R.E.M. Survivor - Around the Sun

[corianderstem]

All righty, on to Around the Sun. Another multiple choice poll - the top two will advance to the finals.

I'll leave this up through Monday - I'll be gone for the weekend, and hopefully anyone voting in the competition who's gone this weekend will have a chance to select on Monday.

If they care about any songs on the album, that is.

 

[corianderstem]

I can't in good conscience vote for Leaving New York, although some days I like it more than others. The "leaving was never my proud" line makes me want to punch something.

Also, I would like to state that I think Wanderlust is the most irritating song REM has ever recorded. The yelping ME! ME! ME! (or, rather, MAY! MAY! MAY!) makes me want to jab knitting needles in my ears.

But.

I do honestly like Boy In the Well, I Wanted to Be Wrong and Around the Sun.

 

[lazarus]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Wake me when we get to Accelerate.

 

[Lancemc]

Around The Sun. Don't really like any of these songs. Although I did enjoy them opening the show with this track first time I saw them.

 

[HCL]

So many great songs... this album always cheers me up. On R.E.M.'s top 5.
Leaving New York
Electron Blue
Make It All Okay
Final Straw
The Worst Joke Ever

 

[lazarus]

So many great songs... On R.E.M.'s top 5.

(The Worst Joke Ever)

Fixed.

 

[intedomine]

Interesting album, some cracking individual songs but just a bit of a miss and features the blandest song of all time (Final Straw).

Aftermath is probably the best here....Worst Joke Ever is a cool tune too and Electron Blue is criminally under rated.

Shattered that I missed the Reveal round, one of my favourite REM albums. Have to find out what the results for that dreamy and summery and timeless album.

 

[corianderstem]

Shattered that I missed the Reveal round, one of my favourite REM albums. Have to find out what the results for that dreamy and summery and timeless album.

The LIfting and Imitation of Life are moving on.

I'm going to laugh if there's a 4-way tie or something with this thing and all four songs advance.

 

[lazarus]

I think that will require an executive order mercy killing.

Or some kind of runoff.

 

[Elvis Presley]

Worst REM album ever?

 

[FitzChivalry]

I wish I could vote, but I don't know any of these songs. I think Up was the last R.E.M. album I bought and listened to.

Up

 

[Irishteen]

Leaving New York, Electron Blue and The Outsiders only three songs worth existing on this album...Accelerate isn't much better either...so not looking forward to that round much

 

[HCL]

Actually I guess that Around the Sun is my #4 R.E.M. album:
#1) Automatic for the People
#2) Monster
#3) New Adventures In Hi-Fi
#4) Around the Sun
#5) Out of Time

So many great songs here...

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Actually I guess that Around the Sun is my #4 R.E.M. album:
#1) Automatic for the People
#2) Monster
#3) New Adventures In Hi-Fi
#4) Around the Sun
#5) Out of Time

So many great songs here...

You are aware that R.E.M. existed as a band before 1991, right?

 

[lazarus]

Heh.

 

[Lancemc]

Just seeing Around The Sun sitting on top of Out of Time on that list kills me a little bit inside.

 

[phanan]

Leaving New York and Electron Blue.

 

[HCL]

You are aware that R.E.M. existed as a band before 1991, right?

Yup, several of my favorite R.E.M. are from the 80's... but when it comes to albums, except for Murmur and maybe Document, I don't think they're that strong.

 

[Lancemc]

They're no Around The Sun, that's for sure.

 

[HCL]

They're no Around The Sun, that's for sure.

Sorry, that's just my opinion. The world won't turn against you guys and most people are going to be bashing Around the Sun tomorrow as much as they did today. I'm sure it doesn't bothers you that much.

 

[Salome]

I actually agree that pre 90s R.E.M. didn't seem to focus too much on albums
or perhaps were less successful at it

some/a lot of the individual songs are tremendous though

 

[lazarus]

Considering Murmur and Document are widely regarded as two of the best albums of the decade, the reissue of Reckoning earning a 10.0 rating from Pitchfork, and Lifes Rich Pageant being a huge fan favorite, I'd say their reputation for making great albums in the 80's is pretty solid.

 

[Lancemc]

Yeah, but leaving was never their proud.

 

[Salome]

I think their 80s albums are mostly great
but I don't reckon that it's impossible for someone to think their post 80s output work better as albums (even when not all of them have the same stellar songs as some of their 80s work)
though I would put Fables (and some days Reckoning) in my personal top 5

and a 10 from Pitchfork means about as much to me as a thumbs up from Paris Hilton

 

[lazarus]

Yes, someone could certainly prefer the 90's albums, there are some great ones there as well--it would be a tough call for me in terms of preference. Your post just implied that the band wasn't trying to put out complete recordings in the 80's, and that "maybe they were less successful at it". In fact, reviews for those albums were pretty damned good, with the exception of Green, which got a bit of a mixed reception. And I feel like Stipe was certainly looking at each album as a unique project, even conceptual to an extent in the way that he would give each album and album side its own subtitle. None of those records have any kind of disjointed feel, even if they might have what some consider a little filler.

 

[HCL]

I'd say their reputation for making great albums in the 80's is pretty solid.

Of course it is, Murmur is one hell of an album. Flows almost perfectly. But, I just think they managed to that better in the 90's and with Around the Sun.

and a 10 from Pitchfork means about as much to me as a thumbs up from Paris Hilton

Exactly I guess I would respect even Paris' opinion more than Pitchfork's one.

 

[corianderstem]

Yeah, but leaving was never their proud.

:stabbity:

 

[corianderstem]

Any further opinions on how we should do Accelerate? I heard from laz, and I know what I'd prefer ... any one want to pipe up as to if they want to see a quick multiple-choice round, or the long, drawn out version where we vote off one song at a time?

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Might as well do the quick multiple-choice thing. I'll be voting for Living Well... and the single with the funny title that has the word Super in it twice. And maybe one or two others.

Let's roll our way into the finals!