The best of R.E.M. packed into two CDs

Listening to a "best of" compilation is akin to reading the CliffsNotes for Dickens or drinking caffeine-free Coca Cola - to do so is to overlook elements of creation that make it whole. Likewise, no abridged version can do justice to a music career, so the road to summarizing a band's greatness must be treaded upon lightly. On Oct. 28, Warner Bros. released "In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003," a two-CD conglomeration of choice album tracks and a slew of B-sides and rarities. With a staying power spanning decades, R.E.M. has put itself into a near-deity role with fiercely loyal listeners - the coveted position in which the band becomes an entity, and its sour recordings are far more excusable than those of its expendable, dependable contemporaries. R.E.M. has endured rock 'n' roll hardships, such as illness and the loss of a drummer, that provide not only ample storytelling fodder for VH1 specials, but also a sense of closeness with listeners. "In Time" strives to recollect the 15-plus years of influence and history this band out of Athens, Ga., has conjured. But staying true to the nature of a "best of" compilation, "In Time" very nearly scratches the surface of R.E.M.'s catalog, piling together ubiquitously familiar tracks and secondary favorites. Beyond the obvious selections of "Man On The Moon," "Everybody Hurts" and "Losing My Religion," the compilation points out R.E.M.'s lesser-known beauty. "Electrolite," from the highly relevant early '90s release "New Adventures in Hi-Fi," is a charming, banjo-backed ditty that seems to be a foundation for the later-day sweetness of "At My Most Beautiful" from the late '90s commercially unappreciated gem "Up." "At My Most Beautiful," "Electrolite" and the stunningly orchestral "Nightswimming" cement R.E.M.'s capacity to write beautiful songs not fit for consumption by the feeble-hearted. Singer Michael Stipe's vocal facility hangs delicately over these three tracks, conveying a beautiful emotion without being overly pretty. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth," from the brilliant, yet panned, album "Monster," and "Daysleeper," from "Up," demonstrate the band's knack for pop sensibility, strength in composition and, Stipe's handiest trick, tossing in a little harmonic kick. The remaining heap on "In Time" generally falls into the take it or leave it category. For a band of this integrity and magnitude of worship, it would be nearly impossible for a "greatest hits" album to serve everyone. "In Time" deals out its share of upsets - the appeal of "Stand" or the widespread hatred for "Monster," for instance. And rather than finding its place on the CD of B-sides, "Bad Day," which was the unfinished counterpart to "It's The End Of The World As We Know It," surfaces on CD 1 as if to spark listeners' interests as one of the token "new songs." Additionally, the absence of certain moments of brilliance such as "Strange Currencies" or "Drive" prevents the compilation from doing anything besides tying itself to the commercial successes of the catalog. However, whether you grew up listening to "Out of Time" in your parents' station wagon and watching Michael Stipe's random guest spot on "The Adventures of Pete and Pete," or just really dug "Man On The Moon" and once slow-danced to "Nightswimming" at the prom, "In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003" appropriately treads the waters of the band's greatness, without making light of the integrity of R.E.M.'s steadfast history.