R.E.M. - Opinions

Burning Down · 01-07-2013, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanadon

think they're quite boring every single song sounds the same

You haven't listened to enough of their music. But yeah, they have a style just like every other band and maybe that's it.

Lisnaholic · 01-29-2023, 08:11 AM

Just a ten-year bump to this thread of opinions about R.E.M.

I'm here because of a recent discussion in another thread. Thanks to Janzsoon, rubber soul, SGR, Synthgirl and elphenor (playing the role of devil's advocate), I'm listening to Chronic Town for the first time. On the first run through I particularly liked Stumble, where the drums actually seem to stumble over themselves.... now on the second listen, I'm definitely enjoying it much more, especially that jangly guitar that infects every track. Nice.

Here's a question for REM-o-philes: I just read these rather contradictory comments about Chronic Town:
on Youtube "...outstanding concept...brilliant lyrics..."
on Allmusic: "...incomprehensible mumbled vocals...I don't pay attention to the lyrics..."

So my question is: what percentage of Stipe's lyrics do you pay attention to?

**Janszoon** · 01-29-2023, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

Just a ten-year bump to this thread of opinions about R.E.M.

I'm here because of a recent discussion in another thread. Thanks to Janzsoon, rubber soul, SGR, Synthgirl and elphenor (playing the role of devil's advocate), I'm listening to Chronic Town for the first time. On the first run through I particularly liked Stumble, where the drums actually seem to stumble over themselves.... now on the second listen, I'm definitely enjoying it much more, especially that jangly guitar that infects every track. Nice.

Here's a question for REM-o-philes: I just read these rather contradictory comments about Chronic Town:
on Youtube "...outstanding concept...brilliant lyrics..."
on Allmusic: "...incomprehensible mumbled vocals...I don't pay attention to the lyrics..."

So my question is: what percentage of Stipe's lyrics do you pay attention to?

Not much. I’m not much of a lyrics person in general. I listen to music for the music, if I want literature I read a book. All I ask is that lyrics not be so bad that they’re distracting. In REM’s case, I listen to them for general mood of the music, but Stipe’s lyrics are usually fairly decent.

Lisnaholic · 01-29-2023, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Not much. I’m not much of a lyrics person in general. I listen to music for the music, if I want literature I read a book. All I ask is that lyrics not be so bad that they’re distracting. In REM’s case, I listen to them for general mood of the music, but Stipe’s lyrics are usually fairly decent.

at the bold!

Yep, I'm the same really, most often I'm happy to let lyrics wash past my small attention window and just picking up a phrase or two once in a while. That's partly because there's a good chance I'll find the lyrics annoying if I work out what the band is actually on about.

Plenty of exceptions to that rule too though; over the years I've searched out the lyrics to L Cohen, Beefheart, Syd Barratt and of course:-

rubber soul · 01-29-2023, 08:16 AM

Very little. He really does mumble a lot, especially on the earlier recordings. Maybe he saw himself as another Dylan. What impresses me more is Peter Buck's jangly guitar and Mike Mills' bass playing. To me, that's what makes the band really rock.

SGR · 01-29-2023, 08:24 AM

A buddy of mine joked to me recently that Stipe was the first mumble-rapper. Yeah, he does a lot of that on the early stuff. Personally, I don't pay that much attention to the lyrics - at least in the early stuff where it's hard to understand what he's singing.

I think your next REM record chronologically would be their debut, Murmur. Definitely not one to be missed. After a couple listens, many of these songs are just going to be stuck in your head - and I bet you won't even mind. A great, great record. One of their best.

Looking back through this thread, I saw ancient posts from a version of me in 11th grade, asking others for their input on what albums I should buy for $8. Man, time flies.

Lisnaholic · 01-29-2023, 09:57 AM

Thanks, rs. Good to have a name to put to the jangly guitarist, who is contributing so much to the REM sound: the "wanna-be Byrds" guy of elphenor's description, I suppose.

Yes, I will definitely take your advice and move on to Murmur next because I am well pleased with this Chronic Town recommendation. I also notice that most people here seem to favour early REM. Perhaps REM follow the arc of many bands: bold, innovative sound at the start of their careers, then getting soft, self-indulgent or over-complicated furthur down the line.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGR

Looking back through this thread, I saw ancient posts from a version of me in 11th grade, asking others for their input on what albums I should buy for $8. Man, time flies.

^ 11th grade!!

We should have been talking about you in that "Is it creepy...?" thread about young posters. I hope MB treated you appropriately when you first came here. Is that old post identified as SGR, or did you have a chrysalis under a different name, before breaking out into the butterfly that is SGR?

rubber soul · 01-29-2023, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

Thanks, rs. Good to have a name to put to the jangly guitarist, who is contributing so much to the REM sound: the "wanna-be Byrds" guy of elphenor's description, I suppose.

Yes, I will definitely take your advice and move on to Murmur next because I am well pleased with this Chronic Town recommendation. I also notice that most people here seem to favour early REM. Perhaps REM follow the arc of many bands: bold, innovative sound at the start of their careers, then getting soft, self-indulgent or over-complicated furthur down the line.

Yes, you could say their work from 1987 on is all of the above. That was about the time they started to try to sound more commercial. They fought against that at IRS records but went full throttle after they signed with Warner Bros. And yet they still could make brilliant material with tracks like Losing My Religion and albums such as Automatic For the People and New Adventures in Hi- Fi. Even after Berry left and they became a trio, they could still put out some really great stuff. They split up finally before they could become another joke like U2.

But, yeah, their first three albums are definitely the highlight of REM's career (save AFTP of course).

SGR · 01-29-2023, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

Thanks, rs. Good to have a name to put to the jangly guitarist, who is contributing so much to the REM sound: the "wanna-be Byrds" guy of elphenor's description, I suppose.

Yes, I will definitely take your advice and move on to Murmur next because I am well pleased with this Chronic Town recommendation. I also notice that most people here seem to favour early REM. Perhaps REM follow the arc of many bands: bold, innovative sound at the start of their careers, then getting soft, self-indulgent or over-complicated furthur down the line.

^ 11th grade!!

We should have been talking about you in that "Is it creepy...?" thread about young posters. I hope MB treated you appropriately when you first came here. Is that old post identified as SGR, or did you have a chrysalis under a different name, before breaking out into the butterfly that is SGR?

Yeah lol - you can find the posts on page 10 or 11 i think - and it is under SGR - back then I was SoundgardenRocks until getting the username changed what, a year ago or so? MB did always treat me good - I was humbled with how much the posters back then knew - how much different stuff they listened to. And I'd have users like BastardOfYoung and Unknown Soldier and even Urban that I'd occasionally DM for recommendations - to which they always were accomadating.

I actually prefer 90s REM to 80s REM, despite the fact that their strongest album(s) are probably from the '80s. Their sound is a lot more varied. And their first 2000s album, Reveal, is also a favorite of mine. A very dreamy and sunny record. It doesn't have the same energy as early REM though.

**Janszoon** · 02-01-2023, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

I also notice that most people here seem to favour early REM. Perhaps REM follow the arc of many bands: bold, innovative sound at the start of their careers, then getting soft, self-indulgent or over-complicated furthur down the line.

I think that's sort of true for REM. With the possible exception of their second album, Reckoning, I think their first six albums are all pretty great. By the time they released Out of Time (the one with "Losing My Religion" on it), I think they were kind of running out of steam and trying to experiment. As a result, that album is very hit-or-miss, but it does have a few really great tracks. They then got their mojo back with Automatic for the People, which is one of their best albums and should have been their swan song. After that, it was all downhill. Monster made me lose interest, and what I've heard of the subsequent albums didn't seem to be an improvement.

01-29-2023, 08:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	Just a ten-year bump to this thread of opinions about R.E.M. I'm here because of a recent discussion in another thread. Thanks to Janzsoon, rubber soul, SGR, Synthgirl and elphenor (playing the role of devil's advocate), I'm listening to Chronic Town for the first time. On the first run through I particularly liked Stumble, where the drums actually seem to stumble over themselves.... now on the second listen, I'm definitely enjoying it much more, especially that jangly guitar that infects every track. Nice. Here's a question for REM-o-philes: I just read these rather contradictory comments about Chronic Town: on Youtube "...outstanding concept...brilliant lyrics..." on Allmusic: "...incomprehensible mumbled vocals...I don't pay attention to the lyrics..." So my question is: what percentage of Stipe's lyrics do you pay attention to? __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

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01-29-2023, 08:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,327	A buddy of mine joked to me recently that Stipe was the first mumble-rapper. Yeah, he does a lot of that on the early stuff. Personally, I don't pay that much attention to the lyrics - at least in the early stuff where it's hard to understand what he's singing. I think your next REM record chronologically would be their debut, Murmur. Definitely not one to be missed. After a couple listens, many of these songs are just going to be stuck in your head - and I bet you won't even mind. A great, great record. One of their best. Looking back through this thread, I saw ancient posts from a version of me in 11th grade, asking others for their input on what albums I should buy for $8. Man, time flies.