R.E.M. Survivor - Up - Round 1

[LemonMelon]

Last round, New Test Leper was eliminated, and Undertow, E-Bow The Letter, Leave, and Electrolite were sent through to the final draw.

Votes:

New Test Leper - 10
Electrolite - 6
Leave - 3
Undertow - 2
E-Bow The Letter - 1

Final Draw:

Gardening At Night
Radio Free Europe
Pilgrimage
Perfect Circle
Sitting Still
Harborcoat
So. Central Rain
Pretty Persuasion
Feeling Gravitys Pull
Driver 8
Life And How To Live It
Begin The Begin
These Days
Fall On Me
Cuyahoga
Finest Worksong
Welcome to the Occupation
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
The One I Love
You Are The Everything
World Leader Pretend
Orange Crush
Losing My Religion
Texarkana
Country Feedback
Try Not To Breathe
Man On The Moon
Nightswimming
Find The River
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Crush With Eyeliner
Strange Currencies
Undertow
E-Bow The Letter
Leave
Electrolite

Up came in 12th on the favorite R.E.M. albums poll, so two of its songs will proceed to the final draw.

 

[LemonMelon]

I haven't heard this album in ages. I'll re-listen now. All I remember is that 1) it's underrated and 2) Suspicion is amazing.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Airportman is pointless

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Airportman. Maybe the easiest vote we've had since the game started.

 

[Salome]

Suspicion, The Apologist and You're In The Air are the 3 I don't care much for

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

As typical as it might sound, I think the two I want to see advance are the two most well-known tracks off of the album...At My Most Beautiful and Daysleeper.

I'm a fan of Lotus, Walk Unafraid and Hope as well. And a couple others. I don't know, I like the album for the most part but it's certainly not one of the band's more memorable efforts.

 

[phanan]

Airportman

 

[LemonMelon]

Wow, turns out I absolutely love this album. Listening to this now, I'm shocked. It's definitely cracked my top 5 since last listen.

Airportman is alright, but Diminished is a joke. I'm also not a huge fan of The Apologist. I love basically everything else. Suspicion and Hope are my favorites, but I would be cool with At My Most Beautiful and Daysleeper making it through.

 

[corianderstem]

I was going to yell at you all for hating The Apologist and then realized I don't like it, either. The Sad Professor is the one I was thinking of. No idea why I always confuse those two.

It's not a bad album, but the last handful of songs are very forgettable to me. I rather like Airportman - I like the ambience of it.

I'm voting for You're In the Air because I really don't like it. At all.

I think the two that advance have to be Walk Unafraid and Daysleeper. At My Most beautiful is pretty, and I love anything with Beach Boys-esque harmonies, but it feels like they were trying too hard with it. It doesn't feel like REM.

 

[LemonMelon]

At My Most beautiful is pretty, and I love anything with Beach Boys-esque harmonies, but it feels like they were trying too hard with it. It doesn't feel like REM.

It's funny, but, as far as I'm concerned, the only thing that really sounds like R.E.M. on this album is The Apologist, and it's pretty bad. I think this album was a necessary experiment; it was wise to go in a more electronic direction at this point, substituting drum machines in lieu of Bill Berry's usual contribution. It's far from a perfect album, but it is inspired.

 

[corianderstem]

That's true - a lot of this album doesn't sound like REM. I just don't want REM trying on their Beach Boys hats.

There's Beach Boys influence, which is great, and then there's "This is us trying to sound like the Beach Boys," which I have no use for. Because hey, we already have Beach Boys songs. We don't need Beach Boys songs from other artists.

 

[financeguy]

Up is REM's worst album. That I've heard.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I think it's the lyrics of At My Most Beautiful that really get me. Those are probably the sweetest actual love song style lyrics Stipe has ever written. They seem ultra-personal, like you're getting a true glimpse into his relationship.

I read bad poetry
Into your machine
I save your messages
Just to hear your voice
You always listen carefully
To awkward rhymes
You always say your name,
Like I wouldn't know it's you...

I count your eyelashes, secretly
With every one, whisper I love you

That's some good shit right there.

 

[corianderstem]

Up is REM's worst album. That I've heard.

It's better than both Reveal and Around the Sun. Not that you should rush out and listen to those, but just so you know.

 

[lazarus]

I think Sad Professor is my favorite. And I'm not getting the hate for The Apologist.

You're In The Air also has one of Stipe's best vocals, in my opinion.

Daysleeper? Come on, that's like R.E.M. on fucking autopilot. Good song, but to represent this innovative album? Fuck that.

 

[corianderstem]

I don't care whether or not it's innovative, I think it's a really great song.

I'll take a song I think is great over something that's arguably "innovative" and not as good a song.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

Well, on listening to this in the first time in a long time, the songs I like a lot are Lotus, Suspicion, At My Most Beautiful, Sad Professor, Walk Unafraid, Parakeet and Falls To Climb. Lotus being my favorite of the bunch. Don't feel attached to anything else.

 

[intedomine]

Like Green, for some reason I still don't own this album yet have kept meaning to for like 6 years.

Love the song titles, Airportman, Parakeet, Sad Professor, Falls To Climb....

 

[Axver]

Guess I'll join the Airportman bandwagon. What a dull, dull album for the most part. Somehow even worse than New Adventures. Oh REM, how far you fell from your eighties heyday.

 

[Lancemc]

Ahh yes. My favorite R.E.M. album.

I love every song here. Even Daysleeper. This album features my all-around favorite Stipe vocals I'd say. Fantastic melodies and all sorts of awesomeness all over the place.

Why Not Smile is probably the one that does the least for me here.

 

[U2inUtah]

Yeah I think Why Not Smile would be my next least favorite after Airportman

 

[cobl04]

Airportman sounds like a cool title.

Can I ask, how far away are we from Accelerate? And how did that end up faring, amongst both non REM and REM fans? Tour go well?

 

[LemonMelon]

Can I ask, how far away are we from Accelerate?

Remainder of Up
Reveal (single, multi-choice round)
Around The Sun (single, multi-choice round)
Accelerate

Not too much further.

 

[coemgen]

I love this album.