Life After R.E.M.: Discussion Thread

[The_acrobat]

Out of nowhere, on came an REM wave that I've been riding for a few days now. Damn, what a great band. I think the leadup to the US election this fall would be a great time for an R.E.M. reunion. If only concerts were allowed to happen...

Everything before the Green album is pure, 100% gold. Even the troublesome Fables is a great, if not challenging listen. Green and Out of Time are inconsistent to me as well.

 

[lazarus]

Reckoning still feels a tad slight to me and there are probably 4 post-1990 R.E.M. albums I'd put above it, and as you mentioned, Fables has some issues, namely probably 1 or 2 songs too many near the end that are disposable and unmemorable.

And also agree on the inconsistency of Green and Out of Time, but they both contain some staggeringly great tacks.

 

[monkeyskin]

So I’m two years too late, but I’m finally getting around to R U Talkin’ R.E.M. Re: Me? Finding it a lot easier to listen along in my home office than having to stifle laughter in my COVID factory in the city.

Anyway, loving it. Just finished the New Adventures in Hi-Fi ep. Great ep. They seem to be talking about the band a lot more than they did with U2, which seems to stem from them being Adam‘s favourite band and Auckerman having a deep connection to the IRS stuff. Even them reminiscing about their lives at the time of each release is more sincere than just goofing around for an hour. Not that I mind that though, love these two dorks. Did anyone else listen?

It’s given me an excuse to dive back into R.E.M. too, I’m home alone 2-3 days a week so have been taking long walks at lunch and listening to the albums before each podcast ep. Wondering why I wasn’t working from home more frequently before a pandemic. Hope to keep it up when I get to the currently airing Talking Heads eps.

Current rankings of the classic line up of Michael Stipend, Mike Myers, Peter Dollar Bill and Dollar Bill Strawberry:

1. Lifes Rich Pageant
Short, punchy and with some gorgeous melodies, this is my go to for an R.E.M. fix. Even the superfluous side closers feel fun and add to the energy of the album. If I was making a best of Spotify playlist I’d include tactically everything here.

2. Automatic for the People
I think this is a timeless record. I’d be happy to never hear Everybody Hurts again, but within the album it never crosses my mind to skip. Beautifully constructed, it’s an impeccable album that fully deserves its reputation.

3. Murmer
I seem to enjoy this a bit more every time I listen to it. There’s always a new hook, harmony or riff that jumps out at me on each subsequent play. Shout out to Chronic Town, these two compliment each other very well.

4. Out of Time
I remember when this album as a whole clicked for me, it was a rainy Sunday and my wife was baking in the kitchen. I’d just got this on vinyl at a thrift store for $15, great condition. And something about Low just seemed right, and every song after kept up this enveloping mood. Country Feedback was intense that day and Me in Honey such a joyous relief. It’s not an album I can take too many tracks from out of context, but it’s one of their most rewarding listens for me front to back.

5. New Adventures in HiFi
This one really feels like a culmination of the major label years. The production is evocative, they’re comfortable mixing the darker stuff with some straight up rockers and it feels like they’ve circled back to being a unique indie band after being on top of the world and embracing the distorted, grunge riffs of the time previously. A tad long, I could drop at least a couple from side 2.

6. Reckoning
A slightly lesser version of Murmer, but still so much good stuff. Can’t get into Don’t Go Back to Rockville, which dings the album as it’s so ubiquitous within their catalogue. A 12 song best of with this, Murmer and Chronic Town would be the best album ever.

7. Document
Good, but not great. Something just seems off with the sound of the guitars on Finest Worksong and Welcome to the Occupation to me, not a fan of their Strange cover and Fireplace and Lightnin’ Hopkins are just bad. But the highs are still pretty damn high, and when I’m in the right mood the closing duo of King of Birds and Oddfellows Local 151 are sonically interesting.

8. Monster
It can be a bit much, and it feels too reactive to earn that slippery mystique that most R.E.M. albums gave up to this point, but there’s a lot of great songs spread across here. Kenneth, Crush with Eyeliner, Strange Currencies, I Took Your Name, Let Me In and You are all keepers.

9. Fables of the Reconstruction
If this was a 4 track EP it would rival Chronic Town. But it keeps going after that incredible opening and I can barely remember anything past it. Bit too murky for me, but many (including the band) have found it to be a grower.

10. Green
Works Leader Pretend delivery system. I guess Orange Crush is good but I’ve heard it far more than I think it deserves. There’s nothing outright terrible here, even the pop songs, but little memorable.

 

[Hollow Island]

I am so excited for you to hear Adam Scott's dog story in the Monster anniversary episode. It's my pick for the funniest moment on the show. The Talking Heads series is great so far too. I wish I could go back and experience these again for the first time.

I hope they go back and do proper episodes for Boy, October & War. That first episode was magic but...well, I guess I just want more!

Reckoning 10/10
Murmur 10/10
New Adventures 10/10
Lifes Rich Pageant 10/10
Document 9.5/10
Out of Time 9/10
Monster 9/10
Fables 9/10
Automatic 8.5/10
Green 8/10

 

[LemonMelon]

I listened to Chronic Town this afternoon and it felt as inspired and apocryphal as ever. They had such a fantastic sound.

 

[phanan]

6. Reckoning
A slightly lesser version of Murmer, but still so much good stuff. Can’t get into Don’t Go Back to Rockville, which dings the album as it’s so ubiquitous within their catalogue. A 12 song best of with this, Murmer and Chronic Town would be the best album ever..

Murmur is perfect and shouldn’t be touched, but combine Reckoning and Fables and I’m there with you. The high points on those albums are killer.

 

[LemonMelon]

1. Automatic 10/10
2. Murmur 10/10
3. Reckoning 9/10
4. Lifes Rich Pageant 9/10
5. Document 8.5/10
6. Fables 8/10
7. New Adventures 7.5/10
8. Out of Time 7/10
9. Monster 7/10
10. Green 6/10

 

[Axver]

Fables is quite obviously REM's best album, fight me.

 

[monkeyskin]

It’s an exceptional EP with a bunch of murky b sides tacked on the end, have at it.

Listened to Up this week. Can’t say I enjoyed it that much, Bill Berry’s absence is deafening. I am curious to try out one of Scott & Scott’s resequencings though, they sounded better than what we got. Didn’t get to Reveal today, that will have to wait for next week.

 

[namkcuR]

I feel like the post-Berry output gets a bad rap. Around The Sun is the only real clunker.

Reveal is, imo, the most underrated and underappreciated album of their career.

All The Way To Reno is stunning.

Imitation Of Life is one of the great earworms they've ever written.

Summer Turns To High is in the vein of the Pet Sounds-ish experimentation of Up, but it does it better than anything on that album. Gorgeous.

I'll Take The Rain is a great stripped-down number.

I really like Beat Of A Drum too.

They had a great little run there from 1999-2003 with The Great Beyond, Reveal, and the Bad Day/All The Right Friends re-workings. Then it kind of came crashing down with ATS.

But they rebounded from that too...there are worse ways to go out than Accelerate/Collapse Into Now. The latter especially was a pretty strong swansong, imo.

So I like a lot of the post-Berry stuff. But then I'm also one of the ones who isn't wild about a lot of the IRS stuff the way you guys are. I could put together a good 14-15 track compilation of stuff I really like from the IRS years.

Perfect Circle
Shaking Still
So, Central Rain
Pretty Persuasion
Don't Go Back To Rockville
Fall On Me
Cuyahoga
Flowers Of Guatamala
Swan Swan H
Welcome To The Occupation
Exhuming McCarthy
End Of The World
The One I Love
Fireplace

I could probably make a compilation with twice as many tracks just from the five post-IRS Berry albums(Green->New Adventures).

 

[lazarus]

1. Automatic 10/10
2. Murmur 10/10
3. Reckoning 9/10
4. Lifes Rich Pageant 9/10
5. Document 8.5/10
6. Fables 8/10
7. New Adventures 7.5/10
8. Out of Time 7/10
9. Monster 7/10
10. Green 6/10

I'll say it again: no album that has Ignoreland is deserving of a perfect score.

Possibly their worst track, period.

 

[Gzusfrk]

I'll say it again: no album that has Ignoreland is deserving of a perfect score.

Possibly their worst track, period.

Ignoreland stuck out like a sore thumb on Automatic, but I don’t think it’s terrible.

Now Radio Song? Not only do I think it’s terrible , but as an opener on OOT????? Rarely do I skip the opener on an album I like, but I do on this one

 

[LemonMelon]

I'll say it again: no album that has Ignoreland is deserving of a perfect score.

Possibly their worst track, period.

Half of Around the Sun is worse.

And the highlight of that album has the line "leaving never was my proud" in it.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I love Ignoreland, and Laz complaining about it is one of my favourite Interference things.

 

[lazarus]

Half of Around the Sun is worse.

And the highlight of that album has the line "leaving never was my proud" in it.

Around the Sun is more boring and lifeless than offensive. Ignoreland doesn't fit on its album from a musical or lyrical perspective, and compared to Stipe's previous political songs on Document or Green, it's painfully unsubtle. He may has well have screamed "I HATE REPUBLICANS!!" for 5 minutes.

 

[LemonMelon]

He may has well have screamed "I HATE REPUBLICANS!!" for 5 minutes.

Is that so wrong?

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Is that so wrong?

Ha, I was gonna say the same thing.

 

[Axver]

I love Ignoreland, and Laz complaining about it is one of my favourite Interference things.

At least half the album, probably two-thirds, is less good than Ignoreland, and it only rises in my estimation because of the reaction it elicits from laz.

 

[monkeyskin]

Reveal today. This was the first R.E.M. album I bought for myself, my dad had the IRS hits, Out of Time, Automatic and Monster which I borrowed. Was pretty psyched for the album following The Great Beyond and Imitation of Life and I played the hell out of it that summer. Think I bought the Elevation single on the same day for the Mexico City Last Night on Earth b side.

I’d fallen out of love with it over the years but had a great listen today, sunny walk with a breeze blowing felt like a good atmosphere. I kept waiting to get to the boring, hazy stuff but even the slower, middling tracks have a lot going on over headphones. I think it succeeds where Up fails because of the drums, they’re using a session musician much more than just relying on a machine, they also sound much more cohesive as a three piece than the first time round. Was great to recapture what I loved back in high school over a memorable summer. Right now I’d slot it right next to Document in my rankings.

Was surprised to hear Scott loved it so much too on the R.E.M. podcast. Disagree with them both on some tracks but it was good to hear some enthusiasm when I thought at least one of them would snooze on it. And I listened on to Staind Glass 2, holy shit that story with the drummer had me in stitches.

 

[Axver]

It’s an exceptional EP with a bunch of murky b sides tacked on the end, have at it.

Well, my next book is named after a song on the album, so I repeat the offer: fight me.

 

[lazarus]

I'll repeat another thing I've said before: I've been an R.E.M. fan since the early 90s and have all their albums, and I still couldn't hum you the tunes of either Wendell Gee or Good Advices. They've both somehow failed to stick in my head after numerous listens. I guess that means at least they aren't outright bad, but...yeah.

 

[Axver]

Wendell Gee is the only halfway bad song on Fables, and over the years I've learnt to tolerate it.

 

[Gzusfrk]

Wendell Gee is the only halfway bad song on Fables, and over the years I've learnt to tolerate it.

Fables was my first R.E.M album, so I’ve always thought it very strong. It creates a murky mood, Joe Boyd’s production, I loved it then and now! I know Bill Berry said “Fables sucked”, but as far as I remember the band has changed its tune over the years and say it has aged well.

Driver 8 was one of the first songs I learned on guitar.

 

[Axver]

Please do not agree with me.

 

[Gzusfrk]

Please do not agree with me.

In your feelings a bit??

In America, well about half of it, there’s a thing called free speech.

I couldn’t actually care less what you think.

 

[Diemen]

In America, well about half of it, there’s a thing called free speech.

Adorable.

 

[Gzusfrk]

Adorable.

Always lovely when the “moderator” picks and chooses when to chime in.

We all know who’s backs you have, it’s totally fine.

 

[Diemen]

Always lovely when the “moderator” picks and chooses when to chime in.



We all know who’s backs you have, it’s totally fine.

Well, I do have to protect my comrades so they can pick up their Soros checks on their way to their paid protesting gigs.

 

[monkeyskin]

So I skipped Around the Sun, and the podcast did not make me regret that decision.

Accelerate was up next and my memories from the time were that it was short, punchy, started off fast and there was a longer song towards the end. Those first three tracks are so much fun, I don’t know why I’d neglected them for so long. Hollow Man then started up and over the piano intro I was thinking, “oh ok this is where they slide down a few gears, it was fun while it lasted.” But then that euphoric chorus kicks in and out the biggest grin on my face. And it didn’t waste the chance to take the middle 8 at a huge run and really launch into the final chorus. Forgotten classic to my ears.

The rest of the album is ok but doesn’t live up to that 4 song run. And frankly I don’t have much to say regarding Collapse Into Now. It’s fine, it’s not an embarrassment or even bad. But there’s nothing vital to it, they sound like an older band who’ve lost the spark but still know how to put out a few good tunes.

And that’s why listening to the Covers of R.E.M. podcast I found myself nodding along with Scott as he played his 12 song collection of his favourite Accelerate / Collapse albums arranged to replicate an album flow. I’m definitely beholden to original album orders much more than some of you guys with your custom Beatles track lists (which are great and all), but it definitely keeps me from going back and enjoying the few tracks I do like on albums late in a bands life. In the age of streaming there’s really no excuse.

Couldn’t work it in earlier but I think I initially played Collapse twice on release before completely moving on, 2011 was a good year of music for me and there was so much more that appealed. But I definitely felt guilty when they announced their split later that year. It felt like I’d taken the band for granted, that they’d always be there to write a few songs I’d like every few years and hopefully I’d get tour tickets to see them play their better material. Alas, they left before burning out and fair play to them.

Edit - after Accelerate finished streaming I couldn’t help but laugh when Spotify cued up Ignoreland. All my apps must be spying on each other.

 

[gump]

Has anyone watched the Losing My Religion episode on Song Exploder (on Netflix, not the podcast)? It made me quite melancholic to see the 4 of them talk about their creative process and somehow rediscovering the song as they talked about it.