REM: Classic or dud?

it's boring as hell except for like 2 songs

I think if "Automatic" almost as its own thing, and when I most recently took it out - last year? - I was struck by how, indeed, perfect in its own way it was.

Take the influenced acts or leave them, but both Radiohead and Pearl Jam wouldn't be the same without R.E.M., I'd suggest. It just shows how strong this band's impact was. Me, I think "Up" would have been a great swan song. Because whomever upthread said that had they called it quits after that album they'd be doing an awesome reunion tour this year was OTM.

hmmm yeah I can see the Pearl Jam connection. another band I have no use for.

It's getting to be the time of year when Automatic sounds best.

No consensus exists about which album was the most appropriate swan song, fortunately.

I mean, in many ways their career was as if Disco Demolition Night had gone on for 30 years.

Still trying to get my head around this.

although I sensed real danger when Michael Stipe danced in a sarong to the rhythmless "Airportman" at the '98 Tibetan Freedom Concert.

No consensus exists about which album was the most appropriate swan song, fortunately.

probably because they never really made a "perfect" album besides Murmur

I was never a huge fan, liked some stuff, bored by other stuff (especially after they signed to Warners,) but I found this complete concert from 1982; a great trip down memory lane:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPE-l-tfN0I

Their epic peak!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQbAizfsvrQ

I'm still hoping dlp can explain why R.E.M. was such a destructive force. I mean, linking to a relatively praising obit for the band doesn't really help.

A good obit.

When Green was printed with the number "4" in the tracklisting replaced by "R," they rolled with it.

I thought the whole idea was that the 'R' on the cover had a transparent '4' printed over it and so therefore the '4' on the disc etc.

singing 'midnight blue' at the rem memorial karaoke tonight, might do 'harborcoat' also.

I just find the unvarying sound of those 80s albums - clean electric guitar/bass/drums/vocals + occasionally backing vocals - with no overdubs or other instruments ever just really fucking boring

Uh this is not even accurate regarding Murmur let alone any of the other records. I mean you quite literally are 100% wrong.

Cripes, by Fables they're using horns and string quartets and everything. By Green they're already starting with the mandolins, and p sure the SMASH HIT Stand has a damned farfisa on it If you're gonna troll, troll harder.

"occasionally backing vocals"

Yeah, like, on every occasion!

and the worst backing vocalist in the history of rock too. that's nothing to sneeze at.

Yeah, man. All that singing.

What depressed me was the run of uninspired, redundant albums of the last thirteen years.

Most R.E.M. albums from the past thirteen years are better than what they did in the mid 90s. "Monster" was horrible and "New Adventures In Hi-Fi" was not much better. It was sort of a relief when they did "Up" and "Reveal", realising they were never meant to be a rock band.

and the worst backing vocalist in the history of rock too. that's nothing to sneeze at.

Mills or Berry? Either way you're wrong, but I'm just curious.

xpost I like the idea of that, those albums being the sound of a group realizing they were never meant to rock.

probably because they never really made a "perfect" album besides Murmur

"Automatic For The People" was perfect. And also the one R.E.M. album that always performs best at surveys of the best 100 albums ever made. Sure, if you don't like acoustic 12 string guitars, mandolins, accordions and strings, it may not be your cup of tea. But it is generally considered to be their best (well, maybe besides "Murmur").

A group realizing they were never meant to rock, as middle aged men, which is why they should have broken up before they recorded them. They should have just released the occasional awesome single. Hell, most bands should do this.

the twerpy dude who played bass. his voice. ugh. makes yoko sound like mario lanza. as far as backing vocalists go.

x-post

"Murmur" is almost like an accidental masterpiece, the honor accorded after the fact. "Automatic" showed the band could do it on purpose.

perfect albums feh

itt people who are deaf

A group realizing they were never meant to rock, as middle aged men, which is why they should have broken up before they recorded them.

They weren't a rock band to begin with either. Those first two albums were jangle pop. They tried rocking on "Document", some liked that, I did not. Otherwise, they have done best when they were more mellow.

All complains about horrible backing vocals are very much OTM though.

complaints even.

i liked begin the begin! that's a good song. john cougar stipe.

Mike Mills was certainly a terrible dresser.

i mean its a good rock song. not many jangly bands went for a drum sound like that back then. they should have though.

rem twerp is the sister twerp to u2's doofus bass player. they both dressed in the dark.

Aw, I really liked Mills' backing vocals.

I'm really weird though because Monster is one of their albums that holds up best for me. Probably my favourite of the major-label years, not that I've heard anything since Up.

Didn't even clue in as to why there were two or three R.E.M. threads near the top today--I just heard the news from Amerindie icon Wolf Blitzer! I stopped following them album by album very early, around #4 or #5, but the rest of the way they'd regularly catch me by surprise with a song I really liked (enough so that they topped one of my year-ends with "Man on the Moon," and again came close with "The Great Beyond"). Even when I'd find a cheap CD from the 2000s, there'd be one or two good ones. I was lucky enough to see them in a club their first time through Toronto, July 9, '83, $10.

Just downloaded LRP. I haven't listened to this in ages. My cassette is at my parents'. Sounds pretty great.

I hated everything from Lifes Rich Pageant onward, so fuck these guys for not staying together so I can keep pointing and laffing at them.

Not even Automatic for the People?

more like fartomatic for poophole

R.I.P.

you were a good band most of the time

...in the '80s.

Uh this is not even accurate regarding Murmur let alone any of the other records

yr right I forgot that one song on Murmur with the piano. how exciting

christ in hindsight that jokey NYE 99 split would have been amazing

In reality, the '03 best of would have been a good way to do it. Seen a couple of great shows in Brixton Academy in support, like it was 1987 or something

RIP Berry Buck Mills Stipe

I just find the unvarying sound of those 60s John Coltrane albums - tenor saxophone/bass/drums/piano - with no overdubs or other instruments ever just really fucking boring

Looking forward to post-band endeavours, though. Peter Buck mezcal, Michael Stipe publishing house... Mike Mills Navajo jumpsuits

any Michael Stipe solo 'project' is going to be the worst thing mankind's produced

never mind the fucking 'guest appearances'

I just find the unvarying sound of those 60s John Coltrane albums - tenor saxophone/bass/drums/piano - with no overdubs or other instruments ever just really fucking boring

LOOOOOOOL at comparing any of the guys in REM to Coltrane's classic quartet

rock and jazz, the same thing!

Didn't make any such comparison between the two groups, just pointing out the silliness of singling out instrumentation in and of itself as the source of a band's successes or failures.