Jaesin923 said:
The different opinions? It seems everyone who mentions Around the Sun lately casts the album in a negative light, as if R.E.M. were a quarterback whose best years were behind him (don't worry Brett, I still believe!:D ). I find it very hard to believe that R.E.M. would put out any album, unless they truly believe they were moving ahead with their music instead of dwindling in the shadow of some former glory...
One fan says, "Oh God, enough piano!" in regards to some of the songs on ATS, but goes on to revere other piano driven songs such as Electrolyte or At my most beautiful...Another fan may already know in his/her mind that they would really enjoy another rocking album from R.E.M. (in the vein of Hi-Fi), and already has any new album pigeonholed unless it is exactly that...
Well, you have to grasp that no R.E.M. album isn't specifically prepared with us in mind, and their unique, unwavering vision is the reason why we fans (wherever we are) hold a candle so high next to them...
If were going to have a thread stating supposed disappointments, how about we come up with something a little more concrete than "they didn't make the songs I wanted to hear", because if that's the basis of your disappointment, you just may find yourself complaining to each other throughout the remainder of the R.E.M. catalogue...and who wants to spend their time complaining?
As for me, I have an album to look forward to...:rolleyes:
I would argue that fans who can't find a flaw in any band are probably delusional or rabid. It's certainly not a bad thing, but it makes for inane discussion. If you've held every song against every song and feel they're all top notch, good for you. If you don't see a dramatic drop in hooks and lyrical quality, then I'm afraid I just can't consider you an objective listener. Again, it doesn't degrade the R.E.M. songs and albums I love, and I know my opinion could never pierce your swooning heart, but I still find it rather perplexing that a younger Stipe could pen mature, timeless lyrics throughout
Monster only to follow it up ten years later with songs about kissing astronauts. Isn't wisdom supposed to increase with age? Of course, R.E.M. are still capable of hitting all our sweet spots, but it's been a long time since I've wanted to listen to a new R.E.M. disc in its entirety. If you read through the last five years of this board, you'll see all the people you consider offensive praising R.E.M. up and down, and you'll notice a consistent drop in enthusiasm with every new release. I'm in the minority insomuch as I still like
most of
Reveal, and I can find very little fault in the band before that. Unfortunately, they've become more about production than songwriting. Kind of reminds me of women who glop on make-up for decades. At first, they cover minor blemishes that, while they might be imperfections, add a certain degree of character. Eventually, the make-up just clogs pores and then creates more impurities until their faces look like sundried fruits. My point is, when R.E.M. relied on their instinct and chemistry, they were the everyman of music (the voice of the people, if you will). Now they're the voice of
People Magazine, and I dread their next release. I used to hope for a jaw-drop, and now I'd be somewhat content if they can so much as crack a smile on my face. So keep looking forward, but if you think you've discovered a cult of R.E.M. disciples, you truly are cheating yourself of the truth.
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