64 replies to this topic

[REMCHICAGOBOY]

haggis, on 14 October 2011 - 10:59 PM, said:

I don't like Nightswimming or Everybody Hurts.

You aren't alone with disliking Nightswimming. I've never liked it either. In fact, I get a bit "eye roll"-ish now that I've seen it replace Find the River on both of their compilations, In Time and 1982-2011. I think Find the River is far superior than Nightswimming. I mean, Peter doesn't even play on Nightswimming!

[MurmursAdministrator]

haggis, on 15 October 2011 - 03:31 AM, said:

What bits don't you like of those two, Ethan?  I can't stand Saturn Return - it makes me sick...just think it's an awful song.  Beachball is terrible too.  Don't really love Up or Reveal but apart from those two there isn't anything else I detest.

I think in part songs on Up and Reveal are trying to force melody into things that don't really have them (i.e., Apologist, etc). I think that they have some really lovely moments too (You're in the Air, Beat a Drum, etc).

[REMCHICAGOBOY]

It's really odd: I actually listened to Reveal today just because I really got in the mood for it, and it's a ton better than I remembered (again, Accelerate and CIN are so good to me that I haven't been in Up, Reveal or ATS mode at all recently)

I love The LIfting a ton, think I've Been High is one of their best songs in their post - Berry catalog, adore Beat a Drum,  and find She Just Wants To Be sooooo cool. And apparently I'm the only person on the planet who likes Beachball.

And I have another confession: I hope We All Go Back to Where We Belong is a top 5 American hit for them, not only to end it all with a huge hit single, but to get the letters "R.E.M." back into the general population, just one last time.

[SweetMusic]

I was going to say that I don't understand fans detesting or hating  any R.E.M. songs, but then I thought about 'Hope' on 'Up'. I wouldn't call it hate (I reserve hate for special types of people, one of which has a moustache and is called Adolf),  but that one comes pretty close. Aspecially that noisy incoherent mess of an ending. I remember hearing it once in some television series during a party within the story and all I could think was: 'Oh my, what will people think of R.E.M. now'.

[smk77]

SweetMusic, on 15 October 2011 - 02:19 PM, said:

I was going to say that I don't understand fans detesting or hating  any R.E.M. songs, but then I thought about 'Hope' on 'Up'. I wouldn't call it hate (I reserve hate for special types of people, one of which has a moustache and is called Adolf),  but that one comes pretty close. Aspecially that noisy incoherent mess of an ending. I remember hearing it once in some television series during a party within the story and all I could think was: 'Oh my, what will people think of R.E.M. now'.

That was Dawson's Creek

[GabrielTripaldi]

I don't like Imitation of life at all. it sounds cheesy to me

[SweetMusic]

smk77, on 16 October 2011 - 02:44 AM, said:

That was Dawson's Creek

That could very well be. Before anyone thinks it's another confession: my wife is the fan.

[e-botti]

I'm in love with Michael...i mean i love him...really...I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE   HIM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Driver Eight]

MurmursAdministrator, on 15 October 2011 - 01:28 PM, said:

I think in part songs on Up and Reveal are trying to force melody into things that don't really have them (i.e., Apologist, etc). I think that they have some really lovely moments too (You're in the Air, Beat a Drum, etc).

In the past month, going back through the catalogue, I've moved Reveal from bottom five to top 5 of their principal albums. I think the first four songs are amazing, love Beat a Drum, Disappear and Beachball. She Just Wants to Be is ok but not great for me, and Chorus is not so much. Saturn Return also, is OK - Michael's voice falters a bit, though the music is exquisite.

All in all, Reveal, to me, is as many other very fine REM albums - it has a couple of duds but a lot more gold. I think Mike is right on in calling it sorely underrated. Only one of their albums, Automatic, plus the Chronic Town EP are free of lesser material. Even Murmur has West of the Fields and Shaking Through which have worn on me over the decades.

Up I have on cassette, not on my iPod, which is a stranded little beastie since its mother computer died. My library is transferred to another computer, but I don't want to lose lists and playcounts - dealing with it is on the backburner right now. So I haven't relistened Up since 9/21. My assessment from back when I listened to it, Ethan, is in agreement with you, in general. Some great stuff (Dimimished, AMMB, Suspicion, Hope, for me) but a lot of crummy stuff. I hate Daysleeper.

Oh, my confession: first time I heard REM, as a high school teenager in Arkansas - Pretty Persuasion was the song, 1984 or so was the year - I thought they were gay and narrowly turned my nose up to them. My attitudes have shifted a lot since.

[Driver Eight]

REMCHICAGOBOY, on 15 October 2011 - 02:05 PM, said:

It's really odd: I actually listened to Reveal today just because I really got in the mood for it, and it's a ton better than I remembered (again, Accelerate and CIN are so good to me that I haven't been in Up, Reveal or ATS mode at all recently)

I love The LIfting a ton, think I've Been High is one of their best songs in their post - Berry catalog, adore Beat a Drum,  and find She Just Wants To Be sooooo cool. And apparently I'm the only person on the planet who likes Beachball.

That's been my experience of the past month. I'm almost to the point of elevating it above Fables and to a par with Pageant. I've Been High is amazing, one of their best ever, I think. Disappear is breathtaking, and I join you in loving Beachball. Reveal has gotten more than twice the listens from me of any other album in their catalog since 9/21, with Automatic, predictably I guess, second.

[smk77]

When i was young and didn't know much about music i thought R.E.M. sung The Flintstones movie theme because i recognised Kate Pierson from "that shiny happy song".Also i dont get all the love for uberlin (i think its alright)or the hatred for make it all ok.

[Southern Gothic NC]

Maybe I'm the only one but I absolutely LOVE 'Supernatural Superserious'. Everything about it is great to me!

[Southern Gothic NC]

Back in 1989 when R.E.M. performed at the Greensboro Coliseum, me and my cousin and a friend's tix were upgraded from 10th row center/floor to 5th row on the right section (near Peter) cause the crew were filming the concert for Tourfilm and the cameras were RIGHT IN OUR THREE SEATS!!!! I was floored and almost got thrown out of the venue until my cousin made me relalize the upgraded seats were just as amazing! Good Lord! Young and stupid!! Ha! Ha!  Well not really got thrown out but I had to express how upset I was and explain because we had camped out for tix all night and the back of the floor was much better then being on the sides or in nosebleed seats.

Boy was I wrong!  

A lot of "crazy good" things happened that night....

[stipeeyes]

I have a confession.  I never knew R.E.M. had a song called Indian Summer did you?  And if you do can someone tell me where I can download it?

Here is the song.  I'm so excited because I thought I knew every R.E.M. song recorded.  I love Michael's  vocal.  A very deep sexy vocal

Listen here.

http://soundcloud.co....+Indian+Summer

[Driver Nate]

If anything, I haven't always been so fond of of Stipe's art whether it be videos or packaging but when it works, I really like it a lot such as the cover of Document or the video for "Low".

I love "Supernatural Superserious".

I was also at the Greensboro show. I knew they were filming because I think there were signs saying as such when you entered the coliseum and there was definitely an announcement from the stage. Not sure if it was before Pylon or between them and R.E.M. I've often tried to spot my contingent (all of three of us) in the crowd shots but have never had any luck.

"Indian Summer" is a cover of a Beat Happening song that was one of the b-sides on the "Hollow Man" single from Accelerate (the other one being "Horse To Water" [Live In Vancouver]). Unfortunately, that single got canceled. It looks like there's a downloadable version of it from Amazon in the U.K. I'm not sure if it's available for download domestically.

[Milsean Cady]

I carry an old picture of Michael Stipe (Green era) around in my wallet as if he's family.

When I first heard the boys would be collaborating with Peaches on the new album, I thought about revoking my fanclub membership.

The first piece of creative non-fiction I submitted to my workshop class this semester had a great response--except for the parts about R.E.M. Everyone wanted me to cut those parts out.

[haggis]

I love it too (SS) and don't understand the hate

[stipeeyes]

Thanks for the info Jonathan.  I couldn't download it from amazon.uk but I found one lonely used copy on U.S.  amazon that I decided to buy.

Another confession.  I play Reveal a couple nights a week for my dog Shelby.  If she is restless and I put that album on it helps her rest.  I think it was in the cd player for a month or longer.  I finally took it out.

[Queen of Comedy]

I love the post-Berry catalogue as much as the previous one. Only ATS is just a less good album, but I think that Accelerate and Up are so great that I consider them even above average.

Anyway, I'm glad that ATS is badly produced, otherwise we wouldn't have had Working Rehearsals and Accelerate (IMHO the R.E.M.'s most underrated album).

[charky]

I like "make it all okay" ALOT. ( and "You're in the Air" too but I guess it's less of a Confession...)