REM Draft Discussion Thread

[joncarlos]

Country Feedback is an easy #1 for me, wouldn't have even thought about anything else. Know what *I* have ranked #2, just need to decide if I'm picking it.

Will post in a couple. Currently my PC is updating one VM and copying over another, so running anything else is tricky.

[Erik]

I would have probably been tactical and tried to skip Country Feedback for the way back

Every die-hard REM fan I know lists that one in their top five. There's no way it wasn't going in the first round.

[Stephen]

Love the Fall on Me pick, Erik.

This is one of R.E.M's songs that seems to get lost in the cracks when people talk about their best. One of my favorites as well.

[Stephen]

I've started and plan to update the RJ R.E.M. Draft Results playlist on Spotify if anyone is interested.

http://open.spotify.com/user/geeklec...hqxq1CGiJULa20

[Erik]

I've always maintained that REM's commercial decline began when they chose to release "E-Bow" as the first single off New Adventures. It's a good song, but it's slow and odd, and it scared off those who jumped on the bandwagon because of the poppier stuff on Out of Time, Automatic for the People, and Monster.

Monster itself may have been part of the cause as well, judging by its ubiquity in the used bins in the record stores of the '90s.

[bryanbutler]

Every die-hard REM fan I know lists that one in their top five. There's no way it wasn't going in the first round.

it's not in my top 5 - i guess you don't know me ...

[joncarlos]

I've always maintained that REM's commercial decline began when they chose to release "E-Bow" as the first single off New Adventures. It's a good song, but it's slow and odd, and it scared off those who jumped on the bandwagon because of the poppier stuff on Out of Time, Automatic for the People, and Monster.

Monster itself may have been part of the cause as well, judging by its ubiquity in the used bins in the record stores of the '90s.

So you don't like my pick, then?

I don't really disagree with you. There were much better choices considering where they were coming from. I don't know if they (or the label) were scared off by Radiohead and thinking they needed something similar, or if they just really liked E-Bow, or what.

There are a lot of people who don't like Hi-Fi. It's one of my favorite REM discs. It's also the last one with Bill Berry. I don't think they ever recovered from Bill leaving. I think that had more to do with it than anything else.

[Pogues]

Johnny you asshole. First VD and now here.

[heyelander]

Erik wins!

[johnnya24]

I've always maintained that REM's commercial decline began when they chose to release "E-Bow" as the first single off New Adventures. It's a good song, but it's slow and odd, and it scared off those who jumped on the bandwagon because of the poppier stuff on Out of Time, Automatic for the People, and Monster.

Monster itself may have been part of the cause as well, judging by its ubiquity in the used bins in the record stores of the '90s.

Bands rarely if ever hold onto that level of peak. Better they go into commercial decline and alienate the bandwagons, rather go into creative decline and alienate the real fans

New adventures is probably my favourite REM record also.

[senorsheep]

Radio Free Europe is their Starway To Heaven, if they have one. An inarguable #1 pick - for alternative guitar rock fans, it was the shot heard around the world. The bass playing in that song gives me chills to this day.

Country Feedback has become their Ten Years Gone to the fan base - a non-commercial "favorite song" alternative to the bigger hits that have been co-opted by the mainstream. Great song, for sure. If I'm picking only ten REM songs to hear for the rest of my life, Country Feedback probably makes the list about half the time.

If I had the first pick in the draft, I'd probably go with Fall On Me on most days, Radio Free Europe on others. Fall On Me is about as perfect a song as they ever recorded, or anyone ever recorded.

[Lucky]

Sheep's comment raises an interesting point, when he says Fall on Me would go first some days, Radio Free Europe on others, the point being that REM, at least for me, is a band you can listen to when your head is an almost any space, and different songs will hold special meaning at different times, depending upon your mood and degree of mental health.

I know that when I want to hear some music, and don't know exactly what I want to hear, REM usually pops into my head.

And, BTW, the first round picks are all great ones, IMO. Not a "Hey, Bulldog" in the bunch. All deserving of first round status.

[Erik]

So you don't like my pick, then?

There's nothing wrong with the song, it was just not what a lot of their fanbase wanted at that time. Is it something I would have considered in the first round, no, but we all have different tastes.

[Erik]

I don't know if they (or the label) were scared off by Radiohead

It came out a year before OK Computer, so I don't think that was the issue. The Bends is an awesome record, but it wasn't a game-changer for the industry in the US.

[Erik]

I didn't expect Nightswimming to make it out of the first round either. Another consensus fave among my REM die-hard friends.