All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)

According to Peter Buck's sleevenotes to In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003, the R.E.M. compilation on which this song also appears, the song describes someone who believes they can get famous if they go to Reno, Nevada. The working title of the song was "Jimmy Webb on Mars," which, according to Buck's notes, was a "sick tribute to a songwriter who we all admire."^[3]

In 2023, Mike Mills named the song the best the band had released since Bill Berry left: "[It's] as good as anything we did after Bill left the band. All the parts work. Peter [Buck]'s composition is fantastic. The bass line is cool. The production is really, really good. It's encapsulated in that song. [It's] a little sad but it's also a little optimistic, like the best of Michael [Stipe]'s writing. It encompasses joy and tragedy. That song grabbed everything we were looking for."^[4]

The song's video was shot at Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School in the Prospect Park area of Brooklyn, New York. It was directed by Michael Moore^[5] and filmed by four students from the host school and other local schools: Chris, 17; Steve, 17; Andy, 18; Charlotte, 13; Roger, 18; and Juan, 17. In the video, Buck and Mike Mills can be seen entering the Career Guidance office with their respective instruments in hand, only to leave armed with nothing more than a dustpan and brush. Bertis Downs makes an appearance as the school's announcer, only to have his microphone commandeered by Michael Stipe.

The video was included with the iTunes Store bonus music videos released along with Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011, the band's swan song and career-spanning compilation. The song was not, however, included on the compilation itself.

All songs were written by Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe except "Yellow River", written by Christie. "Imitation of Life" was recorded live at Trafalgar Square (London, England) on April 29, 2001.