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R.E.M.

peacefrompaulpeacefrompaul Posts: 25,293
edited January 2012 in Other Music
Listening to basically every R.E.M. album. Such an awesome band...

Green, Document, Automatic For The People, Monster...

Collapse Into Now is actually one of my favorites by them.

What's your favorite R.E.M. album? Can you pick just one?
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • WG111614WG111614 Posts: 12
    Lifes Rich Pageant was definitely their best up until then, and i'd say Up was an unexpected standout. after that it really started to go downhill... i loved REM for awhile and can still cite their influence and ear for melody, but honestly, this needs to be said: from the very beginning, REM were way too repetitive, i'll say again, WAY TOO REPETITIVE!!!! every song has the verse and chorus repeated over and over and over and over and over... it's kinda sad that a strong band with talent just went through almost 3 decades without even trying to be progressive or epic. just 4 minute wannabe-hits over and over. thank god there are so many better bands than REM (PJ included) that take into account that the listener doesn't wanna hear the same shit over and over, especially when said songs are on the radio/work stations and i am literally forced to hear the same songs again and again until the once charming pop song 89 or don't go back to rockville turn into nightmarish torture sessions of mediocrity!!!!!
  • peacefrompaulpeacefrompaul Posts: 25,293
    WG111614 wrote:
    Lifes Rich Pageant was definitely their best up until then, and i'd say Up was an unexpected standout. after that it really started to go downhill... i loved REM for awhile and can still cite their influence and ear for melody, but honestly, this needs to be said: from the very beginning, REM were way too repetitive, i'll say again, WAY TOO REPETITIVE!!!! every song has the verse and chorus repeated over and over and over and over and over... it's kinda sad that a strong band with talent just went through almost 3 decades without even trying to be progressive or epic. just 4 minute wannabe-hits over and over. thank god there are so many better bands than REM (PJ included) that take into account that the listener doesn't wanna hear the same shit over and over, especially when said songs are on the radio/work stations and i am literally forced to hear the same songs again and again until the once charming pop song 89 or don't go back to rockville turn into nightmarish torture sessions of mediocrity!!!!!

    I disagree but respect your opinion.

    Take Care
  • Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,716
    I've loved Auto for the People & Green for a long time.

    Last year I got into the early stuff and just can't stop listening. I think Lifes might be the best album of the 80s, period. Something about Fables I just, really like, just a cool sounding record. Awesome atmosphere in Maps & Legends. 8-)

    I think people tend to say a band is repetitive when they're looking for an explanation of why they don't like them. It's ok, you don't like them, no biggie. But all music is somewhat repetitive to a degree. I don't find most REM songs to be overly repetitive, although some of the big hits sure are. Don't Go Back to Rockville is repetitive? I guess it's the same chorus over and over, but that's what a chorus is. :?
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  • CarolineSaysCarolineSays Posts: 345
    Pick just one? Not possible...

    - Murmur
    - Reckoning
    - Green
    - Automatic...
    - New Adventures...


    Eponymous used to be my standard b-day gift to my philistine friends. (Now it's Lost Dogs.)
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    Someone just posted a link to this 1984 French show in an 80s music group I'm in. It sounds like a soundboard and I am LOVING IT TODAY.

    Any day is a great day for live REM, especially from the Reckoning era  :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMX1Eud6LcA
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,251
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Then you should definitely listen to that show I just posted - I don't think there are any Fables songs on it but it's from the Reckoning era and they do at least 1 song from Dead Letter Office (Pylon's Crazy).
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    edited April 2021
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Oh also, yeah, Shiny Happy People is cringe-y on Green, but that album also has World Leader Pretend, Turn You Inside Out, Hairshirt, and Orange Crush which are all phenomenal songs.
  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 17,071
    JH6056 said:
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Oh also, yeah, Shiny Happy People is cringe-y on Green, but that album also has World Leader Pretend, Turn You Inside Out, Hairshirt, and Orange Crush which are all phenomenal songs.
    Couple of other things that make Green an awesome album..."I Remember California" and the fact that "Shiny Happy People" isn't on it.  ;)
    It's on Out of Time.

    This weekend we rock Portland
  • JeBurkhardtJeBurkhardt Posts: 4,963
    edited April 2021
    My favorite band! Life's Rich Pageant, Reckoning and Murmur are my favorites, but really anything up to and including Automatic for the People is outstanding. I have no problem with Shiny Happy People, but I can't figure how anyone could stand to listen to Radio Song. The song itself isn't bad, but that stupid KRS 1 rapping on it is horrible and ruins it. I have an LP of them under the name Bingo Hand Job where they play the song acoustically and it is much better.   
    Post edited by JeBurkhardt on
  • GibsonGibson Toronto Posts: 2,652
    edited April 2021
    Monster is my jam, but I also have and obsess over Out of Time and Automatic.

    I gave New Adventures in HI-FI a listen last week, and good god - is that an underrated classic.
    Post edited by Gibson on
    1998: Barrie  2000: Toronto  2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Toronto  2006: Toronto 1&2, Paris, Milan, Torino, Pistoia  2009: Calgary, Vancouver  2011: Canada  2013: London, Wrigley, Philly 1&2  2014: St. Louis, ACL 1, Detroit  2016: Lexington, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto 1&2, Fenway 1&2, Wrigley 1&2  2017: EV - Louisville  2018: London 1&2, Milan, Padova, Rome, Prague, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 1&2, Fenway 1&2  2020: Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton  2021: London 1&2  2022: Hamilton, Toronto  2023: Chicago 1&2, Noblesville  2024: Seattle 1&2, Noblesville, Wrigley 1&2

  • halvhalv Posts: 701
    Was just listening to Document. My first favorite record by them. 
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,320
    halv said:
    Was just listening to Document. My first favorite record by them. 

    It's a good one!  It produced a couple of fine hits but I think just as good or better are some of the lesser talked about songs like "Lightnin' Hopkins" and "Fireplace".  "Throw the chair into the fireplace", what an image!
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    Poncier said:
    JH6056 said:
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Oh also, yeah, Shiny Happy People is cringe-y on Green, but that album also has World Leader Pretend, Turn You Inside Out, Hairshirt, and Orange Crush which are all phenomenal songs.
    Couple of other things that make Green an awesome album..."I Remember California" and the fact that "Shiny Happy People" isn't on it.  ;)
    It's on Out of Time.

    Ooops! Yeah, that too, good point that Shiny Happy People doesn't ruin Green because... what you said! LOL!
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    edited April 2021
    On Document, I can still picture that sped-up film footage of ferris wheels spinning and amusement park rides that played behind the band live when they did "It's The End of the World As We Know It"... thrilling!

    Can I also say, since this is a Pearl Jam board, that one of the most amazing live REM experiences I ever had was sitting within view of Ed at a Seattle REM show and seeing him enjoy the show a few times when I looked over. He was behind me so I wasn't really watching him much until later when he ended up in same row as me, but I was the only one in my section dancing up a STORM and we looked at each other a few times with big smiles because, fuckin' REM!  That was cool.

    Then a few years ago I had a similar experience kind of vicariously through my significant other who is a HUGE Metallica fan, and I'm a huge Radiohead fan and he likes Radiohead, and we ended up standing in the same row of a 2017 Radiohead concert with about 4 empty seats between us as Lars Ulrich, who air-drummed along with Radiohead drummer Phil Selway through THE ENTIRE CONCERT!!!  He's clearly a really big Radiohead fan.  And his girlfriend/wife and I danced our butts off.  But I think I was more excited for that surreal situation than my significant other, he kind of just shrugged about it. LOL!
    Post edited by JH6056 on
  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 17,071
    JH6056 said:
    Poncier said:
    JH6056 said:
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Oh also, yeah, Shiny Happy People is cringe-y on Green, but that album also has World Leader Pretend, Turn You Inside Out, Hairshirt, and Orange Crush which are all phenomenal songs.
    Couple of other things that make Green an awesome album..."I Remember California" and the fact that "Shiny Happy People" isn't on it.  ;)
    It's on Out of Time.

    Ooops! Yeah, that too, good point that Shiny Happy People doesn't ruin Green because... what you said! LOL!
    Ha, I imagine your brain was just mixing up Stand with Shiny Happy People. Cause that's the cringe-y song on Green (I actually prefer Shiny Happy People to Stand thanks to Kate Pierson's vocals).
    This weekend we rock Portland
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    Poncier said:
    JH6056 said:
    Poncier said:
    JH6056 said:
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Oh also, yeah, Shiny Happy People is cringe-y on Green, but that album also has World Leader Pretend, Turn You Inside Out, Hairshirt, and Orange Crush which are all phenomenal songs.
    Couple of other things that make Green an awesome album..."I Remember California" and the fact that "Shiny Happy People" isn't on it.  ;)
    It's on Out of Time.

    Ooops! Yeah, that too, good point that Shiny Happy People doesn't ruin Green because... what you said! LOL!
    Ha, I imagine your brain was just mixing up Stand with Shiny Happy People. Cause that's the cringe-y song on Green (I actually prefer Shiny Happy People to Stand thanks to Kate Pierson's vocals).
    Yes, I prefer Shiny Happy People to Stand as well musically, but that last part of the Stand video where they each jump up and the camera catches them hitting the ground? Michael Stipe's smile at the end?  I know, very superficial but that smile slayed me so Stand has a place in my heart too ;)

    Have you all seen this?  Very important to consider what Shiny Happy People did as an anthem for the Monster Community... <3  And the Kate Pierson muppet is extra awesome!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9G1FhQUnSo


  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    Yeah, you know what? That Furry Happy Monsters totally redeems Shiny Happy People.  I love it.  I will never speak ill of it or of it as a blemish on Out of Time (or Green) again!
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,320
    JH6056 said:
    Poncier said:
    JH6056 said:
    Poncier said:
    JH6056 said:
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Oh also, yeah, Shiny Happy People is cringe-y on Green, but that album also has World Leader Pretend, Turn You Inside Out, Hairshirt, and Orange Crush which are all phenomenal songs.
    Couple of other things that make Green an awesome album..."I Remember California" and the fact that "Shiny Happy People" isn't on it.  ;)
    It's on Out of Time.

    Ooops! Yeah, that too, good point that Shiny Happy People doesn't ruin Green because... what you said! LOL!
    Ha, I imagine your brain was just mixing up Stand with Shiny Happy People. Cause that's the cringe-y song on Green (I actually prefer Shiny Happy People to Stand thanks to Kate Pierson's vocals).
    Yes, I prefer Shiny Happy People to Stand as well musically, but that last part of the Stand video where they each jump up and the camera catches them hitting the ground? Michael Stipe's smile at the end?  I know, very superficial but that smile slayed me so Stand has a place in my heart too ;)

    Have you all seen this?  Very important to consider what Shiny Happy People did as an anthem for the Monster Community... <3  And the Kate Pierson muppet is extra awesome!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9G1FhQUnSo



    I never understood that hate for "Shiny Happy People".  Once in a while I'll hear it being played in our local super market.  I'm the happy idiot dancing in the pasta isle!
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • halvhalv Posts: 701
    It's the 25th anniversary of New Adventures in Hi-fi so hoping we get a vinyl reissue sometime this year. 
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,581
    I have a pretty extensive collection of R.E.M. vinyl.....LPs, 45s and 12" singles.....they have been stashed in boxes for over 10 years....thinking its time to sell the collection.
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    I have a pretty extensive collection of R.E.M. vinyl.....LPs, 45s and 12" singles.....they have been stashed in boxes for over 10 years....thinking its time to sell the collection.
    But do you have "Furry Happy Monsters" on 12"?
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,581
    JH6056 said:
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    I have a pretty extensive collection of R.E.M. vinyl.....LPs, 45s and 12" singles.....they have been stashed in boxes for over 10 years....thinking its time to sell the collection.
    But do you have "Furry Happy Monsters" on 12"?
    I wish!
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    JH6056 said:
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    I have a pretty extensive collection of R.E.M. vinyl.....LPs, 45s and 12" singles.....they have been stashed in boxes for over 10 years....thinking its time to sell the collection.
    But do you have "Furry Happy Monsters" on 12"?
    I wish!
    :) 

    But seriously, vinyl has certainly made a comeback, maybe there are newer REM fans who would love to have a lot of it on vinyl...
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,581
    JH6056 said:
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    JH6056 said:
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    I have a pretty extensive collection of R.E.M. vinyl.....LPs, 45s and 12" singles.....they have been stashed in boxes for over 10 years....thinking its time to sell the collection.
    But do you have "Furry Happy Monsters" on 12"?
    I wish!
    :) 

    But seriously, vinyl has certainly made a comeback, maybe there are newer REM fans who would love to have a lot of it on vinyl...
    That is for what I am hoping!
  • GibsonGibson Toronto Posts: 2,652
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    I have a pretty extensive collection of R.E.M. vinyl.....LPs, 45s and 12" singles.....they have been stashed in boxes for over 10 years....thinking its time to sell the collection.
    I'll take New Adventures in HI-FI when you're ready to unload.
    1998: Barrie  2000: Toronto  2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Toronto  2006: Toronto 1&2, Paris, Milan, Torino, Pistoia  2009: Calgary, Vancouver  2011: Canada  2013: London, Wrigley, Philly 1&2  2014: St. Louis, ACL 1, Detroit  2016: Lexington, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto 1&2, Fenway 1&2, Wrigley 1&2  2017: EV - Louisville  2018: London 1&2, Milan, Padova, Rome, Prague, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 1&2, Fenway 1&2  2020: Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton  2021: London 1&2  2022: Hamilton, Toronto  2023: Chicago 1&2, Noblesville  2024: Seattle 1&2, Noblesville, Wrigley 1&2

  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,251
    JH6056 said:
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Then you should definitely listen to that show I just posted - I don't think there are any Fables songs on it but it's from the Reckoning era and they do at least 1 song from Dead Letter Office (Pylon's Crazy).
    Never been a huge fan of their live recordings, but maybe I will check it out.  That is right in my era, started seeing them in 83 (opening for the police), and in smaller venues and probably last saw them at their HOF induction ceremony with EV.  I think I might have a few of the IRS pressings in a box somewhere. Great band, reat live band. Also a big Ken Stringfellow fan.
  • tbergstbergs Posts: 9,876
    Get_Right said:
    JH6056 said:
    Get_Right said:
    Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, and Dead Letter Office are my favs. Basically not a huge fan of most releases after Document. Once I heard shiny happy people I stopped taking them seriously.
    Then you should definitely listen to that show I just posted - I don't think there are any Fables songs on it but it's from the Reckoning era and they do at least 1 song from Dead Letter Office (Pylon's Crazy).
    Never been a huge fan of their live recordings, but maybe I will check it out.  That is right in my era, started seeing them in 83 (opening for the police), and in smaller venues and probably last saw them at their HOF induction ceremony with EV.  I think I might have a few of the IRS pressings in a box somewhere. Great band, reat live band. Also a big Ken Stringfellow fan.
    I thought they had some really great performances on that BBC Live set they released a few years back. I think the '99 Glastonbury tracks are phenomenal.
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • CarryTheZeroCarryTheZero Posts: 2,985
    Just listened to Monster this weekend. Love it. Have so many favorites, but Life’s Rich Pageant may be my favorite. I also love Accelerate, Out of Time, New Adventures, Automatic. What a band!

    Two years ago, 3/4 of the band (sans Stipe) reunited at the Fox in Atlanta. They played The One I Love and Fall on Me with Kevin Kinney, played with Pylon, and then closed with Texarkana and Mike on vocals. So amazing! Peter Buck was great of course, but Berry’s drumming and Mike’s vocals were spectacular!
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    CarryTheZero said:
    Just listened to Monster this weekend. Love it. Have so many favorites, but Life’s Rich Pageant may be my favorite. I also love Accelerate, Out of Time, New Adventures, Automatic. What a band!

    Two years ago, 3/4 of the band (sans Stipe) reunited at the Fox in Atlanta. They played The One I Love and Fall on Me with Kevin Kinney, played with Pylon, and then closed with Texarkana and Mike on vocals. So amazing! Peter Buck was great of course, but Berry’s drumming and Mike’s vocals were spectacular!
    Was that advertised ahead with them playing, or was it one of those things that you were just outrageously lucky to be there if you were there because that was a glorious surprise?

    So glad Bill sounded great (and Peter & Mike) <3 
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