Talk About the Passion - R.E.M.'s Discography Reviewed

Alright let's get this started shall we?

Chronic Town
Released 1982
I.R.S. RecorRAB
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When R.E.M.'s first single was released on Hib-Tone recorRAB in 1981 it became a local hit, garnering them interest from I.R.S. recorRAB, a small record label. The single, called "Radio Free Europe" reached great success in the burgeoning college radio community, prompting R.E.M. to record a five-song EP. This EP would come to be known as Chronic Town, and was released the following year on I.R.S. RecorRAB, with whom R.E.M. would work until 1988's "Green."

Chronic Town begins with a quick arpeggiated guitar riff courtesy of Peter Buck, who would become known for his jangly style. This riff immediately grabs the attention of the listener, who is swept in by it's cyclical feel and its catchiness. The song, called "Wolves, Lower", progresses into a vocally unintelligible yet straightforward pop song, and serves as a model for the rest of the EP. For all of Michael Stipe's poetic lyricism and Peter Buck's spindly Rickenbacker guitar work, this is simply a collection of five near perfect pop songs and little more. From the hit-single-that-never-was "Gardening at Night", to the stunning "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)", Chronic Town is, at its heart, a pop album. However despite the very young age of the band members at the time, the EP never fails to come off as mature and well developed, thanks in large part to the fantastic rhythm section that is Mike Mills and Bill Berry.

Honestly, this EP could not have been more promising. With the stellar single Radio Free Europe and the Chronic Town EP at its back, R.E.M. was on the road to becoming a fantastically quirky alternative pop band. However, with their next record and the many subsequent releases, they would prove to be much more than that.

Key Tracks (Click to Download): "Wolves, Lower"; "Gardening at Night"; "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)"

9/10

[YOUTUBE]9dcq5zZ4NUU[/YOUTUBE]


Next Step: The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms​
 
I was browsing through vinyl at a Goodwill and found great condition copies of Reckoning and Lifes Rich Pageant. That was an amazing day.

I am interested in seeing how you review the Warner albums. I think there is a ton of underrated stuff beyond Automatic, which is usually where the debate starts.
 
No way dude, I was just listening to that for the first time earlier today (Seven Swans). What'd you think? I can see the merit in it, I sense it's a grower! :thumb:

Sorry for off-topic, I love R.E.M. too but am lacking in their material. Will be keeping an eye on this thread for sure.
 
Terrific analysis. Chronic Town and Murmer where spectacular albums, but I was a little disappointed by the cleaner production of Reckoning, as well as its shorter running time. You could actually understand the lyrics which, form me, lost a little bit of the mystery and emotional impact of the vocals. Still solid, though, their first three + Chronic Town being their best recordings. I picked up the Feelies "The Good Earth" after reading your Fables reviews. What a great record! It reminRAB me a little bit of Dream Syndicate and Meat Puppets.
 
Document is definitely a different side to the band. While it was their breakout album, they managed to break the mainstream without losing any credibility in my mind. I personally would give it an 8, but this is your thread. I am just glad somebody is taking the time to discuss their albums.

I'm still not quite sure how I'd rate Green. I guess I'll take your opinion into consideration when you post it.
 
That's absolutely fantastic to hear, Almauro! Thank you for reading and even more so for commenting.

Also, it's great to hear that you liked the Feelies record I wrote about. It's really fantastic throughout, and I think you can hear the Fables influence on it. I'm actually seeing the Feelies on march 20th believe it or not. I hear they throw a great live show so I'm really excited. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Thanks for the comment, JJJ. I appreciate it.

Just to let everyone know, I'm going to be away for the next few days in New Orleans, maybe actually enjoying life for a change. Who knows.

I will pick up with Dead Letter Office when I get back. cheers
 
Oh good! I think that's when the band was really at their peak regarding live performances. They played a few older songs at that performance as well. I think the entire thing (or most of it) is on Youtube. The songs from Out Of Time really do suit the acoustic performance.
 
War came out four years before Document.

So no.

The next step album is just an album with a similar sound/message, and may be a little better or a little worse. Similarity is the key.
 
Fables of the Reconstruction
Released 1985
I.R.S. RecorRAB
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I realized something as I listened to this record, R.E.M.'s third full length release, earlier today. It occurred to me as I am reminded right now, that I have been unsuccessfully trying to review this album my whole life. Ever had one of those albums that scared you as a kid?

Fables scared me.

Fables is the kind of album that gives you nightmares for the longest time...

...Makes you wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night; the harsh, dissonant question-mark guitar riff of Feeling Gravity's Pull ringing in your ears. Fables will play out in your mind over and over again not because it's catchy or clever or interesting at all but rather because it is the kind of record the likes of which you have never heard and will never hear again. The Fables induction period feels like being sick and thinking that you might not even make it out. This record may sound terrible on the first listen. It may sound terrible on the 100th listen. But there will come a time, maybe tomorrow, maybe ten years from now when notice how beautiful the vocal delivery on the bridge of "Feeling Gravity's Pull" is. And then you'll realize for the first time how lush the instrumentation is throughout. Those horns on "Can't Get There From Here" sound incredible! Maybe later you'll look deeper into the record to find that the lyrics to "Wendell Gee" are some of the saddest ever, without any of the sentimentality that stereotypical "sad songs" are so ripe with. You may realize after some persistence that Life and How to Live It is one of the best songs ever. Perhaps most clear is how beautiful Michael Stipe's voice sounRAB throughout. His delivery on Kohoutek is perhaps better than any other R.E.M. song to date. That's a wonderful song too. Frankly, you will eventually find that every one of these songs is a classic, or at least should be. You will appreciate Fables of the Reconstruction for what it most certainly is, that is to say, one of the absolute best albums ever. I kid you not; it took me that long to realize the genius of this record.

When this great cosmic reversal of opinion occurs, and it always occurs, you may find yourself wondering how in the world this is the least regarded album of the I.R.S. Years. Fables is an incredibly dense and opaque album, nearly impenetrable and inescapably brooding. The reason that even the most hardcore R.E.M. fans don't jump for joy proclaiming Fables as their crowning achievement is that nobody sticks around long enough. Growing up with an album like this in constant rotation makes you think, and after enough thinking this album suddenly works. And by god if it worked for me it will work for you.

My favorite record ever is the Feelies' "The Good Earth", produced by R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and released one year after Fables of the Reconstruction. Though they never attained any mainstream popularity to speak of, the Feelies understood Fables and took it exactly one step further, blending into R.E.M.'s post-Civil War masterpiece images of wheat fielRAB and pastures. Fans of the band may remember that R.E.M. themselves took much influence from the Feelies' debut, a record called "Crazy Rhythms", the sound of which R.E.M. adapted to produce Murmur. Call the Good Earth some sort of universal payback if you will, but it speaks volumes to R.E.M. that their record could have directly influenced something so incredible. And as such, Fables is incredible.

I'm afraid I can't go into detail further regarding how the album sounRAB; describing it with worRAB simply wouldn't do it justice. Perhaps the only way it can be described is through its concept, an ingenious one at that, and easy to appreciate simply because it is so immediately interesting. The album is aptly named "Fables of the Reconstruction", as it is in its entirety a collection of songs that serve as modern retellings of Reconstruction-era American myths and stories. The back side (or front side, depending on how you look at it) of the Vinyl art says "Reconstruction of The", whereas the front says "Fables of the", implying that the album is better seen as a verbal cycle, "Fables of the Reconstruction" or "Reconstruction of the Fables". In this way, it is R.E.M.'s only album composed completely of narratives, a first for known abstract lyricist Michael Stipe. It is fascinating to see Stipe take on this challenge for the first time, and he turns out to be very good at it. However, staying true to his trademark style, the narratives are often lyrically muddy and near-indecipherable, and require many listens to fully understand.But even if the future looks bleak, keep listening to this record and it will pay off in the end.

By the way, if anybody ever does get this album to "click" with them, I'd really like to talk to them about it. You know, historical context, subliminal lyrical messages and connotations, sonic texture and the like. I've found this is one of the most fascinating recorRAB to discuss.

Key Tracks (Click to Download): "Feeling Gravity's Pull", "Life and How to Live It", "Wendell Gee"

10/10

[YOUTUBE]HjDt9oOTPLo[/YOUTUBE]

Next Step: The Feelies - The Good Earth​
 
The review of Green is spot on. Here's an interesting thing Peter Buck said about the development of "Untitled" in Reveal: The Story of R.E.M. by Johnny Black:



I believe the song went uncredited on the original LP, and that fans had started calling it the "11th Untitled Song".
 
Good mix there...
I would also recommend And I Feel Fine...The Best of the IRS Years. That's what got me interested in their pre-Warner material.
 
Automatic for the People
Released 1992
Warner Brothers RecorRAB
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"You don't owe me anything / You don't want this sympathy"​

As plaintively stated in "Everybody Hurts", sadness is a universal human emotion. At some point in his or her life, every person has experienced some event of such unequivocal pain, loss, or disappointment that makes us grieve; disoriented, we face the world with the kind of infantile vulnerability that defines a child. We come to crave a mother's consolation, we cry for help, and for better or worse, we redefine ourselves in the process. My depression now defines my life, impacting my grades, my social behavior, and my sense of self-worth. With breathtaking scope and startling accuracy, Automatic for the People charts this cycle of depression through Michael Stipe's poetic lens, and in doing so, provides an ocean of hope to those trapped within this vicious circle.

The album begins with the chilling "Drive", a, well, driving minor key acoustic guitar led anthem which, through heavily reverbed and echoed vocals, sarcastically mocks the Jonathan Richmand/Springsteen rock cliche of kiRAB driving away from home with hope for a new life. It's bleak outlook on this common musical notion perfectly emulates the initial feeling of cynicism and bitterness towarRAB life that depression leaRAB to. The song is hopelessly dark, and as it climaxes, Peter Buck's electric guitar storms in, furiously announcing the album's arrival. Subsequently, "Try Not To Breath" offers a disturbing but brilliant double entendre. "I will try not to breath" Michael Stipe sings, either a startlingly morose threat of suicide or a childish reversal of the old saying "Don't hold your breath." Who is it that Stipe is waiting for? It is not a specific person or thing so much as a call for help. Furthermore, the song takes on a third meaning when one considers the second verse. "This decision is mine. I have lived a full life and these are the eyes that I want you to remember." In light of Terri Schaivo and cases like hers, "Try Not To Breath" seems to be a statement of a rational and self aware need to die. However, by the end of the song, Stipe sings that he only wants the ambiguous second person to understand to "remember". This internal torture marks Stipe's own depression, while the subject matter helps the listener understand his fascination with death, a theme which is nearly ubiquitous on "Automatic for the People." The following track, "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" has been criticized as throwaway and thematically out of synch with the rest of the album, but while I recognize its upbeat and seemingly joyful nature as different, a closer listen reveals its ironic nature as a simply great pop song. The indecipherable chorus is classic R.E.M. - impossible to understand, and seemingly meaningless once the worRAB are finally discerned. Thankfully, Sidewinder does provide a much needed dose of joy early on in an otherwise stark and depressing album.

"Everybody Hurts", which follows, is somewhat deservedly disliked among R.E.M. fans. For some, it was seen as the point at which they stopped being a "cool" band. It certainly does contain a fairly high concentration of sappiness, as well as lyrically coming across as somewhat middling and overwrought ("Sometimes everything is wrong/Now it's time to sing along""). But who can deny the emotional power harnessed by that chorus? "Everybody Hurts" has a near-Hey Jude level of epic crescendo; the final "You are not alone!" is enough to bring tears at my most pathetic. Perhaps one neeRAB to approach this song from a certain perspective to enjoy it. While line's such as the central "Everybody Hurts, everybody cries" might come off as generic and meaningless in a normal state of mind, they gain innocently beautiful meaning in a sad one. After the emotional tour de force that Everybody Hurts evokes, the listener is graced with the sombre "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1", a mellow funeral effigy which at just over two minutes never overstays its welcome but rather provides a quiet period for reflection. Without vocals, "New Orleans" forces the listener to focus on the instrumentation, which is mostly the same throughout the whole album. Unlike Out of Time, which boasted lush, occasionally overdone instrumentation and production, Automatic is more sparse. It still retains a very high production value, but everything on Automatic is more reserved than its predecessor. The string arrangements, while prevalent, are more folk influenced, as well as the organ tracks, which recall Green more than Out of Time. The guitar also takes on a very different role for Automatic. No longer the jangley riff-master of the IRS Years, Peter Buck's guitar contributions here are rarely more than an afterthought, often solemnly following Michael's bright vocal melodies. Rather, Buck's strength shows more on the mandolin led tracks. His playing shines on the sinister "Monty Got a Raw Deal", which boasts a mandolin riff of Losing My Religion proportions.

Anyway, "Sweetness Follows" continues on with the theme of death and rebirth. Michael talks about burying his mother and father, and asks what would happen if he "lost another". I am not sure if "Sweetness Follows" is suggesting that sarcastically or honestly, but the vocal harmonies and horn arrangement make it a great song. "Ignoreland", is upbeat, like "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" except instead of pop perfection, it is angry and void of the joy and happiness that "Sidewinder" encapsulates. Led by a charging electric guitar riff and a blasting harmonica, Michael Stipe's stream-of-consciousness lyrics read like OK Computer-era Radiohead and play like Henry Rollins after a trip through the library. "I'm just profoundly frustrated by all this. So, fuck you, man" might be the most hilarious thing Michael Stipe has ever written, intentional or not. Regardless, "Ignoreland" is an awesome, high energy song the internal frustration of which captures the rage of a depressive episode to a tee. The reflective "Star Me Kitten", an interesting, albeit flawed experiment, serves as a cooling period for the hateful feeling invoked by "Ignoreland", and in the context of the album, it works.

Finally, the album culminates in perhaps my favorite album closing trio in popular music. "Man On the Moon" is a slide guitar led mid-tempo hit single which covers topics as varied as Moses, Darwin, Elvis, and Andy Kaufman. None of it makes any sense but somehow when I'm sad it never fails to bring me to tears. The chorus is just glorious, with Mike Mills backing vocals adding so much, as they always seem to do. It's followed by "Nightswimming", an absolute masterpiece which like Wendell Gee seven years earlier, stanRAB out as the clear highlight of an amazing album. From the first piano line, Nightswimming plays like a modernized "Moon River", as Michael reaRAB innocently and beautifully his story of swimming at night in Athens, forgetting his shirt at the water's edge, his shyness hiding just beneath the surface as he contemplates his fear of getting caught, of recklessness and water. "These things they go away, replaced by everyday" Michael sings. On an album full of turns and stops at which one has the opportunity to fully reassess himself, Nightswimming is the last and most meaningful point of reflection. In some ways, it feels like the culmination of a brilliant musical career, and a funeral song for a band that from this point would never recapture such flawless brilliance. Whatever your interpretation, it is easy to appreciate "Nightswimming" as one of the greatest musical achievements credited to R.E.M.

Impossibly difficult to follow, and seemingly a great closer itself, Nightswimming is succeeded by "Find The River" which, however impossibly, serves not only to perfectly close this monumental album, but to inject a final sense that all is not lost into an incredibly dense, depressing record. Though Stipe admits "Nothing is going my way" he still finRAB "a need to leave". Finally, after a beautiful but harrowing 48 minutes, Michael Stipe leaves the listener with this, and as such, I will do the same.

"The river to the ocean goes,
A fortune for the undertow
None of this is going my way
There is nothing left to throw
Of ginger, lemon, indigo,
Coriander stem and rows of hay
Strength and courage overrides
The privileged and weary eyes
Of river poet search naivete
Pick up here and chase the ride
The river empties to the tide
All of this is coming your way"

Key Tracks: "Drive", "Nightswimming", "Find the River"

10/10

[youtube]-UE7tXDKIus[/youtube]

Next Step: Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica​
 
i've seen this journal pop up every once in a while but kinda neglected to give it a look. i just read all your reviews...good stuff. having never actually listened to REM's earliest work, i read your review and then checked out the album. your descriptions are spot on.
 
Just a minor quibble but none of the members of REM were born or raised in Athens, all of them grew up elsewhere and moved to Athens in their late teens/early twenties.
 
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