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

[digster]

Say what you will about Pitchfork, but this is one of my favorite quotes ever from a music review (from their review of 'Reveal'):

"On the scale of human accomplishments, turning out a classic album ought to rank up there with climbing Mount Everest. Stoned. With one leg. And no oxygen. Given the infinite potential for obnoxious excess within the Rock genre, it's no small feat to assemble an album that's so well phrased, so deftly stated, that its impact extends far beyond the realm of the audible. Turn out two or more such albums and you're headed for legendary status. Turn out five or six and you're R.E.M."

That's my feeling on them; it's not just that they were that great, but they were that great for that long.

[Norah]

Stip might be right on this one.

[Kevin Davis]

Stip might be right on this one.

I don't know. I saw an Aerosmith CD in the store the other day which featured a sticker proclaiming in no uncertain terms that they were the greatest American rock band of all time. Please address this.

[stip]

I don't want to live in a world where record label stickers can't be trusted, so I'll retract my statement.

[VinylGuy]

Stip you should check Sebadoh´s new record, specially "I will".

Sounds like a lost REM b side.

[Norah]

Stip might be right on this one.

I don't know. I saw an Aerosmith CD in the store the other day which featured a sticker proclaiming in no uncertain terms that they were the greatest American rock band of all time. Please address this.

Well when you have a bing ten inch it's hard not to be the best.

[epilogue]

REM is probably the best American rock band of all time. I think we just need to go ahead and realize this

I'll respectfully disagree.

[Chris_H_2]

Say what you will about Pitchfork, but this is one of my favorite quotes ever from a music review (from their review of 'Reveal'):

"On the scale of human accomplishments, turning out a classic album ought to rank up there with climbing Mount Everest. Stoned. With one leg. And no oxygen. Given the infinite potential for obnoxious excess within the Rock genre, it's no small feat to assemble an album that's so well phrased, so deftly stated, that its impact extends far beyond the realm of the audible. Turn out two or more such albums and you're headed for legendary status. Turn out five or six and you're R.E.M."

That's my feeling on them; it's not just that they were that great, but they were that great for that long.

I know that this really isn't relevant to your post, but I found it funny that this was from the same review:

when I put on Reveal and close my eyes, I fall asleep.

[stip]

REM is probably the best American rock band of all time. I think we just need to go ahead and realize this

I'll respectfully disagree.

well this begs an obvious question...

[SJM]

REM is probably the best American rock band of all time. I think we just need to go ahead and realize this

True words. Seeing them live was a full realization of how good they were.

My God I wish I could have seen them live.

Since REM is just behind Pearl Jam as my favorite band ... I must say I like your style.

[VinylGuy]

REM is probably the best American rock band of all time. I think we just need to go ahead and realize this

True words. Seeing them live was a full realization of how good they were.

My God I wish I could have seen them live.

Since REM is just behind Pearl Jam as my favorite band ... I must say I like your style.

I saw them in their last show...actually i think i went to their second to last show or something like that. Went with my former love and it was really something; not only Stipe, who is one of the best vocalists of all times ( and songwriter ); but the band...their were awesome, they were something else, just like PJ.
Peter Buck..how did he do that? he reminded me of The Edge in terms of how vital and important he was to the band; and how unnoticed he needed to be. Mike Mills and Bill Rieflin were a really tight unit; and Mills onstage persona was pretty cool too..his background vocals were as important as Kim´s in The Pixies.

Fuck i miss them. But im glad of those memories.

[epilogue]

REM is probably the best American rock band of all time. I think we just need to go ahead and realize this

I'll respectfully disagree.

well this begs an obvious question...

There are a handful I'd rank before R.E.M.

But they were pretty great. Top 10 for sure.

[epilogue]

Does it make me more of an REM fan or less of an REM fan that I really like Leaving New York?

[digster]

I love that song. I think it's mainly that I'm originally from NYC; moving away from there was particularly bittersweet, and I'm always back in that spot when I hear that song. It's one of the few songs that I'm conscious of loving primarily because of the sentimental attachment, rather than the song's quality.

It's funny, cause in the PJ side of the board there's always a lot of talk about how people can be close-minded about following a band you love down avenues that you wouldn't expect of them. I think the opposite is true; I may never have given that song or other songs on that record a second shot if it wasn't R.E.M., if it wasn't Stipe's voice. That makes it easier to follow a band down a path you may not enjoy, not harder.

[epilogue]

I love that song. I think it's mainly that I'm originally from NYC; moving away from there was particularly bittersweet, and I'm always back in that spot when I hear that song. It's one of the few songs that I'm conscious of loving primarily because of the sentimental attachment, rather than the song's quality.

It's funny, cause in the PJ side of the board there's always a lot of talk about how people can be close-minded about following a band you love down avenues that you wouldn't expect of them. I think the opposite is true; I may never have given that song or other songs on that record a second shot if it wasn't R.E.M., if it wasn't Stipe's voice. That makes it easier to follow a band down a path you may not enjoy, not harder.

I completely agree. Spot on.

[stip]

I love that song. I think it's mainly that I'm originally from NYC; moving away from there was particularly bittersweet, and I'm always back in that spot when I hear that song. It's one of the few songs that I'm conscious of loving primarily because of the sentimental attachment, rather than the song's quality.

It's funny, cause in the PJ side of the board there's always a lot of talk about how people can be close-minded about following a band you love down avenues that you wouldn't expect of them. I think the opposite is true; I may never have given that song or other songs on that record a second shot if it wasn't R.E.M., if it wasn't Stipe's voice. That makes it easier to follow a band down a path you may not enjoy, not harder.

I completely agree. Spot on.

Agree, and I'm a big fan of leaving ny, even though I have a lot of issues with around the sun




What bands would you put ahead of rem, dct?

[epilogue]

What bands would you put ahead of rem, dct?

Pearl Jam, Nirvana, The Ramones, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band for sure. And honestly, as much as it'll just make me a legion of enemies on this board, probably the Eagles too. Beyond that, I'd really have to think about it. Those are off the top of my head.

[stip]

I disagree with pj, Tom petty, and Springsteen but I wouldn't argue it. Nirvana jut had 2 records, and rem has a bunch of records better than either.


But the Ramones?!

The fucking RAMONES?!

[epilogue]

Nirvana had three studio albums, bub. And two of them are two of the best albums of their decade.

And fuck yeah The Ramones! But to incur even more of your wrath, I would also add The White Stripes, The Decemberists and The Mynabirds to my personal list of American bands that trump R.E.M. But those three are personal favorites that I don't imagine would argue well in the grand scheme. Maybe The White Stripes. I don't know. But I think a good argument could be made for any of the bands I initially stated.

[digster]

There's the whole argument about whether you can count solo artists who record albums with a band like bands. Springsteen's amazing, but it's not the same situation as an R.E.M. or Pearl Jam. Not saying that they can't be thrown into the same pile, but there is a difference.