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

[liebzz]

Up is a fantastic album that I always enjoyed. Lotus, Sad Professor, Airportman, At My Most Beautiful, Walk Unafraid, and Daysleeper were all songs I immediately clung to and I have just always enjoyed most of this.

Reveal also has a lot to appreciate immediately. The Lifting, All the Way to Reno, She Just Wants to Be, and Imitation of Life come immediately to mind.

I guess I don’t think there is exists a terrible R.E.M. album. Around the Sun might be the toughest to get through.

[Kalevi]

I wouldn't say around the sun is rewarding but I like it. For me, accelerate is their worst.

[VinylGuy]

Around The Sun might be unfocused but its one of my favs from the latter years. Reveal is the one i like the least.

[Kevin Davis]

I really like Reveal. Stipe's voice on "I've Been High" is one of my favorite moments in their post-Berry catalog.

[AndySlash]

after up, reveal was a let down for me, as it seemed to take my least favorite parts of up (which there was not a lot of) and make a whole album from it. and over the years since, reveal has never really been able to gain any traction, either. there's some good stuff on there - she just wants to be, disappear, i'll take the rain - but as a whole it's a chore of a record for me to to get through. quite simply there's just too much of the self-described summery, lush beach boys influence here for my tastes. but i would take reveal 100 times out of 100 over the steaming pile that is around the sun. i can appreciate folks finding some joy in that album; i wish i could. to me, it's the sound of a band that has completely lost its way and doesn't have the energy to do anything about it. even the best song on there, final straw, was made impotent.

[AndySlash]

well this could be fun

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/michael-s ... 2024-tour/

Actor and musician Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Revolutionary Road) and Jason Narducy (Bob Mould, Superchunk, SDRE) have been covering whole albums live in Chicago for the last 10 years. This July, they covered R.E.M.’s Murmur in tribute to its 40th anniversary at Chicago’s Metro, a show where Mike Mills ended up joining the band. They had so much fun, they decided to turn it into a short tour, playing the whole album and other songs from R.E.M.’s catalog.

The band they have put together includes Jason’s Bob Mould Band bandmate Jon Wurster on drums, plus Dag Juhlin (guitar), Nick Macri (bass), and Vijay Tellis-Nayak (piano). The tour hits Minneapolis, Athens, Carrboro, DC, Ardmore, Cambridge, and Brooklyn. All dates are listed, along with video from this summer’s Metro show, below.

“I have been a fan of R.E.M. since my cousin played me the Document cassette out at my Aunt Norma’s trailer,” Shannon says. “I spent days and hours stumbling around my hometown of Lexington, KY listening to Murmur on my Walkman, long before the notion of being anything other than completely anonymous was a viable option. Jason and I have done several other albums and shows together but this one means the most to me.”

“I’m looking forward to going on the road with Michael and the band,” adds Narducy. “Michael and I have been doing shows for a long time but this is our first proper tour. The energy in the room at our Murmur show at Metro last July was really special. It’s fun celebrating a record that is so beloved.”

The tour wraps up in Brooklyn at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Valentine’s Day (2/14). Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday, September 29 at 10 AM.

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy And Friends Play R.E.M.ʼs Murmur
Sun. Feb. 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Thu. Feb. 8 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
Fri. Feb. 9 – Carrboro, NC @ Catʼs Cradle
Sat. Feb. 10 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Mon. Feb. 12 – Ardmore, PA @ Ardmore Music Hall
Tue. Feb. 13 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Wed. Feb. 14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

[super nintendo chalmers]

Thirty years ago, a brand new band called Harvey Milk took the stage at the illustrious 40 Watt Club in their hometown of Athens on April Fool's Day and performed the entirety of REM's album "Reckoning." There were a few recordings made, but only one survived. It was the audio from famed filmmaker Lance Bangs. Jump ahead to earlier this year, when the Harvey Milk bass player (Stephen Tanner to those taking notes) was at Chunklet HQ, we all began laughing about that performance and well, here we are. An edition of 400 copies and I suspect that'll be it. Each copy has a hand applied dayglo orange sticker on both the front and back.

https://chunklet.bandcamp.com/album/reckoning

I really had to hold my nose and order this one (Chonklet dude is a jayke off). I've been dying to hear this set for like 15 years now.

Fellas, this might be the best thing I've listened to all year. It sounds like shit, but god damn it works.

[Vitalogist]

The Automatic and Hi-Fi era are the best for me… whose with me?

[liebzz]

The Automatic and Hi-Fi era are the best for me… whose with me?

Agreed though all the eras have their virtues

[Stickman]

‘Up’ was a pivot point for R.E.M.: Their first album without drummer Bill Berry, and their least commercial effort ever. Mike Mills looks back on the 1998 cult classic on its 25th anniversary, and explains why they’ll never reunite.

[VinylGuy]

Thats a great read

[tragabigzanda]

[stip]

I've been catching up on Michael Stipe's very limited post REM output. It's pretty missable, but No Time For Love Like Now is quite good.

[bart]

I borrowed Up from a friend in high school and never returned it. I would have returned Reveal.

[Rangi Guy]

I borrowed Up from a friend in high school and never returned it. I would have returned Reveal.

Oh man - Reveal's been getting quite a few spins at my place recently. I love that album

[stip]

Reveal is far more likely to get a full album listen, but other than Lifting, I think Up's high points are a little higher.

I wish we had gotten a clean studio track of lotus.

[Higgs]

I borrowed Up from a friend in high school and never returned it. I would have returned Reveal.

Oh man - Reveal's been getting quite a few spins at my place recently. I love that album

You and the wife OK Rang? Just looking out for you bro.

[Vitalogist]

One of these days illl get around to ranking the REM
albums but it’s tough

[Buby]

I love damn near everything after Automatic.
Including a weird obsession over Accelerate and Collapse.
What a great way to bookend a discography.

[VinylGuy]

Reveal is one i just don care about. Ill try to listen to it someday.