44 replies to this topic

[rosie]

Maybelline Eyes said:

I'd been dying to hear I'll Take The Rain because it had been referred to by a very early reviewer as the band's new Country Feedback.  It didn't make a big impression on me at all,

me too, Laura.

i remember being intrigued by the boombox version of I've Been High, and was completely blown away by the demos of The Lifting and Beat A Drum.  At the time i thought Beat A Drum was one of the most beautiful things i'd ever heard.  i also recall being disappointed by the album version, but i've learnt to appreciate it :)   i guess i must have been suffering from demoitis :p
although Reveal isn't in my top 5 R.E.M. albums, it has some of their greatest songs...for me, Beat A Drum, Saturn Return and I've Been High.  i'd love to hear the first two live, but i don't think that'll happen anytime soon.

sue

[Maybelline Eyes]

rosie said:

and Beat A Drum.  At the time i thought Beat A Drum was one of the most beautiful things i'd ever heard.  i also recall being disappointed by the album version, but i've learnt to appreciate it :)   i guess i must have been suffering from demoitis :p

Oh yes..the Dalkey demo was much better! It's a shame that didn't make it to the album!
Oh to hear SR live.... :cool:

[Raptor]

Has it been 4 years already?!

I was working at a record store at the time of Reveal's release and managed to pull some strings and reserve myself a limited edition copy before it went out on to the stands. I still remember a collegue of mine from the store phoning me on my day off to tell me the new R.E.M. album had just been delivered and was being captured onto the store computer database in the back. I asked him to keep one of the 10 limited edition copies to make it into Cape Town for me immediately! Remember taking it home and lying on my bed paging through the limited edition book and reading the lyrics whilst listening to the album straight through. Loved "The Lifting". Loved "Beat A Drum" even more. Got hooked on "Chorus And The Ring". Wished "I'll Take The Rain" could've been better. Allowed "Imitation Of Life" to grow on me (and boy, did it!). Reveal is for me their warm, fuzzy record. It's like lying flat on your back on a grassy hill in the middle of summer and beginning to doze under the warmth of the mid-day sun.

"The dragonflies are busy buzzing me"

I also think the album is highly under-rated. Whilst not their best work ever, it nevertheless contains some beautifuul and classic R.E.M. gems. Must make a point of listening to the 5.1. version (Thanks LST 390!)

[LST 390]

Maybelline Eyes said:

Oh to hear SR live.... :cool:

That'd be wild just for the sight of seeing Peter play piano onstage!

[kohoutekdriver8]

crestfallen said:

All my memories of Reveal involve a strong dose of pain medication and a subtle whimper of "Why God? Why? Not REM."

My sentiments exactly.  IOL is the ONLY good song on it, IMHO.

After hearing it, I was and am convinced that the Q review, which was 5 stars, was a parody.

:rolleyes:

[Antti]

Well, some tracks are good. Saturn Return is great. And then there's some really bad stuff like Reno. But Chorus and the Ring and I'll Take the Rain was what broke Reveal to not too good. Those are 2 of my least favorite songs.

[Bowie]

I remember just hearing those opening sounds of "The Lifting" and thinking, "R.E.M. have turned another page." After the trouble of Up and Bill Berry and fewer record sales of the last two albums, Reveal sounded (and still does) so optimistic and hopeful! Up was a departure, but Reveal was just as much a departure for the band. It seemed like a begining of a whole new phase with them. They ended one phase with Up and began another with Reveal and Around the Sun. Call it soft, adult conservative, etc. But I call it beautiful music. :)

[-kawada-]

Although it was the first REM album I bought alongside Automatic, it took about eight months for me to appreciate it and I love it now.

Actually, I wrote a review of it on the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk...ective/A3924092 it's riddled with verbose but it shows my feelings for the album quite well...

[abitofaremhead]

Hard for me to remember but believe I bought it the day it came out, at walmart.  I like it and feel that "let the music carry u away" is how the album works.  Also have the limited edition, never played of course, wheras it's for my collection.   :o

[space banjo]

4 years!!!! Bloody hell thats gone quick. I love the album as much as i did back then. About a year ago i did go off Reveal, but I listened to it about 2-3 months ago, and fell in love with it again. The Lifting, She Just Wants To Be, Reno, Imitaion Of Life, I'll Take The Rain and even the much maligned Beachball make this (IMO) a classic REM album. Even Fascinating which failed to make the grade, kicks ass.

[Driver Nate]

Even though I like quite a few of the songs on it Reveal remains my least favorite R.E.M. record.

Jonathan

[kohoutekdriver8]

Except for IOL, the best way to listen to "Reveal" is not to.

:mad:

[Driver Nate]

My opinion of Up changed after giving it some time. My opinion of Reveal hasn't changed any.

Jonathan

[sashwap]

"imitation of life" i awesome, the rest is meh. a few goodish ones, i guess.

[Churchill]

My second favorite R.E.M.-album. "The Lifting", "All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)", "Beat A Drum", "Imitation Of life" and "BeachBall" are truly magnificent.

[CollectingVinyl]

Love- Lifting, Ive Been High, She Just Wants To Be, Imitation Of Life, Beat A Drum, I'll Take The Rain.
Hate- All The Way To Reno.
The rest I don't really have any opinion on. Alright-Not great/Not terrible.

[Quetzal]

Congratulations  to my second least favorite record!!!!:D

No, i'm not being sarcastic.

[Quetzal]

Quetzal said:

Congratulations  to my second least favorite record!!!!:D

No, i'm not being sarcastic.

... hey wait a minute, it was  in May!!!
I take back the greeting :mad: ok, now its  oficially my least favorite record.

[coinaphrase]

Sarah Rushton said:

Except for IOL, the best way to listen to "Reveal" is not to.

:mad:

Word yo, although I must state that tracks 7-11 on a whole are decent, and I'll Take the Rain and Chorus and the Ring are two actually good songs....

[Low Feedback]

The Lifting is a good opener. So happy, relieved. The refrain is brilliant, and it floats and goes good into next step. I've Been High is a low masterpiece, with pretty simple lyrics that fits well. Brilliant vocals from Michael.

You can say what you mean about All The Way To Reno, it's still a good song! You can think of it like a quiet man, no money, no hope, no good looks.. but he is very cool and confident. He is wise, he doesn't need to be the best, he is just mature - and that counts in this life.

She Just Wants To Be is a nice ballad, about middle-aged woman, but also for many to deal with seperation... "her world got smaller" and "she just wants to be somewhere".

Disappear doesn't work on it's best, but it's still an okay song. Saturn Return haunts you down, kill you, choke you. Maybe boring, but the symbolism is very good. Beat A Drum has a fine refrain, and a brilliant line against the last verse "Don't explain, I'm sure I want to know".

Imitation Of Life is a good song, no matter how you look upon it! Summer Turns To High work somehow, but only when summer really turns to high! Chorus and The Rings have great lyrics, but it's not the song you really wants to listen to.

I'll Take The Rain is a lovely song, with phenomenal lyrics. Masterpiece, but the refrain can seem a bit boring sometimes.
Beachball got a fine refrain, but that's it.

So to sum up it's not a very bad record, but can't be compared to any of the earlier records.