While I highly recommend checking out R.E.M's latest "The I.R.S. Years", I would check out these two selections first. Dead Letter Office is an odd mix of early B-side like stuff( Voice of Harold is my fave), and Life's Rich Pageant is, in my most humble opinion, a near masterpiece. Every song on Pageant is terrific; I defy anyone to find a crummy one.
I was a huge fan of theirs, lost interest when they entered their mandolin phase, and have recently rediscovered them , and thank goodness I did,because man, what a wicked talented band!And, their music holds alot of memories for me ( mostly all good) so that's another reason I am glad that I broke out their "Eponymous" cd yesterday. I saw them live in Worcester in '89, and it was one of the best shows I have been to. They began with 'Begin the Begin', and the energy that Michael Stipe threw off that night was electric!
Give them a listen- cool, cool stuff, and it's always fun to try and figure out what the hell Michael is saying!