R.E.M. gave fans a surprise this morning when they release remastered versions of their albums and a compilation of rarities on iTunes this morning. More rarities and remasters are expected to be released by the band later this year.

The band’s first five albums (Murmur, Reckoning, Fables Of The Reconstruction, Lifes Rich Pageant, and Document) and their debut EP Chronic Town are now available as complete remastered set called The Complete I.R.S. Years 1982-1987. The band’s collection of rarities from that period include remastered version of material previously released on the Dead Letter Office compilation (such as their covers of the Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes” and Harold Williams’ “King Of The Road”) as well as previously unreleased alternate mixed and live takes.

The Complete Warner Bros. Studio Albums, Vol. 1 collects the albums from the band’s commercial peak (Green, Out Of Time, Automatic For The People, Monster, and New Adventures In Hi-Fi), while the band’s collection of Warner Bros. rarities includes previously unreleased remixes, covers, and live albums, as well as hard-to-find b-sides. A second collection of remastered albums focusing on the band’s work as a trio will be released later this year, but those albums (Up, Reveal, Around The Sun, Accelerate, and Collapse Into Now) are available in remastered form.

Fans can also expect more unreleased material from R.E.M. in the future. Former bassist Mike Mills recently told Billboard that the band were sorting through their vaults of unreleased recordings and that most of that material would see the light of day.