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Trivial Pursuits => Arts & Entertainment => Topic started by: jough on October 01, 2004, 06:39:47 am

Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 01, 2004, 06:39:47 am: It is just a disappointing day for me regarding artists that I used to enjoy.

I got the new R.E.M. album in the mail today, and it's just... heartbreakingly bad. The single, "Leaving New York" is okay, I guess, but the rest of the album... :(

Man, these guys used to be beautiful. Bill Berry, could you PLEASE rejoin the band? Because they didn't suck so bad when you were there.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: V-Adore on October 01, 2004, 11:34:47 am: Wow.

And here I was going on heights of elation after finally receiving a copy of "In Time" and being pleased about it ("E-BOW THE LETTER, HOLY CRAP IT'S E-BOW THE LETTER, YES!"). Still... eh, I'll almost certainly buy this one anyway, if only because R.E.M. albums are so subjective in quality that (with all due respect, Jough) your hating it does not significantly preclude me liking it.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 01, 2004, 05:35:40 pm: iTunes has a track available for free download: snippets of five songs from the new album shoehorned into three minutes. It bores me greatly.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 01, 2004, 06:38:10 pm: I mean, it's not totally hateful, just utterly bland.

It's worse than Reveal, I think, and I was depressed by that one enough to prattle on about it at LENGTH:

http://www.jough.com/music/000013/index.php
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 01, 2004, 08:19:38 pm: That's the impression I got: bland and hookless. Oh well. Who knows, their next album might be the greatest thing since sliced bread. You and I will probably be the only ones who care, though.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 01, 2004, 11:33:37 pm: Yeah, I've been disappointed twice in a row now, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi is still my favourite of theirs, with Up being in the Top 5 as well.

I'll buy their next album too, hoping that it's good.

On a side note, I have enjoyed every film that Michael Stipe has produced so far.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 02, 2004, 04:24:36 am: I can't say I've ever seen anything Michael Stipe ever produced, except for about five minutes of Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day I caught on Sundance while fighting the flu. He did, however, take part in a nifty little book called The Haiku Year, where he and six other poets had a haiku-a-day challenge for one year. I like it.

While checking out the R.E.M. on iTunes, I discovered that you can download the first two Big Star albums for ten bucks total. Talk about your basic steals.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 02, 2004, 05:07:53 am: Limmo, you should really check out Being John Malkovich if you haven't seen it. Top notch writing (by Charlie Kaufmann, who also wrote Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), good directorial debut from Spike Jonze, and an overall weird but brilliant time.

Plus, it's really funny.

It was one of the best "first projects" for all involved in the making of it - new director, new writer, and new producer in Michael Stipe.

The latest film he produced is Saved! which is not as biting and witty as it thinks it is, but is still pretty funny.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: andalucia on October 02, 2004, 05:23:35 pm: Quote from: "jough"
Yeah, I've been disappointed twice in a row now, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi is still my favourite of theirs, with Up being in the Top 5 as well.

Before I heard New Adventures in Hi-Fi, I thought I just didn't like R.E.M.
Now I know that I like one album of theirs, but have never been able to enjoy anything else that they're released, especially the more recent things. It is slightly saddening.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 03, 2004, 03:35:45 am: I've seen BJM and enjoyed it. Didn't know Stipe produced it.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 03, 2004, 04:40:02 am: Also, I do not know from Big Star.

Could someone "pitch" it to me? I mean, it is like a cross between Led Zeppelin and the Brady Bunch or something (or would that be "Led Apron" - about a family of x-ray technicians who play rock and roll at night).
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 03, 2004, 04:54:42 am: Long story short: Big Star were a power pop band. They put out three albums and broke up in complete obscurity. They were a huge influence on artists from R.E.M to Jeff Buckley. Their first (http://www.superseventies.com/spbigstar.html)two albums (http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/bigstar-1record.shtml) are genius, and their third album (http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/rev-archive/bigstar.htm)is widely beloved among people who enjoy being depressed. They. Were. Rad.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: andalucia on October 03, 2004, 05:14:51 pm: Oh indeed, it is my most fervent wish that someday everyone in the universe appreciates Big Star as they deserve to be.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: V-Adore on October 03, 2004, 11:41:02 pm: Quote from: "andalucia"
Quote from: "jough"
Yeah, I've been disappointed twice in a row now, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi is still my favourite of theirs, with Up being in the Top 5 as well.

Before I heard New Adventures in Hi-Fi, I thought I just didn't like R.E.M.
Now I know that I like one album of theirs, but have never been able to enjoy anything else that they're released, especially the more recent things. It is slightly saddening.

What else of theirs have you listened to? I would recommend "Document" and "Life's Rich Pageant" highly, as they're the only two albums that seriously compete with New Adventures for my affections. "Automatic for the People" has its high points, too. Then again, if you've tried 'em and don't like 'em, you're allowed.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: andalucia on October 05, 2004, 01:34:46 pm: I haven't listened to Document, and shall look into it post haste.
I always want to like more of R.E.M., I just don't understand why they are not facilitating that by making more music that I like.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 05, 2004, 02:53:08 pm: andalucia: I don't know why I think you'll really like Lifes Rich Pageant, but I do.

Audrey would like to add: vb n j b
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: V-Adore on October 05, 2004, 03:10:57 pm: You probably think that Andalucia would like Life's Rich Pageant because L'sRP is a fuck*ng fabulous album, just about as pure rock power as anything they've ever done. That's my hypothesis, anyway.

(Also, hi Audrey!)
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Va on October 05, 2004, 03:22:06 pm: I guess I'm the odd man out here. I liked Monster. I liked Up. I liked Reveal. I liked all three of those better than Automatic for the People. I haven't heard the new one yet, but I'll probably like it, too.

You can't expect a band that's been around as long as R.E.M. to keep sounding the same decade after decade. If you don't like how they've changed, fair enough, but you have to know it'd be much worse if they didn't change at all.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 05, 2004, 04:05:50 pm: Hated Monster, liked 3 songs from Reveal, think Up could be their best album. It's not for lack of trying, it's just that what I've heard isn't interesting from a textural standpoint ( whereas Reveal was all texture - too much, in fact ) or for the songwriting either ( Up is almost all great songs that just need a few listens to sink in ).

Actually, the more I think about it, Fables of the Reconstruction might be a better choice for andalucia.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: V-Adore on October 05, 2004, 04:10:34 pm: Fables is also excellent and at least worth a try. In some ways it's the best of the "classic" R.E.M. style, insofar as there is one -- very much the descendent of the early albums (more than Pageant or Document) but much more clean and polished.

Reveal having "too much texture" I think is right on. There are only a few songs on the album where the lyrics didn't get totally swallowed by the overlush arrangements, and while I like rich instrumentals, Reveal just went too goddamn far and sounded too weirdly synthetic. Maybe I would have liked it had it been instrumental?
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Va on October 05, 2004, 04:20:18 pm: I've always been of the opinion that R.E.M. are generally at their best when you can't understand what the fuck Stipe is wailing about.

I liked Up a lot, other than the execrable "Why Not Smile", their worst song since "Everybody Hurts".
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 05, 2004, 04:22:37 pm: "Saturn Return" was a very worthy song that would have benefitted from not having been recorded at FAO Schwartz. "I've Been High" is one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, but I could live without all the squiggly keyboards. Then again, I heard a version of it from their last Unplugged, and I missed the squiggly keyboards. So what the fuck do I know.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: V-Adore on October 05, 2004, 04:27:02 pm: Yeah, "Saturn Return" is so close to being a genuinely decent song, and yet... sigh. "Imitation of Life" is also good, if only because it didn't get bogged down in the tepid Revealness of the rest of the album.

I will confess that, yes, I listen to R.E.M. in part for the lyrics -- it's cool if others prefer not to care 'what the fuck Stipe is wailing about,' but shit, "Swan Swan H." Glorious.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Va on October 05, 2004, 04:54:35 pm: I love "Saturn Return".
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 05, 2004, 05:09:43 pm: Saturn Return is the one that started off sounding pretty good and then wore out its welcome by just repeating the same phrase/verse over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, right?

I thought every album was getting better since Green. I've really liked their WB work and NAIH-F is my favourite not only of theirs, but one of my Top 5 Favourite Albums of all time. Automatic for the People is also in the Top 10 for me.

I loved Monster and have been listening to it lately as part of celebrating its 10th anniversary (more tenth anniversary celebrations include They Might Be Giants "John Henry" as well as watching The Shawshank Redemption and of course, Pulp Fiction) and it's even better than I remember it being.

I think "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" is pretty much the defining song of the decade.

Anyway, Reveal was just so bland, so drone-y and lame. The new album takes that a step further by REMOVING ALL MELODY. It was the melodies and interesting lyrics that made me love REM to begin with.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Carlos del Vaca on October 05, 2004, 05:59:29 pm: Do we need to have a "Top 5 REM albums" poll here?

Interesting to hear the diversity of opinions. I always figured all REM fans were like me--the IRS stuff is categorically better. But hey, whatever mows your lawn.

(For the record, 1. Fables 2. LRP 3. Murmur 4. Reckoning 5. Document. New Adventures would be my favorite WB-era album.)
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 05, 2004, 06:59:30 pm: Off the top of my head:

Reckoning
Up
Murmur
Dead Letter Office / Chronic Town
Lifes Rich Pageant

Fables, Out of Time, and Automatic bubble right under here. I have never owned Document, Green sucks, Monster: no, Reveal meh.

So many people love New Adventures that I downloaded it once, listened to it once, didn't get the allure.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 05, 2004, 07:59:12 pm: Okay, my Top 5 R.E.M. albums list:

1) New Adventures In Hi-Fi
2) Automatic for the People
3) Murmur
4) Life's Rich Pageant
5) Monster

Runners up: Fables, Document, Up, and Out of Time (although you'd have to remove three tracks for it to be in the Top 10 - those cringe-worthy additions just drag the entire album down).

Green isn't bad - but it's not as good as out of time, which is not as good as Automatic - and Monster is also not quite as good as Automatic, but then they put out a combo package album written on the road which was like a combination of Monster and Automatic, and it was the best album.

Then the drummer left the band and they went apeshit with Up, which was like the band stretching its legs, trying to find the "New R.E.M." and doing so with some great songs. Then they took the worst song from "Up" and decided to make an entire album of songs like that.

Now they've taken the worst song on Reveal, made it twice as long, and tried their damndest to remove anything resembling melody or musical interest, and just slowly drone on for an hour while talk-singing lyrics about how the country sucks now. Inspiring.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jough on October 05, 2004, 08:01:33 pm: Mini Rolling Stone review. (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6537552?pageid=rs.Home&pageregion=single1)
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jay-ell on October 06, 2004, 04:44:19 pm: On a somewhat unrelated note, I think Stevie Nicks should do a cover of "Losing My Religion."

That would be rad.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: AlohaDawg on October 06, 2004, 06:58:48 pm: TWEEEEEET!

Flag on the play.

Use of the name "Stevie Nicks" and "Rad" in the same sentence.

The poster is penalized five posts and loss of one board rank.

Repeat the post.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Limmo on October 06, 2004, 07:16:03 pm: Quote from: "jldunston"
I think Stevie Nicks should do a cover of "Losing My Religion."

I have spent the past hour imagining what this would sound like. Thank you, JL, for brightening my day! Your drug test is hereby waived.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: jay-ell on October 06, 2004, 07:34:36 pm: Quote from: "AlohaDawg"

Use of the name "Stevie Nicks" and "Rad" in the same sentence.

I challenge the call. There was (and is) a period (full stop) between the aforementioned words, clearly splitting them into two distinct sentences.

So there.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: Carlos del Vaca on October 06, 2004, 08:35:06 pm: I think J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr should do a cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man." That would be fuck*ng funny.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: andalucia on October 07, 2004, 01:48:36 pm: Quote from: "carlosdelvaca"
I think J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr should do a cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man." That would be fuck*ng funny.

I think he should cover Shatner's cover.
Title: R.I.P. R.E.M.
Post by: arkabee on October 08, 2004, 09:01:45 pm: this is a hilarious 1st paragraph:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1008/p11s01-almp.html

i don't know if i've ever read anything from this source before.