I first truly discovered R.E.M. through “Life’s Rich Pageant,” the band’s fourth album. I bought a cassette over Christmas break from college in the summer of 1987, almost a year after it was released.

I had heard some of the band’s songs at parties and on mix tapes from friends during my freshman year at school. When I perused the racks at Record and Tape Traders in Catonsville, I found a copy of Pageant on cassette for a few bucks. That ranks as one of my best purchases ever.

Between the opening guitar riff of “Begin the Begin” to the familiar jangle of “Superman,” the final (and unlisted) track on the album, I fell in love with the band. “Document” came out a few months later and, by the time “Green” hit the shelves at the beginning of my junior year, I had fallen completely under their spell.

On July 12, “Pageant” will get the 25th anniversary treatment just like the band’s first three albums. In the same vein as last year’s “Fables of the Reconstruction” recognition, the second CD will feature demo sessions which led up to the album’s release.

I initially didn’t like that decision, but came around since the tracks did not represent anything easily accessible from various bootlegs. I again head into this a little skeptical. The announcement says everything on the second disc is unreleased, but the second disc of the 2006 compilation “And I Fell Fine… The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987” has three demos from the Pageant sessions.

Have they pulled out alternate versions of “PSA,’ “(Theme from) Two Steps Onward” and “Mystery to Me?” I guess we can only wait and see. I am psyched that a version of “Wait” will feature on the disc. I have heard one studio version on bootleg so hope this is an even better take.