Heston and Marky's Friday Top 5

[Low Down Low]

Said this before but that album is weird, got some of REM's very best for me and also some of their worst. SHP and LMR are both equally bad, can't make my mind up which is the more horrible.

[Dr. Medulla]

Said this before but that album is weird, got some of REM's very best for me and also some of their worst. SHP and LMR are both equally bad, can't make my mind up which is the more horrible.

After Green, and with the exception of Automatic For the People, their records became one or two good songs and sterile sludge that, if they'd been a boy band, we'd know as filler. It's telling, perhaps, that I don't know anyone hankering for a reunion concert or tour or whatever.

[Low Down Low]

Said this before but that album is weird, got some of REM's very best for me and also some of their worst. SHP and LMR are both equally bad, can't make my mind up which is the more horrible.

After Green, and with the exception of Automatic For the People, their records became one or two good songs and sterile sludge that, if they'd been a boy band, we'd know as filler. It's telling, perhaps, that I don't know anyone hankering for a reunion concert or tour or whatever.

Given that my two favourite REM songs don't even feature Michael Stipe on lead vocals, I'm definitely not the archetypal fan or anywhere close. I actually still rate Out of Time overall but i can see why fans of the earlier work would find fault with it. Never fully engaged with much of the later work for whatever reason.

[Dr. Medulla]

Said this before but that album is weird, got some of REM's very best for me and also some of their worst. SHP and LMR are both equally bad, can't make my mind up which is the more horrible.

After Green, and with the exception of Automatic For the People, their records became one or two good songs and sterile sludge that, if they'd been a boy band, we'd know as filler. It's telling, perhaps, that I don't know anyone hankering for a reunion concert or tour or whatever.

Given that my two favourite REM songs don't even feature Michael Stipe on lead vocals, I'm definitely not the archetypal fan or anywhere close. I actually still rate Out of Time overall but i can see why fans of the earlier work would find fault with it. Never fully engaged with much of the later work for whatever reason.

I remember my roommate back then bought Out of Time and I was struck by the clean, rather corporate-generic cover, but, more so, on the booklet was a rougher version of the cover that seemed more in line with the IRS sleeves. It seemed like a signal that, nope, we ain't that college rock band anymore; we're a stadium band now. And, yup, they accomplished it.

[Marky Dread]

Shiny Happy People is just so inane. R.E.M. made some seriously fine music on those early albums. But like doc says when they go corporate and commercialized boy what a fall.

I also agree on AFtP being a solid rebound but then it all goes pear shaped except for enough material to make a couple of EPs.

[Dr. Medulla]

That's another possible thread (or not!): Bands that signed with a big label and never recovered (well, their bank accounts were fine and all …).

[WestwayKid]

It sounds like you all need to give New Adventures in Hi-Fi a listen. It's an absolutely fantastic LP ... one of their best. I won't say top-3, but solidly in the top-5.

This is from the Pitchfork review: "It's good to see that Monster was just a momentary diversion instead of a Zooropa-style permanent devastation. The sound of New Adventures In Hi-Fi is like blending all the different styles R.E.M. ever pursued into one solid state. You've got a bit of the early Murmur and Reckoning sound, a dab of Reconstruction of the Fables and Life's Rich Pageant, a teaspoon of Green and Out of Time, and a pound of Automatic for the People, marinated ever so lightly in a Monster-esque production broth."

Their Warner catalog is uneven. Green still had one foot in their IRS years. Out of Town was uneven, Automatic was brilliant. Monster is probably underappreciated, but also not a favorite. Then comes New Adventures, the last LP with Bill Berry and after that - it's diminishing returns. They release the tepid to downright bad trilogy of Up, Reveal and Around the Sun before calling it a day with a pair of albums that while respectable, leave you remembering how good they used to be.

That said, I seriously recommend giving New Adventures a spin.

[Dr. Medulla]

It sounds like you all need to give New Adventures in Hi-Fi a listen. It's an absolutely fantastic LP ... one of their best. I won't say top-3, but solidly in the top-5.

This is from the Pitchfork review: "It's good to see that Monster was just a momentary diversion instead of a Zooropa-style permanent devastation. The sound of New Adventures In Hi-Fi is like blending all the different styles R.E.M. ever pursued into one solid state. You've got a bit of the early Murmur and Reckoning sound, a dab of Reconstruction of the Fables and Life's Rich Pageant, a teaspoon of Green and Out of Time, and a pound of Automatic for the People, marinated ever so lightly in a Monster-esque production broth."

Their Warner catalog is uneven. Green still had one foot in their IRS years. Out of Town was uneven, Automatic was brilliant. Monster is probably underappreciated, but also not a favorite. Then comes New Adventures, the last LP with Bill Berry and after that - it's diminishing returns. They release the tepid to downright bad trilogy of Up, Reveal and Around the Sun before calling it a day with a pair of albums that while respectable, leave you remembering how good they used to be.

That said, I seriously recommend giving New Adventures a spin.

Tried it a few times because of one friend in particular who swore by it. Nope. While I appreciated the step back from being a Big Band™, the results still made me bored/annoyed.

[gkbill]

Hello,

I will still occasionally listen to the first 3 songs from Accelerate and a few tracks from Monster but post-mid-80's don carry much for me.

[Marky Dread]

It sounds like you all need to give New Adventures in Hi-Fi a listen. It's an absolutely fantastic LP ... one of their best. I won't say top-3, but solidly in the top-5.

This is from the Pitchfork review: "It's good to see that Monster was just a momentary diversion instead of a Zooropa-style permanent devastation. The sound of New Adventures In Hi-Fi is like blending all the different styles R.E.M. ever pursued into one solid state. You've got a bit of the early Murmur and Reckoning sound, a dab of Reconstruction of the Fables and Life's Rich Pageant, a teaspoon of Green and Out of Time, and a pound of Automatic for the People, marinated ever so lightly in a Monster-esque production broth."

Their Warner catalog is uneven. Green still had one foot in their IRS years. Out of Town was uneven, Automatic was brilliant. Monster is probably underappreciated, but also not a favorite. Then comes New Adventures, the last LP with Bill Berry and after that - it's diminishing returns. They release the tepid to downright bad trilogy of Up, Reveal and Around the Sun before calling it a day with a pair of albums that while respectable, leave you remembering how good they used to be.

That said, I seriously recommend giving New Adventures a spin.

Tried it a few times because of one friend in particular who swore by it. Nope. While I appreciated the step back from being a Big Band™, the results still made me bored/annoyed.

I got excited after a similar recommendation from a friend. But no not for me either and Michael Stipe never called again.

[Dr. Medulla]

It sounds like you all need to give New Adventures in Hi-Fi a listen. It's an absolutely fantastic LP ... one of their best. I won't say top-3, but solidly in the top-5.

This is from the Pitchfork review: "It's good to see that Monster was just a momentary diversion instead of a Zooropa-style permanent devastation. The sound of New Adventures In Hi-Fi is like blending all the different styles R.E.M. ever pursued into one solid state. You've got a bit of the early Murmur and Reckoning sound, a dab of Reconstruction of the Fables and Life's Rich Pageant, a teaspoon of Green and Out of Time, and a pound of Automatic for the People, marinated ever so lightly in a Monster-esque production broth."

Their Warner catalog is uneven. Green still had one foot in their IRS years. Out of Town was uneven, Automatic was brilliant. Monster is probably underappreciated, but also not a favorite. Then comes New Adventures, the last LP with Bill Berry and after that - it's diminishing returns. They release the tepid to downright bad trilogy of Up, Reveal and Around the Sun before calling it a day with a pair of albums that while respectable, leave you remembering how good they used to be.

That said, I seriously recommend giving New Adventures a spin.

Tried it a few times because of one friend in particular who swore by it. Nope. While I appreciated the step back from being a Big Band™, the results still made me bored/annoyed.

I got excited after a similar recommendation from a friend. But no not for me either and Michael Stipe never called again.

Fucking guy never responded to my letters either. Mind you, my letters all said, "You should quit. Really."

[revbob]

Shiny Happy People is just urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

Yes, along with Losing... and Everybody...

The whole SRP shift just ugh. Getting older doesn't mean you have to start sucking.

[WestwayKid]

You guys are no fun…

[Marky Dread]

You guys are no fun…

Ah The Stooges yes now that's way better.

[weller259]

Said this before but that album is weird, got some of REM's very best for me and also some of their worst. SHP and LMR are both equally bad, can't make my mind up which is the more horrible.

After Green, and with the exception of Automatic For the People, their records became one or two good songs and sterile sludge that, if they'd been a boy band, we'd know as filler. It's telling, perhaps, that I don't know anyone hankering for a reunion concert or tour or whatever.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi is one of their very best, the last one with Bill Berry. Its magnificent. Accelerate is really fun as well, their "last gasp" of greatness in my opinion.
I also have no issue with Shiny Happy People, its a nice guitar riff and having Kate on it is exactly what that song needed.

Psychefunkapus - Hillbilly Happy Smash (a kickass tune by the way)
Van Halen - Happy Trails
Jam - Happy Together
Dead Milkmen - Happy Is
Inspiral Carpets - Many Happy Returns