While I prefer pre-Joshua Tree U2, I am a fan of all seasons of REM. (I like Eno alone and with the Talking Heads, and I have never figured out why Eno + U2 never worked out for me.)
REM contributed to my meeting my first wife. It was May 13, 1988 at the University Club on the University of Michigan...New Music Fridays. My soon to be girlfriend was with a friend, and when they got up to dance to REM, someone stole their table so they joined us. That was how we met and started going out. So even though that relationship would crash and burn in 1999, we had a good run.
REM had a better run...I don't think they have chased popularity over their art. Yes, they had some songs that did well commercially, but I don't think that was ever their intent. Listening to them across their recording life, they are a band that evolved and developed, but on their own terms...and they stopped when that stopped making sense.
Of the 9 REM songs on my shopify favorites, 3 of them are from AFTP. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight being one of them. Out of Time only has 2 tracks. Granted, I need to go back to the catalog and given them all a re-listen. There is one older track that I need to find that has stuck with me. I recorded the REM albums to cassette tape in college...borrowing the albums from the dorm library. So I did not had a track list, and I don't even remember what album.
Sep 6, 2023·edited Sep 6, 2023Liked by Mitch Blum, CJ Kaplan
Thanks for the reminder. True to Mitch's point, REM had faded into the mists of my memory. I do prefer the earlier "Life's Rich Pagent" era of the band but up to 50% of Monster, they rarly missed the mark. Now I have to log into my Pandora (yes, Pandora) account and add Ignoreland to my "Thumbs-Up" playlist.
One other point. If the direction REM would have taken is anything like Mr. Stipes solo work, they quit at the right time . Michel Stipe is a much better collaborator than solo artist. Check out "Your Ghost" by Kristin Hersh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfW4-nP2G1Q
I’m just here for the inevitable land war between the 80s, 90s, and 00s fan groups.
I felt the same way as CJ about AFTP. The first time through, most of it was 30 mph too slow for me. But with the notable exception of “Everybody Hurts,” it’s grown on me, and is now one I enjoy. “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” punches above its weight here, as does “Ignoreland.” A worthy add to the Hall.
One of the great Gen X albums. In 1993, I had a very Gen X job - teaching English at a conversation school in Kashiwa, Japan. I remember putting on headphones in a local CD shop and hearing Drive for the first time. What a moment. I had a sort of high functioning alcohol fueled breakdown in Japan and this, along with Tom Wait's Bone Machine was the soundtrack. It's a great album but I find it a bit hard to listen to these days. I recovered by listening almost exclusively to another 1993 album, Dream Harder by The Waterboys, with a side helping of Richard Thompson's 1972 album Henry The Human Fly. As far as Top 20 1993 albums, maybe Suede's first record or Paul Weller's Wild Wood. Great post!
One of my favorite albums. Well done gentlemen. Agree with all comments. CJ was making me nervous but appreciate his commitment to listening to it multiple times. I'm about to listen now. It's been way too long. Keep it up!!!
so glad i don't have to bring a tire iron to this conversation to exercise justice for one of my all-time favorite albums from my all-time favorite band. i'm proud to have been early on REM with their debut, saw them at least a dozen times, and treasure every album like an individual child. i can overlook that nobody called out "star me kitten" as one of the most beautiful softly spoken songs in all of rock history (originally titled "fuck me kitten") on the heels of protesting NKOTB by refusing to even open the email, y'all are redeemed, and restored my faith in the honor of EONS. well done, gentlemen!
I agree with all of your takes, especially the non-singles being the album's strength, and The Office shout. I know a lot of music Substackers are going to say, "yeah, we know, man," because I say this all the time, but I really do think that New Adventures in Hi-Fi is low key their best album, and Monster has also aged really well.
While I prefer pre-Joshua Tree U2, I am a fan of all seasons of REM. (I like Eno alone and with the Talking Heads, and I have never figured out why Eno + U2 never worked out for me.)
REM contributed to my meeting my first wife. It was May 13, 1988 at the University Club on the University of Michigan...New Music Fridays. My soon to be girlfriend was with a friend, and when they got up to dance to REM, someone stole their table so they joined us. That was how we met and started going out. So even though that relationship would crash and burn in 1999, we had a good run.
REM had a better run...I don't think they have chased popularity over their art. Yes, they had some songs that did well commercially, but I don't think that was ever their intent. Listening to them across their recording life, they are a band that evolved and developed, but on their own terms...and they stopped when that stopped making sense.
Of the 9 REM songs on my shopify favorites, 3 of them are from AFTP. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight being one of them. Out of Time only has 2 tracks. Granted, I need to go back to the catalog and given them all a re-listen. There is one older track that I need to find that has stuck with me. I recorded the REM albums to cassette tape in college...borrowing the albums from the dorm library. So I did not had a track list, and I don't even remember what album.
Great choice, boys.
Thanks for the reminder. True to Mitch's point, REM had faded into the mists of my memory. I do prefer the earlier "Life's Rich Pagent" era of the band but up to 50% of Monster, they rarly missed the mark. Now I have to log into my Pandora (yes, Pandora) account and add Ignoreland to my "Thumbs-Up" playlist.
One other point. If the direction REM would have taken is anything like Mr. Stipes solo work, they quit at the right time . Michel Stipe is a much better collaborator than solo artist. Check out "Your Ghost" by Kristin Hersh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfW4-nP2G1Q
I’m just here for the inevitable land war between the 80s, 90s, and 00s fan groups.
I felt the same way as CJ about AFTP. The first time through, most of it was 30 mph too slow for me. But with the notable exception of “Everybody Hurts,” it’s grown on me, and is now one I enjoy. “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” punches above its weight here, as does “Ignoreland.” A worthy add to the Hall.
One of the great Gen X albums. In 1993, I had a very Gen X job - teaching English at a conversation school in Kashiwa, Japan. I remember putting on headphones in a local CD shop and hearing Drive for the first time. What a moment. I had a sort of high functioning alcohol fueled breakdown in Japan and this, along with Tom Wait's Bone Machine was the soundtrack. It's a great album but I find it a bit hard to listen to these days. I recovered by listening almost exclusively to another 1993 album, Dream Harder by The Waterboys, with a side helping of Richard Thompson's 1972 album Henry The Human Fly. As far as Top 20 1993 albums, maybe Suede's first record or Paul Weller's Wild Wood. Great post!
One of my favorite albums. Well done gentlemen. Agree with all comments. CJ was making me nervous but appreciate his commitment to listening to it multiple times. I'm about to listen now. It's been way too long. Keep it up!!!
so glad i don't have to bring a tire iron to this conversation to exercise justice for one of my all-time favorite albums from my all-time favorite band. i'm proud to have been early on REM with their debut, saw them at least a dozen times, and treasure every album like an individual child. i can overlook that nobody called out "star me kitten" as one of the most beautiful softly spoken songs in all of rock history (originally titled "fuck me kitten") on the heels of protesting NKOTB by refusing to even open the email, y'all are redeemed, and restored my faith in the honor of EONS. well done, gentlemen!
I agree with all of your takes, especially the non-singles being the album's strength, and The Office shout. I know a lot of music Substackers are going to say, "yeah, we know, man," because I say this all the time, but I really do think that New Adventures in Hi-Fi is low key their best album, and Monster has also aged really well.
Great stuff!