This is my favorite REM album by a mile. It contains all of the elements of the "classic" REM sound from the early days of the band. I love the way this album just explodes right off the bat with the first song and then meanders through all sorts of musical moments and sounds. So few TH-cam reactions ever delve into the earlier catalog even though that's where the real meat is found.
Thank you for this. It brought up some great memories for me. I saw R.E.M. a bunch of times in the 80s. The first time was at a roller skating rink on Long Island. I also remember Michael Stipe being on something at a show in Albany and talking about a tree for 15 minutes. I was alternately bored and fascinated!
The title reminds me that someone once said that being made love to by Christopher Soames, Baron Soames, at one time a Yory MP, was like having a large wardrobe fall on top of you with the key in the lock.
I feel as if you could pull a variety of REM numbers, particularly from the first 5 albums (and the collection of cast-offs, Dead Letter Office), that would be new to Andy, and surprise him. It’s a rather deep hole to dive into. As much of a fan as I was in the 80s, anxiously awaiting each new release, in hindsight I think that, even then, there was a part of me that felt distanced from their songs - that I found them too far outside my experience and too obscure to enmesh myself within them. Perhaps it was the distinctly southern aspect of their consciousness, the particular regionalism of their experience, that kept REM at arms length emotionally for me. Strangely, once their music expanded beyond that peculiar regionalism and embraced something more universal (around “Green”) I found my interest in them waning . They remain a curious part of my musical past. On a completely different front… I suspect John has heard this, but I wonder if Andy has. So may I suggest that John drop a perfect, angry, single in Andy’s ear: The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death. I consider it a gem, by which I mean a great song from a band I otherwise had no interest in. It’s bitter, catchy, twisted, anthemic, ear candy.
Hey Arlo, I think that distance and mystery was the very thing that drew me in. But yes, my interest also started to drop away around the same time. And went running for the hills after 'Shiny Happy People'. Yep, I know The Godfathers and that song pretty well. Used to have the album on cassette. I really liked 'She Gives Me Love' from More Songs About Love & Hate (fantastic cover). I'll add BSWD to the Viewer Request list. Cheers, Jon.
REM were unstoppable at this point. I eagerly awaited each new release!
This is my favorite REM album by a mile. It contains all of the elements of the "classic" REM sound from the early days of the band. I love the way this album just explodes right off the bat with the first song and then meanders through all sorts of musical moments and sounds. So few TH-cam reactions ever delve into the earlier catalog even though that's where the real meat is found.
Thank you for this. It brought up some great memories for me. I saw R.E.M. a bunch of times in the 80s. The first time was at a roller skating rink on Long Island. I also remember Michael Stipe being on something at a show in Albany and talking about a tree for 15 minutes. I was alternately bored and fascinated!
The title reminds me that someone once said that being made love to by Christopher Soames, Baron Soames, at one time a Yory MP, was like having a large wardrobe fall on top of you with the key in the lock.
Nice song, good show today, cheers all
Thanks LLJ.
I feel as if you could pull a variety of REM numbers, particularly from the first 5 albums (and the collection of cast-offs, Dead Letter Office), that would be new to Andy, and surprise him. It’s a rather deep hole to dive into.
As much of a fan as I was in the 80s, anxiously awaiting each new release, in hindsight I think that, even then, there was a part of me that felt distanced from their songs - that I found them too far outside my experience and too obscure to enmesh myself within them. Perhaps it was the distinctly southern aspect of their consciousness, the particular regionalism of their experience, that kept REM at arms length emotionally for me. Strangely, once their music expanded beyond that peculiar regionalism and embraced something more universal (around “Green”) I found my interest in them waning . They remain a curious part of my musical past.
On a completely different front…
I suspect John has heard this, but I wonder if Andy has. So may I suggest that John drop a perfect, angry, single in Andy’s ear: The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death.
I consider it a gem, by which I mean a great song from a band I otherwise had no interest in. It’s bitter, catchy, twisted, anthemic, ear candy.
Hey Arlo, I think that distance and mystery was the very thing that drew me in. But yes, my interest also started to drop away around the same time. And went running for the hills after 'Shiny Happy People'.
Yep, I know The Godfathers and that song pretty well. Used to have the album on cassette. I really liked 'She Gives Me Love' from More Songs About Love & Hate (fantastic cover). I'll add BSWD to the Viewer Request list.
Cheers, Jon.
As a guy who loves Wire and REM, what do you think about that cover of “Strange?” I know what I think.
Without giving away what I think of Document - that's for a later episode - it will always be a Wire song for me.
Cheers, Jon.
To the tune of Contraflow by The Fall
I hate this cover song...so much.
I hate this cover song...so much.