POO- REM

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Ooooh, ooooh, my turn to start a thread on this vogue trend.

OK, the unseen power of the picket fence merchants... pick one.

I'll take "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The POO! has hit the fan.. I'll forever ride the fence on the subject of REM, but I do like "Nightswimming".

― Keiko, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I Remember California"

― Norman Phay, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"These Days" from Life's Rich Pageant

― paul, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Fretless" -- Like my Depeche Mode pick, this one's from the soundtrack to Until the End of the World. A very close second would be "Country Feedback" from Out of Time.

― Tim DiGravina, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Radio Free Europe, mummbling yumminess. I say by Monday we declare Poo passe.

― Mr Noodles, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

One more for "Nightswimming."

― Christine "Green Leafy" Indigo, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"You are the Everything" off of Green.

― Joe, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

kahoutek

― keith, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"So. Central Rain"

― earlnash, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

these poo threads would be a lot better if people said more about WHY the only one

― Josh, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"gardening at night" ooh yes

― grimble, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

What Josh said! You guys are killing POO! I think "Nightswimming" is a wonderful ballad and it makes me forget about all the baggage attached to REM in general.

― Keiko, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Pretty Persuasion"

― J Blount, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Superman." Weird, I know, but I love it to pieces.

― Douglas, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Radio Song, featuring KRS-One!

― JoB, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

E-Bow The Letter, it has TheImportantLady on it and therefore less Stipe. I quite like REM, but not a great deal.

― Alex Linsdell, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I love that guitar effect that drives "What's the Frequency, Kenneth", though it seems like there should be an REM song I like more.

― Vinnie, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

For some reason, I still really like "Strange Currencies".

― EdwardO, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Talk About the Passion" cause it's so mushy. In a good way, before they started doing mushy in a very very bad way. Also it reminds me of college crushes.

― Arthur, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(A Brief Interlude: Mitch *hates* "Nightswimming" for reasons he can't quite locate.)

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Someone else has taken Ebow so I will take COuntry Feedback, for the lines you come to me with the phone in your hand, you come to me with your hair curled tight, you come to me with positions, excuses.

― Queen of the 120 Days of G, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Orange Crush

― Siegbran Hetteson, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Either "Pretty Persuasion" or "So. Central Rain" for me, because I just love the sound of the guitars, the harmonies, but mostly the sound of Stipe singing like he doesn't know he's going to be/already is a big star.

― Sean Carruthers, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Maps and Legends"

― J, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Their cover of "Crazy" by Pylon on DEAD LETTER OFFICE

― Alex in NYC, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

belong. fall on me.

― cecilia, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, Kahoutek.

― Aaron A., Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll second "Maps and Legends."

― Prude, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

for some reason I'm leaning toward "Near Wild Heaven" here, I think because I love how it sounds not like R.E.M. but the jangle-pop that came in their wake. I also love the lyrics ("Holding our hands/feet/self together/In this near wild heaven/Not near enough!") and Stipe's backing "ba-ba-ba"s. For Stipe-sung, put me down for "Laughing" off Murmur, which is the sound of yearning personified.

― M Matos, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

probably "i believe" for the lines: "practice makes perfect, perfect is at fault, and fault lines change". i usually don't pay a blind bit of notice to lyrics in songs but that one i find incredibly effective. no idea why. i just love it from the way the song just barges in after the banjo to the accordeon at the end... either that or "carnival of sorts" as it was the first REM song i ever heard...

― commonswings, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Sitting Still" from Murmur. Jangle Jangle swoon swoon

― electric sound of jim, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Fall on Me" - after they started writing songs where there was a logical progession from line to line; before their Green got too pale. Mostly for the way Stipe makes you wait till the third time through before he rhymes "sell the sky" with "tell the sky".

― B-Rad, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Radio Free Europe", because it's the only one that still sounds like it's full of energy to me.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"perfect circle" - murmur ("wolves, lower" - chronic town)

― gygax! (i forgot my blog password), Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Shaking Through" !!! I'd already picked "Fretless," but I forgot about this one from Murmur. -- A touching, beautiful song. Sorry "Country Feedback," it was good knowing you.

― Tim DiGravina, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I have a few REM albums, predictably like the older stuff better, and decree "Catapult" my favorite song of theirs- LOVE that intro! It has such a great rumble sound to it. Also a great Stipe vocal.

"did we miss anything..."

― Ryan, Tuesday, 25 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Don't Go Back to Rockville"

― o. nate, Tuesday, 25 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

Tossup between "Near Wild Heaven" and "Country Feedback" from OOT.

Also, it's funny to see that POO used to be a happenin' trend!

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

Today it's "Flowers of Guatamala." It's got one of the best faux-Velvets chord progressions ever, Bill Berry pit-pats the drums doing his best Moe Tucker, has tolerable (and parsable) poetry, and features my very favorite Peter Buck solo.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 15:30 (nineteen years ago)

"Life and How to Live It"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

"Electrolite"

― xero (xero), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 15:56 (nineteen years ago)

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)"

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 16:41 (nineteen years ago)

Chronic Town is, like, the best record ever.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

Now that I've come to appreciate and even love the big key change, "Shaking Through" wins this in a landslide.

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

This is a tuffin. They had some great tunes - the early years in particular. I love "So. Central Rain" and "Talk About The Passion" among others but I think I'd go with "Laughing".

― Orange Pimp (Orange Pimp), Thursday, 15 June 2006 00:58 (nineteen years ago)

I choose "Superman".

Favourite R.E.M. original: "So. Central Rain". At least while the song is playing, I can briefly glimpse a hint of (what I think is) the whole enigmatic/magnetic aura that made so many people (aside from myself) worship these guys. As usual, I'm not sure what Stipe was singing half the time, but his "I'm sorry" sounds sincere enough, and that appropriately sad little 12-string intro helps.

In fact, now that I think of it, I consider (nearly) that entire first side of Reckoning to be pretty enjoyable. Guess I don't hate 'em as much as I've always pretended to. (I do hate most everything post-I.R.S. tho.)

― Monty Von Byonga (Monty Von Byonga), Thursday, 15 June 2006 03:12 (nineteen years ago)

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"

Don't know why this song gets such a bad rap, even from the band. I've always loved it.

― Marmot 4-Tay (marmotwolof), Thursday, 15 June 2006 03:23 (nineteen years ago)

Dunno if it's my favorite, but "Harborcoat" belongs on that High Fidelity list of best opening tracks ever.

― sinful caesar sipped his snifter (kenan), Thursday, 15 June 2006 04:00 (nineteen years ago)

"Near Wild Heaven" and "Shiny Happy People" are the only R.E.M. I happen to love. ok, maybe "Drive" too.

― Max Blazevic (kitaj), Thursday, 15 June 2006 09:10 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 27 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"Shaking Through" from Murmur. Because of the poignancy of the first few lines
"Could it be that one small voice, doesn't count in the world",
and then it becomes incomprehensible, something about geisha girls.
Lovely guitar line. Great middle 8.
From when they were mysterious, not a big fuckoff rock band.

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Tuesday, 7 October 2008 08:37 (seventeen years ago)

Disturbance At The Heron House - Mainly because I got into REM just before Document came out and it's the first REM song that really caught my ear and I love Stipe's beautiful vaulting vocal melody in the verses, he never sang it live the same way so it must have been a bit of a stretch.

― MaresNest, Tuesday, 7 October 2008 10:48 (seventeen years ago)

sitting still

― jonty alouette (electricsound), Tuesday, 7 October 2008 11:53 (seventeen years ago)

haha i didn't see my previous post

― jonty alouette (electricsound), Tuesday, 7 October 2008 11:53 (seventeen years ago)

One I Love, End of the World as We Know It and Radio Free Europe were all indie disco floor fillers in my formative years and as a rule I'd normally side with IRS era stuff but I think I'm going to go with What's the Frequency, Kenneth? as it's the only REM song I ever think about listening to these days. I love the intro and the guitar sounds and Stipe's voice is less irritating than normal.

― aye it's me (onimo), Tuesday, 7 October 2008 12:21 (seventeen years ago)

Drive

Close runnerup: Life & How To Live It

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 7 October 2008 13:51 (seventeen years ago)

five months pass...

Man on the Moon wins despite strong competition from about a dozen others.

― Cunga, Wednesday, 11 March 2009 08:31 (seventeen years ago)

I'd still go fo' "Find the River"

― t**t, Wednesday, 11 March 2009 12:59 (seventeen years ago)

there's a copy of Murmur for sale at my workplace for like $12.99...am totally buying it this Friday (provided it doesnt cut too deeply into my Watchmen movie money)

― drugs wish they could be as cool as MBV (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 12 March 2009 00:55 (seventeen years ago)

two years pass...

nightswimming. its their only song, really

― ♞/♘ (Lamp), Thursday, 24 March 2011 03:08 (fifteen years ago)

It's something of an apotheosis, I admit. But it's also a sign of indulgence to come that R.E.M. had a perfect album ender with that one and didn't end the album with it!

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 24 March 2011 11:49 (fifteen years ago)

So many songs I like from throughout their career, but the correct answer iiiiiis... "Country Feedback".

― You killed my accountant... now YOU must be my accountant (dog latin), Thursday, 24 March 2011 11:52 (fifteen years ago)

"shaking through"

― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 24 March 2011 13:19 (fifteen years ago)

Gardening
At
Night

― Trip Maker, Thursday, 24 March 2011 13:58 (fifteen years ago)

The One I Love

― eurohouse autozone tune (rip van wanko), Thursday, 24 March 2011 14:08 (fifteen years ago)

Laughing

― Kitchen Person, Thursday, 24 March 2011 14:12 (fifteen years ago)

Harbourcoat no contest

― iatee, Thursday, 24 March 2011 14:13 (fifteen years ago)

qualmsley sending me back to Shaking Through. Glorious. I keep finding tracks on Murmur that I feel like I've underrated.

― Pop is superior to all other genres (DL), Thursday, 24 March 2011 14:24 (fifteen years ago)

The reason I choose GAN: I hadn't listened to REM in years and a friend put that song on a mix which ushered in a new era of REM obsession for me and got me to go back and check out all their 80s output and really fall in love with it. There are many other REM songs I love that I could imagine POOing at one time or another.

― Trip Maker, Thursday, 24 March 2011 14:27 (fifteen years ago)

E-Bow the Letter

but Gardening at Night comes in at #3 trip

― Destroy A. Monsters (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 24 March 2011 14:33 (fifteen years ago)

Shaking Through is the best song from the pre-major years. The chorus breaks through like sunshine through clouds.

― You killed my accountant... now YOU must be my accountant (dog latin), Thursday, 24 March 2011 15:09 (fifteen years ago)

for a third time in five years: "find the river" :)

― t**t, Thursday, 24 March 2011 17:52 (fifteen years ago)

xpost Love "Country Feedback," but it's another example of enlisting a dramatic, striking song as the penultimate track (much as I like "Find the River!"). Speaking of "Automatic," I'm a big fan of "Try Not to Breathe." In terms of song placement, it's such a perfect follow-up to "Drive." Killer bridge.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 24 March 2011 18:39 (fifteen years ago)

"Blue", the closer on the new albummm, starts out almost like a reminiscence of "Country Feedback":)

― t**t, Thursday, 24 March 2011 18:58 (fifteen years ago)

Radio Free Europe

― chromecassettes, Thursday, 24 March 2011 19:17 (fifteen years ago)

Please file my "Harborcoat" vote.

― Suspicious Hive Minds (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 24 March 2011 20:10 (fifteen years ago)

"could it be that one small voice, doesn't count in the world..."
(at least that's what I think he says.)
I love the early mysterious REM, not the big rock band of later years so much
So it's between Shaking Through, Feeling Gravity's Pull and Fall on Me.
I'll go for Shaking Through for that wonderful wordless middle 8 that's all Stipe mumble

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:28 (fifteen years ago)

I forgot Boxcars. Also sublime.

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:29 (fifteen years ago)

early mysterious rem is my favorite too. "long gone intuition / to assume are gone / when we try / listen with your eyes / oversimplify / westest." i still have no idea what he's on about, but i'll never stop wanting to. sometimes i think because rem stayed and aged together, it's harder to remember how michael was sort of like morrissey to a lot of us clueless yanks back in the day

― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:37 (fifteen years ago)

Have I really never posted in this thread before? OK, then. "Pilgrimage."

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Sunday, 27 March 2011 04:02 (fifteen years ago)

Stipe has often said "County Feedback" is his best song -- listening to it now, I think it's diluted by association with many similar-sounding tracks on later albums. The songs on Out of Time that sound freshest are the ones whose sound REM never really returned to, like "Me In Honey," or, at least until the newest record, "Low" and "Belong."

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 28 March 2011 18:23 (fifteen years ago)

Curious if there's a cultural/commercial context in which the remaining REM members would go on and on about how the new album is their best since Green and very Green-like and really taps into that Green vibe for the first time since Green.

― da croupier, Monday, 28 March 2011 18:35 (fifteen years ago)

Whever I see this thread title I think about how pleasantly unexpected it would be for R.E.M. to title a new album Poo.

― James Woods, Hysterical Realism (Eazy), Monday, 28 March 2011 18:40 (fifteen years ago)

POO is hard (giggles) but I think i'd have to take Rockville. It lyrically resonates with me more than any of their other songs. I know it's not their best or coolest, but if I could only listen to one REM song before I died, it would be Rockville.

― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 28 March 2011 18:42 (fifteen years ago)

or pooing while you're in a light sleep phase. xp

― I'm totally kidding. Congrats strangers. (Matt P), Monday, 28 March 2011 18:44 (fifteen years ago)

Since "pick only ten" is POX and "pick only five" is POV; shouldn't "pick only one" be POI?

Much more palatable IMO.

REM POI, er, POO: "The Great Beyond"

― Lee626, Monday, 28 March 2011 23:11 (fifteen years ago)

another vote for gardening at night, which i think i also put as my #1 in the 'best rem song' poll that we did recently. i'm in the 'mumbly mysterious early rem is my fave' camp, too, although i do enjoy lots of their other stuff too. there are at least a few songs on every release up through the late 90s that i love.

― larry buttz (Z S), Monday, 28 March 2011 23:24 (fifteen years ago)

my first favorite was 'belong'. no idea what i'd poo, but it would certainly be from nothing later than out of time.

― mookieproof, Monday, 28 March 2011 23:32 (fifteen years ago)

Curious if there's a cultural/commercial context in which the remaining REM members would go on and on about how the new album is their best since Green and very Green-like and really taps into that Green vibe for the first time since Green.

The context in which everyone else's level of excitement about a new R.E.M. album were determined by mine would be one such.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 01:44 (fifteen years ago)

see I don't get that remark (haven't followed the discussions on the new album) - is the album objectively errr Green-like or do the REM guys generally describe their latest as a "return to form"?

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 07:38 (fifteen years ago)

twelve years pass...

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
Don't know why this song gets such a bad rap, even from the band. I've always loved it.
― Marmot 4-Tay (marmotwolof), Thursday, June 15, 2006 12:53 AM (seventeen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

otm. EEEE DEEE DEEEEEE

― maf you one two (maffew12), Thursday, 9 November 2023 17:06 (two years ago)

yeah that’s the best song on the damn album, ffs

― brimstead, Thursday, 9 November 2023 17:07 (two years ago)

pilgrimage

― ivy., Thursday, 9 November 2023 17:09 (two years ago)

#1 singalong song. i dunno if it exists in karaoke form but that would be a hard go.

― maf you one two (maffew12), Thursday, 9 November 2023 17:10 (two years ago)

(sidewinder)

― maf you one two (maffew12), Thursday, 9 November 2023 17:10 (two years ago)

how the west was won and where it got us

― brimstead, Thursday, 9 November 2023 17:31 (two years ago)

first instinct is to say "talk about the passion"

― is he disgruntled adrian? (voodoo chili), Thursday, 9 November 2023 17:37 (two years ago)

COMBIEN

― brimstead, Thursday, 9 November 2023 19:11 (two years ago)

Checks thread to see if I already said "Pilgrimage," OK, I did, but it's still "Pilgrimage"

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 9 November 2023 19:18 (two years ago)

Gravity’s

― realistic pillow (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 9 November 2023 23:49 (two years ago)

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