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

Post by **stip** » Tue February 14, 2017 8:54 pm

it's middle of the pack, because REM is just that good

washing machine · Tue February 14, 2017 11:24 pm

The perceived superiority that Pete bestows upon Reckoning almost ended our friendship once.

I think Murmur is a better early effort as far as albums go, and then there's the Chronic Town love I expressed on the previous page.

Kevin Davis · Post by **Kevin Davis** » Wed February 15, 2017 12:36 am

I'd probably call "Reckoning" my second favorite IRS after "Fables."

Post by **stip** » Wed February 15, 2017 3:46 am

I'd probably call it my second after pagent

chewm · Post by **chewm** » Wed February 15, 2017 2:57 pm

Reckoning is definetely the best IRS record. It's probably my second favorite overall.

Norah · Post by **Norah** » Wed February 15, 2017 7:46 pm

washing machine wrote:The perceived superiority that Pete bestows upon Reckoning almost ended our friendship once.

I think Murmur is a better early effort as far as albums go, and then there's the Chronic Town love I expressed on the previous page.

We can coexist even if you're wrong, friend.

Norah · Post by **Norah** » Wed February 15, 2017 7:47 pm

chewm gets it

darth_vedder · Post by **darth_vedder** » Wed February 15, 2017 9:53 pm

chewm wrote:Reckoning is definetely the best IRS record. It's probably my second favorite overall.

What is your favorite?

I think I like Life's Rich Pageant the best from the IRS years. What are RM's thoughts on it?

Kevin Davis · Post by **Kevin Davis** » Thu February 16, 2017 1:38 am

"Lifes Rich Pageant" is excellent.

chewm · Post by **chewm** » Thu February 16, 2017 2:27 am

darth_vedder wrote:
chewm wrote:Reckoning is definetely the best IRS record. It's probably my second favorite overall.
What is your favorite?

I think I like Life's Rich Pageant the best from the IRS years. What are RM's thoughts on it?

Automatic.

Norah · Post by **Norah** » Thu February 16, 2017 2:38 am

uh...

Hatfield · Post by **Hatfield** » Fri February 17, 2017 7:21 pm

I put on Reveal this weekend and it was an enjoyable experience for the whole family.

AndySlash · Post by **AndySlash** » Fri June 30, 2017 4:22 pm

r.e.m. hq sent out a promo email for a reissue of the dublin live album from 10 years ago, which is cool and fine, that's a great set. but at the bottom was this:

Automatic For The People Deluxe Reissue COMING THIS FALL...

The 25th anniversary of the band's groundbreaking album AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE will be commemorated with a deluxe reissue this fall. Details to follow in the coming weeks.

Post by **epilogue** » Fri October 20, 2017 4:05 pm

The Celebration Rock podcast did an episode recently about Automatic for the People and why R.E.M. seems to have faded from view as one of the quintessential alt rock bands of all time. Steven Hyden (the host) complains that he's heard them lumped in with acts like Billy Joel and Phil Collins and thinks that's absurd.

It's worth a listen, even if Hyden's being kind of a whiny, hipster, idiot (which he calls himself out on a bit) at the beginning. It's a good episode.

Kevin Davis · Post by **Kevin Davis** » Fri October 20, 2017 4:35 pm

durdencommatyler wrote:The Celebration Rock podcast did an episode recently about Automatic for the People and why R.E.M. seems to have faded from view as one of the quintessential alt rock bands of all time. Steven Hyden (the host) complains that he's heard them lumped in with acts like Billy Joel and Phil Collins and thinks that's absurd.

This sounds anecdotal at best and like a straw man at worst. Are people really lumping REM in with Phil Collins?

tragabigzanda · Post by **tragabigzanda** » Fri October 20, 2017 4:37 pm

Post by **epilogue** » Fri October 20, 2017 4:51 pm

Kevin Davis wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:The Celebration Rock podcast did an episode recently about Automatic for the People and why R.E.M. seems to have faded from view as one of the quintessential alt rock bands of all time. Steven Hyden (the host) complains that he's heard them lumped in with acts like Billy Joel and Phil Collins and thinks that's absurd.
This sounds anecdotal at best and like a straw man at worst. Are people really lumping REM in with Phil Collins?

Not in my experience, no. In my circles, they're still kind of a huge deal. I'd actually argue that in my anecdotal experience, if anything, they're overrated.

But also, so what if people compare them to Billy Joel and Phil Collins? The Billy Joel comparison probably doesn't extend much further than "It's the End of the World..." vs "We Didn't Start the Fire." But also those guys are titans of their time. Lumping REM in on that score doesn't seem so offensive to me.

It also makes sense to me that younger people, people born in the mid to late 90's are only hearing REM on Classic Rock or Lite FM stations, surrounded by the likes of Phil Collins and Billy Joel. So it makes some kind of sense to me that younger people might think of them in that context to some degree.

Anyway, they hash all of this out in the episode. Mostly they talk about Automatic but they do spend some time on REM's larger legacy. It's pretty interesting and worth a listen.

For sure, I felt like Hyden was being super anecdotal and I was wondering who he's been talking to. Because, again, in my circles, I don't find that The Smiths or The Pixies or Sonic Youth have such greater cache than REM.

Post by **epilogue** » Fri October 20, 2017 4:54 pm

tragabigzanda wrote:
Kevin Davis wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:The Celebration Rock podcast did an episode recently about Automatic for the People and why R.E.M. seems to have faded from view as one of the quintessential alt rock bands of all time. Steven Hyden (the host) complains that he's heard them lumped in with acts like Billy Joel and Phil Collins and thinks that's absurd.
This sounds anecdotal at best and like a straw man at worst. Are people really lumping REM in with Phil Collins?
"People" do and say stupid things all the time. I've never once heard someone compare REM to Phil Collins, so I have to assume that the host either fabricated the comparison, or heard it once or twice and used it as a jumping-off point for his podcast.

That's my thinking, too. But again I think there's also something to hearing them on radio stations where they're lumped together. I certainly wouldn't compare someone like Cat Stevens to a band like Led Zeppelin but I certainly heard them next to each other on Classic Rock radio growing up. So, it's possible, in conversation, I could have associated the two.

tragabigzanda · Post by **tragabigzanda** » Fri October 20, 2017 4:55 pm

swan · Post by **swan** » Fri October 20, 2017 5:14 pm

durdencommatyler wrote:The Celebration Rock podcast did an episode recently about Automatic for the People and why R.E.M. seems to have faded from view as one of the quintessential alt rock bands of all time. Steven Hyden (the host) complains that he's heard them lumped in with acts like Billy Joel and Phil Collins and thinks that's absurd.

It's worth a listen, even if Hyden's being kind of a whiny, hipster, idiot (which he calls himself out on a bit) at the beginning. It's a good episode.

I thought it was one of the better eps of this podcast. Brian Koppelman had lots of really insightful & interesting things to say about the band.

Red Mosquito

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

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