The Mighty Musical Observations Thread

[Kory]

Kind of an easy joke, but superduper true 90% of the time:
https://thehardtimes.net/music/new-trib ... unded-bad/

Extremely true with that Clash one.

Which one? There seem to have been many awful ones.

The one with the Indigo Girls and Afghan Whigs on it. I think it was unimaginatively called London's Burning.

[Dr. Medulla]

Kind of an easy joke, but superduper true 90% of the time:
https://thehardtimes.net/music/new-trib ... unded-bad/

Extremely true with that Clash one.

Which one? There seem to have been many awful ones.

The one with the Indigo Girls and Afghan Whigs on it. I think it was unimaginatively called London's Burning.

I have no active memory of it, so I either gave it a pass unheard or took a roofie afterwards. The one Clash tribute album I did like was Charlie Does Surf, which had focus and actually brought a novel approach to the music (assuming you like surf rock).

[Heston]

Kind of an easy joke, but superduper true 90% of the time:
https://thehardtimes.net/music/new-trib ... unded-bad/

Extremely true with that Clash one.

Which one? There seem to have been many awful ones.

The one with the Indigo Girls and Afghan Whigs on it. I think it was unimaginatively called London's Burning.

Burning London, and yes, it was fucking awful.

[WestwayKid]

REM's IRS era LP's were really, really good.

Gen X powers activate! In an alternate universe, where they quit after Document and sold boiled peanuts or whatever else people in Georgia do, we'd construct ifs and maybes of all the great albums they could have continued making, and "Shiny Happy People" and "Losing My Religion" would never be conceived of.

The decline wasn't sudden for me. I enjoyed the 1st batch of Warner's LP's okay (Green, Out of Time, Automatic for the People). They were not consistently good, but had more good moments than bad. I'd even go as far as throwing Monster and New Adventures into that group. Up was the first one I didn't really like. They sounded very directionless after losing Bill Berry and I think used his departure as an excuse to move away from what made them good in the first place. It's not so much about a sound, but rather an energy. I wouldn't have wanted them to make clone after clone of Reckoning and I enjoyed that they did evolve musically. The direction they took with Up was just so ponderous and pretentious and boring. Reveal and Around the Sun were even worse. I appreciate that they somewhat found their way back with their final 2 albums, but too little too late and sounding too much like a band trying to sound what they think they should sound like.

[Dr. Medulla]

REM's IRS era LP's were really, really good.

Gen X powers activate! In an alternate universe, where they quit after Document and sold boiled peanuts or whatever else people in Georgia do, we'd construct ifs and maybes of all the great albums they could have continued making, and "Shiny Happy People" and "Losing My Religion" would never be conceived of.

The decline wasn't sudden for me. I enjoyed the 1st batch of Warner's LP's okay (Green, Out of Time, Automatic for the People). They were not consistently good, but had more good moments than bad. I'd even go as far as throwing Monster and New Adventures into that group. Up was the first one I didn't really like. They sounded very directionless after losing Bill Berry and I think used his departure as an excuse to move away from what made them good in the first place. It's not so much about a sound, but rather an energy. I wouldn't have wanted them to make clone after clone of Reckoning and I enjoyed that they did evolve musically. The direction they took with Up was just so ponderous and pretentious and boring. Reveal and Around the Sun were even worse. I appreciate that they somewhat found their way back with their final 2 albums, but too little too late and sounding too much like a band trying to sound what they think they should sound like.

I like about half of Green and Automatic is beautiful. Otherwise, a few decent songs amidst the bloated seriousness of it all. I have no idea who their audience was in the 90s and 00s (or, perhaps, who they thought their audience was) but it was those who thought they were cool in the 80s.

[Heston]

I really like the debut and Green. Out of Time is ok but outside of that I wouldn't really bother.

[WestwayKid]

I really like the debut and Green. Out of Time is ok but outside of that I wouldn't really bother.

The 1st 5 are really good (and if you like the debut, check them out): Murmur, Reckoning, Fables, Lifes Rich Pageant, Document.

Green is definitely a transition record, mostly good (and vintage sounding REM)...but half baked and pretentious at times.

Out of Time has some good songs, but too uneven to be great.

Automatic for the People is a masterpiece.

Monster is too long and they too often sound like they're looking for an audience that they don't exactly know how to find.

New Adventures in Hi Fi is seriously underrated. It doesn't help that it follows up Automatic, but it's a really good album on its own.

Up, Reveal, Around the Sun are just not very good. They're pretty much unlistenable to my ears. I don't know what they were trying for during these years. Not to sound like REM? If so, they succeeded.

Accelerate and Collapse Into Now are a return to form. They actually sound like REM again...guitars and harmonies. That said, it was too little too late. They had lost whatever momentum they had by this point and it felt like they were just looking for a couple of good records so they could cut their losses and bow out.

[Heston]

I really like the debut and Green. Out of Time is ok but outside of that I wouldn't really bother.

The 1st 5 are really good (and if you like the debut, check them out): Murmur, Reckoning, Fables, Lifes Rich Pageant, Document.

Green is definitely a transition record, mostly good (and vintage sounding REM)...but half baked and pretentious at times.

Out of Time has some good songs, but too uneven to be great.

Automatic for the People is a masterpiece.

Monster is too long and they too often sound like they're looking for an audience that they don't exactly know how to find.

New Adventures in Hi Fi is seriously underrated. It doesn't help that it follows up Automatic, but it's a really good album on its own.

Up, Reveal, Around the Sun are just not very good. They're pretty much unlistenable to my ears. I don't know what they were trying for during these years. Not to sound like REM? If so, they succeeded.

Accelerate and Collapse Into Now are a return to form. They actually sound like REM again...guitars and harmonies. That said, it was too little too late. They had lost whatever momentum they had by this point and it felt like they were just looking for a couple of good records so they could cut their losses and bow out.

I was in quite early with REM for a Limey. I've heard all their albums up to and incuding Monster, but like I say, only the three I mentioned really clicked with me. Heard some of the later singles but nothing that was capable of dragging me back for more.

[Low Down Low]

Concur with the comment about Out of Time being uneven. But i would say when it's great, that album is really great so still gets the greatness tag from me, despite the couple of obvious clangers. I also think objectively SHP is not a bad pop-rock song, it's just quite annoying after a few too many listens.

I also heartily endorse the general tribute album thumbs down. Off hand, can't think of a single one i've ever wanted to repeat listen. I know some liked it ok, but apart from the brilliant mikey dread take on SoS, i thought the S! project thing was pretty awful overall.

[WestwayKid]

Concur with the comment about Out of Time being uneven. But i would say when it's great, that album is really great so still gets the greatness tag from me, despite the couple of obvious clangers. I also think objectively SHP is not a bad pop-rock song, it's just quite annoying after a few too many listens.

I also heartily endorse the general tribute album thumbs down. Off hand, can't think of a single one i've ever wanted to repeat listen. I know some liked it ok, but apart from the brilliant mikey dread take on SoS, i thought the S! project thing was pretty awful overall.

There are indeed some real gems: Near Wild Heaven is one of my fave REM tracks. Half a World Away is another really good one. The more I think about it, yeah...it really is actually a near great release.

[WestwayKid]

In regards to Losing My Religion, I gained a new appreciation for it after viewing the episode of Song Exploder that looked at the song in detail. Stipe's lyrics in particular are really, really good. I didn't always know what he was getting at, but once I heard him explain it - everything fell into place.

[Heston]

I also heartily endorse the general tribute album thumbs down. Off hand, can't think of a single one i've ever wanted to repeat listen. I know some liked it ok, but apart from the brilliant mikey dread take on SoS, i thought the S! project thing was pretty awful overall.

The few I can remember liking from various tributes...

Rock the Casbah - Pato Banton and Rocking Roger
Complete Control - The New Picadillys
We Are the Clash - Sparks
Charlie Don't Surf - Pollo Del Mar
Police On My Back - Asian Dub Foundation

[Dr. Medulla]

In regards to Losing My Religion, I gained a new appreciation for it after viewing the episode of Song Exploder that looked at the song in detail. Stipe's lyrics in particular are really, really good. I didn't always know what he was getting at, but once I heard him explain it - everything fell into place.

That song inspired me to construct a personal rule: No fucking mandolins in rock. I also despise that art school video.

[Heston]

Near Wild Heaven is one of my fave REM tracks

My favourite.

Which backs up my mate's theory that all the best bands have a secondary singer who is better than the main guy.

[Marky Dread]

Near Wild Heaven is one of my fave REM tracks

My favourite.

Which backs up my mate's theory that all the best bands have a secondary singer who is better than the main guy.

Well the bass player in the Panic Report sings a much better version of "My Way" than the front man.