Best R.E.M. Album

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Just another poll. Ho hum. *twiddles thumbs*

Poll Results

Option	Votes
Murmur	28
Lifes Rich Pageant	19
Fables of The Reconstruction	16
Reckoning	15
New Adventures For Hi-Fi	15
Automatic For The People	11
Chronic Town	8
Out Of Time	8
Green	6
I couldn't give a flying fuck about R.E.M.	5
Monsters	5
Document	4
Up	2
Dead Letter Office	1
Eponymous	1
Reveal	1
Around The Sun	1
Something after that that I don't know about yet	0

― Bimble, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 05:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

Bimble! Evil! Stop hurting my brain!

― Trayce, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 05:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

New Adventures, without a doubt!

― Dr.C, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 07:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

Life's Rich Pageant, then New Adventures, for me.

― Matt DC, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 08:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

AFTP for personal reasons.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 08:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Out of Time (Yeah, I know)

― the next grozart, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 08:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

These days I'm in the flying fuck dept but I ticked Green, because even if I don't like the music anymore I have a very happy memory of discovering the music.

― Groke, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

I know this is gonna come off an iconoclastic, and honestly, I know other REM albums are better, but I had to vote for Around the Sun. It came out at a disappointing moment in my life, and though it's really a mediocre album, it just consumed me (whatever that means). I really latched onto it, possibly because Stipe's voice on 'Leaving New York' and 'Electron Blue' doesn't just sound mediocre - it sounds like Stipe's version of self-loathing, despair mediocrity*. It's like an idealized version of the depressing parts of Finding It Hard to Breathe. And so that + my disheveled state added up for me. If there were an underrated REM album poll, I could probably justify this better. But as it is - my vote goes there.

* Just think of the exhausting attempt to say the lyrics - how he gasps them out - and how the chorus does that slight britpop soar, but in all the wrong ways. You don't feel uplifted - it just disgusts you completely. Also, alternative explanation: REM's Around the Sun is their William Gibson record.

― Mordechai Shinefield, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 10:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ohmygod. I'm relistening to the songs on that album that I loved, and I don't UNDERSTAND how this was so critically panned. Electron Blue feels like staying up all night, being bleary eyed, but hopeful - your body feels stomped upon, but undefeated. WTF happened here? Were people just too nostalgic for old REM, or am I just conflating my own personal experience with this album too much?

― Mordechai Shinefield, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 10:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

You're OTM, Mordechai. A terrific album!

― Dr.C, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 10:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

They'll never again touch the greatness of Chronic Town.

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Hey, Alex! Welcome back!

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

New Adventures in Hi-Fi

― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

Glad to see New Adventures get so much love. Bill Berry's last record with them and that young man was the band's weapon of traps destruction. This was the one recorded during sound checks and rehearsals, correct? Sounds like it. A very rocking record.

― ellaguru, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

the only one I ever really "got into" was Murmur, and it was well past college age when that happened. I guess most of the other REM albums I've heard have at least a couple awful tracks each, which leaves this one. Yes, I like "Catapult".

― pj, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

Today I'll say Life's Rich Pageant, but another day I'd say Reckoning. Or Murmur. I don't know any of them after Monster.

― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm voting for Reckoning but another day I'd say Reckoning. None of the others (that I've heard) come anywhere close - although judging from some of the coments above I may have to try New Adventures

― Stewart Osborne, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

I voted for Lifes Rich Pageant, which contains my favorite song of all time but isn't all that great of an album (it ends with a four-song stretch of pure filler, and yes, "Superman" counts). Shoulda voted for New Adventures.

― Erroneous Botch, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 13:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

murmur for sure

― Charlie Howard, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

Incredibly tough call between Murmur and New Adventures for me, and if you'd asked a few years ago it would have been Automatic, Up or Pageant in a heartbeat. This is a band you can really grow along with, I think; I'm ticking New Adventures for now but when this thread gets revived in 2015 I may stare back at this post in utter confusion that I let Reveal lay unheralded.

― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

green w/o a moment's hesitation

― gff, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

For years I would have said Pageant easily. But upon playing it again...that production doesn't hold up too well. Fantastic songs, though.

I don't have a good answer for why I want to pick Murmur over Chronic Town.

Surprised no one's stood up for Document. I haven't heard that one in its entirety for 20 years, but I know there's a least a few good ones on that that haven't been played on the radio too many times.

― Bimble, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

side 2 of Document is a train wreck

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Whoa, two Around the Sun fans on this thread! You guys rock - great album.

― Tim Ellison, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't UNDERSTAND how this was so critically panned. Electron Blue feels like staying up all night, being bleary eyed, but hopeful - your body feels stomped upon, but undefeated. WTF happened here?

I ruminated on that question A LOT on the Around the Sun thread. : D

― Tim Ellison, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost

I never understood that. No worse than anything they tacked onto Lifes Rich Pageant. Also way funnier. In fact Fireplace is more interesting than half that record.

― dan., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

I LOVE "Up." I LOVE "Reveal." I cannot listen to "Around the Sun."

― Davey D, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost Oh come on. Fireplace is a snoozer. Oddfellows sucks eggs. King of Birds is okay. Lightning Hopkins is dog food. at least LRP is upbeat. The One I Love I am sooo sick of.

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

fables

― kamerad, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

Lightning Hopkins is dog food. at least LRP is upbeat.

Bahahahahahah I love you guys.

Then someone sticks up for Fables. About bloody time!
:)

― Bimble, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

When did Alex in NYC turn into a self-promoting blog ho? ;_;

― David R., Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

Oh I already voted for Fables but I'm tired of telling people why they're wrong.

― Noodle Vague, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

Guilty as charged!

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Is Dead Letter Office understood to contain Chronic Town? Or is that just the CD? It's really the only R.E.M. I reach for any more.

also, I don't know any of them after Monster either.

― will, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

So Noodle likes FABLES!!! LOVELY!!!!

I finally pulled that one out the other day and played Kohoutek and it really flipped my lid. I'm not sure that song is as good as Cuyahoga off LRP, though. But there is a lot of absolutely fabulous material all over Fables, no doubt.

HELL no, Dead Letter Office does NOT contain Chronic Town. Let's not get confused: Dead Letter Office is a far, far less essential purchase than Chronic Town.

speaking of which: is Chronic Town on the Murmur CD or something, or how did they get that out on CD? I still only know REM on vinyl.

― Bimble, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

whoa im so glad there are other votes for LRP. reckoning/murmur are so close though.

― 69, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

Bimble, they got Chronic Town out on CD by putting it on Dead Letter Office.

It was the first CD I ever bought. :(

― Groke, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

AFTP for personal reasons.

-- Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, May 1, 2007 4:49 AM (8 hours ago)

btw this exact sentiment may not be like unprecedented

― 69, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

i voted for adventures.

but now all this fables talk made me wish i had voted for that. i just listened to it the other day, and it's really good.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

automatic ftp. am i really the only one? i almost went for "up" but a lot of my fondness for that stems from extra-musical memories associated with it.

― negotiable, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

i just voted for Murmur. every other album has a song that i don't like for some reason.

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 17:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

I voted for Monsters. After Out of Time and Automatic For the People, it was kinda nice just to hear R.E.M. chill out and make a rock record. And Peter Buck overuses that crunchy reverb sound so much, it's like it's so dud it's classic.

― Pleasant Plains, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm going with Green.

― Joe, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

Bimble, they got Chronic Town out on CD by putting it on Dead Letter Office.

Sacrilege!

― Bimble, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

Dead Letter Office is awesome. I should have voted for that.

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah if we're counting DLO/ CT together it's pretty tough to beat. Chronic Town is like distilled REM awesomeness and DLO is just fun.

― will, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

voice of harold

― mookieproof, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

Burning Hell and Windout!

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Windout is some fine rock n' roll, tis true.

― Bimble, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 18:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Out of Time.

Haha, just kidding! Murmur is by far my favorite. I pretty much love all their albums, though, except their last three. I haven't even heard Reveal.

― Xtal, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 19:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 11 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You could say that about R.E.M., yes. I don't think they have ever released an album that has been completely devoid of weaker tracks. "Automatic For The People" comes close, though, which is one of the main reasons why it is my favourite.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 22:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

Life's Rich Pageant wins for me. I don't get all the love for New Adventures. It always struck me as pretty half-assed.

― Moodles, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 23:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

Chronic Town, because it's short. And sounded vaguely new at the time.

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 00:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

But listening to single album sides at a time is nice and with albums you got more for your money.

So maybe Reckoning, which, for me, feels like continued increase of artistic power inherent in their whole early thing. Fables does too, but we've been over the issues of their post-Easter/Dixon productions before.

― Tim Ellison, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 00:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

Reckoning wins by a nose...Pageant and Document aren't far behind.

― inajar, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 02:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Fables is mine for sure, but like Marcello its for mostly personal associative reasons. I love "Feeling Gravity's Pull".

― Trayce, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 03:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

Fables!! Always and forever. "Kohoutek" especially. Murmur = #2. Reckoning is about as annoying as LRP.

― wanko ergo sum, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 03:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

No wonder Geir doesn't like "Radio Song." That amelodic rhythm dominate hip op chappie comes in after 20 or 30 seconds!

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 07:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

New Adventures in Hi-Fi gets so much love here, which is the way it ought to be considering it's their greatest album!

Admittedly, I haven't heard Around The Sun, but NAIHF should have been their swan song, exiting quietly but firmly to the words "I'm not scared, I'm out of here..." like the twentieth century going to sleep with the promise or threat of someday reawakening.

(No disrespect to Up or Reveal either, we're just talking albums here after all...)

― Lostandfound, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 07:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm having trouble understanding this.

The syntax, or the concept? What I mean is that the albums lack the consistent and timeless brilliance of the stuff on Eponymous. I was greatly disappointed by this.

― Richard Wood Johnson, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 19:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

new adventures in hi-fi

i spent a year full of late-night road trips listening to it front to back, over and over - driving from austin to dallas to houston and all over elsewhere to see big spectacles (radiohead, for example) that didn't come to austin - so it's my sentimental favorite

― stephen, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 22:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

when does this poll finish?

― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Friday, 4 May 2007 16:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

LRP, and i LOVE the '80s production

― get bent, Friday, 4 May 2007 16:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

There should be a button for "At one point all of them, but now, meh."

― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 4 May 2007 18:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

lifes rich pageant.

― pisces, Friday, 4 May 2007 22:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

If Chronic Town were an album, I might vote that, but I'm going with Murmur because it's the only record where I like ALL the songs. It's my favorite tape to throw on while driving at night (insert bad nighttime gardening-related joke here).

Definitely agree with all the acclaim for New Adventures in Hi-Fi, the last great record they released IMHO. Also a big fan of Fables: "Driver 8" and "Green Grow the Rushes" never fail to please.

― mike mike, Saturday, 5 May 2007 00:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

My guess is, I ended the poll either the 9th or the 14th. But I don't remember and I promise not to do this anymore. I will always say when the poll ends in the thread title from now on, as I believe everyone should do. I mean *ahem*...*IF* I or anyone starts any new polls that is...*cough*.

― Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 03:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

Obviously I don't approve of all the complainers who influenced our hard-working programmers to get rid of the red type on polls in the new answers page. Spoilers!!

― Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 03:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

I decided LRP was the best around the time that Up came out, and I haven't ever bothered to listen to REM enough to rethink my opinion. I prefer it this way— I'm usually pleasantly surprised when someone puts on an REM record that I haven't heard in years.

― I eat cannibals, Saturday, 5 May 2007 04:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

I hope someone votes for Monster but I voted Murmur.

― Sundar, Saturday, 5 May 2007 04:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

LRP was what made me fall in love with the band, so for that alone, I feel I owe it something. But that production which sounded so "current" at the time sounds so paper thin, now.

― Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 04:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

I love the sound Don Gehman gets from Bill Berry's snares though!

(btw I'm heartened by the love for LRP, which I've celebrated in its own thread)

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Saturday, 5 May 2007 05:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Life's Rich Pageant" contains the great "Fall On Me" but that in itself isn't enough for me. I think they had sort of a down period after their two first album until they found themselves on "Green". The worst down-period was the mid 90s with the horrible "Monster" and the not quite satisfactory "New Adventures In Hi-Fi" though.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 5 May 2007 09:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

Are there demos of LRP somewhere with different production? *salivating*

It really was my fave album of theirs for years and years. It was just so in-your-face and catchy and compelling and even...joyous at times. Totally a new leaf for them.

I gave up after Document. These folks that know things after Green are speaking a totally different language than I can imagine. I keep thinking "well maybe I should check out AFTP since it seems to be the most popular latter day REM thing, and then I think 'no way that's sacrilege isn't it? there's no way in the world they could have done anything to match their earlier stuff NO WAY', etc."

― Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 09:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Reckoning was the first Cd I bought along with the Pretty In Pink soundtrack.

― brg30, Saturday, 5 May 2007 14:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

It's a funny thing with REM, there are a ton of people who got on board in the Warner years, checked out the back catalog, and now love the whole enchilada.... and a similar ton of people who got on board around Reckoning/Fables, gave up at Green, and have no interest in anything after that. But both of these camps give equal love to the first four or so LPs and Chronic Town.

All of which is to say: Bimble, you should give AFTP a go. It's a different REM, and certainly heir to some of the less inspiring directions of Document and Green, but it's also one of their most cohesive records, the counterpoint to the claim that they weren't a very good "album" band. A bit too "stately" but a peak for them in songwriting.

― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 5 May 2007 15:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh shit, REM used to be my favorite band at one point... i voted for Reckoning, but AFTP and New Adventures have way more sentimental value.

― river wolf, Saturday, 5 May 2007 19:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

I have decided that "Near Wild Honey" will be the first thing I listen to once I get pack to the States after two more months in Peru.

I also really really like Monster, AFTP, and New Adventures. Green was the one I never liked, fortunately I gave them another chance after that.

― sleeve, Saturday, 5 May 2007 22:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

pack=back

― sleeve, Saturday, 5 May 2007 22:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

Results are in and I couldn't be happier.

― Bimble, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 05:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

nice to see the unjustly maligned Fables get some love

― gershy, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 05:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

Wow, a vote for every single choice. I can understand the variety of taste, but Monster and Around the Sun?

― Z S, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 05:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

around the sun > reveal, up, new adventures, monster

― Tim Ellison, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 06:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

Surprised to see Fables so high, but happy with the top four

― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 08:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

OK, you've convinced me to get New Adventures in Hi-Fi.... but surely I should be able to pick this up for five or six quid; how come it's so bleedin' expensive when it's more than ten years old???

― Stewart Osborne, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 08:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

it's LONG. there should be a best track off NEW ADVENTURES poll to help you weed out the rubbish bits.

― pisces, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 08:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Stewart, get it from Amazon marketplace, they've got copies there from 50p.

― Billy Dods, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 09:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

I have decided that "Near Wild Honey"

...would be the best REM mashup ever made.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 14:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Up" was robbed btw. Not that I voted for it, but it deserved better.

This thread (and a $1 cassette) have prompted me getting back into Fables, which is one of the ones I've listened to least and (perhaps consequently) find myself liking the most. Oh, Kohoutek! How I slept on thee. Also, the double-whammy of "Driver 8" followed by "Live and How To Live It," with "Can't Get There From Here" on the same record - this is supposed to be REM's weird dark record but it's also their hardest-rocking - Chronic Town aside.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 14:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm with you on -Up-, Doc. I'm part of the bailed-with-Green crowd and -Up- is the only post-Document album I own. It's like an entirely different band, really. A haunting record.

― Mr. Odd, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 14:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

"I have decided that "Near Wild Honey"

...would be the best REM mashup ever made."

ha, guilty as charged (and that WOULD sound cool). I am far away from my records right now.

btw "Honey"="Heaven", of course.

― sleeve, Thursday, 10 May 2007 01:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

Up is definitely worth hearing if you haven't already. Would maybe have even voted for it if I hadn't voted for NAIHF.

― Lostandfound, Thursday, 10 May 2007 06:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

I agree that Up is well worth a listen. I still think the track order lets it down when people are first listening to it. Really doesn't play to it's strengths.

― treefell, Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Like Sleeve, I am far, far away from my records right now, *weeps* but Steven seems to say what I initially thought upon reading these results.

I CAN SURVIVE 3 MORE DAYS WITHOUT R.E.M. ON VINYL. I CAN DO THIS.

― Bimble, Saturday, 12 May 2007 12:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Up" is great but so is everything else they've done after Bill Berry left too.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 17:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

well, not "Beach Ball." their recent cover of "#9 Dream" is not so hot either, honestly. but fairly otm, and around the sun is the best of the three!

― Tim Ellison, Saturday, 12 May 2007 17:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

I find "Reveal" the best of the three, but they all have their moments. Not to mention the non-album single "The Great Beyond", which is one of their best ever songs.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

yes. i think the songwriting got tighter on around the sun. more direct and less like radiohead or something.

― Tim Ellison, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

Five people so didn't give a flying fuck about R.E.M. that THEY VOTED IN A BEST R.E.M. ALBUM POLL!

― Lostandfound, Sunday, 13 May 2007 07:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

Very, very pleased by the revisionism here.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 13 May 2007 11:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

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