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

[epilogue]

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
-Be Mine is Stipes Wishlist all the way down to 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.

Nice!

[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.

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
-Be Mine is Stipes Wishlist all the way down to 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.

Nice!

Awesome post, Hatfield.

Boy howdy, I had a morning. Realized I left my office keys locked in the office at work and the only person who has a spare lives on a completely different side of town. I was on my bike and the only way to get there without getting completely sweaty was to take two busses and the light rail.

As I rode, I picked up where I left off yesterday and knocked out the rest of NAIHF, then threw on Monster for good measure. Perfect soundtrack to calm me down while looking at a lot of different neighborhood scenery out the window.

Consider me all in for this renewed OB REM interest as of late. Let's keep this thread on the top page throughout January and BEYOND.

[epilogue]

I'm about 30 mins into the RU Talkin' pod's ep on Reveal. I'm scared...

[epilogue]

Reveal is a bit better than I remember but not by much. I don't actively hate it like I used to but it's still largely disposable.

The Lifting, I've Been High and I'll Take the Rain are all way better than I remember. Those are great songs. Those three and Imitation Of Life are keepers.

[Monkey_Driven]

Gave New Adventures a spin. What an album.

[epilogue]

Gave New Adventures a spin. What an album.

SO fucking good.

[epilogue]

New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Automatic for the People
Lifes Rich Pageant
Monster
Up
Fables of the Reconstruction
Green
Reckoning
Document
Out of Time
Murmur
Reveal

[Blaine Ryan]

Reveal is a bit better than I remember but not by much. I don't actively hate it like I used to but it's still largely disposable.

The Lifting, I've Been High and I'll Take the Rain are all way better than I remember. Those are great songs. Those three and Imitation Of Life are keepers.

I'd throw in "Beat a Drum," but yeah, I agree.

I always hope it'll grow on me. I really like the idea of it being the yin to Up's yang, so to speak. The "warm" electronica record as opposed to the "cold" one. But so far it hasn't clicked.

I might actually prefer Around the Sun, but it's been a minute since I've listened to either of them.

[Monkey_Driven]

Automatic is my sentimental favorite (it was the second CD I ever bought).

[epilogue]

Reveal is a bit better than I remember but not by much. I don't actively hate it like I used to but it's still largely disposable.

The Lifting, I've Been High and I'll Take the Rain are all way better than I remember. Those are great songs. Those three and Imitation Of Life are keepers.

I'd throw in "Beat a Drum," but yeah, I agree.

I always hope it'll grow on me. I really like the idea of it being the yin to Up's yang, so to speak. The "warm" electronica record as opposed to the "cold" one. But so far it hasn't clicked.

I might actually prefer Around the Sun, but it's been a minute since I've listened to either of them.

I'm going through these as I listen to each ep of RU Talking REM Re: Me?. I'm basically one the same foot Aukerman is on. I bought Reveal when it came out. Listened to it once in my car and hated it so much that I never listened to it again (except the singles I'd hear on the radio).

I never bought Around the Sun or Accelerate or Collapse. I adore Collapse and have listened to it front to back many, many times. It's one of my favorite REM albums. But I don't think I've ever heard all of Around the Sun and I know I haven't heard Accelerate.

So, like Aukerman, I'll basically be listening to these next couple fresh, "for the first time." Kind fun.

[Blaine Ryan]

Reveal is a bit better than I remember but not by much. I don't actively hate it like I used to but it's still largely disposable.

The Lifting, I've Been High and I'll Take the Rain are all way better than I remember. Those are great songs. Those three and Imitation Of Life are keepers.

I'd throw in "Beat a Drum," but yeah, I agree.

I always hope it'll grow on me. I really like the idea of it being the yin to Up's yang, so to speak. The "warm" electronica record as opposed to the "cold" one. But so far it hasn't clicked.

I might actually prefer Around the Sun, but it's been a minute since I've listened to either of them.

I'm going through these as I listen to each ep of RU Talking REM Re: Me?. I'm basically one the same foot Aukerman is on. I bought Reveal when it came out. Listened to it once in my car and hated it so much that I never listened to it again (except the singles I'd hear on the radio).

I never bought Around the Sun or Accelerate or Collapse. I adore Collapse and have listened to it front to back many, many times. It's one of my favorite REM albums. But I don't think I've ever heard all of Around the Sun and I know I haven't heard Accelerate.

So, like Aukerman, I'll basically be listening to these next couple fresh, "for the first time." Kind fun.

Oh man, you're in for a treat with Accelerate. It's a great bounceback.

I'm gonna check out that podcast today, I think. I love how many people are getting into (or revisiting) R.E.M. because of it.

[epilogue]

It took me a minute to grasp the podcast. I didn't realize how much of a comedy pod it was. The first 40 minutes really threw me for a loop. But now I'm completely addicted to it and just want to be listening all day, every day.

[PHATJ]

Accelerate is really good, durds. I can’t believe you haven’t heard it before. Enjoy.

[epilogue]

Accelerate is really good, durds. I can’t believe you haven’t heard it before. Enjoy.

[stip]

Reveal is a bit better than I remember but not by much. I don't actively hate it like I used to but it's still largely disposable.

The Lifting, I've Been High and I'll Take the Rain are all way better than I remember. Those are great songs. Those three and Imitation Of Life are keepers.

I'd throw in "Beat a Drum," but yeah, I agree.

I always hope it'll grow on me. I really like the idea of it being the yin to Up's yang, so to speak. The "warm" electronica record as opposed to the "cold" one. But so far it hasn't clicked.

I might actually prefer Around the Sun, but it's been a minute since I've listened to either of them.

I'm going through these as I listen to each ep of RU Talking REM Re: Me?. I'm basically one the same foot Aukerman is on. I bought Reveal when it came out. Listened to it once in my car and hated it so much that I never listened to it again (except the singles I'd hear on the radio).

I never bought Around the Sun or Accelerate or Collapse. I adore Collapse and have listened to it front to back many, many times. It's one of my favorite REM albums. But I don't think I've ever heard all of Around the Sun and I know I haven't heard Accelerate.

So, like Aukerman, I'll basically be listening to these next couple fresh, "for the first time." Kind fun.

Accelerate is fantastic. Having said that, I can't help but hear accelerate as a response to the things that didn't work about Around the Sun, which I like more in the context of the catalog but was a hard album to be the 'current' album when it was out. So I may overrate it.


What is this REM podcast you're talking about?

[VinylGuy]

Accelerate is awesome. I agree with Stip. It seems it their response to ATS.

I feel that way with avocado and RA too.

[Blaine Ryan]

A lot of bands have that kind of record -- the one that tries to "correct" previous albums (usually ones that are experimental and/or weren't well received). I think R.E.M.'s is better than average in that regard.

[PHATJ]

Welcome back, Stip. It’s been awhile!

[epilogue]

What is this REM podcast you're talking about?

R U Talkin R.E.M. Re: Me?

It's a comedy podcast hosted by Scott Aukerman and Adam Scott. They go album by album and talk about each song. The pods are long and the first half of each is usually just them talking, doing improvised bits, and riffing about nonsense. But it's hilarious and charming and addicting.

This is the second iteration/season of the show. The first, called U Talking U2 2 Me?, was obviously the same show but about U2's catalogue.

[washing machine]

Welcome back, Stip. It’s been awhile!

I was happy to see stip posting when I opened this thread.