"Their Greatest Hits. Well, except THAT one."
So began a Q Magazine review of their recent "In Time-Best Of 1988-2003" compilation. Of course, they were referring to "Shiny Happy People". And yes, it was voted one of Blender Magazine's 50 Worst Songs Of All Time" as well. "What were they thinking?" is what is asked regarding this happy-twang-filled ode to happiness and joy. And I suppose the answer is just that theyr wanted to take a break from the mumbling, gloomy material from their earlier years. And I still like it, believe it or not! (The song, I mean.)
I thought I'd start a thread here now for my SECOND favorite American rock group, and see who would say what about who or what.
One thing I'm wondering: What does their internet-only war protest song sound like? Has anyone here heard it? Is it any good? And why isn't it on a CD single?
And are they really in the studio, recording new material? I hope so!
My Favorites: "Perfect Circle"
"So. Central Rain"
"Can't Get There From Here"
"Cuyahoga"
"The One I Love"
"Pop Song '89"
"Texarkana"
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
"Crush With Eyeliner"
"Star 69"
"Bittersweet Me"
"The Great Beyond"
"The Lifting"
"I've Been High"
"Imitation Of Life"
and of course:
"Bad Day"
"Animal"
from the "In Time" collection.
C'mon! Anybody else here like them? Anyone know about the Net-only song, or if they will release another album? Please contribute!
Bye for now.
The last R.E.M. album I've bought was Up, which, to me, was a severe disspointment. I haven't bought Reveal, and kinda doubt that I ever will. For one thing, I think the quality of the music has gone downhill since the group signed with Warners. IMHO they've released only one consistently good album on the Warners Brothers label - and that was Automatic For the People. The other albums have been spotty at best. But then again, to me, the run from Reckoning to Document is the high point of the band. After that, it's been hit and miss.
I remember hearing "Radio Free Europe" when it first came out and liking it. Then I caught the band on Dave Letterman's show. They performed a new song. Dave asked what the name of the song was, and either Peter Buck or Michael Stipe told him they didn't know the song's title. (It was "So. Central Rain (Sorry)".) I bought the album that song was on (Reckoning) and became a fan of the Athens group.
Just so you'll know, my favorite songs (chronologically) are:
"Wolves, Lower"
"Radio Free Europe"
"Talk About the Passion"
"Perfect Circle"
"Time After Time (Annelise)"
"Camera"
"(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" (My third favorite R.E.M. song.)
"Driver 8"
"Begin the Begin"
"What If We Give It Away"
"Fall On Me"
"Superman" (Classic. My fourth favorite R.E.M. song.)
"Exhuming McCarthy"
"It's the End of the World As We Know (And I Feel Fine)" (My absolute favorite R.E.M. song.)
"King of Birds"
"Toys In the Attic"
"King of the Road" (Hilarious. The band is completely wasted and Stipe can only remember one verse - and he never gets it right!)
"Late Date"
"Love Is All Around"
"Pop Song '89"
"World Leader Pretend"
"The Wrong Child"
"Radio Song"
"Near Wild Heaven"
"Drive"
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
"Sweetness Follows"
"Ignoreland"
"Man On the Moon" (My second favorite R.E.M. song.)
"Find the River"
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
"Crush With Eyeliner"
"King of Comedy"
"Bang and Blame"
"Lotus"
The one thing that makes me question the integrity of this band is the fact that in the Eighties, they said that if any one of the four members left, the group would break up. Well, Bill Berry has left, and they are now apparently working on a new album. Which wouldn't be so bad if the current crop of tunes was as good as the early ones...
(BTW, for some reason, I thought there already was a board for this band? Guess I was wrong.)
np - Sci-Fi's Greatest Hits Vol. 1: Final Frontiers - various artists
"Music is a world within itself and a language we all understand."
Hey there, Benn.
You know, you listed a lot of their songs that I haven't ever heard! I never did buy every single one of their albums. But I did get the import collection "The Best Of", and the rarities/b-sides collection "Dead Letter Office", which also included the original "Chronic Town" EP.
As for regular studio albums, I had, for a while:
"Green"
"Out Of Time"
"Automatic For The People"
"Monster"
"New Adventures In Hi-Fi"
"Up"
"Reveal"
Not to mention the "Great Beyond" and "Bad Day" singles.
As for seeing them on any show, I saw them on Saturday Night Live, performing the "Great Beyond".
And I also bought the recent music video compliation, which was interesting for the most part, but which also lacked THAT CERTAIN SONG!!(No prizes for guessing which one, right?)
Concerning their integrity, however, I also did read somewhere that they would discontinue as a group if one member left. But you know, I really am glad that the group continued on anyway. Even though it may be said that their current song output isn't as good as their classic stuff, I suppose that's just a matter of opinion.
For example: When I bought the "Hi-Fi" and "Up" albums, there were only three songs on each of them that I liked. On the others I've heard, there were at least five or six. Like with "Reveal", their latest, the songs I like from that one, I REALLY like!
Here's to the next album, then. At least I think so!
As I've noted, I gave up on Michael and the boys after Up. If I were to ever find Reveal for a really cheap price, I might hop on it, but beyond that, forget it. They went like two albums in a row that were disappointing (New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Up). That's enough to convince me they've lost it.
Still, I think it's great that you like the band. I do strongly recommend the earlier, IRS label albums. Particulary Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, Lifes Rich Pageant and Document. Murmer (their debut album), though, is often considered one of their classics.
"Music is a world within itself and a language we all understand."
New CD, "Around The Sun," was released 10/5/04. They're on tour now, I'm seeing them 11/4 at Madison Square Garden. Anyone know the set? Particularly, I'd like to hear "The Great Beyond" and "Imitation of Life." My two faves of theirs.
I'm listening to "Around the Sun" right now. The album is on par with "Reveal," so if you liked that, Adam, you would like this one, too. "Leaving New York" and "Aftermath" grab you right away. "Ascent of Man" is annoying, even from the next room. For reason I'm really enjoying "Wanderlust," even though Stipe's vocals don't seem to be at their best. In fact, that's a thread throughout the album: Stipe's vocals just aren't as strong as they were on albums such as "Automatic" and "Out of Time." Buck and Mills' music has reached a familiar point. It sounds a lot like the previous album, but I still have this fantasy they would chuck the sythesizers and pick up their guitars again.
My thinking is like Benn's in that I like the band's IRS output the best, but I'm such an R.E.M. nut, I'll pick up anything and find something I like. I checked at the official Web site, Adam, but I couldn't find a set list for the tour.
Enjoy the show!
Thanks, Trike. I've only gotten into REM recently, since their "In Time" collection. My ex-wife had a CD with "Everybody Hurts" and "Losing My Religion." I guess I do have something to thank her for.
I did go to the REM concert at the Garden last night. They did a good set, playing nearly two hours. Also, they didn't concentrate on "Around The Sun," playing a mix of older songs (some of which I was unfamiliar with) and more recent stuff (like the much desired "Imitation of Life.")
One of the more appalling things about last night was the number of people smoking in Madison Square Garden, where smoking is against the law. Even one smoker is too many for me.
Well, I'm back. And this time, I suppose I'll comment on their newest, as well as finish my favorite track list.
To tell the truth, I don't care for the "Leaving New York" single that much. To tell even more truth, the songs from "Around The Sun" did not appeal to me as much as the ones I like from "Reveal", or the the two new ones from the "In Time" best-of, "Bad Day" (I love the video for that one) and "Animal" (that one is my favorite recent R.E.M. track).
In short, I was disappointed with ATS. It just seems to me that the vast majority of the stuff they performed and relased back in the '80's and '90's, are better than the stuff they've done recently, as a whole. Does anyone else feel this way?
So now, here is my definetive list of my favorite R.E.M. songs!
"Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars)"
"Wolves, Lower"
"Gardening At Night"
"1,000,000"
"Stumble"
(These first five were from the "Chronic Town" EP.)
"Radio Free Europe"
"Perfect Circle"
"Talk About The Passion"
"So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
"Pretty Persuausion"
"Green Grow The Rushes"
"Can't Get There From Here"
"Driver"
"Fall On Me"
"I Believe"
"Cuyahoga"
"The One I Love"
"Finest Worksong"
"It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" (I've gotten kind of sick of this one, though!)
"Crazy"
"Burning Down"
"Voice Of Harold"
"Burning Hell"
"Windout"
"Ages Of You"
(these last six from the "Dead Letter Office" rarities/b-sides collection.)
"Pop Song '89"
"Stand"
"Orange Crush"
"Losing My Religion"
"Shiny Happy People" (Yep, I still like this one!)
"Texarkana"
"Drive"
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
"Man On The Moon"
"Nightswimming"
"It's A Free World, Baby"
"What's The Frequency, Kenneth?"
"Crush With Eyeliner"
"Star 69"
"Bang And Blame"
"New Test Leper"
"Bittersweet Me"
"So Fast, So Numb"
"Revolution"
"Walk Unafraid"
"Daysleeper"
"Diminished"
"The Great Beyond"
"All The Right Friends"
"The Lifting"
"I've Been High"
"All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)"
"Disappear"
"Imitation Of Life"
"Bad Day"
"Animal"
"Electron Blue"
"The Outsiders" (I HATE that stupid rap, I wish they had kept it out of this otherwise alright song!)
"Final Straw"
"I Wanted To Be Wrong"
"Wanderlust"
"Boy In The Well"
"Aftermath"
"The Ascent Of Man"
"Around The Sun"
And yes, I agree with Trike, in that Michael's vocals did not seem as strong and resonant as on earlier albums. What gives?!
Anyway, despite their small shortcomings, I'd love to see them live! As well as Dave Matthews and his band. But that's a story for another board!
Later now!
Welcome back, Andre!
Quote:In short, I was disappointed with ATS. It just seems to me that the vast majority of the stuff they performed and relased back in the '80's and '90's, are better than the stuff they've done recently, as a whole. Does anyone else feel this way?
Hey! Well, now for some current up-to-date R.E.M. news!
They have now released this collection: "...And I Feel Fine: The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987". And I have to say, I will not be buying it, as I don't really need it!
Why, you ask? Well, it's because I had already bought the IMPORT collection a few years ago, simply called "The Best Of", and it seems to include all the best tracks from the '80's by the boys from Athens.
There's also an accompanying DVD to this CD, with videos and live stuff, too!
Anyway, that's it. Let's see now...that makes FOUR compilations from this group, three U.S. and one import. Well, at least that's not as bad as the short-lived '80's or '90's bands who had like, only one or two hits, and then proceeded to flood the market with "Best Of"'s "Greatest Hits", and what-have-you!
Bye for now!
R.E.M. has a new release - "Accelerate". I didn't like it at first, but it's grown on me. Best cut - "Supernatural Superserious."
Yes, I like that album, too.
I heard the "Super-Serious" single on my local rock station, and I liked it immediately!
They also have a live album that came out in the last two years, but I'm not interested in it.
Other than that, R.E.M. has not really been in the news for anything else, as far as I know.
I really like their music, it's great!
Their new album came out this week. It's called "Collapse Into Now" and it returns, sort of, to their roots in the kind of rock music they used to do in the 80's and 90's (that they kind of had gotten out of doing on their albums from the last decade).
I like it. Every track is well done, the album as a whole sounds pretty good, I think.
Also, contrary to what I said back in 2005, I now actually like the songs from "Around The Sun", even though they are not all rock-oriented. They now sound better to me, perhaps it's because I needed a few years for my musical tastes to mature.
One more thing - I no longer have "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" in my collection - I left it off the last R.E.M. CD I burned, and therefore it is not on my iPod. I just *really* got tired of that one. Strangely enough, I actually still like "Shiny Happy People"!
R.E.M. is disbanding. I'm sorry to hear this. I really liked this band. Collapse Into Now (their most recent release) was a pretty good album. Thanks, guys for ALL the great music over the years!
Yeah, I agree with that. It is a shame the band is coming to an end. But like I said, their last full-length album was really good. They went back to their roots with that one, and I thought it was cool!
Also, there is *one* more compilation of the band's back catalogue thate just came out this week. It's called "Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage: 1982-2011", and it includes tracks from their years on the I.R.S. record label, and the later songs from when they joined Warner Brothers. It also has three previously unreleased songs.
The two other primary hits collections by the boys from Athens were Best Of 1988-2003 and Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987. I bought the first one, as it had a few new songs and a few others I had not heard before, but I had no need for the second one, as I had bought the European import Best Of in Germany a few years before.
I will probably get the new CD at some point, but I think I'll wait until it goes down in price a little bit.
As for when I got into the band in the first place, it was about when I was 12 or 13, and I heard songs on the radio from their "Green" and "Out Of Time" albums. And I sure will miss them, they had a great career of rock songs!
It's the end of the world as we know it!
...which is the ONE song by them that I can no longer stand!
I said before that I do actually like Shiny Happy People, but this one really grates on my nerves!
Here's something I never thought to bring up until now. Did anyone here ever listen to the "Hindu Love Gods" album that Buck, Berry, and Mills did with the late Warren Zevon? It was a one-time side project that came out in 1989, and it's long since been out of print. I just wish I knew whether or not it was any good before trying to track it down.
Also, Peter was in the news in the last decade for getting drunk on an airplane and assaulting the flight crew. He was later acquitted, but the report said that he had already had about a dozen drinks and still begged for more. He should have probably been cut off much sooner, but wasn't as he is a rock star. Nothing new under, or around this sun!