\\\///\\\/// It's the ILX SUPER SUMMER R.E.M. POLL OF POLLS RESULTS THREAD \\\///\\\///

"Orange Crush" might have a chance

― Mosquepanik at Ground Zero (abanana), Tuesday, 31 August 2010 21:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think "Life..." was a wildcard as well.

― ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Tuesday, 31 August 2010 21:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

I put a wildcard at #3, but I don't think it stands a chance.

― Euler, Tuesday, 31 August 2010 21:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

I was waiting for Sitting Still, but have just noticed it was at no.7

― Jerome Personnel Cheeses (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 1 September 2010 06:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

On the merits, "Driver 8" takes it, followed by "Harborcoat." In real life, "Driver 8" followed by "The One I Love" (which certainly doesn't deserve, on the merits, to get shut out.)

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 1 September 2010 12:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

As for my #1. When I was in high school I formed the intention to programatically become more cool. From what I read in Washington CityPaper, it was cool to like REM. This was maybe 1987. I bought _Document_ and _Murmur_ and listened to them over and over until I was cool.

Mills's up-the-stairs-down-the-stairs bassline on "Straight off the boat...." is one of my favorite moments in the history of popular music.

Is that weird? But I was once drunk at a part with a guy who played bass in a medium-successful indie rock band, and I didn't really have anything to talk about, and I started talking about this bassline, and it was like we were fans of the same baseball team or something, we were just instantly best friends, "go bassline!"

I heard this bassline and for the first time -- despite the many, many Yes albums I had listened to by 1987 -- understood that pop music was in certain ways supposed to be complicated.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 1 September 2010 12:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

ha, that's just lovely

― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 1 September 2010 12:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Just heard "Superman" today. When I was in high school this was one of the very most canonical and beloved R.E.M. songs -- didn't even make it into this poll! I still love it to death. One of Stipe's very best wordless shouts behind the lead vocal on the last chorus.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 2 September 2010 02:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

Agreed about "Superman" - - absolutely beautiful recording.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 03:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

You have to remember how Radio Free Europe sounded late at night on commercial radio stations between Men Without fucking Hats and Quarterflash to appreciate how it impacted on observant suburban kids.

― suzy (suzy), Saturday, February 10, 2007 6:47 AM Bookmark

How weird to read that, given that Men Without Hats have held up so much better than REM. Pop Goes The World album > entire REM catalog.

― dlp9001, Thursday, 2 September 2010 03:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

#2: Driver 8
17 votes, 139 points
Highest position: #1 (Pancakes Hackman)
Position in Fables of the Reconstruction poll: #1 (14 votes)

I got into a pretty major car wreck while R.E.M.'s "Driver 8" was playing on the radio. I suspect that it wasn't a coincidence, even though it was the other drivers' fault.

― Chris Barrus, Wednesday, May 23, 2001 8:00 PM Bookmark

I want to vote for "Driver 8," but it's like the mid-80s suburban "Layla" -- EVERY fucking high-school-age band was playing it.

― Sara Sara Sara, Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:57 AM Bookmark

"Driver 8" right now. Basically, everything about it: from that understated yet attention-snagging opening riff, through the propulsive jangle, via that gorgeous bridge ("Way to shield the hated heat /Way to put myself to sleep /Way to shield the hated heat /Way to put myself, my children to sleep") to the overall mood that rides a difficult line between a literal Southern train ride -- rich and imagistic -- and some other more figurative journey (toward death?). R.E.M. were almost always better when they were ambiguous.

― Lostandfound, Monday, July 23, 2007 6:36 PM Bookmark

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 14:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

and, without further ado, speculation, or delay:

#1: Harborcoat
15 votes, 150 points
Highest position: #1 (kuba a)
Position in Reckoning poll: #2 (12 votes)

You people made me download Harbourcoat and I was so impressed I bought the first two albums (...)

― elwisty (elwisty), Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:58 PM Bookmark

did not expect such a strong showing by "Harborcoat", but I'm way happy about it!

― georgeous gorge (bernard snowy), Sunday, January 11, 2009 7:09 PM Bookmark

Harbourcoat just pips Pretty Persuasion for me. Both have some of Buck's best guitar work - Andy Gill angles and McGuinn jangles. Harbourcoat is such as stunning opener, and the way that gorgeous chorus flowers from the post-punky groove of the verse is masterful.

― Stew, Saturday, January 10, 2009 7:52 PM Bookmark

Great album. I am going to vote "Harborcoat" because then the whole album is covering after.

― Mark, Saturday, December 20, 2008 11:18 PM Bookmark

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 14:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thanks to everybody for participating, and for waiting out the, uh, slightly protracted results schedule. Hope y'all have gotten a kick out of all this, and more than anything I hope it's inspired people to pull out some REM!

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 14:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

Playlist is being made right now. Wish I had participated in the voting.

Great work, Doctor Casino.

― a cankle of rads (Gukbe), Thursday, 2 September 2010 14:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

Spotify playlist here: http://open.spotify.com/user/nathanwoolls/playlist/0eC7mZx2r9OaEK3C28rZfZ

― nate woolls, Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

This is awesome, thanks v. much!!

― ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

how I miss spotify. making it through old fashioned iTunes.

― a cankle of rads (Gukbe), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

I have 0 recollection of "Harborcoat" even though I've definitely heard Reckoning

It sounds almost like a Smiths song

― feel free to answer my Korn Kuestion (HI DERE), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

what came #1 in that Reckoning poll? So. Central Rain?

― a cankle of rads (Gukbe), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah, just scrolled up. nevermind.

― a cankle of rads (Gukbe), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

The results:

#30: Disturbance at the Heron House
4 votes, 28 points
#29: It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
2 WILDCARD votes, 29 points
#28: Shaking Through
5 votes, 30 points
#27 (tie): Turn You Inside Out
4 votes, 33 points
#27 (tie): World Leader Pretend
4 votes, 33 points
#26 (tie): Leave
6 votes, 38 points
#26 (tie): Ages of You
5 votes, 38 points
#26 (tie): Daysleeper
6 votes, 38 points
#25 (tie): Finest Worksong
6 votes, 43 points
#25 (tie): Life And How To Live It
4 WILDCARD votes, 43 points
#24: Near Wild Heaven
10 votes, 52 points
#23: (don't go back TO) ROCKVILLE)
6 votes, 53 points
#22: Feeling Gravitys Pull
9 votes, 54 points
#21: Perfect Circle
7 votes, 59 points
#20: You Are The Everything
7 votes, 60 points
#19 (tie): E-Bow The Letter
9 votes, 65 points
#19 (tie): What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
9 votes, 65 points
#18: Pretty Persuasion
9 votes, 66 points
#17: Electrolite
9 votes, 72 points
#16: Cuyahoga
9 votes, 74 points
#15: Gardening At Night
9 votes, 78 points
#14 (tie): Moral Kiosk
10 votes, 92 points
#14 (tie): Drive
10 votes, 92 points
#13: Losing My Religion
12 votes, 93 points
#12: These Days
11 votes, 94 points
#11: Nightswimming
11 votes, 95 points
#10: Country Feedback
11 votes, 96 points
#9: Wolves, Lower
10 votes, 97 points
#8: Find the River
11 votes, 99 points
#7: Sitting Still
12 votes, 107 points
#6: Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
12 votes, 112 points
#5: Fall On Me
15 votes, 113 points
#4: So. Central Rain
18 votes, 135 points
#3: Radio Free Europe
15 votes, 138 points
#2: Driver 8
17 votes, 139 points
#1: Harborcoat
15 votes, 150 points

― a cankle of rads (Gukbe), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

It is kind of hilarious how many of these songs I actually LOVE considering I used to tell everyone I hated REM

― feel free to answer my Korn Kuestion (HI DERE), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for the summary, Gukbe!

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Overall, if it's not exactly the mix CD I'd make to hook a friend on the band, it IS a pretty umimpeachable "best of" list if you're not concerned about getting all the singles and so on. Nice picks, everybody.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

No "The One I Love," no credibility. ;)

― ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

In a shocking twist, it turns out to be one we don't love.

In hindsight, I do regret the "use the album polls to seed the main poll" approach - - - too many good songs thrown out of contention by the cruel logic of the ILX "one vote per poll" system. But overall, not bad results.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

Good point. Maybe you should re-do the poll.

― Jerome Personnel Cheeses (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

Alas, no showing for my wildcard, my #3 vote, "Letter Never Sent". That's a jam, & basically "essence" of the band, or at least early band: the riff, the moaning, the explosion of drums from verse into chorus. & it's the last of these that's crucial imo about getting the early band: they took choruses really seriously for an "art rock" band; even if they weren't sing-along-able, they resolve tension, let you cut some rug a little differently. You could certainly dance to "Letter Never Sent"; it's almost kicker-danceable! Oh, and the bridge too!

Good list! "Daysleeper" is the only latter-day track & that seems about right (I'd swap "Hope" for it but one is enough). Maybe the list is a little more downtempo than I like to think of the band, but then again my ballot ended up being pretty early-band-centered (I didn't set out that way!) & they were more a dance band then than they'd become circa Fables and onward (when I love them too, but for different reasons).

― Euler, Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Best R.E.M. poll I've ever seen and I've seen lots (spent a lot of time browsing rec.music.rem back in the Usenet era.)

Delightful #1. I would never call "Harborcoat" R.E.M.'s BEST song, but pace Euler I think it's the one that best sums up what R.E.M. sounds like, at least between 1982 and 1985.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I didn't mean to knock "Harborcoat"; it was my #5. I remember getting Reckoning after having Eponymous, Document and Murmur, and thinking within about 20 seconds that this was the real deal. It's still my favorite REM album.

― Euler, Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

Although apparently I called it the second-best song on this poll:

#1 (15 pts) Radio Free Europe
#2 (14 pts) Harborcoat
#3 (13 pts) You Are The Everything
#4 (12 pts) Cuyahoga
#5 (11 pts) These Days
#6 (10 pts) Driver 8
#7 (9 pts) Shaking Through
#8 (8 pts) Pretty Persuasion
#9 (7 pts) Moral Kiosk
#10 (6 pts) What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
#11 (5 pts) Finest Worksong
#12 (4 pts) Sitting Still
#13 (3 pts) Disturbance at the HEron House
#14 (2 pts) Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)
#15 (1 pts) Perfect Circle

If I were doing this today I'd put Cuyahoga and These Days above it, I think.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 2 September 2010 15:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

I too was reflexively disappointed not to see "The One I Love" on here, but there's only a handful of songs in the top 25 I don't rate higher. Nobody can make us play the hits!

For that matter, their very best big hits -- "Stand" and "Shiny Happy People" -- weren't even nominated.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 2 September 2010 16:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

You show yours, I'll show mine.

#1 Sitting Still

#2 Disturbance at the Heron House

#3 WILDCARD Letter Never Sent

#4 Near Wild Heaven
#5 Harborcoat


#6 Drive

#7 Gardening At Night

#8 Leave

#9 So. Central Rain
#10 Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)

#11 Nightswimming 

#12 Driver 8

#13 Turn You Inside Out

#14 What's The Frequency, Kenneth?

#15 Find the River

― Euler, Thursday, 2 September 2010 16:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

haha I totally belie myself by having a ballot full of ballads; having recently listened to the whole REM oeuvre in completo, including every single (!), I'd vote differently now.

― Euler, Thursday, 2 September 2010 16:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

Just noticed I still have the playlist I made featuring all the nominated songs. It was the only thing I listened to for several days as a racked my brain to come up with a ranked list. Never achieved it.

― a cankle of rads (Gukbe), Thursday, 2 September 2010 16:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

I had no idea what my ballot was, but I've just managed to find it:

1 So. Central Rain
2 Sitting Still
3 7 chinese brothers (wildcard)
4 Fall On Me
5 Turn You Inside Out
6 (Don't go back to) Rockville
7 Driver 8
8 Cuyahoga
9 The One I Love
10 You Are The Everything
11 Harborcoat
12 Feeling Gravitys Pull
13 Moral Kiosk
14 Orange Crush
15 Drive

I'm assuming 'We Walk' wasn't nominated, because I love that one too.

― Jerome Personnel Cheeses (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Thursday, 2 September 2010 16:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

Harborcoat feels a bit slight for a #1 until that amazing transition into the chorus when the low chord kicks in. I would have found some room for a Monster track or two in my top 10 but that is quite a countdown.

― skip, Thursday, 2 September 2010 17:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

I would have found some room for a Monster track or two in my top 10

^^^^^

― ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Thursday, 2 September 2010 17:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Harborcoat! I had no idea it was so well liked. Even though I only voted it #2 I think it's the best #1 there could be.

My ballot is a little sleepy looking back on it:

#1 Nightswimming (15pts)
#2 Harborcoat(14 pts)
#3 Why Not Smile(13 pts) WILDCARD
#4 Daysleeper(12 pts)
#5 Electrolite(11 pts)
#6 These Days(10 pts)
#7 Gardening At Night(9 pts)
#8 Driver 8(8 pts)
#9 Leave(7 pts)
#10 Beat a Drum(6 pts)
#11 Country Feedback(5 pts)
#12 Radio Free Europe(4 pts)
#13 E-bow the Letter(3 pts)
#14 Losing My Religion(2 pts)
#15 Let Me In (1 pts)

― brontosaur, Thursday, 2 September 2010 17:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

btw, for the uninitiated (?):

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 2 September 2010 18:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Nice to see Life And How To Live It on the list. It was one of my favorites and it always irked me that a couple reviews at the time specifically called it out as a bad song.

― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 2 September 2010 19:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

my ballot:

#1 (15 pts) Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
#2 (14 pts) Wolves, Lower
#3 (13 pts) Electrolite
#4 (12 pts) Radio Free Europe
#5 (11 pts) Country Feedback
#6 (10 pts) Sitting Still
#7 (9 pts) Find The River
#8 (8 pts) WILDCARD -- All The Right Friends
#9 (7 pts) Ages Of You
#10 (6 pts) Gardening At Night
#11 (5 pts) Moral Kiosk
#12 (4 pts) Crazy
#13 (3 pts) Near Wild Heaven
#14 (2 pts) Harborcoat
#15 (1 pts) World Leader Pretend

― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 2 September 2010 20:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

unsurprisingly, early tracks and oddball entries populate my list.

― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 2 September 2010 20:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for doing this Doctor Casino. Is there anyway you could post a full list with everything below 30th place and their points? And how many people voted in this?

― brontosaur, Thursday, 2 September 2010 20:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

There were twenty-five ballots... as for the rest of the entries, I'd actually love to, but I actually can't find the Excel sheet that has all the data! I know it exists at one point, because I compiled the countdown list from it, but the only Excel sheet I can find is definitely incomplete in terms of ballots. So.... oops? Might have been on a flash drive that I lost a couple of moves ago. Sorry, everybody!

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 3 September 2010 03:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

#1 (15 pts) Gardening At Night
#2 (14 pts) Sitting Still
#3 (13 pts) Drive
#4 (12 pts) Moral Kiosk
#5 (11 pts) Radio Free Europe
#6 (10 pts) Wolves, Lower
#7 (9 pts) Losing My Religion
#8 (8 pts) Feeling Gravitys Pull
#9 (7 pts) Hope
#10 (6 pts) Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
#11 (5 pts) Country Feedback
#12 (4 pts) E-Bow The Letter
#13 (3 pts) So. Central Rain
#14 (2 pts) Cuyahoga
#15 (1 pts) Shaking Through

― Z S, Friday, 3 September 2010 03:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

thanks for doing this, btw, dr. C! my apologies for complaining about the timing earlier, I was kinda drunk and was being a smartass, but putting all this together is a significant effort and I appreciate what you did. :)

― Z S, Friday, 3 September 2010 03:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

I didn't remember to vote, but would have added another #1 to harborcoat

― iatee, Friday, 3 September 2010 03:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

haha, no worries Z S! Thanks for all your contributions on all the related threads etc.

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 3 September 2010 03:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

I didn't vote either but Harborcoat is my favorite REM song so well done guys!

― o sh!t a ˁ˚ᴥ˚ˀ (ENBB), Friday, 3 September 2010 11:30 (2 years ago) Permalink