18 replies to this topic

[High_Speed_Train]

Part 1 of 6 of a new A.V. Club feature, written by Steven Hyden.

http://www.avclub.co...ageant-t,71413/

[ebowtheloser]

Great first installment. I didn't realize he was the "Shrinking legacy" author until clicking on the hyperlink. Seems like he's had a bit of a change of heart. This has the potential to be an amazing piece of music journalism if he can keep up the quality.

[heavensgate2024]

Yeah, strange. Some serious bipolar attitudes. The "shrinking legacy" piece was pretty awful I thought. He just came across like a moron in it. Maybe he was doing it for the sake of the "angle"? Who knows.

[Driver Nate]

Thanks for posting. I've really been enjoying this series. Hyden really captures the feeling of what it was like to be an R.E.M. fan during the period following Berry's departure. It was obviously a very trying time for R.E.M. as well. I also agree with him about Up and how the circumstances surrounding the making of that record led them to produce some of the best work of their career (with or without Berry), especially "Falls To Climb".

[bflood]

I know all of it shouldn't have made a difference, but I remember getting totally depressed when radio started ignoring R.E.M.  I remember thinking....OK, 'Electrolite', that get them going again.....and then, 'At My Most Beautiful', that will fit right in on Hot AC.  Now, I can care less on what gets played on the radio, but after R.E.M. consistently topped the Alternative and Mainstream Rock charts in the late 80's and early to mid 90's, the sudden lack of interest from radio was a hard pill to swallow for me.

Also, in my opinion, Up was Michael's best album as a songwriter lyricist and vocalist.  The aforementioned 'Falls To Climb' as well as, 'Sad Professor' are unbelievable, in particular.

[Driver Nate]

The release of New Adventures in Hi Fi pretty much coincided with the demise of radio in the area of North Carolina that I was living in in the mid-90's. Once the local AOR station quit playing new music and the first Modern Rock station appeared in the market I started listening to more NPR and more CD's. I thought the Modern Rock station would be a blessing at first but it turns out their scope was just as market tested and narrow playlist-wise as the AOR station.

[ashurt100]

The Onion seems to be the new place to go to concerning REM:

http://onion.com/JByYb1

[ebowtheloser]

Ugh. I don't know... I used to be into this guy's writing. It's no stretch to say that my very life and identity was formed by reading the early work of Steven Hyden. But with this piece he really seems to have "jumped the shark." He needs to stop writing immediately. What's more, he needs to understand that every new article he pens is another nail in the coffin of his once brilliant legacy.

It breaks my heart to say this...but the only thing that can save the reputation of Steven Hyden the writer, is for Steven Hyden to never write again,

[Driver Nate]

I'm not familiar with Shrinking Legacy but I've enjoyed everything I've read so far in his series about R.E.M.

[ebowtheloser]

Driver Nate, on 12 May 2012 - 09:31 AM, said:

I'm not familiar with Shrinking Legacy but I've enjoyed everything I've read so far in his series about R.E.M.

I was really just kidding. I like it too.

[Driver Nate]

ebowtheloser, on 12 May 2012 - 12:10 PM, said:

I was really just kidding. I like it too.

Thanks for clarifying, otherwise I would have had no idea whatsoever that you weren't being serious.

[ebowtheloser]

Driver Nate, on 12 May 2012 - 07:57 PM, said:

Thanks for clarifying, otherwise I would have had no idea whatsoever that you weren't being serious.

Sorry about that. I imagine I sounded just like the millions of other people whose life and identities were formed by reading articles by Steven Hyden.

[drollcat]

Driver Nate, on 12 May 2012 - 09:31 AM, said:

I'm not familiar with Shrinking Legacy but I've enjoyed everything I've read so far in his series about R.E.M.

I'm really glad this discussion led me to the "Shrinking Legacy"/"Non-Shrinking Legacy" pieces. I wasn't familiar with them either, but I think they're worth a read, and it's good to read them in chronological order. Had I read the first piece alone when Hayden originally wrote it (without reading his calmer, saner second piece), I'm sure I wouldn't have read anything by him again!

[ebowtheloser]

"I didn’t like Fables until the precise moment when I needed to like it. "

That is a really beautiful sentiment, and I think that's probably why people make art... so that they are able to be there for their audience in those moments.

All kidding aside, this guy is doing an AMAZING job with this series.

[Driver Nate]

The final installment in the series:

Part 6: Until the Day Is Done (Accelerate and Collapse Into Now)