The fanclub singles are ripe with goofiness (“Ghost Reindeer in the Sky”). They’re great.
― droit au butt (Euler), Saturday, 18 November 2017 20:32 (six years ago) link
I love those IRS era albums, but people wildly overstate the quality of them in comparison to the first five WB albums. There's not that much of a gulf in terms of quality and never has been.
otm.
― Freedom, Saturday, 18 November 2017 20:34 (six years ago) link
I'm not sure. Was trying to think of where "We Walk" even comes from. My first inclination was to think it was something outside of rock and roll completely (and possibly in the children's music realm, like Disney or something). Putting it on, though, I think of the Velvet Underground and I am reminded of their own children's music aspects.
― timellison, Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:07 (six years ago) link
"I'm Sticking with You," "Andy's Chest," "Velvet Nursery Rhyme"
― timellison, Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:08 (six years ago) link
I mostly connect "We Walk" to Herman's Hermits - "Silhouettes"
― JoeStork, Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:11 (six years ago) link
'We Walk' was always one of my least favourite tracks on Murmur. That and 'Moral Kiosk' could have both comfortably have been bumped from the record and I wouldn't miss 'em.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:13 (six years ago) link
“moral kiosk” is so good
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:20 (six years ago) link
Then again, I've never been one for having this stance that Murmur is the best thing the band ever did, like some do. God no.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:35 (six years ago) link
"We Walk" was huge for me. It was like that famous quote from Peter Pilbeam's approval of the Beatles in their BBC audition well before they even had their record contract. "Not as rock-y as most, more country and western with a tendency to play music." A "tendency to play music" unrestricted by this genre affinity or that.
― timellison, Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:43 (six years ago) link
Think I only saw them play it once and it was later, on the Pageantry tour. One of my distinct memories of that concert.
― timellison, Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:45 (six years ago) link
And the eerie pool sounds rule.
― albvivertine, Saturday, 18 November 2017 22:00 (six years ago) link
idk i think mumur has such a singular vibe that i totally understand why some people think it’s their best. (i’ve thought it was at different points in my life but rn i prefer new adventures)
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Saturday, 18 November 2017 22:12 (six years ago) link
“Listing my religion” at 730 am is something no one should be subjected to
― calstars, Saturday, 18 November 2017 22:17 (six years ago) link
"chronic town" > fables > murmur > pageant > green > reckoning > new adventures > automatic > out of time > document > monster > all the rest
― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 18 November 2017 23:55 (six years ago) link
I can't be arsed to rank them again, all I'll say is the ones that I return to the most are Reckoning, Document, Green, Automatic for the People and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. These have been all-time favourites from the beginning pretty much except for Document which has increasingly become a favourite over the last few years, whereas Lifes Rich Pageant has become less of a favourite.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Sunday, 19 November 2017 00:17 (six years ago) link
Best imo: New Adventures/Reconstruction/Murmur with Reckoning and Monster close behind.
― albvivertine, Sunday, 19 November 2017 02:30 (six years ago) link
Oh and maybe Up too. Dullest posts ever but it's kinda interesting to me they revived themselves creatively so well in the mid 90s. There's plenty of good stuff from Life's to Automatic, they just all feel kinda lacking in identity or something.
― albvivertine, Sunday, 19 November 2017 02:41 (six years ago) link
top 3 albums: Murmur, Lifes Rich Pageant, Automatic for the People
top 3 songs: Harborcoat, Perfect Circle, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
― ufo, Sunday, 19 November 2017 02:55 (six years ago) link
top 3 songs: "stumble", "life and how to live it", "shaking through"
― reggie (qualmsley), Sunday, 19 November 2017 04:53 (six years ago) link
hmm..top 3 tracks=Disturbance at the Heron House, Sweetness Follows, Kohoutek.
― campreverb, Sunday, 19 November 2017 05:11 (six years ago) link
Kohoutek laughing the one I love
― ur-oik (rip van wanko), Sunday, 19 November 2017 05:26 (six years ago) link
Live stream going on right now on their Facebook page of the one show they did post-Automatic for the People release, at the 40 Watt Club. Recently restored video footage - looks and sounds great.
― timellison, Sunday, 19 November 2017 20:55 (six years ago) link
Loving this set.
― Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Sunday, 19 November 2017 21:08 (six years ago) link
Turns out that 40 Watt set had been previously released--it showed up 3 tracks at a time across 4 Monster CD singles.
― Hideous Lump, Monday, 20 November 2017 02:14 (six years ago) link
Speaking of that set...there's now official video, via the band's own YT channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52sMbXI22gg
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 23 November 2017 00:13 (six years ago) link
Ah, gather this was the Facebook stream. But anyway, here it is.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 23 November 2017 00:15 (six years ago) link
awesome. great sound!
always loved stipe's stage presence
― understood by moron level and above (brimstead), Thursday, 23 November 2017 00:35 (six years ago) link
a bunch of my friends were there, if I'd have gone to UGA with the rest of them I'd have been there too. a few hung out with the band after the show too, got to meet Mike Mills' parents.
― droit au butt (Euler), Thursday, 23 November 2017 07:56 (six years ago) link
i really like the version of "drive"
― understood by moron level and above (brimstead), Thursday, 23 November 2017 18:46 (six years ago) link
I don't. It's like, let's do "Drive" minus the brooding. What's left? Kinda nothing
― ur-oik (rip van wanko), Thursday, 23 November 2017 18:57 (six years ago) link
It has an increased urgency and simplicity I really like.
― understood by moron level and above (brimstead), Thursday, 23 November 2017 19:09 (six years ago) link
it has a different, more uneasy atmosphere than the studio vers. Not saying it's better or anything
― understood by moron level and above (brimstead), Thursday, 23 November 2017 19:10 (six years ago) link
It's definitely weird. I've actually never not liked the live version (which afaik always sounded like this) til this time, so maybe I'm just lounging to hear the original
― ur-oik (rip van wanko), Thursday, 23 November 2017 20:35 (six years ago) link
Longing. Or lounging
;_;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=KVT0S0j7F9Y
― The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 5 October 2018 14:37 (five years ago) link
every streetlight reveals a picture in reverse
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 5 October 2018 16:38 (five years ago) link
It gives me joy to know that Mike Mills tried to beat up an audience member at a club in my city and the band did a 21-song triple encore, with 17 covers (including "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" and "Sweet Home Alabama"): https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/rem/1985/barrymores-music-hall-ottawa-on-canada-7bd6fac8.html
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 11:12 (four years ago) link
Seeing this thread pop up this morning inspired me to put on "Automatic for the People." It really goes to show what a special band this was that their two most eclectic albums that they also decided not to tour behind turned out to be their two biggest successes.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 7 May 2019 11:45 (four years ago) link
I've been going back to Fables and Murmur in the last few days.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 11:46 (four years ago) link
The Bingo Hand Job show finally got an official release for Record Store Day but I haven't heard it yet.
― the word dog doesn't bark (anagram), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 11:49 (four years ago) link
I'm tempted to go with Murmur in the 1983 poll but I haven't heard it in so long. I'll rectify that later today.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 7 May 2019 11:51 (four years ago) link
i never understood what people heard in murmur. the other album besides monster i did not get all was reckoning. so dull and unsubtle.
― je est un autre, l'enfer c'est les autres (alex in mainhattan), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 12:00 (four years ago) link
I like how Murmur murmurs.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 7 May 2019 12:13 (four years ago) link
Hm, those early records still evoke something unique for me. You don't like "So. Central Rain"? xp
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 12:16 (four years ago) link
I can't imagine not liking Radio Free Europe
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 13:11 (four years ago) link
I am actually that strange person, an REM fan who likes the IRS records a hundred times more than Automatic but who doesn't really care for "So. Central Rain" (but for whom Radio Free Europe is a monumental classic, to be clear)
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 13:13 (four years ago) link
So Central Rain is great but so are Harborcoat (which won the best REM song of all time in the ILM poll, IIRC) and Rockville. The whole of Reckoning in fact.
― the word dog doesn't bark (anagram), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 13:37 (four years ago) link
the one that doesn’t float my boat like it should is Fables but it’s a deep catalog, everyone’s gonna have one of those.
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 13:57 (four years ago) link
sometimes the bassline in "So. Central Rain" and in particular those four steps b4 the verse are my favoroite thing in the catalog
― d'ILM for Murder (Hadrian VIII), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 14:20 (four years ago) link
"so. central rain" is probably the one song from reckoning i would save. harborcoat is ok, i kind of like the bouncing rhythm. rockville isn't bad neither. maybe i should give reckoning another chance i haven't listened to it for more than 20 years.
― je est un autre, l'enfer c'est les autres (alex in mainhattan), Tuesday, 7 May 2019 17:00 (four years ago) link