Now that it's remasterd and everything lets do an R.E.M.'s Murmur poll

do not like

that makes me sort of queasy

imagine if every song on Murmur sounded like that

boy that's missing a lot of momentum. not sure if it's the performance or the mix or what. the rhythm section doesn't feel locked in. stipe's vocals are dangerously easy to make out. mills's have echo on them which loses the reedy, byrdsy texture that's so key to the IRS-era records.

the synth isn't horrible imo but it's hard to add an element to a super familiar song and it does make them sound less unique. like without the murk and the kudzu they sound a lot closer to their obvious post-punk peers, like early U2 or idk The Teardrop Explodes...? it's weird. i dunno this recording works better for me as it goes on, but they so obviously made the right choice with Easter that even before i looked up the full backstory on this i was like "the hell, how would you record Chronic Town and then get amped up that your next record should sound like this? well, they didn't.

OMG

😳

Even the arrangement of the song is worse — the omission of the initial “Oooooooh....”s; the backing vocal lines coming right on top of each other in the chorus, with no breathing room...

Er I like this more than the studio version. But I would, considering how much I prefer U2 and the Church and similar groups to REM. Super curious to hear any other tracks Hague did for them.

I don't really mind it either. Though "less unique" is OTM.

Dunno if this has ever been posted on ILX but man, check this out. I had no idea there was evera recording of it made. Kind of a fabled gig in Rem history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq3zzeA40Q8

set 1: (Murmur) Radio Free Europe / Pilgrimage / Laughing / Talk About The Passion / Moral Kiosk / Perfect Circle / Catapult / Sitting Still / 9-9 / Shaking Through / We Walk / West Of The Fields

set 2: (Green) Pop Song 89 / Get Up 1 / You Are The Everything / Stand /
We Live As We Dream, Alone - World Leader Pretend / The Wrong Child /
Orange Crush / Turn You Inside-Out / Hairshirt / I Remember California / Untitled

encore 1: Get Up 2 / Wild Thing / Fall On Me
encore 2: Low / Finest Worksong

yo what

THANKING YOU

i am still such a murmur stan, so this is a dream setlist. i love green too (i love all of them, pretty much)

Seem to remember a thread on here somewhere about bands who peaked on the first track on their first album - Radio Free Europe is a good candidate for this

I mean, they topped it with “Pilgrimage”

it's gained momentum!

My dad maintains that they peaked even earlier, on "Carnival of Sorts."

yes, also Wolves Lower and especially Gardening At Night

They peaked with I Can’t Control Myself (Troggs Cover)

Wow

recent interview with mitch easter about his work with r.e.m.: https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2021/08/10/mitch-easter-the-aquarium-drunkard-interview

Going back to Oct 1982 this is a great show with surprisingly ok audio and video. A mix of Chronic Town and Murmur. Stipe pretty loose, having fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sBVX9kRmBE

love that video

lol at Stipe's Tri Sigma sorority shirt

Watching that reminds me how spot-on Fred Armisen is, talking about Bill's drumming style (starts at 1'40")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoUWmZo_t1s

That Mitch Easter interview was interesting. I didn’t know Peter Holsapple originally hooked the guys up with him.

Seems weird - https://news.yahoo.com/michael-shannon-jason-narducy-perform-163000856.html

Michael Shannon seems to always be doing these kinds of tributes. He did one for The Blue Mask, I believe.

Or at least participated in it.

They were a really fun live band up until around the time Green came out.

inside the cold dark fire twilight