Rapid Eye Movement (R.E.M.): Four Essential Albums
As for R.E.M., there's really no introduction needed. You've already been there right? You've flossed your teeth while watching the "Losing My Religion" video, you've chortled along with "It's The End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)" in the Barber Shop, you've gagged while seeing "Shiny Happy People" on Sesame Street...
...perhaps you've even had the pleasure of rubbing Michael Stipe's bald head.
But, when we step back from the vehicle, I feel that, no matter how uncool and dull R.E.M. has been as of recent albums, there are a few (four, in fact) albums that I deem essential and, due to my violently random R.E.M. kick this week, I think I'll share them with you, dear reader. In chronological order:
-"Murmur" (1983) Ha! Ha! More like "Mumble"! Ha! But, really, I find that it doesn't matter that I can't understand a friggin` word young Michael Stipe is saying, and if ya read the lyrics, it all seems pretty meaningless anyway ("They called the clip a two headed cow"??). The truth is, the guitars bristle and shine with that familiar Byrds-ey twang, Mike Mill's gleeful backing vocals provide a lovely counterpart to Stipe, the drum's back everything up with that post-punk groove, and the melodies smother everything in a tuneful sense of timelessness; it all adds up to one of my favorite debuts in rock history. But most of all, the melodies! From the wonderful reverb-covered chorus/bridge of "Pilgrimage", to the call and response of "Catapult". There's the almost-funky swagger and guitar arpeggios of "We Walk" and the winding piano ballad of "Perfect Circle". Even the awkwardly-sincere Velvet Underground cover, it's all here! A perfect beginnning to their career...
-"Document" (1987) It was always my favorite, as a kid. I remember first being fascinated by the catchy, yet mysterious "The One I Love", my first R.E.M. song. Often misintrepreted a love song (and even used as a wedding some for some couples), Stipe claims it's about betrayal. "A simple prop, to occupy my time. This one goes out to the one I love....FIIIRRREEE!!!!" Probably my favorite R.E.M. song to this day. I remember being entertained by the free-association singalong of "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" ("Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Breshnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom!"). I remember my first exposure to Wire being the "Strange" cover, and I remember falling in love with the oddly upbeat horn-infected "Exhuming McCarthy", about the senator of the same name. Such a wonderful album, and often pinpointed as their transition from college folk rock group to high-profile rock group. Worth the dough. It even has a cool cover!
-"Automatic for the People" (1992) Yeah, yeah. This is the one everybody has had on their CD racks since 1992, the one that got R.E.M. respect all over the board, from the elevator music programmers to the flannel-wearing indie/grunge kidz. But it ain't none of the above - it's a sobering collection of songs on mortality and loss, with strings arranged by Pope John Paul Jones and a title named after a Georgia restaurant. More than anything, it's nostalgic for me, as I remember my dad playing it quite a bit growing up, in between the early Zappa and the Steeley Dad. "Try Not To Breathe", "Drive", "Find the River", these songs are all haunting, familiar, and, once again, timeless. But, despite popular misconception, it's not all death ballads. Other highlights include a rocking Montgomery Clift tribute ("Monty Got A Raw Deal") the quite beautiful piano ode to skinny-dipping ("Nightswimming"), an song about Andy Kaufman later used in the movie of the same name ("Man on the Moon") and one nifty organ instrumental ("New Orleans Instrumental No. 1"). While I will probably always prefer the aforementioned `80's records for personal records, I can't deny the sheer beauty this album holds.
-"New Adventures in Hi-Fi" (1996) I guess this would be the unpopular choice here, since there's never much love for this eclectic 65-minute 1996 effort, which was recorded all over the place during the "Monster" tour. I have no idea how a tour for such a weak album could produce such inspired songwriting, but I would certainly point to this as their last truly great record. It might not be as groundbreaking as the early indie classics, but these are just damn good songs. The band has described this as being inspired by Neil Young's "Time Fades Away", since it was recorded often onstage during soundchecks, whenever they could. It's a sprawling length (for this band, at least) but there's nary a weak song on here. From the jazzy opener to the lovely closer, it's a joy to listen to. Some highlights:
-The haunting chords and voices "E-bow the Letter": "This fame thing, I dont get it...
I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
I would lick your feet
But is that sickest move?
I wear my own crown and sadness and sorrow"
-"Leave", which happens to be the longest, and one of the strangest and most rocking songs of their career.
-"New Test Leper": another perfect acoustic ballad.
Bonus feature: Top three R.E.M. records to avoid at all costs:
-"Monster": We have guitar! Distortion! Tremolo! We can rock like the hip kids! We forgot to write any good songs!
-"Reveal": (Hey! No drummer!) *snore*
-"Around the Sun": *snore* *snore* *snooooooooorrrrrreeeeeeeee*
Good night.
...perhaps you've even had the pleasure of rubbing Michael Stipe's bald head.
But, when we step back from the vehicle, I feel that, no matter how uncool and dull R.E.M. has been as of recent albums, there are a few (four, in fact) albums that I deem essential and, due to my violently random R.E.M. kick this week, I think I'll share them with you, dear reader. In chronological order:
-"Murmur" (1983) Ha! Ha! More like "Mumble"! Ha! But, really, I find that it doesn't matter that I can't understand a friggin` word young Michael Stipe is saying, and if ya read the lyrics, it all seems pretty meaningless anyway ("They called the clip a two headed cow"??). The truth is, the guitars bristle and shine with that familiar Byrds-ey twang, Mike Mill's gleeful backing vocals provide a lovely counterpart to Stipe, the drum's back everything up with that post-punk groove, and the melodies smother everything in a tuneful sense of timelessness; it all adds up to one of my favorite debuts in rock history. But most of all, the melodies! From the wonderful reverb-covered chorus/bridge of "Pilgrimage", to the call and response of "Catapult". There's the almost-funky swagger and guitar arpeggios of "We Walk" and the winding piano ballad of "Perfect Circle". Even the awkwardly-sincere Velvet Underground cover, it's all here! A perfect beginnning to their career...
-"Document" (1987) It was always my favorite, as a kid. I remember first being fascinated by the catchy, yet mysterious "The One I Love", my first R.E.M. song. Often misintrepreted a love song (and even used as a wedding some for some couples), Stipe claims it's about betrayal. "A simple prop, to occupy my time. This one goes out to the one I love....FIIIRRREEE!!!!" Probably my favorite R.E.M. song to this day. I remember being entertained by the free-association singalong of "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" ("Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Breshnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom!"). I remember my first exposure to Wire being the "Strange" cover, and I remember falling in love with the oddly upbeat horn-infected "Exhuming McCarthy", about the senator of the same name. Such a wonderful album, and often pinpointed as their transition from college folk rock group to high-profile rock group. Worth the dough. It even has a cool cover!
-"Automatic for the People" (1992) Yeah, yeah. This is the one everybody has had on their CD racks since 1992, the one that got R.E.M. respect all over the board, from the elevator music programmers to the flannel-wearing indie/grunge kidz. But it ain't none of the above - it's a sobering collection of songs on mortality and loss, with strings arranged by Pope John Paul Jones and a title named after a Georgia restaurant. More than anything, it's nostalgic for me, as I remember my dad playing it quite a bit growing up, in between the early Zappa and the Steeley Dad. "Try Not To Breathe", "Drive", "Find the River", these songs are all haunting, familiar, and, once again, timeless. But, despite popular misconception, it's not all death ballads. Other highlights include a rocking Montgomery Clift tribute ("Monty Got A Raw Deal") the quite beautiful piano ode to skinny-dipping ("Nightswimming"), an song about Andy Kaufman later used in the movie of the same name ("Man on the Moon") and one nifty organ instrumental ("New Orleans Instrumental No. 1"). While I will probably always prefer the aforementioned `80's records for personal records, I can't deny the sheer beauty this album holds.
-"New Adventures in Hi-Fi" (1996) I guess this would be the unpopular choice here, since there's never much love for this eclectic 65-minute 1996 effort, which was recorded all over the place during the "Monster" tour. I have no idea how a tour for such a weak album could produce such inspired songwriting, but I would certainly point to this as their last truly great record. It might not be as groundbreaking as the early indie classics, but these are just damn good songs. The band has described this as being inspired by Neil Young's "Time Fades Away", since it was recorded often onstage during soundchecks, whenever they could. It's a sprawling length (for this band, at least) but there's nary a weak song on here. From the jazzy opener to the lovely closer, it's a joy to listen to. Some highlights:
-The haunting chords and voices "E-bow the Letter": "This fame thing, I dont get it...
I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
I would lick your feet
But is that sickest move?
I wear my own crown and sadness and sorrow"
-"Leave", which happens to be the longest, and one of the strangest and most rocking songs of their career.
-"New Test Leper": another perfect acoustic ballad.
Bonus feature: Top three R.E.M. records to avoid at all costs:
-"Monster": We have guitar! Distortion! Tremolo! We can rock like the hip kids! We forgot to write any good songs!
-"Reveal": (Hey! No drummer!) *snore*
-"Around the Sun": *snore* *snore* *snooooooooorrrrrreeeeeeeee*
Good night.
Labels: R.E.M.
