9 replies to this topic

[Fatherjohn]

Having always felt that the albums Up, Reveal and Around the Sun were essentially inconsistent though spotted with exceptional highlights, I decided to create a hypothetical “super-album” compiling the Pat McCarthy years (1998-2004) onto a single disc. Condensing seven years of material to one album has resulted in what I consider an exceptional record, a fictional R.E.M. release from an alternative reality where the band took their time and crafted a masterpiece. Of course this sort of thing is subjective, but for me this is a listen on a par with some of their greatest work, far greater than the sum of the albums utilised to create it:

• Why Not Smile (Oxford American Version)
  
• Bad Day
  
• Daysleeper
  
• The Great Beyond
  
• Final Straw
  
• At My Most Beautiful
  
• The Lifting
  
• Beat A Drum (Dalkey Demo Version)
  
• Hope
  
• I Wanted To Be Wrong
  
• Animal (Single Version)
  
• Leaving New York
  
• Falls to Climb

Thoughts? I’d like to do the same with the Jackknife Lee records but I can’t seem to make such a seamless album out of them.

[sashwap]

here are a couple similar threads:

http://www.murmurs.c...ades-rem-songs/

http://www.murmurs.c...s-stipe-albums/

your sequence is pretty typical, for the most part, though i would consider the lack of "imitation of life" a grave mistake.

here's what i came up with back in 2007. this excludes up.

01. imitation of life
02. all the way to reno
03. aftermath
04. chorus & the ring
05. animal
06. bad day
07. the lifting
08. the great beyond
09. i wanted to be wrong
10. the ascent of man

i'd probably swap out "aftermath" for "around the sun" these days

[asjordan]

I like "Animal," too.

[Fatherjohn]

Yeah I'd found similar threads, but sticking all the noughties stuff together to make a single disc doesn't make as much sense to me as collating the period of one producer working in a specific style.

Re: Imitation of Life I knew it wouldn't be the most popular exclusion, but for me it just missed the cut. It's decent, and I really like the verses, but the chorus always seemed a bit lame and half arsed to me. I also hate the mix. It's really hazy and indistinct. For me it's a case of good song, poorly articulated.

[simonfox]

The problem would lie in the fact that all three of the Pat McCarthy albums are VERY different. Although none of them are high on my list of R.E.M. favourites - it is their similarity in mood, song styles, etc that make them work as albums. Trying to make a compilation of them would make for a very disjointed album, IMO.

[Fatherjohn]

Interesting - for me there is very much a sonic blood line running through those three albums and the other recordings of that period. The moods and styles are different, sure, but then so are the moods and styles on, say, Green. In terms of technical production style, I personally feel there's a certain continuity that runs through Up, Reveal and Around the Sun that make them ripe for compilation picking.

[simonfox]

Hmmm.... alright. I'm up to the challenge. Here's my attempt at an album that would work for me...

1. Electron Blue
2. Imitation of Life
3. Leaving New York
4. You're In The Air
5. At My Most Beautiful
6. The Chorus and The Ring
7. The Great Beyond
8. Disappear
9. Diminished
10. I Wanted to be Wrong
11. Boy In The Well
12. Beat a Drum
13. Why Not Smile (Acoustic)

I think this album maintains a mood which makes it feel like an album. I've avoided anything too experimental (eg. High Speed Train) and mixed up the acoustic numbers, the piano-led songs and the mid-tempo strummers. I think Electron Blue would be an interesting opener (always my favourite on 'Around The Sun'), followed by the obvious hit single as the second track, The Great Beyond to open 'Side B' of the album, and a moody three song sequence towards the end (Disappear, Diminished, I Wanted To Be Wrong). I wanted something quiet and acoustic to close out the album, and decided the acoustic version of 'Why Not Smile' would fit the bill nicely (I hate the album version).

[Fatherjohn]

 simonfox, on 18 April 2012 - 01:55 AM, said:

and decided the acoustic version of 'Why Not Smile' would fit the bill nicely (I hate the album version).

Me too - the Oxford American demo is far superior. What they did to that song is like a microcosm of everything that was wrong with Up, for me; unnecessary clutter in the mix, lack of focus in the arrangements.

[Remixomatosys]

I like both versions of the song. But if I had to choose, I'd probably go with the album version

[simonfox]

 Fatherjohn, on 18 April 2012 - 05:40 AM, said:

Me too - the Oxford American demo is far superior. What they did to that song is like a microcosm of everything that was wrong with Up, for me; unnecessary clutter in the mix, lack of focus in the arrangements.

Agree. I really wanted to like 'Up' when it came out. I still maintain that most of the songs are great, but the way they were recorded / mixed didn't work in their favour. My favourite songs were the simplest and least cluttered - 'At My Most Beautiful', 'Suspicion' and 'Diminished' stood out for me. I know many would disagree with me, but I hated 'Falls to Climb'. The cheesy synths were bad enough, but I don't think I'd like the song even if it was re-recorded in 'classic R.E.M.' mode. The 'pounce pony' lyrics made me cringe!