It's easy to hear why R.E.M. was so eager to get Mitch Easter to produce their early albums. Let's Active, the band he led at the time, distilled the best elements of '70s power pop and '80s college rock. They married sparkling guitar twang and sweetly high-pitched vocals on “Every Word Means No” and created a potent mix of electric and acoustic jangle on “Talking to Myself.” The cult heroes turned up the volume with the chunky riffs and whirling drum fills of “Every Dog Has His Day,” all while maintaining Easter's gift for twisty melodies and spacious production.