Life After R.E.M.: Discussion Thread

[powerhour24]

I've been on an R.E.M. kick lately after taking a break following the heartbreak of the dissolution of the band, and it's funny to come here and see "You are the Everything" and Reveal as the two music related things brought up on this page because I've been loving that track more than ever lately, and was also reminded just how much I love this song:

R.E.M. - I'll Take The Rain (Official Video) - YouTube

 

[LemonMirrorSky]

Yea, I'll Take The Rain is also a beauty from that album. I'd never seen that video before. Thanks for posting it. Cute.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen these other videos either for UBerlin, Blue etc. that youtube is recommending. Want to check em out.

 

[Danny Boy]

Second Peter Buck solo album out next week. Vinyl only again.

The first one was pretty great.

http://www.stereogum.com/1664712/ex-r-e-m-members-announce-new-albums/news/

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Indeed it was. I was kind of annoyed buying it for like 20 bucks total at the record shop months back as there were three more copies in the racks. People really missed out on a fun collection and I'm sure the new one will be just as much of an enjoyable curve ball.

 

[The Panther]

I've often thought something happened to Stipe's voice circa the late '90s.

Although Bono's voice changed a bit as the 90s progressed (and he got that throat-surgery thingie which was apparently a success), his voice remains strong with, if anything, a deeper, stronger timbre than in his youth.

However, to me there are two Stipes -- the good vocalist up to New Adventures in Hi-Fi, and the mediocre one from Reveal downward (Up is may be the transitional one). It's hard to put my finger on it, but his voice just sounds... bad on the later albums.

"I'll Take the Rain" is a good example. It's a really nice song -- despite the over-production and poor mixing -- but Stipe's voice just doesn't convince me the way it did in days of yore.

 

[U2inUtah]

Decent list:

10 of the best: REM | Music | theguardian.com

 

[corianderstem]

Nice to see Leave on there. That's a great track.

 

[lazarus]

Not the biggest Reckoning fan, but no Harborcoat? That destroys Gardening At Night.

Shame about nothing from Monster, either. Tongue should have been on there.

Obviously tons of songs to choose from but still.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

It's a good list but, when you're dealing with a band that has such a huge number of truly beautiful and substantial tracks that have stood the test of time, it's not all that commendable to come up with ten of them. That's my first reaction at least. I guess the author is just trying to spread some love, so maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way.

 

[LemonMelon]

Tongue should have been on there.

Huhuhuhuh

Spoiler

Kenneth and Strange Currencies would be my picks from Monster.

 

[U2inUtah]

If I had to pick something off of Up, it wouldn't be Diminished. Suspicion, Hope, and Falls to Climb are all better.

Also, my top ten would have at least one off of Lifes Rich Pageant.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Well, yeah, Begin The Begin is objectively one of their very greatest songs.

 

[LemonMelon]

If I had to pick something off of Up, it wouldn't be Diminished. Suspicion, Hope, and Falls to Climb are all better.

This. Suspicion and Hope in particular rank really highly for me.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Always been partial to AT MY MOST BEAUTIFUL off of that album. Love those lyrics. Damn.

Man, I've kind of been neglecting this band for a while. I'm feeling an R.E.M. binge coming on here.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Hope is a hot track, too. No doubt. Props to Leonard Cohen.

Lotus an underrated little midtempo rocker, too.

 

[lazarus]

Damn it guess I'm taking Up with me in the car tomorrow.

 

[LMP]

Lotus an underrated little midtempo rocker, too.

"Hey, hey!"

 

[No spoken words]

Up is phenomenal.

 

[djerdap]

Up is great.

Lifes Rich Pageant is fucking phenomenal. Those first four songs are some of the greatest opening stretches ever.

 

[LemonMelon]

REM was still in that "let's fill out the disc!!" mentality from New Adventures, so Up is about three songs too long, but it's an underrated album. I'd happily take it over anything they did afterwards.

 

[No spoken words]

Lifes Rich Pageant is my favorite album of theirs.

 

[iron yuppie]

Lifes Rich Pageant is my favorite album of theirs.

+1. Though Murmur and Reckoning are both growing on me quickly.

 

[LemonMelon]

Automatic and Murmur tossup for me.

 

[No spoken words]

Murmur is up there for me as well. I think I like New Adventures…. slightly more than Automatic, on the whole, even though Automatic has my favorite REM tune (Find the River).

 

[lazarus]

Pageant, then Hi-Fi, then Document for me. The latter used to be everyone's default fav back in the day so I'm surprised it doesn't rate as highly now.

 

[corianderstem]

Up is about three songs too long

Totally agree.

 

[U2inUtah]

I think I like New Adventures…. slightly more than Automatic, on the whole, even though Automatic has my favorite REM tune (Find the River).

Cori wouldn't even exist without that song

 

[corianderstem]

A terrifying thought.

 

[lazarus]

Just think, there's a parallel universe where Cori takes her screen name from "Bang And Blame".

 

[corianderstem]

KissOnMe?




..... Nah.