Shiny Happy People Holding Noses
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 9 July 2022 18:36 (one year ago) link
Wolves, Odor
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Saturday, 9 July 2022 19:07 (one year ago) link
B-O The Letter
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 9 July 2022 19:18 (one year ago) link
Really Enjoys Marinating
― Bunheads Pilot Enthusiast (morrisp), Saturday, 9 July 2022 19:26 (one year ago) link
Try Not To Breathe (when Mike is in the room)
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Saturday, 9 July 2022 21:24 (one year ago) link
Somewhere I've still got a tape of the early live bootleg File Under Kudzu, which is pretty lively, along the lines of what Brad C. was talking about way upthread. Discogs shows the CD version, but ads on there now screw w my olde laptop.
― dow, Saturday, 9 July 2022 21:37 (one year ago) link
I first saw them on the Fables tour. They were fun back in those days. They seemed very disorganized--they'd huddle together periodically in what seemed to be a discussion about what to play next--and had a lot of energy. Saw them on every tour after that through Green, at which point they had progressed to arena rockers. Still interesting enough, but that weird magic had been lost.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Saturday, 9 July 2022 21:44 (one year ago) link
Had a similar experience (though the tour I saw them on was “Preconstruction” — a couple weeks before Fables was released). The huddling happened before each song in the three (!) encores they did. And they’d leap out of the huddle and into the song. The next (and last) time I saw them, in 1987, the arenas they were playing were not suited to such spontaneity, and while it was a good show, like you said, a certain magic was gone.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 9 July 2022 22:09 (one year ago) link
Speaking of spontaneity – when I saw them on the Monster Tour, Stipe stopped at one point and told the crowd: “Anyone who saw us in Boston last night, and noticed I’m doing the same stage moves, it’s because I need to line up with the lights at the same point in every song… please don’t think we’re lazy.”
― Bunheads Pilot Enthusiast (morrisp), Saturday, 9 July 2022 22:47 (one year ago) link
Haha that reminds me that the only pre-planned lighting cue on the 1985 show I saw was at the very beginning: a light emanating from Berry’s bass drum, in an otherwise pitch-black hall, was accompanied by a train whistle sound. Even then I remember thinking, “Well, look at you, Mr. Big Time Rock Band!”
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 9 July 2022 22:58 (one year ago) link
I posted this in the dB's thread, but Peter Holsapple talks a lot about his time with R.E.M. here:
https://www.caropop.com/caropopcast/episode/26268249/peter-holsapple-pt-2
Around the 32 minute mark, he mentions that "Bill Berry was a driving force as a songwriter for so long," singling out "Perfect Circle" (which was primarily Berry's song) and pointing out that it's his piano on that song.
― birdistheword, Friday, 15 July 2022 00:43 (one year ago) link
Love that song.
― broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Friday, 15 July 2022 16:40 (one year ago) link
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Saturday, July 9, 2022 2:44 PM (six days ago)
i have a couple of bootleg records of live shows from the Fables era and they played a variety of songs, unreleased fun tracks, and would do covers like the duo including Natalie Merchant (probably discussed upthread somewhere?)
― sarahell, Friday, 15 July 2022 16:46 (one year ago) link
sarahell, maybe the REM / Natalie Merchant track "Photograph" on a pro-choice compilation? Good song btw
― Nutellanor Roosevelt (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 15 July 2022 16:55 (one year ago) link
it was actually this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJPvMub2JXI
― sarahell, Friday, 15 July 2022 16:58 (one year ago) link
i could swear they switch to "watch out a squirrel's behind you" at one point
― sarahell, Friday, 15 July 2022 17:00 (one year ago) link
love them doing "in the year 2525" eternally
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 15 July 2022 23:24 (one year ago) link
Heck of a lineup/tracklist on that 1987 gig with "Leavin On A Jet Plane"https://oldgreycat.blog/2020/03/01/a-bootleg-review-r-e-m-opal-steve-wynn-10000-maniacs-may-24-1987/
― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 15 July 2022 23:32 (one year ago) link
Think they used to encore w "Don't Fear The Reaper" and maybe "Pretty Ballerina" occasionally.
― dow, Friday, 15 July 2022 23:59 (one year ago) link
"So. Central Rain (I'm Smelly)"
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 20 July 2022 03:28 (one year ago) link
Nice to see Bill Berry having fun with fellow old people:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDU-tmoRqvQ
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 20 January 2023 17:41 (one year ago) link
Largely shot at Berry’s home in Athens, the video also features appearances by Mike Mills of R.E.M., Vanessa Briscoe Hay of Pylon, Bob Hay of the Squalls, Frank McDonald of The Glands, a namechecked Jody Stephens of Big Star, music producer David Barbe (also of Bob Mould’s Sugar)
I guess the whole album is out now, too.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 20 January 2023 17:43 (one year ago) link
On the desk in his personal office, Fetterman found a handwritten note of well-wishes from the alternative rock band R.E.M., along with a gift: a hoodie.
Does this mean REM reunited to write Fetterman a note?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:00 (one year ago) link
Is he known to be a fan or something?
― morrisp.fandom.com (morrisp), Monday, 24 April 2023 14:06 (one year ago) link
A gesture of sympathy from one famous stroke victim to another, no?
― theo, Monday, 24 April 2023 15:57 (one year ago) link
Just paid a visit to REM HQ... nice little reflections here on Murmur's 40th anniversary: https://remhq.com/news/memories-of-murmur/
― morrisp.fandom.com (morrisp), Monday, 24 April 2023 16:29 (one year ago) link
Top 10 REM tracks picked by Stipe, Buck, Mills and Berry (with no overlap apparently allowed)
Just for fun, the guys put together a playlist of their 40 favorite R.E.M. songs. Each picked 10 songs & the results are quite interesting. Michael's are 1-10, Peter's 11-20, Mike's 21-30, & Bill's 31-40. Check it out & let us know your own favorites.https://t.co/gWEDTM7E3F pic.twitter.com/XKfnun2NGW— R.E.M. HQ (@remhq) July 25, 2023
― Alba, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 14:46 (eight months ago) link
Voice of Harold!
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 14:59 (eight months ago) link
Damn I love Voice of Harold. I was glad to see Flowers of Guatemala in Michael’s picks.
― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 15:15 (eight months ago) link
Wow Stipe @ thinking Electron Blue is one of their best songs
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 15:40 (eight months ago) link
I have a faint memory of him making that claim in a 2004 interview.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 15:42 (eight months ago) link
Xpost Strongly agree, FoG would easily be in my REMPOX at this point in my life
― realistic pillow (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 15:55 (eight months ago) link
Assuming I'm all better, on Sunday I'm going to see Michael Shannon, backed by Jason Narducy (on guitar), Jon Wurster (I think), and a few other ringers do "Murmur" in its entirety, plus other choice selections.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 16:39 (eight months ago) link
Can someone print those lists out? I don't pay for subs to any of those services, a little annoyed that this is the world we live in.
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 16:43 (eight months ago) link
Or, copy-paste them here— not print them out lol
I commented to REM HQ that they should at least add it to a few more of the major streaming services (why go halfway?)
― Empty Tushy Fills (morrisp), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 16:45 (eight months ago) link
Stipe -
World Leader PretendCountry FeedbackStrange CurrenciesThe LiftingElectron BlueSupernatural SuperseriousOh My HeartWe All Go Back To Where We BelongThe Flowers Of GuatemalaHalf A World Away
Buck -
Feeling Gravity's PullSo. Central RainWalk UnafraidYou're In The AirDiscovererAll The Way To RenoTry Not To BreatheUndertowElectroliteFinest Worksong
Mills -
Wolves, LowerPilgrimageI BelieveIt's The End Of The World...You Are The EverythingOrange CrushWhat's The Frequency, Kenneth?How The West Was Won...Living Well Is The Best RevengeEvery Day Is Yours To Win
Berry -
BeachballDaysleeperLeaving New YorkThese DaysWe WalkI Remember CaliforniaI Don't Sleep, I DreamRotary TenVoice Of HaroldFind The River
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 16:54 (eight months ago) link
Berry picked three post-Berry tunes, bless ‘im
― Davey D, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 17:02 (eight months ago) link
I don't pay for subs to any of those services, a little annoyed that this is the world we live in.
I don't pay for Spotify either fyi
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 17:23 (eight months ago) link
Stipe’s on record as thinking Reveal is one of their best albums, too. I wonder if this era is so associated with his personal good fortune – he now had tens of millions of dollars in his pocket and enjoyed a niche in New York artistic circles – that he doesn’t quite realize how weak the music seemed to listeners.
― Melomane, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 18:17 (eight months ago) link
tbc Reveal was (is?) much better regarded in the UK.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 18:22 (eight months ago) link
Hell, it could just be ego at work. Apparently "Up" was kind of challenging, because without Bill in the mix Peter and Mike sort of wrestled with balancing one another's songs. Maybe Stipe stepped up a bit more for the next album and had more involvement?
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 18:24 (eight months ago) link
Poor fables
― realistic pillow (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 18:49 (eight months ago) link
A paltry 1 track
I wonder to what extent that is because they had such a bad time recording the album; that seems to bias the opinions of musicians more often that you might think.
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 18:52 (eight months ago) link
One of the albums has to be like that, they can't all be winners
― a (waterface), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 20:21 (eight months ago) link
Stipe with 5 post-2000 tracks is…unsurprising
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, 25 July 2023 20:24 (eight months ago) link
I don't think it's surprising that an artist thinks their later work is their best work. They have a totally different perspective on their work and surely weren't that interested in chasing after something they'd already captured before. Everything grows out of what came before so I totally get him choosing a lot of songs from the later albums or being on record thinking Reveal is one of their best. But I also think it's wild, even if you had to do a POX of just the post-Berry stuff, to rate Electron Blue that high.
(Also for the record, I also think Reveal is a great album and is unfairly maligned. It's certainly better than the three that came after it and I might even argue that it's better than Up, too. Maybe.)
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 20:25 (eight months ago) link
xp
― assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 25 July 2023 21:04 (eight months ago) link