R.E.M. - upcoming album 'Collapse Into Now' / General Discussion

[powerhour24]

I couldn't find a general R.E.M. thread, so here's a new one. It seems they've titled LP15 Collapse Into Now and it's done, but they won't release it until spring of next year, .

Anyway, here's the news:

R.E.M.’s new album will be called Collapse Into Now ? Consequence of Sound

R.E.M., probably my favorite American band of all time.

 

[corianderstem]

Yay! I really hope I like it.

 

[Catman]

I loooooove REM and greatly enjoyed their last effort with Jacknife Lee; really looking forward to this

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

R.E.M., probably my favorite American band of all time.

Probably mine as well.

Good thinking with an official thread.

I'm excited for the album.

 

[powerhour24]

What did you think of Accelerate cori? I thought was a welcome return of energy to their sound, although I wouldn't mind them pairing the energy of their early 90's work with the layers of sound from the likes of Up and Reveal.

That said, they still absolutely kill it live, their tour in support of Accelerate was awesome.

 

[lazarus]

Discuss what?

 

[powerhour24]

...a 30 year career?

 

[lazarus]

We did that in Random right when we first heard the news. Just seems a little premature when there's no other information.

 

[powerhour24]

I think R.E.M. deserves their own general discussion thread, the upcoming album being just a part of that.

For instance, they also have a DVD of their 2008 Austin City Limits performance out on Tuesday.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I agree with ph24.

Until we actually hear new music, we can always discuss how awesome Stipe's beard is.

 

[No spoken words]

Shut up, Lazarus. Just shut up and get the fuck out of here until we deem it acceptable for you to return, you cur.

Go.

 

[lazarus]

Could you be a little more clear?

Spoiler

YouTube - REM - Leave

 

[powerhour24]

OK, laz, that was extremely well played. And an awesome track to boot.

 

[corianderstem]

On the one hand, I liked that Accelerate was a back to basics thing, that they sounded more energized than they had in years.

On the other hand, it wasn't as good as I was hoping. It lacked a spark, and came across like "okay, here's our back to basics record, is this good enough?"

No, it wasn't. I do like some of the songs, but I didn't love the record. Points for effort, though.

 

[lazarus]

All of what Cori said. Only Sing For the Submarine and Mr. Richards had any kind of real depth. There are plenty of bands I can get my abrupt rockers from, thank you.

The last two songs are weak, that war song is embarrassing (as was The Final Straw before it), and some of the other ones, however enjoyable, are rather generic.

But it's still better than the geriatric shit they were dumping out with the previous two albums, which made Shuttlecock's albums from those comparative years look like the work of hungry, fiery youths.

A step in the right direction, and there's no way this won't be more sophisticated than its predecessor. I'm just a tad worried they will overcompensate again.

 

[U2inUtah]

They are saying on murmurs.com that there may be no tour to support the album, and someone close to the band that has heard the new album describes it as "a cross between Accelerate and Reveal"

Hmmm....

Train Writer: The Baseball Project at Maxwells

 

[cobl04]

i thought Accelerate was ok. i liked a number of the songs but there was nothing redeeming about the album and i'll never listen to it again.

 

[IWasBored]

i hope it doesn't suck. i'll buy it. i'm in the "reveal sucked" camp (i know it's a pretty popular place to be, but i hear the "monster sucked" camp is pretty well-established too and i actually liked that record), and while i had a blast finally getting to see them live on tour for around the sun, overall there weren't a whole lot of songs i found to be truly awesome on that one. it was ok, but didn't blow me away. i don't expect to be blown away by anything they put out anymore. i just hope it doesn't suck.

 

[powerhour24]

The thing I appreciated the most about Accelerate was the vocal melodies on most of the tracks, and a return to their harmonizing, the creativity of which was missing from their previous three releases. No, it is not a classic alongside their best work, but I do hope it was a stepping stone to this new record.

 

[powerhour24]

They are saying on murmurs.com that there may be no tour to support the album, and someone close to the band that has heard the new album describes it as "a cross between Accelerate and Reveal"

Hmmm....

Train Writer: The Baseball Project at Maxwells

That cross is kind what I was hoping for, though I do hope there is something new about this album as well.

But no tour? How is that like R.E.M. Not ok.

 

[IWasBored]

man, i forgot accelerate even existed. i own a copy of it, too. reading through the track list, i wanna dj is the only thing i recognize, but that's cos i remember it from some live stuff i had...i have no reccollection of ever listening to that album.

 

[u2popmofo]

I can't remember what single song from Accelerate sounds like, but I remember thinking it was decent for what it was. I'm also a member of the "don't care much for Reveal club", so hearing this is a cross between the two doesn't thrill me. I'll likely buy it regardless.

As an FYI, there are most definitely numerous past general REM discussion threads. All past Bang and Clatter threads seem to have been locked and moved to the archive at some point though, they can be reopened with a mods help. Regardless, the Random thread is a stupid as shit place to discuss a new album release for a huge band, so why anyone would complain that a new thread was created to discuss it makes no sense to me.

 

[LemonMelon]

But no tour? How is that like R.E.M. Not ok.

Well, they didn't tour Automatic For The People.

The new one better be at least as good, or the lack of tour will be impossible to justify.

 

[djerdap]

Well, they didn't tour Automatic For The People.

Or Out of Time for that matter.

I liked Accelerate, especially since I consider Living Well is the Best Revenge the best rocker since the early days, and I would like to be pleasantly surprised by this.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

"We are R.E.M. and this is what we do"

...except only some of the time!

 

[No spoken words]

Trying to remember.....didn't they put Out of Time, Automatic and Monster out in like 3 successive years, then toured all three? Whatever tour that was, I know I was there for a show at MSG but I might be fuzzy on the details.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

The Monster tour was a pretty huge tour I think, yeah.

I also think it was the tour that Bill had the brain aneurysm?

I don't fucking know. And don't feel like going to Wiki for some reason. I'm going to go eat some pizza.

 

[lazarus]

i'm in the "reveal sucked" camp (i know it's a pretty popular place to be, but i hear the "monster sucked" camp is pretty well-established too and i actually liked that record)

Monster has become sadly underrated; there seemed to be a lot of grumbling when it came out because it wasn't as lush or emotional as Automatic. I think it's easily their most fun album (but still has moving tracks like Let Me In and Strange Currencies), and I personally prefer it to Reckoning, Fables, Green, and Out of Time, and of course those two unforgivable releases from the 00's.

But no tour? How is that like R.E.M. Not ok.

Well, they didn't tour Automatic For Tge People.

They didn't tour for Out of Time or Hi-Fi, either.

 

[IWasBored]

Regardless, the Random thread is a stupid as shit place to discuss a new album release for a huge band, so why anyone would complain that a new thread was created to discuss it makes no sense to me.

i like you.

 

[No spoken words]

You guys should have hooked up in Boston.