Favorite R.E.M. album(s)?

[Dalton]

I fell in love with U2 because of New Year's Day and the War album, but the 4 90's albums are my favorite.

 

[LemonMelon]

So far, the order is:

1. Automatic For The People
2. New Adventures In Hi-Fi
3. Murmur
4. Lifes Rich Pageant
-------------------
5. Document
6. Out Of Time
7. Reckoning
8. Fables Of The Reconstruction
9. Monster
10. Green
------------------
11. Up
12. Accelerate
13. Reveal
14. Around The Sun

And I predicted:

1. Automatic
2. Lifes Rich Pageant
3. Murmur
4. New Adventures
--------------------
5. Document
6. Fables
7. Reckoning
8. Out Of Time
9. Up
10. Monster
--------------------
11. Accelerate
12. Green
13. Reveal
14. Around The Sun

Pretty close, but I'm disappointed that Up is on its way to only getting one song in the finals. That's bullshit.

 

[Irishteen]

I'd vote in this but I've only heard four REM albums and I don't really like Monster and Accelerate much at all, very average

Green is good though and Automatic is awesome and I've heard half of Murmur and that sounds just as good

 

[MMP]

Pretty close, but I'm disappointed that Up is on its way to only getting one song in the finals. That's bullshit.

Yeah, I'm feeling sad that I voted for OOT instead of it now. I should've known that OOT would get enough love to be in the middle no matter what.

 

[djerdap]

First 4 albums, along with New Adventures in Hi-Fi, are my favorites. R.E.M. from the IRS years kicks the post-Document one's shiny ass.

 

[lazarus]

So far, the order is:

1. Automatic For The People
2. New Adventures In Hi-Fi
3. Murmur
4. Lifes Rich Pageant
-------------------
5. Document
6. Out Of Time
7. Reckoning
8. Fables Of The Reconstruction
9. Monster
10. Green
------------------
11. Up
12. Accelerate
13. Reveal
14. Around The Sun

And I predicted:

1. Automatic
2. Lifes Rich Pageant
3. Murmur
4. New Adventures
--------------------
5. Document
6. Fables
7. Reckoning
8. Out Of Time
9. Up
10. Monster
--------------------
11. Accelerate
12. Green
13. Reveal
14. Around The Sun

Pretty close, but I'm disappointed that Up is on its way to only getting one song in the finals. That's bullshit.

I know I sound like a broken record, but if Document is closer in votes to the top tier than it is to the middle, it really should be bumped up. It just doesn't belong with those middle albums.

 

[Zoots]

I know I sound like a broken record, but if Document is closer in votes to the top tier than it is to the middle, it really should be bumped up. It just doesn't belong with those middle albums.

And I think Out Of Time should be top tier.

We can't always get what we want, lazarus.

 

[MMP]

I know I sound like a broken record, but if Document is closer in votes to the top tier than it is to the middle, it really should be bumped up. It just doesn't belong with those middle albums.

And I think Out Of Time should be top tier.

We can't always get what we want, lazarus.

Damn, you beat me, I was going to say exactly that about Monster and use the same Mick Jagger phrase.

 

[Zoots]

Damn, you beat me, I was going to say exactly that about Monster and use the same Mick Jagger phrase.

 

[lazarus]

And I think Out Of Time should be top tier.

We can't always get what we want, lazarus.

Well the decision to make it 4-6-4 is arbitrary, isn't it? Let the results dictate the spacing breakdown, not the other way around.

 

[phillyfan26]

And I think Out Of Time should be top tier.

We can't always get what we want, lazarus.

You have missed the point. He's talking statistically, not just because he likes Document. Even though it is fifth, it's a clear fifth, and voting indicates that it's notably higher in rating than the albums coming after it in the voting.

 

[Zoots]

Well the decision to make it 4-6-4 is arbitrary, isn't it? Let the results dictate the spacing breakdown, not the other way around.

You have missed the point. He's talking statistically, not just because he likes Document. Even though it is fifth, it's a clear fifth, and voting indicates that it's notably higher in rating than the albums coming after it in the voting.

Okay I see your point. But it's no secret that laz likes Document... a lot.

 

[phillyfan26]

I'm giving it my first listen now and I can't argue with him.

 

[Zoots]

I love Document. But I love Out Of Time even more.

 

[lazarus]

That's true. But I really am trying to be objective. It's widely considered one of the 80's best albums, and deserves to have more songs pulled from it than "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World..."

But thanks for the support, PFan.

The race has certainly tightened up between #5 and #6, but it's seven votes, whereas the difference between #4 and #5 is only four. You want to talk percentages, almost half the people who voted selected #5 Document, whereas less than a third selected #6 Out of Time.

 

[Zoots]

That's true. But I really am trying to be objective. It's widely considered one of the 80's best albums, and deserves to have more songs pulled from it than "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World..."

Personally, I would go for Welcome to the Occupation and Disturbance at the Heron House.

 

[lazarus]

Both great choices. Personally I think Finest Worksong may be their best album opener and is one of their best songs period. But they have a lot of good openers; Harborcoat and Begin the Begin are also in my Top 5 songs, not to mention the blister of What's the Frequency, Kenneth, the classic anthem Radio Free Europe, and the odd-but-brilliant How the West Was Won...

 

[phillyfan26]

That's true. But I really am trying to be objective. It's widely considered one of the 80's best albums, and deserves to have more songs pulled from it than "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World..."

But thanks for the support, PFan.

The race has certainly tightened up between #5 and #6, but it's seven votes, whereas the difference between #4 and #5 is only four. You want to talk percentages, almost half the people who voted selected #5 Document, whereas less than a third selected #6 Out of Time.

There's only so many 18 year olds out there who have worked for years as a statistician, so I help when I can.

 

[onebloodonelife]

90's alternative makes me laugh, sorry.

REM got no radio play on most FM stations during the 80's, they were truly alternative when the word meant something, and they were sort of musical heroes for me in a sense.

Yeah I suppose calling U2, REM, Smashing Pumpkins etc. alternative rock is kinda bonkers, eh? They were being played liberally on MTV after all. I suppose it was alternative to the grunge, which was the mainstream? I dunno.

There's a huge difference in '80s alternative (/college rock/indie) and '90s "alternative." In the '80s, bands like R.E.M., the Replacements, the Smiths, U2, etc. actually didn't fit into a category or genre, and they certainly weren't getting played anywhere other than radio stations on campuses or other underground stations.

Whereas, to me, '90s "alternative" means nearly nothing. It was a marketing tool to draw people to the supposedly more fringe types of music, making them feel more authentic for going against the mainstream, when in actuality, they're just as much in the mainstream as they were before because of the corporate ties to "alternative" music.

Automatic got me into REM, so I still love that one the most overall, but I'm more into their '80s work. I just love the sound those early records have. It's not clear, but it's mysterious and beautiful.

I also love '80s R.E.M. far, far, far more than '90s R.E.M. Like you said, it's mysterious and beautiful, and though I like hearing Stipe say words sometimes, there's something about him being down in the mix and blending more with the rest of the song that appeals to me more.

You're definitely the exception to my theory that people generally hold closest to their hearts, the decade/years when they got into a lot of music for the first time.

I know quite a few people who prefer music from different years than when they first got into music.

 

[No spoken words]

There's a huge difference in '80s alternative (/college rock/indie) and '90s "alternative." In the '80s, bands like R.E.M., the Replacements, the Smiths, U2, etc. actually didn't fit into a category or genre, and they certainly weren't getting played anywhere other than radio stations on campuses or other underground stations.

Whereas, to me, '90s "alternative" means nearly nothing. It was a marketing tool to draw people to the supposedly more fringe types of music, making them feel more authentic for going against the mainstream, when in actuality, they're just as much in the mainstream as they were before because of the corporate ties to "alternative" music.

Which is why I said 90's alternative makes me laugh. It doesn't exist.

 

[LemonMelon]

Well the decision to make it 4-6-4 is arbitrary, isn't it? Let the results dictate the spacing breakdown, not the other way around.

You've passed broken record at this point, but I understand your issue. Like I said to you before, this is running until Tuesday, so we'll see how it goes from there. Just pray Out Of Time doesn't catch up with it, or you're screwed. There's no way I'm giving nearly half the albums 3 songs.

 

[phanan]

That's true. But I really am trying to be objective. It's widely considered one of the 80's best albums, and deserves to have more songs pulled from it than "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World..."

But thanks for the support, PFan.

The race has certainly tightened up between #5 and #6, but it's seven votes, whereas the difference between #4 and #5 is only four. You want to talk percentages, almost half the people who voted selected #5 Document, whereas less than a third selected #6 Out of Time.

Unless things change, I agree. The top four should be a top five.

 

[lazarus]

You've passed broken record at this point, but I understand your issue. Like I said to you before, this is running until Tuesday, so we'll see how it goes from there. Just pray Out Of Time doesn't catch up with it, or you're screwed. There's no way I'm giving nearly half the albums 3 songs.

That's fair.

And for the record, there's now only a 3 vote difference between #4 & #5.

 

[LemonMelon]

And, as you know, I love Document and voted for it, so I'm certainly not negatively biased. I just don't want a ridiculously long final draw if it can be avoided.

 

[phillyfan26]

Damn, I wish I'd waited to vote. Document would be in my top five.

 

[onebloodonelife]

Which is why I said 90's alternative makes me laugh. It doesn't exist.

I know, I was just using your quote for context's sake.

 

[MMP]

Both great choices. Personally I think Finest Worksong may be their best album opener and is one of their best songs period. But they have a lot of good openers; Harborcoat and Begin the Begin are also in my Top 5 songs, not to mention the blister of What's the Frequency, Kenneth, the classic anthem Radio Free Europe, and the odd-but-brilliant How the West Was Won...

Hey! We agree! Begin the Begin kicks ass at any time. Btw, have you heard Lengthy Clube version of FW. It's great. But you forgot R.E.M.'s best opener and probably, best song: Drive. (Something tells me that you don't like this song that much. )
Another thing: if Document is getting more songs, I want Lightnin' Hopkins to be one of them.

 

[LemonMelon]

BTW, I listened to New Adventures about an hour ago. I have a few random impressions:

• How The West, New Test Leper, Undertow, E-Bow, and Leave start the album off on a great note. They're lyrically challenging and musically experimental, even bordering on avant garde at times.
• Wake Up Bomb and Departure are pure shit. I'm sorry. They suck. I can't find anything particularly redeemable in either. Why the former had to be 5 minutes long, I have no idea. It's torture.
• Bittersweet Me would be wonderful if it cohered properly, but it feels like four songs crammed together to me.
• Low Desert is underrated. Mike Mills owns that song.

 

[MMP]

I think the only song on New Adventures that bothers me is So Fast, So Numb, which is like a 100 times better live. Oh, and Bittersweet Me, that despite the lyrics, is not on the album standards.

 

[Zoots]

So Fast So Numb and Low Desert are both incredible!