R.E.M. Band • Page 4

Monster has been rising for me however

I love how it's considered their "back to basics" rock LP after Automatic and Out of Time but it ends up being their approximation of a glam rock album (a style they had never done to that point)

some of their weirdest/most beautiful songs on it too

 

yeah, there are always glimmers of really cool and brilliant moments on their most okay material. I think the whole "we're a democracy" approach is a very cool one that led to an interesting discography, sometimes to their detriment sometimes not.

also has REM ever had a basic rock LP before Monster? cause lol that has always been weird to me since I heard that. I find that more accurate than calling it grunge tho

 

definitely not lol

it was always a weird calling card for that album

I feel like it was a case of music critics responding to them going to guitars with distortion after two LPs of minimal guitar, mostly keyboards and mandolins

 

I just figured bc of the time period and their connection to the underground that it was major labels trying to capitalize on the trends of the time, maybe get them new fans. I never cared to go before murmur so I never knew if they had like a punk ep or something lol

 

I’ve been listening through their discography along with R U Talkin’ R.E.M. re: Me. Digging Monster today more than I ever have before.

 

"Strange Currencies" and "Tongue" are soooooooo good

 

still haven't gotten to that one beyond singles I believe. sometimes they'll have the desire to ape things that inspire them (see: Michael Stipe rapping) and it doesn't always go well

 

Monster is a little bit exhausting, but it has some killer tracks.

 

I absolutely love Monster, and I think it being an album that “apes grunge” is a very surface level observation.

It’s very much an album about the ‘90’s and its culture. It’s parodizing/critiquing while indulging in the same trends.

 

I wasn't criticizing monster, just to be clear, just explaining why I haven't listened to it yet. but it looks like everyone in here is into it so I'll check it out

 

I've always thought it was supposed to be a return to/twist on the Lifes Rich Pageant sound. Which is also what they went back to for Accelerate, which was billed as a "back to basics" rock album as well.

 

What would people pick as their top 10 R.E.M. songs?

 

Fuck that's hard

Nightswimming
Half A World Away
World Leader Pretend
Shiny Happy People
What's The Frequency Kenneth
Drive
Country Feedback
The One I Love
Losing My Religion
Fall On Me

 

Nightswimming
Cuyahoga
So. Central Rain
The One I Love
Fall on Me
Drive
Man on the Moon
Whats the Frequency Kenneth
Harborcoat
Radio Free Europe

Looks like I really like the first track on a lot of their records!

 

shook by this tbh

 

interesting idea, I'll listen to it with this in mind then. I'm not sure I'd call that one a back to basics rock album either (LRP) but maybe they did

 

Nostalgia based around it from my childhood

 

ahhhhhhh totally fair!

tbc I don't hate the song like most, was just surprised to see it in a top 10

 

So. Central Rain
Losing My Religion
Everybody Hurts
The One I Love
End Of The World As We Know It
Driver 8
Imitation Of Life
What's The Frequency Kenneth
Orange Crush
Man On The Moon


this was tough, tried to make it encompass their whole career, So. Central Rain being their most underrated song is the only guarantee

 

Nightswimming
Harborcoat
Sitting Still
Losing My Religion
Country Feedback
Strange Currencies
Driver 8
Man on the Moon
Radio Free Europe
The Flowers of Guatemala

I think?

Idk this is so hard

like @iCarly Rae Jepsen I tried to encompass as much of their career as they could with this

 

“Country Feedback”
“Strange Currencies”
“Untitled”
“Man on the Moon”
“Nightswimming”
“Find the River”
“The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”
“Driver 8”
“So. Central Rain”
“E-Bow the Letter”

 

How does it feeeel to be in REM
IT FEELS GOOD!

 

Also my top 10 is Nightswimming ten times

 

Mine is probably:

Nightswimming
Leaving New York
Sweetness Follows
Leave
Harborcoat
Radio Free Europe
Imitation of Life
Losing My Religion
The One I Love
At My Most Beautiful

 

“E-Bow the Letter” is so good. I’m super into New Adventures right now.