How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us: An REM Thread

[epilogue]

There's no way Pete isn't pissed about this. I don't care how many emojis he posts.

[washing machine]

Ever played “Risk”, Joe?

[epilogue]

Ever played “Risk”, Joe?

duh

[washing machine]

Ever played “Risk”, Joe?

duh

It’s crazy what you could’ve had

[epilogue]

Ever played “Risk”, Joe?

duh

It’s crazy what you could’ve had

I agree!

[washing machine]

I should listen to NAIHF on the commute home tonight. It's been a minute.

Made it to Leave on the way home.

Few quick things:

Though I dislike Leave and think it meanders, I can’t deny that drum sound that kicks off the main section. Especially on headphones.

Undertow is even more of a powerhouse than I remember. The line about birds and religion brings to mind the Franzen/bird conversation in the reading thread yesterday. Stipe does birds better than Franzen, absolutely.

E-Bow’s stream of consciousness approach is pure beat poetry. It’s what I like most about that track, with the e-bow guitar a close second.

This album is probably peak REM. I’ve always associated it with Yield, for some reason, even though it came out in the same album cycle as No Code. It’s an album full of wide open spaces - perfect for the road.

[PHATJ]

Oh my good god, that last page is hilarious.

Joe, how are you so confused!?

[PHATJ]

Houston

That song really pisses me off.

I like what it's doing, thematically. I just resent when outsiders use Gulf Coast cities to perpetuate the narrative that the south is ugly and dirty.

Houston, Laredo, and Galveston are supposed to be the consolation prizes for the narrator after escaping Katrina with nothing but the shirt off of their back, but the minor chords and the doom and gloom keyboards undercut the optimism of the words. Those are all collectively thought to be very dirty places that are being sung about, and the listener is made to feel dread in knowing this before the narrator discovers it for himself. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak. Living here, I know better, but I'll never convince anyone of that because, well, it's fucking Houston.

Also, it pisses me off because it reminds me of what happened with Katrina, which is another can of worms altogether.

To be fair, Houston is a very good song and it's REM doing what it does best in a very effective way. It just triggers me, is all.

Well, I’ve never been to any of those places. I just think the song sounds cool.

[LoathedVermin72]

I love the intro on E-bow but as soon the vocals kick in I’m out

[verb_to_trust]

I finally found somewhere that said Monster reissue should come in October.

[Bammer]

I should listen to NAIHF on the commute home tonight. It's been a minute.

Made it to Leave on the way home.

Few quick things:

Though I dislike Leave and think it meanders, I can’t deny that drum sound that kicks off the main section. Especially on headphones.

Undertow is even more of a powerhouse than I remember. The line about birds and religion brings to mind the Franzen/bird conversation in the reading thread yesterday. Stipe does birds better than Franzen, absolutely.

E-Bow’s stream of consciousness approach is pure beat poetry. It’s what I like most about that track, with the e-bow guitar a close second.

This album is probably peak REM. I’ve always associated it with Yield, for some reason, even though it came out in the same album cycle as No Code. It’s an album full of wide open spaces - perfect for the road.

Finally back on topic. Yes that is one of Tool’s best efforts.

[PHATJ]

Hi-Fi is definitely the best album.

[epilogue]

Oh my good god, that last page is hilarious.

Joe, how are you so confused!?

[BootsToAsses]

I'll throw in my top 20, as top 10 is way too hard.

This isn't in order of preference:


Begin the Begin
Fall On Me
Disturbance at the Heron House
Belong
Country Feedback
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Crush With Eyeliner
Strange Currencies
Let Me In
Leave
So Fast, So Numb
Why Not Smile
Daysleeper
The Lifting
Boy In The Well
Sing For The Submarine
Oh My Heart
It Happened Today
Mine Smell Like Honey
Walk It Back

[epilogue]

I'll throw in my top 20, as top 10 is way too hard.

This isn't in order of preference:


Begin the Begin
Fall On Me
Disturbance at the Heron House
Belong
Country Feedback
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Crush With Eyeliner
Strange Currencies
Let Me In
Leave
So Fast, So Numb
Why Not Smile
Daysleeper
The Lifting
Boy In The Well
Sing For The Submarine
Oh My Heart
It Happened Today
Mine Smell Like Honey
Walk It Back

This is a baller list and probably most closely reflects what mine would probably look like.

[Blaine Ryan]

Saddened by the lack of "Untitled" mentions so far.

[epilogue]

Fall on Me
Begin the Begin
These Days
Swan Swan H
Maps and Legends
The One I Love
Losing My Religion
Country Feedback
Drive
Try Not To Breathe
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Strange Currencies
Circus Envy
You
How the West Was Won...
Bittersweet Me
Leave
New Test Leper
Be Mine
So Fast, So Numb
Hope
Daysleeper
Walk Unafraid
Oh My Heart
Walk it Back
It Happened Today

All of these are off the top of my head considerations. I have no idea how to begin to narrow that list down AND I'm positive that I'm forgetting a few.

[kreng]

i could be wrong but i think it's ok to enjoy songs without putting them in the confines of a list.

[epilogue]

i could be wrong but i think it's ok to enjoy songs without putting them in the confines of a list.

HOW DARE YOU

[Hatfield]

I should listen to NAIHF on the commute home tonight. It's been a minute.

Made it to Leave on the way home.

Few quick things:

Though I dislike Leave and think it meanders, I can’t deny that drum sound that kicks off the main section. Especially on headphones.

Undertow is even more of a powerhouse than I remember. The line about birds and religion brings to mind the Franzen/bird conversation in the reading thread yesterday. Stipe does birds better than Franzen, absolutely.

E-Bow’s stream of consciousness approach is pure beat poetry. It’s what I like most about that track, with the e-bow guitar a close second.

This album is probably peak REM. I’ve always associated it with Yield, for some reason, even though it came out in the same album cycle as No Code. It’s an album full of wide open spaces - perfect for the road.

I probably wrote this somewhere in the last 60 pages, but I've always had a belief that Ed was highly influenced by New Adventures.
-the e-bow
-black and white photos for the Yield booklet
-Wishlist is Ed's version of Be Mine all the way down the e-bow ending
-The Neutron Bomb reference

I can't get enough of New Adventures. Stipe is amazing all over their career, but this version of him is the one that I can keep coming back to over and over. From lyrics to vocals and then all of that noise exuding from this album. Thanks for bringing it back up Washing Machine.

Side note: Leave was blaring from the speakers at Hershey in 2003 when the band cut it, put on aye davanita and walked onto the stage. That was a great moment.