Christmas Package 2009

Aurreko astean banatu ziren R.E.M.ek urtero jarraitzaileei oparitzen dien eskutitza. Web gune ofizialak esaten duenez:

HOLIDAY PACKAGE A Must! Holiday salutations from the band and office staff as well as exclusive songs and surprises. Past packages have featured 7" singles, videos, a CD, as well as custom greeting cards from the band and office staff, posters, calendars, stickers, and a whole lot more. The 1998 package included a two-song video excerpted from R.E.M.'s performance at the Tibetan Freedom Concert. In 1999, the package featured a CD collaboration of two songs from the Bridge School Concert in San Francisco with Neil Young. In 2000, R.E.M. recorded a Beatles' Fan Club-only song, "Christmas Time is Here Again," along with two original compositions compiled on 7" colored vinyl. The 2003 Single featured Wilco who toured with R.E.M.

Aurtengoak gabonak zoriontzeko txartela, Live at the Olympia pegatina bat, egutegi bat eta ohiko CDa zekarren. 2009ko berezitasuna txorien irudi mordoa eta tipografia izan dira, gehienak eskuz egindakoak direla dirudite.

CDk bi abesti dakartza: lehenengoa Santa Baby izeneko kanta, Mike Mills-ek abestua, eta bigarrena Crazy Like A Fox; Lenny Kayek 1966an grabatutakoa da, Patti Smithen gitarra jolea izango zena etorkizunean, eta horrez gain Bill Berryk parte hartu du grabaketan, bateria jotzen eta koroak egiten.

Gogoratu Holiday Package edo Christmas Packagea lortzeko ezinbestekoa dela azaroaren 1a baino lehenago izena ematea. Hala ere badaude CDko singleak lortzeko tokiak nonbait.

Every year, R.E.M. send out a holiday single to members of their fan club. This year, fan club members get an extra surprise: former drummer Bill Berry, who left R.E.M. in 1997, plays on the single, as Slicing Up Eyeballs reports.

The single features a cover of "Crazy Like a Fox", a song that Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye released in 1966 under the name Link Cromwell. Unfortunately, it's not a reunion of all four original R.E.M. members, as Michael Stipe and Peter Buck don't participate. Berry plays drums and tambourine, while Mike Mills plays guitar and bass. Both sing, as does producer John Keane. The single also includes Mills covering holiday chestnut "Santa Baby" all by himself.

Berry's appearance isn't unprecedented. He's played the rare live show with R.E.M. since his departure, and he played on the band's cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" on the 2007 Amnesty International benefit comp Instant Karma. But still! Christmas miracle!