REM Draft Discussion Thread

[Erik]

Strange and Imitation of Life were taken.

ETA: So was Wanderlust.

[Stephen]

LOL. Michael Stipe delights in spreading misinformation about the band and its history. They opened their Denver show with Stand on the original Green tour, so unless I just happened to be there the one time they played it, ever, I'm pretty sure he was playing Pinocchio again.

I was pretty certain that I saw him play it in 1999 too, so I found my ticket stub and did some research.

On July 25, 1999 in Slovenia, Stipe said that since they were in Slovnia for the first time and Stand was a huge hit they would perform it as a "one off performance."

On August 11, 1999 in Irvina, CA where I was in attendance it was performed in the encore and was only the 3rd concert date after the Slovenia performance.

So...the retirement of Stand lasted exactly 2 full shows.

[Pogues]

A new quiz on Sporcle...

http://www.sporcle.com/games/awake600/rem_songs

Title? Can you name the songs on R.E.M.'s studio albums?

[Stephen]

My #1 Guilty Pleasure isn't eligible for the guilty pleasure draft so I figured I'd post it here.

My son has grown to love R.E.M.

[Fresno Bob]

My #1 Guilty Pleasure isn't eligible for the guilty pleasure draft so I figured I'd post it here.

My son has grown to love R.E.M.

where's the topless backup dancers?

[Stephen]

I was the one filming.

[senorsheep]

Listening to Up for the first time ever right now, and five songs in... wow! I really like it so far. Apologies for being referential again, but it kinda reminds me of when The Smashing Pumpkins lost their drummer and used it as in opportunity to explore electronica on Adore. A lot of their fanbase thought that album was crap, but I thought it was really interesting to hear them in a whole new context. I think my frustration with New Adventures was/is that a lot of it falls into the "heard it before" trap. Not so with Up - here's hoping it ends as well as it begins.

Epilogue: So, after picking up Black Crowes tickets in downtown Denver last week, I chanced upon one of the few remaining used CD stores on Colfax. Sadly, it was in its "final clearance" death throes - "All Used CD's - $2!" I had some time to kill, so I wandered in to see if I could find any jewels amongst the rubble. I walked out with Up, New Adventures In Hi-Fi, Oasis' The Masterplan, and some other treasures to fill out my collection.

I've been listening to Up obsessively ever since. I love it more every time I listen to it. I've been reflecting on how I missed it the first time around - thinking back, I realize that I never actually listened to it before the song draft. I didn't like Monster save for a couple of songs, I wasn't wild about New Adventures, and I was very dubious about the band continuing without Bill Berry. So, when Up was released to poor reviews and dismissed as a cold, empty drum machine album, I never gave it a chance.

Many of us 90's alternative rock fans were feeling bitter about the genre's popular demise in 1997, and electronic music was viewed with cynicism in a lot of rock music circles back then, I think. I know I felt that way; even if I had listened to Up then, I don't think I would have embraced it. However, I've really come around on electronic music the past few years - to the point where I've recently starting learning how to make my own - so with this new-found appreciation for the style, I now declare Up to be an album ahead of its time!

Oh, and thanks for the recommendation on The Masterplan, johnny - top shelf.

[johnnya24]

Epilogue: So, after picking up Black Crowes tickets in downtown Denver last week, I chanced upon one of the few remaining used CD stores on Colfax. Sadly, it was in its "final clearance" death throes - "All Used CD's - $2!" I had some time to kill, so I wandered in to see if I could find any jewels amongst the rubble. I walked out with Up, New Adventures In Hi-Fi, Oasis' The Masterplan, and some other treasures to fill out my collection.

I've been listening to Up obsessively ever since. I love it more every time I listen to it. I've been reflecting on how I missed it the first time around - thinking back, I realize that I never actually listened to it before the song draft. I didn't like Monster save for a couple of songs, I wasn't wild about New Adventures, and I was very dubious about the band continuing without Bill Berry. So, when Up was released to poor reviews and dismissed as a cold, empty drum machine album, I never gave it a chance.

Many of us 90's alternative rock fans were feeling bitter about the genre's popular demise in 1997, and electronic music was viewed with cynicism in a lot of rock music circles back then, I think. I know I felt that way; even if I had listened to Up then, I don't think I would have embraced it. However, I've really come around on electronic music the past few years - to the point where I've recently starting learning how to make my own - so with this new-found appreciation for the style, I now declare Up to be an album ahead of its time!

Oh, and thanks for the recommendation on The Masterplan, johnny - top shelf.

You know you're getting on in life when records and songs start becoming nostalgic.

Up came out the year I first went to Grad school. I had two Chilean flatmates, a couple. Vezna barely spoke any English, but we both loved REM. So the rest of the flat got tortured with that record for at least 2 months. They were into Massive Attack and Trip Hop, so we both liked the change in direction. The rest of the flat eventually forced us to change it ... lots of Portishead, Morcheeba, Neil Young and Simon and Garfunkel that year.

I don't think Up was badly received. As I remember it got very good reviews, it just didn't sell boatloads, and not all the old school and mid-period REM fans approved.

I think the songs on The Masterplan are the reason Oasis became so huge in the mid-90's. Every single was an EP, and the B-sides were better than the album tracks. Noel Gallagher was a clever guy. He understood the value of credibility. Listen Up is still my favourite Oasis song.

[johnnya24]

Walk Unafraid in the penultimate round was a great pick.

[swampdragon]

I just watched on MTlive a documentary on REM made in 2014- It was quite interesting and even kept my wife (a casual fan) watching the whole time.

Look for it and stick with it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4066748/

[johnnya24]

I just watched on MTlive a documentary on REM made in 2014- It was quite interesting and even kept my wife (a casual fan) watching the whole time.

Look for it and stick with it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4066748/

They will always be my favourite band. 30 years, 15 records, and only one of those was average.

[Erik]

They will always be my favourite band. 30 years, 15 records, and only one of those was average.

That's not what I'd call Around the Sun, but yeah, they had an incredible batting average.

[johnnya24]

That's not what I'd call Around the Sun, but yeah, they had an incredible batting average.

The songs are actually good, the production is beyond dire. Hard to fathom what they were thinking ... it's like REM in the style of elevator music.

[Erik]

I love when threads like this get bumped because it reminds me to listen to some of this stuff again.

[Mithrandir]

I love when threads like this get bumped because it reminds me to listen to some of this stuff again.

REM is my main go to band when Springtime starts. Every year. Their music just goes with that time of year for me.