R.E.M. have broken up

[corianderstem]

Can't even tell you how it goes.

Let's see ..... um ...

Ooooold Man Kiiinsey, he wants to be a .... um .... something
First he's gotta .... something
He's gonna be a ........ clown? That's not right.

That's as close as I can get. I can hear the opening bass notes in my head though. So I got that goin' for me.

 

[U2inUtah]

Sterogum ranks R.E.M. albums

R.E.M. Albums From Worst To Best R.E.M. - Around The Sun – Stereogum

Up should be higher

 

[corianderstem]

The AV Club had a good series about REM over the past year as well. The comment section was fun, too.

 

[bethere]

I'm surprised New Adventures in Hi Fi was ranked so high. I think I'm going to give that album another spin.

 

[corianderstem]

It's in my top 5 REM albums.

 

[IWasBored]

Mine too.

 

[LemonMelon]

I've never properly warmed to it. Lose four tracks and I'm on board.

Automatic and Murmur were too low on that list. I can't understand people who prefer Reckoning, Murmur's less mysterious, less consistent younger brother.

 

[Salome]

Didn't like the list, didn't like the commentary, but great band though.

 

[agentorange]

I may have to give New Adventures a spin in the near future too. I honestly prefer Dead Letter Office more.

Shiny Happy People: worst song in the catalog?

Cloying and potentially embarrassing? Yes. Worst song? Not even close.

 

[iron yuppie]

Didn't like the list, didn't like the commentary, but great band though.

Yeah, the list seemed to follow the script that almost all of those lists follow: praise the IRS albums and Automatic, chastise everything else. Every one of these looks almost identical.

 

[Aygo]

The comments and descriptions (and omitions) show some lack of knowledge about some of the albums.
The list seems to have been made by some kind of nostalgic by the early-IRS-times R.E.M. (plus, the hipster-valued New Adventures In Hi-Fi).

 

[lazarus]

I can't understand people who prefer Reckoning, Murmur's less mysterious, less consistent younger brother.

This, always this.

 

[iron yuppie]

Speaking of the early albums, how do the recent deluxe reissues of those sound? Because the masters I have from the early 90s sound atrocious.

 

[u2popmofo]

I only picked the Murmur set, primarily for the concert disc. I don't remember there being a drastic difference in the master quality of the actual album.

I didn't mind the list. It all comes down to personal preference in the end, that was one person's opinion.

 

[agentorange]

I only picked the Murmur set, primarily for the concert disc. I don't remember there being a drastic difference in the master quality of the actual album.

Ditto for Reckoning and Fables. I never compared simultaneously, but I couldn't hear much difference.

 

[IWasBored]

I'd be pretty taken aback if I listened to murmur and it wasn't so muddy anymore. That would certainly freak me out. And I always assume people who say they like reckoning more are just trying to pick an album less likely to be picked as a favorite because they think it makes them cool. There's no way anyone could actually think its better. Opinion is obviously by nature 100% subjective, but in this case it's actually wrong.

 

[Salome]

Reckoning does have more truly great songs IMO, but Murmur is still overall stronger I guess. My main problem with this list, besides overrating the entire IRS period, are the absurd low ratings of Out of Time and Up. The comments on those 2 albums and on Green and Monster just make me wonder whether the reviewer has even listened to those albums the last 15 years.

 

[Hollow Island]

It's like whoever wrote this hasn't really listened to many of their albums. Monster is pretty far from a straight rock record, and Up doesn't sound like anything else released in 1998 (except for maybe Moon Safari, but that has more to do with the 70s electronics), Some of his comments are perplexing. The list is OK, though. I think the top six are all pretty much equal, and any could be my favourite on a given day.

Because I'm bored:

1. Reckoning
2. New Adventures
3. Murmur
4. Document
5. Lifes Rich Pageant
6. Automatic

7. Collapse Into Now
8. Up
9. Monster
10. Fables of the Reconstruction
11. Green
12. Chronic Town

13. Reveal

14. Accelerate
15. Around the Sun

7-10 are all pretty much even, I think. If Up had 10 instead of 14 songs it would probably own the number one spot. It's just too long and slow, but the arrangements are incredible. That first guitar break on You're In The Air is amazing. I'll never forget the first time I heard it.

Reveal has some poor songs, but the first four songs are as good REM ever recorded, and I love Chorus and the Ring. The production is generally lovely if overdone in spots.

 

[lazarus]

I'd be pretty taken aback if I listened to murmur and it wasn't so muddy anymore. That would certainly freak me out. And I always assume people who say they like reckoning more are just trying to pick an album less likely to be picked as a favorite because they think it makes them cool. There's no way anyone could actually think its better. Opinion is obviously by nature 100% subjective, but in this case it's actually wrong.

Agreed.

1. Reckoning

 

[LemonMelon]

Where would you place Out of Time, Hollow Island?

Personally, I view the whole Green/Out of Time period to be the band's first real dip in quality, as I'd probably rank both near the bottom, but I realize it was pivotal for the band and important to a lot of people. None of my favorites can be found on those albums though.

 

[lazarus]

That first guitar break on You're In The Air is amazing. I'll never forget the first time I heard it.

Finally someone else who appreciates this song.

 

[lazarus]

Where would you place Out of Time, Hollow Island?

Personally, I view the whole Green/Out of Time period to be the band's first real dip in quality, as I'd probably rank both near the bottom, but I realize it was pivotal for the band and important to a lot of people. None of my favorites can be found on those albums though.

I agree about Green, and Out of Time is a mixed bag. But Country Feedback belongs in the R.E.M. pantheon. As does Losing My Religion, however overplayed. That's pretty much a landmark recording in pop music.

 

[nielsgov]

Low, Losing My Religion and Country Feedback are up there with R.E.M.'s best. Country Feedback is probably even my absolute favourite.

 

[LemonMelon]

Losing My Religion, Country Feedback and Near Wild Heaven are the songs I really like on Out of Time. Texarkana is good too. I could take or leave the rest.

Green is meh all the way through.

 

[iron yuppie]

Country Feedback is a thing of beauty - especially the live version from the bonus disc of the In Time compilation.

 

[lazarus]

Half A World Away is really pretty. And I'm a big fan of Me In Honey though I don't like it as a closer.

I've been very vocal about my issues with Green, and it really comes off like a major label sellout album at times. But World Leader Pretend is a strong, strong track. You Are The Everything is an early indicator of the "organic" sound of the next two albums and is beautiful. And Orange Crush is a classic at this point, no?

 

[purpleoscar]

It's a great album even if you don't think it's #1.

 

[lazarus]

The second side doesn't do much for me.

Fables of the Reconstruction suffers from the same problem, but I think it has more strong tracks. Those first seven are very impressive.

 

[IWasBored]

Trying to rank them is hurting my brain, and if I managed it earlier in the thread it's probably different than what I'd say right now. But honestly, I could probably go with pageant, murmur, document, hi-fi, or up as a favorite depending on the mood I'm in. A rotating top five if you will. Although I do dig monster as a 6th, it gets a little murky after that. Reveal is last. Fables just above it. I've been awake for 27 hours now, which might have something to do with it.

 

[lazarus]

Trying to rank them is hurting my brain, and if I managed it earlier in the thread it's probably different than what I'd say right now. But honestly, I could probably go with pageant, murmur, document, hi-fi

These are my Top 4, but 2-4 order would be in reverse.