Indeed, his albums with Luke Haines, Joseph Arthur and Filthy Friends were enjoyable and had some pretty good moments. But I meant his solo outputs, those vinyls he spit out in the world, and Michael’s solo tracks, and Mills’s only thing, that boring concerto.
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Scott McCaughey is my post-R.E.M. fix! All the stuff he puts out makes me smile.
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I really like it, as I have all of his solo songs so far. It’s time for an album!
The electronica backing tracks are not something I’d usually be into, but the best music challenges you. R.E.M. always did.
I love that it doesn’t really sound like R.E.M. Of his solo stuff so far, only No Time For Love Like Now has been close to R.E.M.
On Peter Buck’s solo albums… Personally, I love them. I’ve spent tonight listening to them. I can understand people not liking them - they’re odd. But I love them.
It’s the sound of a guy with an encyclopaedic knowledge of music making records with his friends. With no boundaries. No filter. No record company expectations. No worries. What’s not to like?
There are a few ‘throwaway’ tracks over the three albums, but that shouldn’t disguise the quality elsewhere. There’s some brilliant stuff on those records.
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So is this track coming or what? 
Spring’s not over 
The Broken Record - podcast interview has in any case boosted my hopes that this solo album might actually materialise. Sounds like it’s a real thing!
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I was hoping for an album in 2022! but the The Broken Record interview made me thinkthat it won’t come out until 2023… 
I like it a lot. Good to hear the finished product.
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What Dream Brother said.
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I hope this link works. It’s the track which is either a later demo or going to be released. If it works, I’ll write more.
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OK. Well, this is a lot better than the earlier clip. The drum machine, ugh. But still. You can hear Michael’s vox come to the front which makes a lot of difference. I don’t know who’s playing piano. It makes a hell of a difference. Now it’s a song and not just noise.
In my mind, it’s Mike playing but it’s probably not. I wish it was. Funny how that makes a difference. All it shows is how much I want it to be Mike for sentimental reasons. IMO it needs a proper drummer, but that’s unrealistic. Again, I want it to be Bill. I want my REM.
As a song, it’s OK. It’s good to hear Michael’s voice again. What I miss lyrically is the poetic writing of the IRS years and maybe a few WB albums. The one line “no time for the bardo” captures it. The bardo is the transition between death and the next stage of a soul’s journey. That’s magnificent. The rest of the lyrics don’t do much for me and the love x 4or 5 I could do without. All in all, it’s a decent track.* shrug*
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I agree with you on these points Etty.
What are your thoughts of this track Ethan? We haven’t seen you on here for a while, how’s it going?
Ok… How many versions of that song are we going to get before getting another song? 
Sounds a bit like a cross between I’ve Been High and Losing My Religion…
Oh, it’s not fair to put Ethan on the spot! Some opinions take a lot longer to put tactfully than others. 
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I wasn’t trying to put Ethan on the spot or anything, just genuinely interested in his opinion, given that he asked us what we thought. I got my husband to listen to it last night to get an objective view as my Peter isn’t as familiar with the R.E.M. back catalogue as I am, and he quite liked it.
Has anyone pondered over the lyrics yet? What stuck out to me after the first couple of listens was -
“Future if future”… “Flowery flowers”… “Please don’t stare we’re doing what we can”…
I’m thinking, something coming into bloom in the future, something new maybe that is brewing or being created & maybe too by trial & error. Thinking about the song that way, it makes more sense to me.
I’m sorry, I was teasing Ethan through you, and that’s not fair!
The electronica element is off-putting to me, and I’ve been assuming the song isn’t in its finished state, so i haven’t really given it a close listen for lyrics (unusual for me)! I’ll try giving it a fairer shake rather than dismissing it out of hand. I’m the one who likes “The Wrong Child,” after all!
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All good. I knew you were playing. 
I’ve tried to google the lyrics but I can’t find them. This is what I got from listening & no guessing, anyone else can add or correct -
Future if future, the future is ours
…cold hearted cowards,
We are the others, with stems, seeds and flowery flowers,
ha ha ha ha
I am the earth blood. I am the …
…save us our turbulent purpose
Swinging & smacking with ecstatic dirt fish.
Please don’t stare we’re doing all we can…
It’s never fair…
Don’t stare we’re doing all we can…
ha ha ha ha
Future if future… This future is ours…
…You’ve got the obvious, we’ve got the power…
Please don’t stare we’re doing all we can…
You like The Wrong Child? I am gobsmacked. One time we were listening in the car, all the family and after about a minute I could see Nigel’s knuckles turn white on the wheel, and he said “fast forward it”.
I complied not just for him, the kids were looking unhappy…one was playing Snoopy tennis and she was the only one who didn’t look tense.
It gets on my tits too. I’m glad you like it. Every song should have fans.
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We seem to be taking about different songs here. I haven’t heard Future If Future. My post was about No Time For Love. Where can I listen to FiF? “Singing and smacking with ecstatic dirt fish” is brilliant. And hilarious.