I remember when I first heard The Holy Bible and I didn't get it. It was only when I stayed up late one night, opened up the artwork and read the lyrics along with the album that the penny dropped. The lyrics just looked a mess on paper, like drunken ramblings. Only when James set it to music did it come alive. The case in point, the music needed the words and the words needed the music. He also had the lungs for it.
Back to the REM question for a second, the 3 that I was considering over AFTP were Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant and Document. After a little more reflection, I may even go with Fables of the Reconstruction > AFTP. Finally, if you haven't had an opportunity to listen to Chronic Town or Dead Letter Office, there are some jewels to be found on both of those albums.
@KParkBro Yes, I have heard Dead Letter Office and Chronic Town, although I must admit only sparingly. I will make an effort to get more familiar with them. Lifes Rich Pageant is a good one and it's taken me longer to get into Fables than any other record, but it gets better with every listen. Maybe it's just me conforming to popular belief that AFTP is their best. Or maybe it's just that the final few songs just blow me away everytime. I must admit Everybody Hurts really gets on my nerves now.
Although, I'm sure that's because I've just heard it so many times (which shouldn't be detriment to the song) and then that damn cover version came out the other year (whilst recognising it was for a good cause, it was still awful)... If anyone was to say it was still a great song, I would agree with them, without the need to hear it again.
@hindle4 Not a fan of Everybody Hurts, Drive or Sweetness Follows for that matter. But back to FOTR, Driver 8, Can't Get There From Here & Green Grow the Rushes are all excellent. But Wendell Gee and Good Advices are a couple of my REM Hall of Fame tracks. Don't get me wrong, AFTP is outstanding, it's just that for me personally that record was a bit of a paradigm shift from their previous releases, which I'd become accustomed to hearing.
@Bukowski I'd agree that it's their greatest artistic achievement. As a piece of work it's stunning. Having said that, my heart says Everything Must Go is my favourite album. After that, nothing else touches them. Journal For Plague Lovers was a terrific latter day release though.
@KParkBro You've just listed my favourite tunes from Fables..! I'm gonna make my way through their discography in the next few weeks/possibly days... I've just put Reckoning on back-to-back with Murmur, got a taste for it! (Plus I'd like to re-evaluate as well) - I suppose it's different for someone who's grown up with R.E.M., to someone who's discovered them later on maybe..? But I grew up with a few of those tunes from AFTP so it's become impossible not to love. Ingrained in the subconscious.
@hindle4 'Everything Must Go' would be my second choice but I do have a soft spot for 'Postcards From A Youmg Man' whilst 'Generation Terrorists' would be much better if it were shorter.
@hindle4 As someone (like yourself) who grew up with R.E.M. I have played the 80s albums to death ('Everybody Hurts' annoys me too) so the later R.E.M. has to be 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' (?)
@Bukowski I was trying to say I only grew up with 90's R.E.M., Murmur had been out for 4 years by the time I was born... not trying to make you feel old or anything! And yep, Generation Terrorists should have been cut way down, it's ridiculously long! And on doing that, they should have included Motown Junk. Travesty it never made it onto an album. It's like Strawberry Fields all over... Oh and I really didn't like Postcards at first, after the punk-y sound of JFPL, but gets better every listen!
@hades Well I always think an album should be around 40 minutes as a rule of thumb... much longer and it's probably over staying it's welcome. Doesn't apply to double albums 'cus I never usually listen to both sides in one go. Not that there's that many great double albums about...
@hades I think if I turned it off half way through I'd probably forget to return to the 2nd half later on, so I'd only ever get to hear the first 8 songs haha! Maybe they should have stuck Motown Junk in there somewhere and turned it into a double album. Would have been a hell of a way to release your debut! Personally, I think they could easily have taken some songs out to chop it down a bit.
14 Comments (since 16 May 2012)
hindle4
I remember when I first heard The Holy Bible and I didn't get it. It was only when I stayed up late one night, opened up the artwork and read the lyrics along with the album that the penny dropped. The lyrics just looked a mess on paper, like drunken ramblings. Only when James set it to music did it come alive. The case in point, the music needed the words and the words needed the music. He also had the lungs for it.
KBro
Back to the REM question for a second, the 3 that I was considering over AFTP were Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant and Document. After a little more reflection, I may even go with Fables of the Reconstruction > AFTP. Finally, if you haven't had an opportunity to listen to Chronic Town or Dead Letter Office, there are some jewels to be found on both of those albums.
hindle4
@KParkBro Yes, I have heard Dead Letter Office and Chronic Town, although I must admit only sparingly. I will make an effort to get more familiar with them. Lifes Rich Pageant is a good one and it's taken me longer to get into Fables than any other record, but it gets better with every listen. Maybe it's just me conforming to popular belief that AFTP is their best. Or maybe it's just that the final few songs just blow me away everytime. I must admit Everybody Hurts really gets on my nerves now.
hindle4
Although, I'm sure that's because I've just heard it so many times (which shouldn't be detriment to the song) and then that damn cover version came out the other year (whilst recognising it was for a good cause, it was still awful)... If anyone was to say it was still a great song, I would agree with them, without the need to hear it again.
Bukowski
Brilliant. From the best Manics album, by a country mile.
KBro
@hindle4 Not a fan of Everybody Hurts, Drive or Sweetness Follows for that matter. But back to FOTR, Driver 8, Can't Get There From Here & Green Grow the Rushes are all excellent. But Wendell Gee and Good Advices are a couple of my REM Hall of Fame tracks. Don't get me wrong, AFTP is outstanding, it's just that for me personally that record was a bit of a paradigm shift from their previous releases, which I'd become accustomed to hearing.
KBro
Dammit, while I'm cracking on AFTP I might as well throw Ignoreland in there as one of my least appreciated REM tracks. Strongly dislike that tune.
hindle4
@Bukowski I'd agree that it's their greatest artistic achievement. As a piece of work it's stunning. Having said that, my heart says Everything Must Go is my favourite album. After that, nothing else touches them. Journal For Plague Lovers was a terrific latter day release though.
hindle4
@KParkBro You've just listed my favourite tunes from Fables..! I'm gonna make my way through their discography in the next few weeks/possibly days... I've just put Reckoning on back-to-back with Murmur, got a taste for it! (Plus I'd like to re-evaluate as well) - I suppose it's different for someone who's grown up with R.E.M., to someone who's discovered them later on maybe..? But I grew up with a few of those tunes from AFTP so it's become impossible not to love. Ingrained in the subconscious.
Bukowski
@hindle4 'Everything Must Go' would be my second choice but I do have a soft spot for 'Postcards From A Youmg Man' whilst 'Generation Terrorists' would be much better if it were shorter.
Bukowski
@hindle4 As someone (like yourself) who grew up with R.E.M. I have played the 80s albums to death ('Everybody Hurts' annoys me too) so the later R.E.M. has to be 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' (?)
hindle4
@Bukowski I was trying to say I only grew up with 90's R.E.M., Murmur had been out for 4 years by the time I was born... not trying to make you feel old or anything! And yep, Generation Terrorists should have been cut way down, it's ridiculously long! And on doing that, they should have included Motown Junk. Travesty it never made it onto an album. It's like Strawberry Fields all over... Oh and I really didn't like Postcards at first, after the punk-y sound of JFPL, but gets better every listen!
hindle4
@hades Well I always think an album should be around 40 minutes as a rule of thumb... much longer and it's probably over staying it's welcome. Doesn't apply to double albums 'cus I never usually listen to both sides in one go. Not that there's that many great double albums about...
hindle4
@hades I think if I turned it off half way through I'd probably forget to return to the 2nd half later on, so I'd only ever get to hear the first 8 songs haha! Maybe they should have stuck Motown Junk in there somewhere and turned it into a double album. Would have been a hell of a way to release your debut! Personally, I think they could easily have taken some songs out to chop it down a bit.