
Automatic for the People
Automatic for the People is the eighth album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1992 on Warner Bros. Records. While R.E.M...
; "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
New Adventures in Hi-Fi
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was their fifth major label release for Warner Bros. Records, released on September 9, 1996, in Europe and Australia and the following day in the United States...
. "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 EyelinerCrush with Eyeliner"Crush with Eyeliner" is a song by R.E.M., released as the third single from their ninth studio album Monster. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore provides background vocals....
" - "Undertow"
- "The Wake-Up Bomb"
- "Revolution"
- "Losing My ReligionLosing My Religion"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due...
" - "Binky the Doormat"
- "Orange CrushOrange Crush (song)"Orange Crush" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released as the first single from the band's sixth studio album, Green, in 1988...
" - "Strange CurrenciesStrange Currencies"Strange Currencies" is a song by R.E.M.. It was included on the album Monster and was also released as a single in 1995. The single hit #9 in the UK singles chart and peaked at #47 in the United States....
" - "TongueTongue (song)"Tongue" is a song by R.E.M., released as the fifth and final single from their ninth studio album Monster. It was only released in the UK. In the song, lead singer Michael Stipe performs in falsetto; he has stated several times he is in fact supposed to be a girl in the song...
" - "Man on the MoonMan on the Moon (song)"Man on the Moon" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from its 1992 album Automatic for the People. The song makes numerous references to the performer Andy Kaufman, including his Elvis impersonation and work with wrestlers Fred Blassie and Jerry...
" - "Country FeedbackCountry Feedback"Country Feedback" is a song by R.E.M. from their 1991 album Out of Time.Michael Stipe has claimed that he did not even write the whole lyric down, that he "just had a piece of paper with a few words. I sang it and I walked out." The following day, the hastily-improvised take was deemed good enough...
" - "Find the RiverFind the River"Find the River" is a song by R.E.M., released as the sixth and final single from their eighth album Automatic for the People. It was the twelfth and final track on this critically acclaimed release. The song failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and struggled on the UK Singles Charts, reaching...
" - "The One I Love"
- "Star 69Star 69 (song)"Star 69" is a song from the R.E.M. album Monster. It was not released as a single but still reached #74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart....
" - "Let Me In"
- "Everybody HurtsEverybody Hurts"Everybody Hurts" is a song by R.E.M., originally released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1993. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the French Singles Chart.-History:Much of the song was written by...
" - "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"It's the End of the World as We Know It " is a song by the rock band R.E.M., which appeared on their 1987 album Document, the 1988 compilation Eponymous, and the 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982–1987...
" (mostly from the final night)
The performances of "Undertow," "The Wake-Up Bomb," and "Binky the Doormat," were included as b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
on the "Bittersweet Me" and "Electrolite" singles.
During the performance of "Let Me In," Mike Mills
Mike Mills
Michael Edward "Mike" Mills is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock group R.E.M.. Though known primarily as a bass guitarist, backing vocalist, and pianist, his musical repertoire includes also keyboards, guitar, and percussion instruments...
plays Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
'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
Nathan December
Nathan December is an American rock guitarist, best known for his work as a side musician with R.E.M. and the Goo Goo Dolls during the 1990s. He lives in Los Angeles, California.-Music:...
, Scott McCaughey
Scott McCaughey
As a singer and songwriter, Scott McCaughey is the leader of the Seattle and Portland-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5.He is also bassist for Robyn Hitchcock's most recent touring band, The Venus 3, along with Bill Rieflin and Peter Buck....
, and Australian violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist Amanda Brown
Amanda Brown (musician)
Amanda Gabrielle Brown is an Australian composer, classically trained musician, singer and songwriter, renowned for her role as the violinist of the band The Go-Betweens and more recently a session musician and soundtrack composer....
, 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
James Herbert (director)
James Herbert is an American painter and director most known for directing a series of classic music videos for the band R.E.M.. He has also made over forty short films, including John Five and Jumbo Aqua , and directed four independent features: Scars , Speedy Boys , Rabbit Pix and Abandoned...
, Jem Cohen
Jem Cohen
Jem Alan Cohen is an award-winning New York City-based filmmaker known for his observational portraits of urban landscapes, blending of media formats and collaborations with music artists. He is the recipient of the Independent Spirit Award and many first place awards for feature filmmaking...
, Jim McKay
Jim McKay (director)
Jim McKay is an American film and television director, producer and writer.He has directed episodes of The Wire, Treme, Big Love, and Criminal Intent as well as writing and directing Everyday People and Angel Rodriguez.-Career:...
, Dominic DeJoseph and Lance Bangs
Lance Bangs
Lance Bangs is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and music video director who has created videos for Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Green Day, the Arcade Fire, the Shins, The Thermals, Belle & Sebastian, Menomena, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, R.E.M., Mike Watt, Death Cab for Cutie, The Black Keys, Kanye West, and...
. Moving with the times, it has also been released in DVD format.
The movie was debuted at the 50th Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events taking place each June. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival...
in . The following month, during outside listening parties in Atlanta, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 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
Tourfilm
Tourfilm is a documentary-style concert film by American rock band R.E.M. The film chronicles the band's 1989 Green tour of North America...
, Parallel
Parallel (video)
Parallel is a video feature compiling all of R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People and Monster-era promotional videos, as well as several recorded for this release alone...
and Road Movie was released in the UK. (This Film Is On
This Film Is On
This Film Is On is a video feature compiling all of R.E.M.'s Out of Time-era promotional videos, as well as several recorded for this release alone. It was released on video on September 24, 1991 and on DVD format on August 22, 2000, both on the Warner Brothers label...
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