R.E.M. have broken up

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Hi-Fi could lose Wake Up Bomb, Departure, Zither, Bittersweet Me and Binky and I wouldn't notice or care. Two weak rockers that pale next to Kenneth, two songs that sound like replications of better songs on the same album, and one throwaway instrumental. 65 minutes is almost always too long anyhow. I'll go to bat for E Bow, Leave and New Test Leper any day, but to say there aren't any "clunkers" on Hi-Fi is to ignore how much material simply isn't anything to write home about.

Automatic also has perhaps the finest closing duo (hell, trio) I could name. The album is perfect for 15 minutes straight.
 
Monster sold well, but I don't remember much of anyone I knew who were REM fans actually liking the damn thing (whereas I remember quite a few of my friends who were REM fans being relieved by how much they liked HiFi). In the late '90's / early 2000's, every used CD store I visited seemed to have 20+ copies of Monster on hand at all times. I remember it was one of those CDs you could get considerably cheaper than other albums, because everyone was constantly trying to return it.
 
LemonMelon said:
Hi-Fi could lose Wake Up Bomb, Departure, Zither, Bittersweet Me and Binky and I wouldn't notice or care. Two weak rockers that pale next to Kenneth, two songs that sound like replications of better songs on the same album, and one throwaway instrumental. 65 minutes is almost always too long anyhow. I'll go to bat for E Bow, Leave and New Test Leper any day, but to say there aren't any "clunkers" on Hi-Fi is to ignore how much material simply isn't anything to write home about.

Automatic also has perhaps the finest closing duo (hell, trio) I could name. The album is perfect for 15 minutes straight.
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None of those Hi-Fi songs you mentioned are anywhere near as bad as Ignoreland.

I've really grown to like Binky the Doormat and don't see what other song it sounds like. Zither is a diversion and don't know why it should be cut on an eclectic album about travel and movement

Bittersweet Me is definitely a waste of time though.
 
LemonMelon said:
Hi-Fi could lose Wake Up Bomb, Departure, Zither, Bittersweet Me and Binky and I wouldn't notice or care. Two weak rockers that pale next to Kenneth, two songs that sound like replications of better songs on the same album, and one throwaway instrumental. 65 minutes is almost always too long anyhow.
Click to expand...
I think even Stipe alluded to this during an Accelerate interview how the 90's became a time when artists were putting out really long bloated albums just because the format allowed it, and how they fell victim to this trend as well.

I pretty much agree with your take on Hi-Fi, it would probably be one of my favorites except that it had too many songs that I skip. I really like Wake Up but it doesn't fit, just sounds like a Monster left over. I can bare Bettersweet Me, but the others I can't even force myself to listen to anymore.
 
I like Bittersweet Me and Wake Up Bomb, but will admit they do sound like Monster leftovers. Though if someone talks smack about So Fast So Numb, I will fight them.
 
I love Wake Up Bomb.

That whole album is their best post-IRS one by far. It is a bit too long, but I honestly am not sure what exactly I would cut.
 
I loved HiFi. Plenty of good tracks on there. How the West Was Won, E-Bow, Undertow, Leave, Bittersweet Me and Wake Up Bomb to a name a bunch. I liked this album better than Up.
 
u2popmofo said:
Monster sold well, but I don't remember much of anyone I knew who were REM fans actually liking the damn thing (whereas I remember quite a few of my friends who were REM fans being relieved by how much they liked HiFi). In the late '90's / early 2000's, every used CD store I visited seemed to have 20+ copies of Monster on hand at all times. I remember it was one of those CDs you could get considerably cheaper than other albums, because everyone was constantly trying to return it.
Click to expand...

I remember EP (more flashbacks!) posting some list of statisticallly most often returned albums, or most likely to find in a bargin bin, and monster being quite high on the list. I never had a problem with it.
 
I have very fond memories of Monster, and will stand by Kenneth, Strange Currencies, and Bang & Blame as great songs.
 
'Binky the Doormat' is in my top 3 favorite on Hi-Fi, along with 'Undertow' and 'E-bow', but I enjoy every song on the album, with maybe Departure being my least favorite, (despite it mentioning Salt Lake City :wink:)

Edit: Some nice Mike Mills harmonies on 'Departure' though.
 
A hilariously bad video of me singing wtfk at a shithole bar with karaoke on Tuesday nights exists, although I cannot remember who has it on their phone. Some kid from work. It was remarkably in tune given the fact that I cannot sing, but imagine the most uncomfortable-on-stage person you've ever seen try to sing and multiple that by about 20.
 
iron yuppie said:
I have very fond memories of Monster, and will stand by Kenneth, Strange Currencies, and Bang & Blame as great songs.
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so do I- I was doing the back-packer thing in Australia when it came out. I played that album endlessly- especially Let Me In. I also remember seeing them at Sydney Entertainment Centre (?)- they'd only sold the lower tier- and the locals sat down through the show- so a whole load of us went up a few rows and started dancing in the aisles- brilliant night

as for Hi-FI- it's the last great album they made (although a few tracks too long)- Accelerate came close- other than that the others were a bit meh
 
I realise now I have been somewhat underrating Document. King of Birds/Oddfellows Local 151 is such a fantastic way to end the album. Lifes Rich Pageant would be a perfect album if it had a powerful ending like that.
 
I consider Swan Swan H the last song, with Superman as a bonus track. And the former is a magnificent track that IMO is even better than those two Document songs you mentioned.
 
From the REM FB page.

FOX NEWS AND R.E.M.'S LOSING MY RELIGION

R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" was used in the Fox News coverage of the Democratic National Convention last night. R.E.M. today, through its music publisher, Warner-Tamerlane Music, demanded that Fox News cease and desist from continuing its unlicensed and unauthorized use of the song. Michael Stipe said, "We have little or no respect for their puff adder brand of reportage. Our music does not belong there."
 
Pretty good live set with that edition:

1. Finest Worksong (4.20)
2. These Days (3.36)
3. Lightnin’ Hopkins (3.43)
4. Welcome To The Occupation (2.52)
5. Driver 8 (4.15)
6. Feeling Gravitys Pull (5.00)
7. I Believe (4.28)
8. The One I Love (4.38)
9. Exhuming McCarthy (3.23)
10. Wolves, Lower (4.23)
11. Fall On Me (3.05)
12. Just A Touch (3.12)
13. Oddfellows Local 151 (5.34)
14. Little America (2.50)
15. Its the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (4.01)
16. Begin The Begin (4.32)
17. Disturbance At The Heron House (3.42)
18. Moral Kiosk (3.02)
19. Life And How To Live It (4.59)
20. So. Central Rain (5.35)


Not crazy about Little America, Just A Touch and Lightnin' Hopkins taking spots away from like, anything else on their respective albums, but can't complain with I Believe, Begin The Begin, and These Days getting represented. Sad that Reckoning isn't highlighted better. But Fables gets some nice love.
 
The idiot who reviewed Document for Pitchfork had this to say:

"Still, despite the thematic throughline, Buck's heroics, and a predictably excellent remastering job on the reissue, Document still sounds like the band's least satisfying I.R.S. album..."


FUCKING MORON.
 
I actually agree with that, but that seems like much more of a bad thing than it actually is.
 
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