Search - R.E.M. - Tourfilm on DVD

That Better Not Be Styrofoam, Pal!

K. Palmer | Illinois | 10/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"R.E.M. has put together two very good concert films with the best being Tourfilm, which chronicles its 1989 world tour for its breakout CD, Green. The songs in the film are primarily from its third through sixth studio albums (Fables, Life's Rich Pageant, Document and Green), which was when the band was starting to make its impact on mainstream America. I have the VHS version of the show, but the sound is very good anyway and the band puts on a pretty good show. Michael Stipe is very eccentric in this video (the heading of my review is a quote from Stipe in the video, which shows that he was "out there"). But he still is in pretty good voice, as is Mike Mills who is very prominent in backing vocals.This concert film ranks a little ahead of its second film, Road Movie, which came from the 1995 Monster tour, as the song choices on Tourfilm have better stood the test of time compared to those from Monster, which is R.E.M.' weakest CD release. A must!"

Great Reminder of the Green World Tour

Veritas | 03/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Green World Tour was my first live R.E.M. experience, and I remember it with great fondness. If you too remember the Green tour, then you know this DVD is a must have. If you are an R.E.M. fan and missed this great show, here is your chance to own a piece of the excitement. The thing I rememebered most from the live show was the funny screen projections at the start of the show where the audience read their city name allowed as well as three concert rules, which included not throwing things, being courteous to your neighbors, and not waiting until the quietest part of "You are the Everything" to yell "Mike Mills." This was the kinder, gentler side of R.E.M.

The song list starts off with Stand, One I Love, I Could Turn You Inside Out (this was with the bullhorn which makes an interesting twist to the song), World Leader Pretend, Feeling Gravity's Pull, I Believe, I Remember CA, Get-Up (with Stipe dancing like he's had 20 cups of coffee) End of the World as I know it, Pop Song 89, Fall on Me, You are the Everything, Begin the Begin, King of Birds, Finest Work Song, Perfect Circle.

There are great shots of the background projections that were used live so if you remember them, it will be a great trip down memory lane, and you will notice these shots in Parellel between videos.

The shots are much cleaner than some of the other live DVD's although R.E.M. come-latelys will be shocked at Stipe's rather odd do. The sound on the DVD is fairly high quality for a live event. R.E.M. sounds great live and the variations in the music makes this a must have for fans as well as for those interested in the band's earlier (but certainly not earliest) works."

Pre-Superstar R.E.M. Must!

Daniel M Jessup | Kodiak, Alaska | 12/23/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A very enjoyable video from the last show of their "Green Tour" in '89. Black and white format doesn't detract at all from quality close-up shots and some "home movie" effects. The band is in A-1 form, and though Stipe is slightly hoarse after a long tour, he delivers well. A must video for any REM fan, and the only reason I don't give it five stars is the camera's tendencies to jerk and pan to quickly at times from shot to shot. Sound quality is excellent."

Tourfilm: No extras, but rewarding for fans of the classic b

S. Thomason | Urbana, IL United States | 03/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"TOURFILM is R.E.M.'s critically acclaimed concert document of their exhaustive 1989 GREEN world tour. The DVD contains nothing more than the original VHS version, but it is still a treat for fans whose old tape copies have deteriorated from repeated viewing.

The concert features innovative renditions of such R.E.M. staples as "The One I Love", "It's the End of the World As We Know It", "Finest Worksong", and "Fall on Me". Particularly strong versions of album tracks "I Believe", "Turn You Inside Out", and "King of Birds" punctuate the film throughout. The only low point is the opening number, an embarrassingly weak "Stand". Michael Stipe's concert banter brings cohesion to the show as it evolves without sapping any of the energy from the performances.

The songs on TOURFILM are drawn mainly from LIFE'S RICH PAGEANT, DOCUMENT, and GREEN. The two exceptions to this rule are "Feeling Gravity's Pull" from RECONSTRUCTION OF THE FABLES and a rendition of "Perfect Circle" from MURMUR that exceeds the original studio recording. Songs of the period that are noticeably missing are the GREEN single "Orange Crush" and RECKONING's "So. Central Rain", an alternate version of which teases you through the opening credits. These omissions are no different from the original VHS recording.

It is disappointing that R.E.M. has not offered up an expanded edition of TOURFILM, but the future holds hope that one will emerge. Until then, $12.99 for this DVD is a steal for fans of R.E.M.'s first decade.
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