R.E.M - Where to start?

lolobugg

tbergs said:

Thanks to this thread, I was finally motivated to listen to the REM catalog from the beginning. Very impressed with everything leading up to Automatic For the People. I had really only known the radio hits from the earlier albums and never really liked their 90's stuff beyond Automatic so it was refreshing to see how much I missed in those early years. Love Document; great album. Everything from The Reckoning to Green is the best stuff. Can't believe I missed out on this growing up. Now I see why people like them so much.

glad to hear it. they are my fave band by far mostly due to their early albums. amazing songs. welcome to the club.

pdalowsky

new adventures is a class record

lolobugg

"New Test Leper" is as great a song as they have every released.
even more relevant today than maybe 1996 when it was released.

pledgeagrievance

Maybe because I've never really been an R.E.M. fan, but I always liked Up the best

lolobugg

pledgeagrievance said:

Maybe because I've never really been an R.E.M. fan, but I always liked Up the best

Up is also amazing. did that one right after Bill Berry left.
he was a lot more than just a drummer. you can tell be the direction they took on UP.
just a really chill album and that tour was great.


Shit, the only real REM album that I don't like is Reveal. and I hate it.
I love every single other record they have put out. seriously

thispureamericanriot

pdalowsky said:

new adventures is a class record

+1

2-feign-reluctance

thispureamericanriot said:

pdalowsky said:

new adventures is a class record

+1

+1k

ledvedderman

lolobugg said:

pledgeagrievance said:

Maybe because I've never really been an R.E.M. fan, but I always liked Up the best

Up is also amazing. did that one right after Bill Berry left.
he was a lot more than just a drummer. you can tell be the direction they took on UP.
just a really chill album and that tour was great.


Shit, the only real REM album that I don't like is Reveal. and I hate it.
I love every single other record they have put out. seriously

I think the lead single (the name escapes me) was super late 60's Beach Boys pop awesome and "I'll Take the Rain" could easily have been on the back half of AFTP or OOT

Of The Aggie

lolobugg said:

pledgeagrievance said:

Maybe because I've never really been an R.E.M. fan, but I always liked Up the best

Up is also amazing. did that one right after Bill Berry left.
he was a lot more than just a drummer. you can tell be the direction they took on UP.
just a really chill album and that tour was great.


Shit, the only real REM album that I don't like is Reveal. and I hate it.
I love every single other record they have put out. seriously

I like Reveal. Up and Around the Sun are just too slow and droning for my taste. They got back on track with Accelerate and I really like Collapse Into Now- the best of the all the post Berry albums.

JH6056

Somewhere, maybe in another thread, there was a conversation about best ever live concerts we've seen. I've said in a couple of REM threads here that I've seen over 1,500 concerts so far in my life and a single REM show remains the most dialed in, transported, transcendental show I've ever been to.

Last night I was lucky to be at a Radiohead concert in Portland because Radiohead is another of the top 5 shows I've ever seen of those 1,500+. I have been thinking a lot about those top 5 artists, REM in particular because they're #1, and I hadn't seen Radiohead in some 13 or more years so I was soooo very stoked for the show last night thinking about them and REM.

So I'm at the Moda Center in Portland last night for Radiohead pondering REM and the other shows and there near one of the beer gardens I spy Peter freaking Buck! (And Scott McCaughey who was practically an official member of REM by the time they broke up). I'm thinking "What are the fucking odds I'd run into a member of REM in Portland???" I went up to him and said "My mind is totally blown that I'm seeing you here, a past Radiohead show holds one of my top 5 concerts ever spot, but a specific REM show holds the #1 spot and I've been thinking about that." Buck asks "Which show?" and I explain which show, AND HE FREAKING REMEMBERS THE SHOW, THAT SPECIFIC SHOW, SAYS A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT IT!!! No joke, the show was 30 years ago, it was in '87, and the Radiohead show in the top 5 was in 2001 or 2002 I think... and there I am at a Radiohead show talking to Peter Buck about my most incredible single concert ever and he's talking BACK about the same show!!!

The conversation itself wasn't that long, but how often do we get to tell an artist or member of one of our favorite bands about our favorite show ever and discuss it with them? I'm just feeling incredibly blessed and blown away that it happened at a Radiohead concert.

And.. as the couple next to me in my seats told me, no surprise to run into Peter Buck here, he lives in Portland some of the time and plays locally a lot. I had no idea.

And ithe show I spoke to him about was on the Document tour, 2nd NYC show at Radio City Music Hall.

Here's the setlist:
Finest Worksong
These Days
Pilgrimage
Disturbance at the Heron House
Exhuming McCarthy
Orange Crush
Feeling Gravitys Pull
The Flowers of Guatemala
Fireplace
Tired of Singing Trouble
I Believe
Maps and Legends
Driver 8
Superman
(The Clique cover)
Pretty Persuasion
Oddfellows Local 151
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Begin the Begin

Encore:
Strange
(Wire cover)
Title
Fall on Me

Encore 2:
We Walk
(with Natalie Merchant)
1,000,000
See No Evil
(Television cover)

Encore 3:
Harpers
(Hugo Largo cover)
Crazy
(Pylon cover)
The One I Love

brianlux

JH6056 said:

Somewhere, maybe in another thread, there was a conversation about best ever live concerts we've seen. I've said in a couple of REM threads here that I've seen over 1,500 concerts so far in my life and a single REM show remains the most dialed in, transported, transcendental show I've ever been to.

Last night I was lucky to be at a Radiohead concert in Portland because Radiohead is another of the top 5 shows I've ever seen of those 1,500+. I have been thinking a lot about those top 5 artists, REM in particular because they're #1, and I hadn't seen Radiohead in some 13 or more years so I was soooo very stoked for the show last night thinking about them and REM.

So I'm at the Moda Center in Portland last night for Radiohead pondering REM and the other shows and there near one of the beer gardens I spy Peter freaking Buck! (And Scott McCaughey who was practically an official member of REM by the time they broke up). I'm thinking "What are the fucking odds I'd run into a member of REM in Portland???" I went up to him and said "My mind is totally blown that I'm seeing you here, a past Radiohead show holds one of my top 5 concerts ever spot, but a specific REM show holds the #1 spot and I've been thinking about that." Buck asks "Which show?" and I explain which show, AND HE FREAKING REMEMBERS THE SHOW, THAT SPECIFIC SHOW, SAYS A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT IT!!! No joke, the show was 30 years ago, it was in '87, and the Radiohead show in the top 5 was in 2001 or 2002 I think... and there I am at a Radiohead show talking to Peter Buck about my most incredible single concert ever and he's talking BACK about the same show!!!

The conversation itself wasn't that long, but how often do we get to tell an artist or member of one of our favorite bands about our favorite show ever and discuss it with them? I'm just feeling incredibly blessed and blown away that it happened at a Radiohead concert.

And.. as the couple next to me in my seats told me, no surprise to run into Peter Buck here, he lives in Portland some of the time and plays locally a lot. I had no idea.

And ithe show I spoke to him about was on the Document tour, 2nd NYC show at Radio City Music Hall.

Here's the setlist:
Finest Worksong
These Days
Pilgrimage
Disturbance at the Heron House
Exhuming McCarthy
Orange Crush
Feeling Gravitys Pull
The Flowers of Guatemala
Fireplace
Tired of Singing Trouble
I Believe
Maps and Legends
Driver 8
Superman
(The Clique cover)
Pretty Persuasion
Oddfellows Local 151
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Begin the Begin

Encore:
Strange
(Wire cover)
Title
Fall on Me

Encore 2:
We Walk
(with Natalie Merchant)
1,000,000
See No Evil
(Television cover)

Encore 3:
Harpers
(Hugo Largo cover)
Crazy
(Pylon cover)
The One I Love

What a great story and how cool to meet Peter freakin' Buck!! Thanks for sharing it! Very cool.

ledvedderman

That's an incredible story, man. I've always imagined R.E.M. to be the most down to earth band as individuals. Good to know that they really are as they are in my head.

JH6056

Thanks to both of you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes they were very down to earth, especially Bill Berry and Peter Buck. It was such a pleasure to have that run in. Thanks for letting me tell that story here to fellow fans who appreciate it!

lolobugg

JH6056 said:

Somewhere, maybe in another thread, there was a conversation about best ever live concerts we've seen. I've said in a couple of REM threads here that I've seen over 1,500 concerts so far in my life and a single REM show remains the most dialed in, transported, transcendental show I've ever been to.

Last night I was lucky to be at a Radiohead concert in Portland because Radiohead is another of the top 5 shows I've ever seen of those 1,500+. I have been thinking a lot about those top 5 artists, REM in particular because they're #1, and I hadn't seen Radiohead in some 13 or more years so I was soooo very stoked for the show last night thinking about them and REM.

So I'm at the Moda Center in Portland last night for Radiohead pondering REM and the other shows and there near one of the beer gardens I spy Peter freaking Buck! (And Scott McCaughey who was practically an official member of REM by the time they broke up). I'm thinking "What are the fucking odds I'd run into a member of REM in Portland???" I went up to him and said "My mind is totally blown that I'm seeing you here, a past Radiohead show holds one of my top 5 concerts ever spot, but a specific REM show holds the #1 spot and I've been thinking about that." Buck asks "Which show?" and I explain which show, AND HE FREAKING REMEMBERS THE SHOW, THAT SPECIFIC SHOW, SAYS A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT IT!!! No joke, the show was 30 years ago, it was in '87, and the Radiohead show in the top 5 was in 2001 or 2002 I think... and there I am at a Radiohead show talking to Peter Buck about my most incredible single concert ever and he's talking BACK about the same show!!!

The conversation itself wasn't that long, but how often do we get to tell an artist or member of one of our favorite bands about our favorite show ever and discuss it with them? I'm just feeling incredibly blessed and blown away that it happened at a Radiohead concert.

And.. as the couple next to me in my seats told me, no surprise to run into Peter Buck here, he lives in Portland some of the time and plays locally a lot. I had no idea.

And ithe show I spoke to him about was on the Document tour, 2nd NYC show at Radio City Music Hall.

Here's the setlist:
Finest Worksong
These Days
Pilgrimage
Disturbance at the Heron House
Exhuming McCarthy
Orange Crush
Feeling Gravitys Pull
The Flowers of Guatemala
Fireplace
Tired of Singing Trouble
I Believe
Maps and Legends
Driver 8
Superman
(The Clique cover)
Pretty Persuasion
Oddfellows Local 151
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Begin the Begin

Encore:
Strange
(Wire cover)
Title
Fall on Me

Encore 2:
We Walk
(with Natalie Merchant)
1,000,000
See No Evil
(Television cover)

Encore 3:
Harpers
(Hugo Largo cover)
Crazy
(Pylon cover)
The One I Love

That's a great story. I met Peter, Scott and Mike around 2002 and both were super cool guys.
funny that you mention that those bands are some of your favorites live concerts.
my 2nd concert ever was REM/Radiohead in 1995 on the Monster tour.
pretty much launched my obsession with both bands. I miss those days... and I miss REM so much.
wow and what a setlist you got in 87. We Walk!!!!!

JH6056

lolobugg said:

JH6056 said:

Somewhere, maybe in another thread, there was a conversation about best ever live concerts we've seen. I've said in a couple of REM threads here that I've seen over 1,500 concerts so far in my life and a single REM show remains the most dialed in, transported, transcendental show I've ever been to.

Last night I was lucky to be at a Radiohead concert in Portland because Radiohead is another of the top 5 shows I've ever seen of those 1,500+. I have been thinking a lot about those top 5 artists, REM in particular because they're #1, and I hadn't seen Radiohead in some 13 or more years so I was soooo very stoked for the show last night thinking about them and REM.

So I'm at the Moda Center in Portland last night for Radiohead pondering REM and the other shows and there near one of the beer gardens I spy Peter freaking Buck! (And Scott McCaughey who was practically an official member of REM by the time they broke up). I'm thinking "What are the fucking odds I'd run into a member of REM in Portland???" I went up to him and said "My mind is totally blown that I'm seeing you here, a past Radiohead show holds one of my top 5 concerts ever spot, but a specific REM show holds the #1 spot and I've been thinking about that." Buck asks "Which show?" and I explain which show, AND HE FREAKING REMEMBERS THE SHOW, THAT SPECIFIC SHOW, SAYS A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT IT!!! No joke, the show was 30 years ago, it was in '87, and the Radiohead show in the top 5 was in 2001 or 2002 I think... and there I am at a Radiohead show talking to Peter Buck about my most incredible single concert ever and he's talking BACK about the same show!!!

The conversation itself wasn't that long, but how often do we get to tell an artist or member of one of our favorite bands about our favorite show ever and discuss it with them? I'm just feeling incredibly blessed and blown away that it happened at a Radiohead concert.

And.. as the couple next to me in my seats told me, no surprise to run into Peter Buck here, he lives in Portland some of the time and plays locally a lot. I had no idea.

And ithe show I spoke to him about was on the Document tour, 2nd NYC show at Radio City Music Hall.

Here's the setlist:
Finest Worksong
These Days
Pilgrimage
Disturbance at the Heron House
Exhuming McCarthy
Orange Crush
Feeling Gravitys Pull
The Flowers of Guatemala
Fireplace
Tired of Singing Trouble
I Believe
Maps and Legends
Driver 8
Superman
(The Clique cover)
Pretty Persuasion
Oddfellows Local 151
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Begin the Begin

Encore:
Strange
(Wire cover)
Title
Fall on Me

Encore 2:
We Walk
(with Natalie Merchant)
1,000,000
See No Evil
(Television cover)

Encore 3:
Harpers
(Hugo Largo cover)
Crazy
(Pylon cover)
The One I Love

That's a great story. I met Peter, Scott and Mike around 2002 and both were super cool guys.
funny that you mention that those bands are some of your favorites live concerts.
my 2nd concert ever was REM/Radiohead in 1995 on the Monster tour.
pretty much launched my obsession with both bands. I miss those days... and I miss REM so much.
wow and what a setlist you got in 87. We Walk!!!!!

What??? Waaaaait a second... I saw 5 shows on the Monster tour... I will positively curl up, cry, and not get out of bed for a week if it turns out Radiohead was the opener for any of those!!! Where did you see them lolobugg?

Also funny, another joyous (or at least therapeutic) moment at the Portland show was sitting next to a guy who we had a painful Radiohead regret in common (which may be why I don't remember Radiohead opening), in '93 or so, I went to see the band Belly play and this band Radiohead opened for them. I was thoroughly UNimpressed (then again I hated REM when I first heard them, so I'm a slow learner). Unrelated, a friend who's a musician said in '94ish that if I ever got the chance to see a guy named David Gray live, I should. Then in about '95ish David Gray's name was in the paper and I actually said "Dammit, he's coming but he's opening for that band Radiohead that I don't like!" As I told the guy the story he said "This happened to me too! I listened to all of Pablo Honey, said "Eh... naaaw", then when they came again on The Bends in '95 to a small tiny club, I could have gone but i passed." Well, I did even worse, I WENT, watched all of David Gray's set, then watched 4 Radiohead songs and LEFT. ON THE BENDS TOUR, WHICH IS NOW MY 2ND FAVORITE RADIOHEAD ALBUM!!!

Sooooo, that's all a long way of saying, if they did open at any shows I saw, I probably said "Oh no, forget it, we'll skip the opening band and just get there for REM."

Thanks for ERASING the therapeutic healing feeling I had after Portland lolobugg by now ripping open the wound all over again!!!

brianlux

I had to drive my wife's car today while mine was in the shop and her CD player is broken so I turned on the radio. I'm really not a fan of radio though because it used to be so good and now... well anyway, BIG SURPRISE! The first song that came on was "Orange Crush". I have that record (which I love also because the cover is orange and the label is green!) and always liked it A LOT but I hadn't heard Crush in s-o-o-o-o long and, man, it just rocked me right up and down! Sweet!

tbergs

brianlux said:

I had to drive my wife's car today while mine was in the shop and her CD player is broken so I turned on the radio. I'm really not a fan of radio though because it used to be so good and now... well anyway, BIG SURPRISE! The first song that came on was "Orange Crush". I have that record (which I love also because the cover is orange and the label is green!) and always liked it A LOT but I hadn't heard Crush in s-o-o-o-o long and, man, it just rocked me right up and down! Sweet!

Awesome! I just listened to Green and Document today. Such great albums.

JH6056

brianlux said:

I had to drive my wife's car today while mine was in the shop and her CD player is broken so I turned on the radio. I'm really not a fan of radio though because it used to be so good and now... well anyway, BIG SURPRISE! The first song that came on was "Orange Crush". I have that record (which I love also because the cover is orange and the label is green!) and always liked it A LOT but I hadn't heard Crush in s-o-o-o-o long and, man, it just rocked me right up and down! Sweet!

Yes, sometimes a ghost gets into car stereos and makes something good come on! Nice story!

Hey lolobugg, I don't know whether I'm totally relieved or completely depressed, guess what I found? Check out the dates and the openers (I saw the Boston Fleet Center show):

1 October 1995 - The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, CT
support: Radiohead
set: I Took Your Name / What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / Crush With Eyeliner / Drive / The Wake-Up Bomb / Bang And Blame / Undertow / Orange Crush / Binky The Doormat / Losing My Religion / Strange Currencies / Revolution / Tongue / Man On The Moon / Pop Song 89 / Country Feedback / The One I Love / Get Up / Star 69
encore: Let Me In / Everybody Hurts / Java - Band Intro / Begin The Begin / Departure / It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
notes: At the end of Radiohead's opening set, all the members of R.E.M. came onstage with champagne and celebrated with Radiohead, as it was their last show supporting

3 October 1995 - FleetCenter, Boston, MA
support: Grant Lee Buffalo
set: What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / Crush With Eyeliner / Drive / I Took Your Name / The Wake-Up Bomb / Binky The Doormat / Losing My Religion / Bang And Blame / Undertow / Orange Crush / Strange Currencies / Revolution / Tongue / Man On The Moon / Country Feedback / The One I Love / Pop Song 89 / Get Up / Star 69
encore: Let Me In / Everybody Hurts / Java - Band Intro / Begin The Begin / Departure / It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

lolobugg

JH6056 said:

brianlux said:

I had to drive my wife's car today while mine was in the shop and her CD player is broken so I turned on the radio. I'm really not a fan of radio though because it used to be so good and now... well anyway, BIG SURPRISE! The first song that came on was "Orange Crush". I have that record (which I love also because the cover is orange and the label is green!) and always liked it A LOT but I hadn't heard Crush in s-o-o-o-o long and, man, it just rocked me right up and down! Sweet!

Yes, sometimes a ghost gets into car stereos and makes something good come on! Nice story!

Hey lolobugg, I don't know whether I'm totally relieved or completely depressed, guess what I found? Check out the dates and the openers (I saw the Boston Fleet Center show):

1 October 1995 - The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, CT
support: Radiohead
set: I Took Your Name / What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / Crush With Eyeliner / Drive / The Wake-Up Bomb / Bang And Blame / Undertow / Orange Crush / Binky The Doormat / Losing My Religion / Strange Currencies / Revolution / Tongue / Man On The Moon / Pop Song 89 / Country Feedback / The One I Love / Get Up / Star 69
encore: Let Me In / Everybody Hurts / Java - Band Intro / Begin The Begin / Departure / It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
notes: At the end of Radiohead's opening set, all the members of R.E.M. came onstage with champagne and celebrated with Radiohead, as it was their last show supporting

3 October 1995 - FleetCenter, Boston, MA
support: Grant Lee Buffalo
set: What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / Crush With Eyeliner / Drive / I Took Your Name / The Wake-Up Bomb / Binky The Doormat / Losing My Religion / Bang And Blame / Undertow / Orange Crush / Strange Currencies / Revolution / Tongue / Man On The Moon / Country Feedback / The One I Love / Pop Song 89 / Get Up / Star 69
encore: Let Me In / Everybody Hurts / Java - Band Intro / Begin The Begin / Departure / It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

I saw them in Birmingham Alabama on September 12 1995. a day that I will never forget.
saw PJ in New Orleans on September 17 1995 less than a week later. the Ramones were opening.
those were my sister's first two concerts EVER!!! can you believe that? crazy times.

and sorry for freaking you out. looks like Grant Lee Buffalo had taken over by the time you saw them.
I am still jealous of those Document era shows you saw........

HughFreakingDillon

JH6056 said:

Somewhere, maybe in another thread, there was a conversation about best ever live concerts we've seen. I've said in a couple of REM threads here that I've seen over 1,500 concerts so far in my life and a single REM show remains the most dialed in, transported, transcendental show I've ever been to.

Last night I was lucky to be at a Radiohead concert in Portland because Radiohead is another of the top 5 shows I've ever seen of those 1,500+. I have been thinking a lot about those top 5 artists, REM in particular because they're #1, and I hadn't seen Radiohead in some 13 or more years so I was soooo very stoked for the show last night thinking about them and REM.

So I'm at the Moda Center in Portland last night for Radiohead pondering REM and the other shows and there near one of the beer gardens I spy Peter freaking Buck! (And Scott McCaughey who was practically an official member of REM by the time they broke up). I'm thinking "What are the fucking odds I'd run into a member of REM in Portland???" I went up to him and said "My mind is totally blown that I'm seeing you here, a past Radiohead show holds one of my top 5 concerts ever spot, but a specific REM show holds the #1 spot and I've been thinking about that." Buck asks "Which show?" and I explain which show, AND HE FREAKING REMEMBERS THE SHOW, THAT SPECIFIC SHOW, SAYS A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT IT!!! No joke, the show was 30 years ago, it was in '87, and the Radiohead show in the top 5 was in 2001 or 2002 I think... and there I am at a Radiohead show talking to Peter Buck about my most incredible single concert ever and he's talking BACK about the same show!!!

The conversation itself wasn't that long, but how often do we get to tell an artist or member of one of our favorite bands about our favorite show ever and discuss it with them? I'm just feeling incredibly blessed and blown away that it happened at a Radiohead concert.

And.. as the couple next to me in my seats told me, no surprise to run into Peter Buck here, he lives in Portland some of the time and plays locally a lot. I had no idea.

And ithe show I spoke to him about was on the Document tour, 2nd NYC show at Radio City Music Hall.

Here's the setlist:
Finest Worksong
These Days
Pilgrimage
Disturbance at the Heron House
Exhuming McCarthy
Orange Crush
Feeling Gravitys Pull
The Flowers of Guatemala
Fireplace
Tired of Singing Trouble
I Believe
Maps and Legends
Driver 8
Superman
(The Clique cover)
Pretty Persuasion
Oddfellows Local 151
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Begin the Begin

Encore:
Strange
(Wire cover)
Title
Fall on Me

Encore 2:
We Walk
(with Natalie Merchant)
1,000,000
See No Evil
(Television cover)

Encore 3:
Harpers
(Hugo Largo cover)
Crazy
(Pylon cover)
The One I Love

what a story. a local band from Winnipeg, The Watchmen, who actually got very big in Canada in the 90's, are massive fans of REM. They often play REM songs live (they did actually, just this past Saturday-Disturbance at the Heron House). you may want to check them out if you get the chance.

www.the-watchmen.com