REM Post-1990: POX

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1. Imitation of Life
2. Bad Day
3. Apologist
4. At My Most Beautiful
5. Near Wild Heaven
6. Sweetness Follows
7. Try Not To Breathe
8. What's The Frequency Kenneth?
9. Walk Unafraid
10. E-Bow The Letter

Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:08 (nineteen years ago) link

Most of their best albums were released after 1990:

1. Drive
2. Man On The Moon
3. The Great Beyond
4. Losing My Religion
5. Daysleeper
6. Leaving New York
7. Summer Turns To High
8. Endgame
9. Try Not To Breathe
10.Find The River

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:24 (nineteen years ago) link

In no order:

Aftermath
I Wanted to Be Wrong
Half a World Away
Me in Honey
Find the River
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
The Great Beyond
Electrolite
Imitation of Life
Bad Day

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Geir, you don't like the early albums -- Murmur, Reckoning, Fables?

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:32 (nineteen years ago) link

I like "Murmur" and "Reckoning", yes. Not too keen on their other 4 80s albums, in spite of the occasional single moment of brilliance such as "Fall On Me" and "Wendell Gee"

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Agreed that they were way better post-'90

10. How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us
9. Daysleeper
8. The Great Beyond
7. Bang and Blame
6. Imitation of Life
5. At My Most Beautiful
4. Drive
3. Everybody Hurts
2. E-Bow the Letter
1. Losing My Religion

The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:44 (nineteen years ago) link

1. Losing My Religion
2. E-Bow the Letter
3. Man on the Moon
4. Country Feedback
5. I've Been High
6. Sweetness Follows
7. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
8. Everybody Hurts
9. Let Me In
10. Summer Turns to High

I have to say, thinking back on their '90s records--as much as I didn't like Around the Sun, they are still basically my favorite band and I love all of their other 90s albums.

mrjosh (mrjosh), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Find the River
Leave
Electrolite
I Don't Sleep, I Dream
So Fast, So Numb
Bittersweet Me
Let Me In
Daysleeper
Losing My Religion
At My Most Beautiful

Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 30 April 2005 22:15 (nineteen years ago) link

By "post-1990" I assume that means no Out of Time?

The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Drive
Airportman
Hope
You
What's the Frequency Kenneth?
Daysleeper
At My Most Beautiful
E-Bow the Letter
Bad Day

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 30 April 2005 22:32 (nineteen years ago) link

"Out of Time" was '91.

The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Saturday, 30 April 2005 22:35 (nineteen years ago) link

In no particular order...

Ebow The Letter
Sweetness Follows
Find The River
Country Feedback
At My Most Beautiful
Man On The Moon
Try Not To Breathe
Nightswimming
Beat A Drum (but ONLY the piano demo version, not the the disastrously overproduced version on Reveal)
New Test Leper

Stewart Smith (stew s), Saturday, 30 April 2005 23:01 (nineteen years ago) link

Near Wild Heaven
Losing My Religion
Half A World Away
Drive
Try Not To Breathe
Leave
Hope
Suspicion
Imitation Of Life
Bad Day

miccio (miccio), Sunday, 1 May 2005 01:12 (nineteen years ago) link

1. Electrolite
2. Me In Honey
3. untitled song at the end of Green (‘88, I know, but it was hard enough coming up with these seven)
4. What’s the Frequency Kenneth
5. All the Right Friends
6. Bang and Blame
7. Man on the Moon

Burr (Burr), Sunday, 1 May 2005 03:26 (nineteen years ago) link

sheesh. this band is worthless once you could understand what stipe was saying! like, post 1985 = utter crap!!!

Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Sunday, 1 May 2005 03:29 (nineteen years ago) link

"man on the moon"
"how the west was won and where it got us"
"near wild heaven"
"electrolite"
"what's the frequency kenneth?"
"half a world away"
"try not to breathe"
"losing my religion"
"circus envy"
"the great beyond"

j blount (papa la bas), Sunday, 1 May 2005 03:41 (nineteen years ago) link

1. The Great Beyond
2. Electrolite
3. Nightswimming
4. What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
5. I Took Your Name
6. At My Most Beautiful
7. Bad Day
8. Imitation Of Life
9. Losing My Religion
10. Man On The Moon

John Fredland (jfredland), Sunday, 1 May 2005 03:45 (nineteen years ago) link

1. Country Feedback
2. Near Wild Heaven
3. Half a World Away
4. Texarkana
5. Me In Honey
6. Shiny Happy People [you can't hide your love forever people!]
7. Find the River
8. Nightswimming
9. Daysleeper
10. Imitation of Life

Pretty slim pickings for the past dozen years.

Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Sunday, 1 May 2005 11:58 (nineteen years ago) link

sheesh. this band is worthless once you could understand what stipe was saying! like, post 1985 = utter crap!!!

I dunno--I like the I.R.S.-era stuff better, but I think Stipe had a lyrical heyday from around Lifes Rich Pageant to New Adventures. After that he lapsed into self-help mode with a few exceptions.

mrjosh (mrjosh), Sunday, 1 May 2005 12:18 (nineteen years ago) link

1. Electrolite
2. How the west was won...
3. Star me kitten
4. The lifting
5. Half a world away
6. Find the river
7. Daysleeper
8. Imitation of life
9. Summer turns to high
10. Everybody hurts

Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Sunday, 1 May 2005 12:21 (nineteen years ago) link

"The Lifting"
"Country Feedback"
"Monty Got A Raw Deal"
"King of Comedy"
"E-Bow The Letter"
"Hope"
"Bittersweet Me"
"Low"
"Leave"
"Me in Honey"

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 1 May 2005 12:52 (nineteen years ago) link

circus envy
me in honey
nightswimming
leave
star me kitten
electrolite
texarkana
losing my religion
find the river
sweetness follows

woodlander, Sunday, 1 May 2005 14:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Leave
The Lifting
Sweetness Follows
Be Mine
Strange Currencies
I Don't Sleep, I Dream
Hope
The Wake-Up Bomb
Nightswimming
New Orleans Instrumental No. 1

Al (sitcom), Sunday, 1 May 2005 14:30 (nineteen years ago) link

what about rem, pox post 2000? i couldn't do that

woodlander, Sunday, 1 May 2005 15:16 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, absolutely nothing sticks off the last two, really. Around the Sun is the first REM album I didn't even bother buying.

Country Feedback
Near Wild Heaven
Half a World Away
Drive
Sweetness Follows
Find the River
I Took Your Name
E-Bow
Diminished (Can't understand why no one else likes this one)
I've Been High

POO: Drive

Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Sunday, 1 May 2005 15:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Drive
How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us
Diminished (their best narrative song, by the way!)
Bittersweet Me
The Great Beyond
Leave (the trip-hoppy re-sung remix)
E-Bow the Letter
Daysleeper (their second best narrative song. Come on, how many night trader's laments have there been?)
Chorus And The Ring
Star 69 (the only song where what they wanted to do on Monster=what they did)

POO Drive seconded.

joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Sunday, 1 May 2005 15:35 (nineteen years ago) link

I only like "Diminished" for the hidden song at the end of the track, "I'm Not Over You".

Al (sitcom), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Can't really fathom people picking "I Took Your Name," "Circus Envy," "King of Comedy," "Low," et cetera, et cetera, as being better than EVERY SINGLE SONG ON AROUND THE SUN.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:04 (nineteen years ago) link

I can see "Circus Envy" for sure. "King Of Comedy" if we're allowing for a little irony

miccio (miccio), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:06 (nineteen years ago) link

helps that I haven't heard every song off Around The Sun

miccio (miccio), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:06 (nineteen years ago) link

What's The Frequency Kenneth
Crush With Eyeliner
Star 69
Strange Currencies
Bang And Blame
Tongue
Drive
Man On The Moon
Daysleeper
Losing My Religion

Despite denial from the haters, Monster remains dominant.

billstevejim (billstevejim), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:08 (nineteen years ago) link

But Tim, "Circus Envy" is the hardest rocking song in their catalog! (and yes I've heard "Just a Touch" and every other song they've done)

woodlander, Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:09 (nineteen years ago) link

"Circus Envy" and "Let Me In" almost made my POX maybe "Crush With Eyeliner" too.

miccio (miccio), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:11 (nineteen years ago) link

I like it! It's a good album track. How can you say it's harder rocking than "Just a Touch?" Because it merely has a crunchier guitar tone?

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:13 (nineteen years ago) link

It's actually kind of "jaunty!" They have a ton of songs with more energy than "Circus Envy." "Rocking" is not just a matter of blues pentatonic riffs and a somewhat crunchy guitar tone.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:17 (nineteen years ago) link

Because it merely rocks harder! "Put pepper in my coffee, I become someone . . . on command. Mr. Jealousy! Monster Jealousy!" Micheal and Peter are both intense as fuck on that song. "Just a Touch" is a fun thrashy song, and everything, but not a balls to the wall, let everything hang out song; there's still some self-consciousness there about rocking it full tilt, demonstrated by the Patti Smith quote at the very end.

woodlander, Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:18 (nineteen years ago) link

R.E.M. (like just about any artist who isn't brain dead) are always self-conscious. Do you mean to say that the Patti Smith thing is pretentious? And the fact that they're being pretentious detracts from their ability to LET IT ALL HANG OUT? 'Cause I don't think it's pretentious. Not any more pretentious than "Anarchy in the U.K." or something, anyway.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:27 (nineteen years ago) link

No, I didn't mean that allusion was pretentious. It's self-conscious. I might agree that any artist who isn't brain-dead is self-aware; there's something self-conscious though about shouting out someone else's spontaneous rock shout at the end of your own barn burner. I say it's self-conscious because I don't think the negative connotations that go along with pretension are merited here.

woodlander, Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:45 (nineteen years ago) link

I guess it's like the Yogi Berra thing -- "you can't think and hit at the same time?" But why does the fact that he quotes Patti Smith make you think that there that there was more self-consciousness there than in any of his other lyrics?

That's actually a pretty gnarly performance which was apparently intended as a bit of a "Take that" to Don Gehman. I think the story was that Stipe did it and just walked right out of the studio afterwards?

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:58 (nineteen years ago) link

At My Most Beautiful
Sweetness Follows
So Fast So Numb
Losing My Religion
Let Me In
Strange Currencies
Man on the Moon
Everybody Hurts
Tongue
Try Not to Breathe

Though it's hard to pick out individual songs from Automatic, that has to be one of the most gorgeous sounding records ever.

MerkinMuffley (MerkinMuffley), Sunday, 1 May 2005 17:32 (nineteen years ago) link

I almost put 5 songs from "Monster" (all 5 good ones) just to spite all the Monster haters.

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 1 May 2005 19:30 (nineteen years ago) link

Who are all the Monster haters? I don't think it's one of their best albums, but I hardly hate it.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 1 May 2005 19:53 (nineteen years ago) link

is somebody compiling all these?

mine:
10 Summer Turns To High
9 The Apologist
8 Half A World Away
7 Losing My Religion
6 New Test Leper
5 Man on the Moon
4 Country Feedback
3 Near Wild Heaven
2 Electrolite
1 Find the River

se3_uk (se3_uk), Monday, 2 May 2005 08:50 (nineteen years ago) link

I wasn't keeping track until you mentioned it, and then couldn't help but do a quick count because frankly I can't remember much post-Automatic and was suddenly curious (and bored, obv).

63 individual tracks voted for thus far, the most popular 21 being (in raw unweighted votes):

1. Losing My Religion [11 votes]
2. Find The River [9 votes]
2. Man On The Moon [9 votes]
4. Daysleeper [8 votes]
4. E-Bow The Letter [8 votes]
4. Electrolite [8 votes]
7. What's The Frequency Kenneth? [7 votes]
7. At My Most Beautiful [7 votes]
7. Half a World Away [7 votes]
7. Imitation of Life [7 votes]
7. Drive [7 votes]
7. Sweetness Follows [7 votes]
13. Bad Day [6 votes]
13. The Great Beyond [6 votes]
13. Leave [6 votes]
13. Near Wild Heaven [6 votes]
13. Try Not To Breathe [6 votes]
13. Country Feedback [6 votes]
19. Nightswimming [5 votes]
19. Me in Honey [5 votes]
19. Country Feedback [5 votes]

Interesting to see the "Find the River" love! Who knew?

This may or may not mean that y'all rate the regular studio LPs in this order:

1. Automatic For the People [58 votes]
2. Out of Time [41 votes]
3. New Adventures in Hi-fi [35 votes]
4. Monster [31 votes]
4. Up [26 votes]
5. Reveal [17 votes]
6. Around the Sun [3 votes]

It appears that every track on Monster and Out of Time has 1 or more votes!

Er, hope peeps don't take that as a cue to stop posting now, of course...

Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Monday, 2 May 2005 11:14 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm going to continue the trend, Nag!

1. "Find the River"
2. "Daysleeper"
3. "Imitation of Life"
4. "Man on the Moon"
5. "Losing My Religion"
6. "New Test Leper"
7. "The Great Beyond"
8. "Crush w/Eyeliner"
9. "Photograph" (I'm pretty sure the compilation this was obn was post-'90.)
10. "Final Straw"

Lyra Jane (Lyra Jane), Monday, 2 May 2005 13:30 (nineteen years ago) link

You
Around the Sun
Man on the Moon
The Great Beyond
Near Wild Heaven
Strange Currencies
Why Not Smile (acoustic)
Me in Honey
Nightswimming
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

dan. (dan.), Monday, 2 May 2005 16:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Sweetness Follows
Man on the Moon
I Don't Sleep, I Dream
Circus Envy
The Wake-Up Bomb
Electrolite
The Apologist
You're in the Air
Daysleeper
Imitation of Life

PeopleFunnyBoy (PeopleFunnyBoy), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:55 (nineteen years ago) link

six years pass...

(chronological, not ranked)

Me In Honey
Shiny Happy People
Belong
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
Strange Currencies
Star 69
The Wake-Up Bomb
Departure
Sad Professor
Discoverer

Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 23 September 2011 02:38 (thirteen years ago) link

great list. discoverer! an alternate

belong
circus act
leave
me in honey
nightswimming
find the river
texarkana
country feedback
losing my religion
beachball

reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 23 September 2011 02:47 (thirteen years ago) link

Country Feedback
Me in Honey
Sweetness Follows
Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
New Test Leper
Leave
Departure
So Fast, So Numb
Electrolite
Sad Professor

john. a resident of chicago., Friday, 23 September 2011 03:45 (thirteen years ago) link

be mine
beat a drum
the ascent of man
make it all okay
star me kitten
man-sized wreath
bang & blame
electrolite
living well is the best revenge
the sweetness follows

reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 23 September 2011 21:00 (thirteen years ago) link

Sweetness Follows
Country Feedback
Try Not To Breathe
Nightswimming
Me In Honey
Circus Envy
You're In The Air
Electrolite
Beat A Drum (Dalkey demo)
King of Comedy

I don't want to discount the 'big' songs such as Man On The Moon and Losing My Religion, cos they're great, but I've probably overplayed them a bit. Wanted to through King of Comedy in there cos it's so odd.

Count Palmiro Vicarion (Stew), Friday, 23 September 2011 22:14 (thirteen years ago) link

Actually, swap out Electrolite for Be Mine. Oh shit, and I didn't put Near Wild Heaven in there! Sub that for King of Comedy. Ach, I could easily choose a totally different top ten. There's loads of good stuff there.

Count Palmiro Vicarion (Stew), Friday, 23 September 2011 22:17 (thirteen years ago) link

Losing My Religion
Try Not To Breathe
Bittersweet Me
Sweetness Follows
Half A World Away
Man On The Moon
I Don't Sleep, I Dream
Daysleeper
Undertow
Texarkana

Gavin, Leeds, Friday, 23 September 2011 23:51 (thirteen years ago) link

Speak, memory (i.e., it's been a long time since I've actually taken an album off the shelf):

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)"
"Radio Free Europe"
"(Don't Go Back to) Rockville"
"7 Chinese Bros."
"Driver 8"
"Life and How to Live It"
"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
"Man on the Moon"
"New Orleans Instrumental No. 1"
"The Great Beyond"

If I took the time to do some re-listening, I'd probably replace "Life and How to Live It" and "End of the World" (overplay) with an album track from Murmur and at least one song from the last 10 years.

clemenza, Saturday, 24 September 2011 01:19 (thirteen years ago) link

this is the post-1990 POX!

Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 24 September 2011 04:57 (thirteen years ago) link

As I scanned the lists, I was wondering why nobody seemed to like early R.E.M.

clemenza, Saturday, 24 September 2011 06:38 (thirteen years ago) link

1. Drive

tumbl dude (Whiney G. Weingarten), Saturday, 24 September 2011 06:40 (thirteen years ago) link

1. Leave
2. Find The River
3. Losing My Religion
4. Try Not to Breathe
5. Electrolite
6. Texarkana
7. I Don't Sleep, I Dream
8. Daysleeper
9. Near Wild Heaven
10. At My Most Beautiful

Kitchen Person, Saturday, 24 September 2011 09:57 (thirteen years ago) link

i think they had as good a 90s as they did an 80s. in fact a better 90s than anyone who was left standing from the late 70s/early 80s (Depeche, Prince, U2, etc)

less said about their 00's the better i guess although a post-2000 POX i'd like to read people's thoughts on.

piscesx, Saturday, 24 September 2011 12:41 (thirteen years ago) link

Yeah, post-2000 Pox is a good call... Although like most, I've not really investigated the albums enough after Reveal to make it fair. So something like this. One of the issues is that two of their best songs of the decade are from the 80s: All The Right Friends and Bad Day. Do I put em in? Ach, I suppose so.

1. Beat A Drum (Dalkey demo, album version ruins it with overproduction)
2. The Lifting
3. I've Been High
4. Bad Day
5. All The Right Friends
6. Beach Ball
7. Living Well Is The Best Revenge
8. All The Way To Reno
9. Oh My Heart
10. Leaving New York

Count Palmiro Vicarion (Stew), Saturday, 24 September 2011 21:22 (thirteen years ago) link

post-2000 pox:

beat a drum
i've been high
the ascent of man
the outsiders
aftermath
man-sized wreath
houston
horse to water
i wanted to be wrong
disappear

pretty good album there

mutant slow drum (BradNelson), Saturday, 24 September 2011 21:39 (thirteen years ago) link

UBerlin
Mine Smell Like Honey
Every Day Is Yours to Win
Living Well Is the Best Revenge
Mr. Richards
Leaving New York
I Wanted to Be Wrong
Aftermath
The Lifting
Imitation of Life

timellison, Sunday, 25 September 2011 00:06 (thirteen years ago) link

green, oot, autopeeps.... all sounded fine at the time, but never the stuff I go back to..

Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, 25 September 2011 00:57 (thirteen years ago) link

I was going to suggest a post-2000 POX! But I didn't think enough people would be interested. "All The Right Friends" and "Bad Day" TOTALLY DO NOT COUNT.

Guayaquil (eephus!), Sunday, 25 September 2011 03:34 (thirteen years ago) link

Started by Dom Passantino

lmao

buzza, Sunday, 25 September 2011 03:48 (thirteen years ago) link


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