Don't POLL On Meeee (It's Gonna POLL): REM's "Lifes Rich Pageant"

Rejected titles: "I Am, I Am, I Am SuPOLLman" and "CuyaPOLLga"

And, for reference:

TS: R.E.M.'s "Life's Rich Pageant" vs "Document"

CUYAHOGA CUYAHOGA CUYAHOGA CUYAHOGA

I think you chose the poll title just fine, Dr. Casino. The alternatives would have been far worse. Does this mean a hard rain's gonna fall, though?

Just a touch.

This has the best one-two-three of any R.E.M. album post-Murmur.

Voted for "Flowers of Guatemala" over "Begin the Begin" and "Fall On Me" -- love Buck's solo and Berry's Mo Tucker imitation.

Why do you people have to ASSUME I have this on my iPod? Do you know what I went through with Murmur the other night? I decided I had to rip it from vinyl because I'm insane. Then I ended up purchasing the damn thing on iTunes anyway so I could have the bonus tracks. And now you have to throw THIS album at me. Sigh. STOP!

For me this album is about the rockers, and I include "Fall On Me" in that category... this begins a string of REM albums where the slow songs largely bore me to tears, with a few exceptions.

So my first round would be:

"Begin the Begin" – 3:28
"Fall on Me" – 2:50
"Hyena" – 2:50
"I Believe" – 3:49
"Just a Touch" – 3:00
"Swan Swan H" – 2:42
"Superman" (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) – 2:52

...which are all pretty great, just fantastic showcases of a rock band at the peak of their cohesion, just playing together and sounding great. Mike Mills is just awesome on this record - but I have to very, very narrowly take it from "Superman" and give it to "Fall On Me," maybe Stipe's best vocal performance ever and the band is hitting on all cylinders. Love the way they milk the chorus JUST enough times that you're always ready to hear the song again. The whole "don't fall on me DON'T FALLLLLLLLLL" - gets me every time, and Bill Berry just NAILS it too.

"Fall On Me" remains Stipe's favorite song.

Hunted danced and sang
Take a picture here
Take a souvenir

HYENA

please make it stop

I only do one of these every two weeks, so if you save a little of your pocket money every day you can keep up!

hahahahaha <3

Still to go - Chronic Town, Reckoning, Document, Green, Dead Letter Office, Automatic, New Adventures, Reveal, Around the Sun, Accelerate, and a miscellaneous b-sides and oddities poll. So we'll be somewhere in June by the time I launch the ultimate CLASSIC STYLE ILX POLL for R.E.M. Quiver in anticipation!

(Note, I will consider the rogue Murmur poll legit but still maintain sadface about it.)

This is tough. At the time I first heard this record (1989?) it would have been "These Days" but now "Just a Touch" takes it -- maybe because it represents a different path R.E.M. could have taken, but didn't. Probably for the best, but this is a hell of a song. "Let's put our heads together and start a new country up. Our fathers'fathers' fathers tried. Erased the parts they didn't like." is the best lyric on this record and "Cuyahoga" is their best political song.

Dr. Casino, if you do a Chronic Town poll, the whole universe might explode. Are you aware of this?

Hmmm, should have timed that one for New Year's instead of this one then.

I'm voting "Superman" because it's fun to sing it at karaoke while staring at a hot girl.

^^^ equally awesome cover

soup soup soup soup soooooooooperman, yeahhhh

Cuyahoga narrowly beats Fall On Me.

This is the best REM album.

^^^^^^TRUTH BOMB INCOMING^^^^

Holy shit @ that Pac "Superman" cover.

I still love Murmur the most, but oh God this is tough -

What Matt DC said.

As far as I'm concerned, "Begin the Begin" and "These Days" are just one long song, because I'm incapable of playing one without playing the other.

"Fall On Me" duh.

Their best 80s album apart from the first two.

Begin the Begin, but all 3 opening tracks really. incredible start to an album.

i agree that this is the best REM album.

Love this album, as Dr. Casino mentioned, for the rockers, but voted for "Swan Swan H," which circa 1990 I used to pore over trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Still love that song and this whole album.

"The Flowers of Guatemala" over "Begin The Begin". It's REM's first power ballad! And an honest to goodness guitar solo! With bells! The title suggests something political, probably about US military involvement in Central America, but the lyric seems to be about poisonous mushrooms. Is this love or is it confusion? Never mind. I still don't really get the politics, but the mystery is typically REM. It's one of my five favorite REM songs.

http://www.jcu.edu/chemistry/naosmm/2007/11031952Fire.jpg

Begin the Begin

Hahahaha (xpost)

"Superman" for me

Wait, Doctor Casino, you only like the rockers on this, and therefore your list of favorites goes SEVEN LONG without including "These Days?"

Just never really stuck with me.

The guitar solo on the Flowers of Guatemala is really something special.

Voted for "I Believe" but really I could vote for anyone of these

I really do hate "Swan Swan H," though.

Listening to this record right now, turned UP, and the rockers really just kill, every one of them. "These Days" is way better than I think of it as being, and "I Believe" is sharp as a tack. This is like Stipe's Wise Indian album -

When I was young and full of grace
And spirited - a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever felled
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honor not to tell

I believe in coyotes...

And man, from the opening bars I'm wondering if I should have voted for "Superman," which, cover or not, is one of the most sublime pop songs they ever put out. This must have brought the house down back in the day. God bless Mills.

Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL
Please do the CHRONIC TOWN POLL

I heard Cuyahoga in my head this morning. Getting impatient for the results of this one...

voted Cuyahoga. I was singing it the other day, too.

"fall on me" ftw, but i voted "these days" because it may be underloved. (and i think part of what makes "fall on me" work is the clamorous lead-in of "these days.")

(this is undoubtedly the r.e.m. album i have listened to the most over the years.)

Am also impatient for the results, may start shortening these to a week and a half. It's just nice to catch the stragglers and lurkers. Will launch the next, highly-anticipated poll hot on the heels of these results tho!

poll hot
hot poll
poll hot
hot poll

(this is undoubtedly the r.e.m. album i have listened to the most over the years.)

this

but still cuyahoga... intro was the first thing I played on a bass lol

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Still, I think the thing with the remasters of Murmur and Reckoning was not just that they were fuller sounding but the improved clarity and definition. And the Fables one made the guitars sound so good!

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15625-lifes-rich-pageant-25th-anniversary-edition/

This is like Stipe's Wise Indian album

This was a very stupid comment by me, sorry y'all.

lol

i love this album so much. i have the best vinyl copy of it and i am blasting it right now. i wish you could hear how good it sounds. it fills me with joy. also probably my fave stipe lyrics of any rem album. my kinda surreal americana. wish more people did that. fuck with the desert. but maybe not like jim morrison. no offense to jim.

second. still my fave of theirs, even though i was a teen chronic town snob. i remember walking into strawberries at like, downtown crossing in boston the day it dropped and getting it.

Many of their gnarliest riffs, and a blast to listen to.

fly to carry each his burden

can we get some love for Flowers of Guatemala? i have always really loved that song and probably posted the same thing upthread but i feel like it deserves more votes than 2!! tough competition i guess.

americana

"Night wings her hair chains
Here's your wooden greenback sing
Wooden beams and dovetail sweep
I struck that picture ninety times
I walked that path a hundred ninety
Long, low time ago, people talk to me"

on paper at least, this is legit the closest thing to Syd Barrett anyone has done

No votes for Hyena makes me sad, the urgency in the verses in that tune.

"Flowers" is so Velvet-y. And I love that simple guitar solo.

nights unfurl at the opening, in the final act of the beginning of time

"some bone chains and tooth...picks" kills me every time.

Trust in your calling, make sure your calling's true
Think of others, the others think of you
Silly rule golden words make
Practice, practice makes perfect
Perfect is a fault and fault lines change

Swan Swan Hummingbird is the one here that still gives me chills, great album

we are all free now

i don't even actually know all the words. i sing along anyway. i just love how they sound. and "begin the begin" is one of the all time great opening tracks. its amazing.

pretty sure they used "what noisy cats are we"on a t-shirt design back in the day

and "Superman" my god

SWAHN SWAHN HUMMINGBIIIIIRD is the only track I don't get :/

this album is one goddamn classic after another. how can they be so sincere and idealistic without seeming naïve or simple. (i know the answer, it's because michael stipe is an absolute master.) naming a fav REM album is like having to pick between my children but i think LRP is the answer with greater frequency than any other.

backing vocals are so fucking good on this (and they make "Fall on Me" a deserving winner)

WHAT IS IT UP IN THE AIR?

FLY TO CARRY EACH HIS BURDEN
WE ARE YOUNG despite the years

(this is undoubtedly the r.e.m. album i have listened to the most over the years.)

― tipsy mothra, Monday, December 29, 2008 5:42 PM (sixteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Still true!

his has the best one-two-three of any R.E.M. album post-Murmur.

Voted for "Flowers of Guatemala" over "Begin the Begin" and "Fall On Me" -- love Buck's solo and Berry's Mo Tucker imitation.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn

missed this poll but would've voted for "i believe"

This is one of the very first albums I ever listened to that wasn't a "new" album, which didn't seem significant at the time but kind of does now in light of how much music I've since listened to. I borrowed Eponymous at the same time (both from the local library), thinking it was very possible the compilation would cover most of my needs, but I put LRP on and yes indeed it was one great track after another. It was like WTF how is only ONE track on the ostensible "best of" album?

this album is one goddamn classic after another. how can they be so sincere and idealistic without seeming naïve or simple. (i know the answer, it's because michael stipe is an absolute master.) naming a fav REM album is like having to pick between my children but i think LRP is the answer with greater frequency than any other.

― Lavator Shemmelpennick

there’s otm, then there’s OTM

it’s funny to look at the poll results because every single one got robbed

I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract

otm

Still my go-to REM album. "Superman" got lots of play by my kids.

https://remhq.com/news/michael-shannon-jason-narducy-friends-announce-lifes-rich-pageant-tribute-tour/

I saw the Fables tribute that they did earlier this year and it was fantastic (and Stipe joining them during the encore for Pretty Persuasion was a nice treat). Got my tickets for this one and very much looking forward to it.

It's hilarious and awesome that Shannon's making a real gig of this.

Among the reasons I love "These Days" is that it's a great showcase for Bill Berry's drumming, he is really on it — pushing at the beat coming out of the gate and then sitting back into it, but still with the engine revved. The most underrated band member, though I guess that's often true of drummers. He was comfortable/conversant with punk/postpunk energy but also really tuned into the lyricism of the songs. (Not even mentioning his invaluable vocals and songwriting of course.)

I Believe!

I wonder if they’ll do all 15 albums?

I would stop at Green.

The most underrated band member, though I guess that's often true of drummers.

Saw the Michael Shannon/Jason Narducy band last night, covering this album in its entirety plus the following setlist (from memory and not in order) (hidden in case you've got tickets coming up and want it to be a surprise):

Lotus
Gardening at Night
E-Bow the Letter
Burning Down
Carnival of Sorts
Crush With Eyeliner
The Lifting
Fretless
You are the Everything
Fireplace
Pilgrimage
Try Not to Breathe
These Days, reprised (with Michael Stipe)
The Great Beyond (with Michael Stipe)
How the West Was Won and Where it Got Us
Me in Honey
Radio Free Europe
Star 69

I don't normally hit up this kind of gig, but I really really enjoyed myself! I've never seen R.E.M. live, and it was just really fun to hear these songs played with a lot of verve and oomph to a packed house that was feeling it. At moments it really felt like "oh maybe this is what it was like to see them live in 1986," though of course all the glowing cellphones and the modern, professional, multiple-backup-guitarists lineup cuts against that a little.

On the other hand, the more or less consistent sound gave me new doorways into the late 80s and Monster cuts - I'm actually pretty into the idea of catching the Document tour next year for that reason specifically. And of course, it was a thrill to see Stipe come out on stage. But the best was just hearing all those songs LOUD, drums pounding, being reminded what a rock band they always were. Recommended!

How is Shannon the musician? Love him as the actor.

xp I haven't gone to these reunion shows, but that's kind of why I'm planning to go, either for Document or Automatic. R.E.M. was one of the very first bands (like first TWO bands) that I ever got into when I first got wind of rock music as a kid, and while I might've been too young to see R.E.M. in its original quartet form, it's also irritating that being in the right time and maybe the right place was cancelled out by my family's resistance to and discouragement of rock music. The idea of taking a kid to a rock show was completely off the table. I don't have kids myself, but I have younger relatives and I told their parents - "look, if your kid wants to go to a show, *I* will take them. Don't make them miss out on something that'll be a big deal for them just because you don't want to go."

Definitely second that! Take kids to shows. My dad took me to two of my first shows (U2 and Ramones) and one of his best friends took me and some pals to see two others (Springsteen and Prince), which were all amazing and I'm glad I got to see them when I was still too young to drive myself. R.E.M. did me the favor of showing up on my college campus my freshman year on the Document tour, with 10,000 Maniacs in tow.

(Only one of my kids is super into music, we started going to shows as soon as he asked. His very first was Beyonce, when he was 11, followed by Kendrick when he was 12 and MGMT when he was 13.)

That's awesome! Honestly, I envy parents who have kids that share an interest in music, and being able to go to shows together just seems like the best thing in the world. Someone once told me I would never go to shows anymore once I had kids because I'd be staying at home like them, and I immediately thought, what makes you think your kids will be disinterested music? Are they never going to shows or are you never going to take them? I wanted to go to a rock show when I was SIX.

Re: musicianship: The band as a whole is very solid. The drummer may not 100% match Berry's feel, but he attacks the songs with such energy and precision that it doesn't matter. They're generally playing everything just a bit faster than on record, as bands sometimes do... "Fall On Me" is the only song where I think that ended up costing the song something.

And Shannon is solid too! He's hitting a good midpoint between just singing the songs and doing a Stipe impression. Physically it feels like a very committed, actorly attempt to study the subject's physicality at length - there's a lot of "look and feel" there. But he's willing to vary the delivery of particular lines, and engaged the crowd with a few one-liners and a few sincere statements about what the band means to them, etc.

These tribute acts are only going to get bigger and bigger going forward for obvious reasons.

This particular version of a tribute act points a particular way forward for movie stars who can sing or play but aren't really going to make it under their own creative steam. People will pay to see tribute bands, but they'll pay more to see famous people do tributes to other famous people.

I caught the Shannon/friends thing in Boston the other night (as I did last year for the Fables re-creation) and quite enjoyed it, but also wondered OK, which actor is going to do this with the Replacements?

I love the footage of Swan Swan H from 'Athens GA Inside Out', was this ever cleaned up for Blu Ray and whatnot? It should've been.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LohVIMgk_3Y

Apparently, the filmmaker donated the original materials to the archives at UGA, and they recently ran a successful fundraising campaign to pay for restoration/transfer for the 40th anniversary - which is this year! https://give.uga.edu/funders/inside-out-funder/. So, keep an eye out for news - I'd imagine we might see it making the art house/restoration circuit, at a minimum.

Wow yeah that sounds great.