R.E.M. have broken up - Page 29

LemonMelon · 10-23-2011, 04:44 AM

Not quite like that, more

iron yuppie · 10-23-2011, 03:59 PM

Having just listened to the albums from New Adventures through Reveal today, it seems to me as though the band just completely forgot how to edit themselves. Each of those albums has several excellent songs, but also is ten to fifteen minutes too long. Why songs like "Be Mine" and "I'll Take the Rain" need to linger for nearly six minutes is beyond me, but in general this stretch of albums is far stronger than I remember it being - especially Up.

lazarus · 10-23-2011, 04:09 PM

Shut up, Be Mine is transcendent. Is there something wrong with riding a wave of elation for longer than the pop song 4-minute standard?

You probably would have complained about the outro of Hey Jude back in 1968.

The Panther · 10-23-2011, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iron yuppie

Having just listened to the albums from New Adventures through Reveal today, it seems to me as though the band just completely forgot how to edit themselves. Each of those albums has several excellent songs, but also is ten to fifteen minutes too long. Why songs like "Be Mine" and "I'll Take the Rain" need to linger for nearly six minutes is beyond me, but in general this stretch of albums is far stronger than I remember it being - especially Up.

That's probably true to some extent, but for me the main problem (besides the decline in the quality of Stipe's timbre) is the over-production. It was probably fine to indulge in it once (with Up), but then they just kept wrapping all their songs in super-soft, endlessly layered, glossy production that robbed some good tunes of all vitality.

Of course, I think everything is over-produced. The kind of sound I like is lots of reverb from a hand-held $20 cassette recorder.

lazarus · 10-23-2011, 04:29 PM

That's true, but I don't think Accelerate is guilty of overproduction, nor is Collapse Into Now for the most part.

But Up-Reveal-Around the Sun all in a row was definitely overkill.

LemonMelon · 10-23-2011, 04:52 PM

Numbers can't be referring to New Adventures there. I mean, he could, but I would certainly hope not.

I don't think anyone would complain about the production on Reveal and Around The Sun if the songwriting was better. M83 isn't copping any shit for Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.

The Panther · 10-23-2011, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LemonMelon

Numbers can't be referring to New Adventures there. I mean, he could, but I would certainly hope not.

No, I'm not. I meant starting with Up in 1998 or 1999 or whenever.

New Adventures is produced by Scott Litt and is wonderfully (sometimes roughly) recorded.

NOTE: and please refer to me by my "real" name, The Panther.

lazarus · 10-23-2011, 06:10 PM

There's definitely a case for Scott Litt being almost as crucial to the band's success as Bill Berry.

While as you said, Up was good because the overproduction was new to them (and they were clearly trying to fill a void left by Berry), they went too far down the rabbit hole on the next two albums.

bono_212 · 10-23-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Panther

NOTE: and please refer to me by my "real" name, The Panther.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfjOm...e_gdata_player

lazarus · 10-23-2011, 06:27 PM

The best proof they had a sense of humor before AB.

How drunk must Hedge have been? Unreal.

corianderstem · 10-23-2011, 06:27 PM

Bono's got the crazy eyes in that one. It freaks me out a bit.

u2popmofo · 10-23-2011, 06:38 PM

I had never seen that, and now will try my best to forget that I've seen it.

bono_212 · 10-23-2011, 06:39 PM

It's one of my favorites.

iron yuppie · 10-23-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazarus

Shut up, Be Mine is transcendent. Is there something wrong with riding a wave of elation for longer than the pop song 4-minute standard?

You probably would have complained about the outro of Hey Jude back in 1968.

Your definition of "transcendent" must be pretty damn liberal. I'm all for longer songs - hell, one of my all-time favorite tracks is a 32-minute vamp from Miles Davis - but I do not feel that Be Mine justifies its length. And I also hope that you are not comparing Be Mine to Hey Jude in a serious context.

corianderstem · 10-23-2011, 06:45 PM

I'm not a big fan of Be Mine. It's nice, but .... transcendent? That seems a bit extreme.

lazarus · 10-23-2011, 06:58 PM

I find the guitar work soars.

It's my favorite song on the album next to Undertow.

Also, I'm in good company:

Radiohead - be mine - YouTube

corianderstem · 10-23-2011, 06:58 PM

Undertow .... now you're talkin'.

iron yuppie · 10-23-2011, 10:21 PM

Continuing my foray through the later albums, I listened to Around the Sun all the way through tonight for the first time in perhaps five years...and now I remember why I had shelved it for so long. I think that they could have condensed it into a single with Leaving New York on the a-side and Electron Blue on the b-side and not have sacrificed much in the process.

That said, having Around the Sun as context makes Accelerate sound that much more impressive.

IWasBored · 10-24-2011, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by u2popmofo

I had never seen that, and now will try my best to forget that I've seen it.

this. i'm going back to not watching stuff like that.

i'm a big fan of be mine. i can see the creepy, possessive vibe that lyrically stipe mentioned in interviews and such, and for some reason it sits really well with me when matched up with the guitar (transcendent may not be my choice in adjective simply because i'd really never call anything transcendent) which i love. it's simple, yet completely absorbing and actually while thinking to try to come up with a way to describe it that is my own and not laz's, i'm pretty sure i actually just agree with him on this one. not much a ran of radiohead's attempt to replicate it, though.

Yahweh_OMG · 10-24-2011, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FitzChivalry

Sorry, but I have to completely agree . . . with Crashed. The Cure have been dead to me for years and years now. Such a shame; they were once really good.

Please don't say that, Bloodflowers is a masterpiece and "The Cure" isn't bad. Just the last one is mehhh I agree.....

Some say Cure died in 82 already, some say 85, some 92..... I say they haven't yet. They still play more than 3 hours live with 45 different songs from 13 different albums. Some other bands could get inspired by The Cure about that....

10-23-2011, 04:44 AM	#561
LemonMelon More 5G Than Man Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Hollywoo Posts: 68,638 Local Time: 11:23 AM	Not quite like that, more __________________

10-23-2011, 03:59 PM	#562
iron yuppie ONE love, blood, life Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 10,713 Local Time: 01:23 PM	Having just listened to the albums from New Adventures through Reveal today, it seems to me as though the band just completely forgot how to edit themselves. Each of those albums has several excellent songs, but also is ten to fifteen minutes too long. Why songs like "Be Mine" and "I'll Take the Rain" need to linger for nearly six minutes is beyond me, but in general this stretch of albums is far stronger than I remember it being - especially Up. __________________

10-23-2011, 06:39 PM	#573
bono_212 Blue Crack Distributor Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 83,865 Local Time: 11:23 AM	It's one of my favorites. __________________

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10-23-2011, 04:09 PM	#563
lazarus Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 41,662 Local Time: 11:23 AM	Shut up, Be Mine is transcendent. Is there something wrong with riding a wave of elation for longer than the pop song 4-minute standard? You probably would have complained about the outro of Hey Jude back in 1968.

10-23-2011, 04:29 PM	#565
lazarus Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 41,662 Local Time: 11:23 AM	That's true, but I don't think Accelerate is guilty of overproduction, nor is Collapse Into Now for the most part. But Up-Reveal-Around the Sun all in a row was definitely overkill.

10-23-2011, 04:52 PM	#566
LemonMelon More 5G Than Man Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Hollywoo Posts: 68,638 Local Time: 11:23 AM	Numbers can't be referring to New Adventures there. I mean, he could, but I would certainly hope not. I don't think anyone would complain about the production on Reveal and Around The Sun if the songwriting was better. M83 isn't copping any shit for Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.

10-23-2011, 06:10 PM	#568
lazarus Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 41,662 Local Time: 11:23 AM	There's definitely a case for Scott Litt being almost as crucial to the band's success as Bill Berry. While as you said, Up was good because the overproduction was new to them (and they were clearly trying to fill a void left by Berry), they went too far down the rabbit hole on the next two albums.

10-23-2011, 06:27 PM	#570
lazarus Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 41,662 Local Time: 11:23 AM	The best proof they had a sense of humor before AB. How drunk must Hedge have been? Unreal.

10-23-2011, 06:27 PM	#571
corianderstem Blue Crack Distributor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 64,498 Local Time: 11:23 AM	Bono's got the crazy eyes in that one. It freaks me out a bit.

10-23-2011, 06:38 PM	#572
u2popmofo Blue Meth Addict Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utah Posts: 37,210 Local Time: 12:23 PM	I had never seen that, and now will try my best to forget that I've seen it.

10-23-2011, 06:45 PM	#575
corianderstem Blue Crack Distributor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 64,498 Local Time: 11:23 AM	I'm not a big fan of Be Mine. It's nice, but .... transcendent? That seems a bit extreme.

10-23-2011, 06:58 PM	#577
corianderstem Blue Crack Distributor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 64,498 Local Time: 11:23 AM	Undertow .... now you're talkin'.

10-23-2011, 10:21 PM	#578
iron yuppie ONE love, blood, life Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 10,713 Local Time: 01:23 PM	Continuing my foray through the later albums, I listened to Around the Sun all the way through tonight for the first time in perhaps five years...and now I remember why I had shelved it for so long. I think that they could have condensed it into a single with Leaving New York on the a-side and Electron Blue on the b-side and not have sacrificed much in the process. That said, having Around the Sun as context makes Accelerate sound that much more impressive.