Any Love For R.E.M?

[Trane]

I became aware of REM while they were still really an alternative/indie rock band (second part of the 80's), but I must say I never hooked up on their stuff...

At one point (early 90's), I was fairly annoyed by their over-exposure, much like I became so with Blur, Oasis and others later on in the 90's... so I never really dug in their albums (knowing most of the stuff on certain albums like Automatic For The People (etc..), anyway)...

But in the ast five years, I must say I don't zap them away when I hear their stuff on the radio... I even kind of like stuff like Losing My Religion or Monster's main hit (forget it's name as I write)... Probably will never buy anything from them, but I can acknowledge they were an important part of rock's history during the 90's

Yeah, I was following them up to Monster, which I also hated. I stepped off the train at that point, as I never really heard anything else by them that I liked.

Actually, I kind of appreciated the darker side of Moster more than I did the previous albums....

[JIF]

I became aware of REM while they were still really an alternative/indie rock band (second part of the 80's), but I must say I never hooked up on their stuff...

At one point (early 90's), I was fairly annoyed by their over-exposure, much like I became so with Blur, Oasis and others later on in the 90's... so I never really dug in their albums (knowing most of the stuff on certain albums like Automatic For The People (etc..), anyway)...

But in the ast five years, I must say I don't zap them away when I hear their stuff on the radio... I even kind of like stuff like Losing My Religion or Monster's main hit (forget it's name as I write)... Probably will never buy anything from them, but I can acknowledge they were an important part of rock's history during the 90's

I used to feel the same way you do, but MTV and VH1 don't play them anymore. Plus, I never listen to the radio anymore. So, I don't hear any of their music unless I pop in an R.E.M cd.

[Trane]

At any point in his career, Stipe and his band could have faded back into relative obscurity if fame didn't suit them. Lots of people have done it. Once you've fulfilled your contractual obligations, there's no law saying you have to resign for another 5 to 10 years of apparent torture. Maybe it's difficult to figure out what "the right thing to do" is, but there's a certain point where the torture was really self inflicted.

You make it sound like it's easy to do that, but your label will make sure this doesn't happen.... Too much effort to make it happen to let it consciously let it unravel...

I used to feel the same way you do, but MTV and VH1 don't play them anymore. Plus, I never listen to the radio anymore. So, I don't hear any of their music unless I pop in an R.E.M cd.

Yeah, of course they're not overexposed anymore... Don't listen to airwaves radio all that much (when I do, it's in the car and have no alternative), but 10 years ago, I would've switched radio station if they came on,... nowadays I don't

But I can't imagine doing it on purpose to stumble or purposely play them... I'm not at that stage yet... hopefully never will (that would mean I'm subjected to 0's nostalgia)...

[Scrotum Scissor]

Murmur. All I need by them. I used to have five or six of their records, but this one sums it up. The same with The Smiths IMHO; The Queen is Dead - and that's it.

[walt]

I dig 'em only enough to have Eponymous,which i spin once or twice a year.That's all, folks.

[SteveSly]

Which R.E.M albums do you own, Mr. Sly, and how would you rate those albums?

I would probably rate the ones I own:

1. Automatic For The People
2. Document
3. Life’s Rich Pageant
4. Green
5. Reckoning
6. Out Of Time
7. New Adventures In Hi Fi
8. Monster

For me “Automatic” is the clear #1 with the next 4 all being pretty close to equal. 6 and 7 are a notch down, but still strong albums for the most part. As I mentioned before I did not really care much for “Monster”.

Steve Sly

[JIF]

I would probably rate the ones I own:

1. Automatic For The People
2. Document
3. Life’s Rich Pageant
4. Green
5. Reckoning
6. Out Of Time
7. New Adventures In Hi Fi
8. Monster

For me “Automatic” is the clear #1 with the next 4 all being pretty close to equal. 6 and 7 are a notch down, but still strong albums for the most part. As I mentioned before I did not really care much for “Monster”.

Steve Sly

You said "did not". So, does that mean you care for Monster now?

[SteveSly]

You said "did not". So, does that mean you care for Monster now?

No I still don't like it much. There are a few good songs on it, but overall I think it is pretty weak.

Steve Sly

[Rune Blackwings]

i liked REM for about a year or so. they get samey after a while (says the Ozric Tentacles fan) for me. I think my liking them was prompted by a boyfriend I had into all that. He was into alternative music, which was huge at the time, and I think it rubbed off on me for a bit. I have since either given my REM cds to me dad or traded them off.

[Magic Mountain]

I probably have most of their albums. I don't play them as much as I did at one time. However, on New Year's Eve I did play "Automatic for the People" and really enjoyed it.

[Jerjo]

I have most of their albums. The only radio I listen to is NPR so stuff like this hasn't lost its appeal for me. Document, Fables of the Reconstruction, Life's Rich Pageant, and Automatic for the People are my faves but there's a lot of solid work in their catalog that holds up well. I've only seen them live once but they totally kicked ass. I have a boot of that Netherlands show from '88 that later got chopped up and packaged with the Document reissue. There's a good example of a band that has hit their prime and gets an incredible momentum going in concert. The later Live album is pretty solid as well.

[philsunset]

??

[JIF]

I have most of their albums. The only radio I listen to is NPR so stuff like this hasn't lost its appeal for me. Document, Fables of the Reconstruction, Life's Rich Pageant, and Automatic for the People are my faves but there's a lot of solid work in their catalog that holds up well. I've only seen them live once but they totally kicked ass. I have a boot of that Netherlands show from '88 that later got chopped up and packaged with the Document reissue. There's a good example of a band that has hit their prime and gets an incredible momentum going in concert. The later Live album is pretty solid as well.

I've always wanted to know what people thought of Fables Of The Reconstruction? I've been wanting to get that one cause I heard it was more folky that the two before.

[JIF]

I just remembered that in Huntington Beach at The Golden Bear (where I posted earlier I had seen both Axton & The Association), I not only saw Ian & Sylvia, but ate a spaghetti dinner prepared by Ms. Fricker (writer of "You Were On My Mind", We Five's hit) and sat around a big table with Ian Tyson, Sylvia, a friend who worked there who got me into the inner circle, and another imo superb folk singer/writer some may have heard of, Steve Gillette.

Lots of fun and lots of .

What does this have to do with R.E.M?

[Facelift]

I'm a fan. I grew up with them.

LOVE:
Murmur, Reckoning, Green, New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Like a lot:
Life's Rich Pageant, Document, Automatic For the People

I like most of the others too, just to varying degrees. Not really the same band after the drummer left ('98, I think), though their "time" had passed by then, anyway.

[Facelift]

I've always wanted to know what people thought of Fables Of The Reconstruction? I've been wanting to get that one cause I heard it was more folky that the two before.

If you like the first two, then Fables is well worth getting. I don't rate it as high as those first two, but that's not to denigrate the album. There's a couple of tracks on it that drag, IMO, but it's also got a few of what I think are their all-time best (Driver 8, Cant Get There From Here, Feeling Gravity's Pull).

[Chain]

I like them is small doses ... otherwise they get a bit too "whiney" for Me

[Trane]

Thinking it over last night....

I'm not entirely sure how we got into this topic of talking about suicide or mental/emotional disorders. I don't think Michael Stipe has anything of the sort. I think he just got a bug up his ass about being asked certain questions in interviews (and perhaps rightly so), and took to kvetching about it in public, which is what I take exception to. There's no reason why he couldn't just say "No more interviews!". Pink Floyd did it. So did Prince.

There are' different ways to deal with the fame, but if you didn't really want it at first (or were't expecting it), it can be disastrous: Cobain is an extreme example of course, but Serge Fiori of Harmonium is another calmer solution... he pulled the plug on it (Harmonium) alltogether... It may sound drastic a solution, but in his native Quebec, he was some kind of god between 74 and 79 (much to the same extent that Céline Dion is experiencing not only in Quebec, but worldwide)... Wouldn't be left alone in the streets... he became a nervous wreck and eventual breakdown >> I've recently seen a bunch of interviews with him... he's still not gotten over it (he copes with it in his own way), but you can read in his face that it's still painful...

Anyway; Stipe never really sounded all that against it (AFAIK, anyway).... Sure, one gets tired from the hype, fame and constant recurring questions and demands, but he could've pulled the plug a long time ago if it was really getting to him the Fiori or Cobain way...

[Camelogue]

Yes I loved Fables of the Reconstruction, and "liked" others. have not listened to in a long time, they probably don't remember me.
Love is strange.

[Father Tiresias]

I love their first few records, as well as Automatic for the People. As far as their later releases, I think Around the Sun is a Masterpiece. Accelerate was dreadful, IMHO.

[Progatron]

First several albums are great, my favourite track is probably "Begin The Begin" from Lifes Rich Pageant.

[Vic2012]

Never cared for this band much, but I always liked the song "What's The Frequency Kenneth." I found Monster pretty cheap so what the hell. I bought it for that song mainly. I ended up liking most of the album. I liked the whole reto-ish vibe with the dirty, distorted guitars and all. Never cared to explore further. This Stipe guy kinda grates on my nerves.

[spacefreak]

Yeah, I was following them up to Monster, which I also hated. I stepped off the train at that point, as I never really heard anything else by them that I liked.

Me too. I stopped at the awfully bad "Monster".

"Murmur", "Reckoning", "Life's Rich Pageant" and "Automating for the People" are their best for me.

[Jefferson James]

They lost me with "Automatic for the People" although there were some songs I loved ("Ignoreland", "Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight"). That record just c_r_a_w_l_e_d for me -- too mid-tempo and not enough of the REM jangle I'd grown to love.

Around 1989 this band meant everything to me; I was getting out of the hair metal stuff and more into songwriting and REM scratched an itch.

These days I don't listen to them at all.

[SteveSly]

Never cared for this band much, but I always liked the song "What's The Frequency Kenneth." I found Monster pretty cheap so what the hell. I bought it for that song mainly. I ended up liking most of the album. I liked the whole reto-ish vibe with the dirty, distorted guitars and all. Never cared to explore further. This Stipe guy kinda grates on my nerves.

The "back to basics" approach that they took on "Monster" was one of my biggest problems with it. The band had already proved that they were capable of so much better. "Monster" just felt to me like an album that any old garage band could pull off........which maybe was their intent, but after "Automatic" I thought it was a big letdown.

Steve Sly