Headline unR.E.M.arkable.

The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.

I've already listened to it and can't wait to buy it next week. I thought it was really good. I've also just acquired the new B-52's CD and The Presidents of the United States of America CD. IMHO, they are all full of win.

degreeless: The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.

Heard all of one album have we?

degreeless: The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.

Document, the album on which "It's the End of the World..." appears, is outstanding among the other titles in their catalog, and stands as my long-held favorite. Skip "The One I Love," and you've got a rocker that rarely subsides, and doesn't succumb to Michael Stipe's predilection for the angsty tone and lyrics you're turned off by.

Cosmk: Document, the album on which "It's the End of the World..." appears, is outstanding among the other titles in their catalog, and stands as my long-held favorite. Skip "The One I Love," and you've got a rocker that rarely subsides, and doesn't succumb to Michael Stipe's predilection for the angsty tone and lyrics you're turned off by.

Couldn't agree more. Document was their last great album. Green had its moments, but it's been all downhill from there. Still dig the band and what they once were, just can't get into anything new.

This album is shockingly great. Wow. They learned how to.. ROCK again..

unremarkable asterisk: Document was their last great album. Green had its moments, but it's been all downhill from there.

No f'n way. Automatic for the People was one of the best albums of the 90s. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was terrific, tons of great tracks. Out of Time also has some stellar songs ("Country Feedback", "Me in Honey", "Texarkana"... heck, the entire side-b after "Shiny Happy People".)

That said, I can't get into this new one.
/Lifes Rich Pageant is still my favorite.

Dancin_In_Anson: degreeless: The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.

Heard all of one album have we?



Damn right, DIA.

unremarkable asterisk: Document was their last great album.

New Adventures in HiFi wasn't bad.

Jon Snow

Heh! Great pic! Thanks for this morning's guffaw!

JerseyTim: No f'n way. Automatic for the People was one of the best albums of the 90s. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was terrific, tons of great tracks. Out of Time also has some stellar songs ("Country Feedback", "Me in Honey", "Texarkana"... heck, the entire side-b after "Shiny Happy People".)

That said, I can't get into this new one.
/Lifes Rich Pageant is still my favorite.

I agree with you about Life's Rich Pageant. Great album, beginning to end. Just haven't been able to get into anything beyond Document. Got into them in the early 80's with Chronic Town, Murmur, Reckoning, etc and don't really dig what they are doing now.

/Now, get off my lawn. Obligatory.

Since I hate it when people who hate baseball feel the need to go into a baseball thread and biatch, I won't say anything here.

Life's Rich Pageant. Great album, beginning to end.

Doubleplus THIS

Am I the only one that liked Reveal? It was different than their earlier stuff, but if I wanted to hear Murmur again, I'd just listen to Murmur.

Fables has always been my favorite, Out of Time second (I ignore SHP)

/buying B-52's and REM same day
//Athens DAY!

degreeless 2008-03-27 11:14:41 AM
The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.

This.

In his inteviews he consistantly comes off the smugest 'rock star' around; in fact he makes Bono look positively self-effacing.

Just one more non-college grad telling us who we should live our lives and why our politics are evil.

mfaby: In his inteviews he consistantly comes off the smugest 'rock star' around; in fact he makes Bono look positively self-effacing.

Just one more non-college grad telling us who we should live our lives and why our politics are evil.

Where do they find your kind?

"Yeah, that soft spoken rarely interviewed guy? Will he ever stop preaching to me??!!!!??"

NuttierThanEver: Life's Rich Pageant. Great album, beginning to end.

Doubleplus THIS

agreed - always my fave

and , dare I say it, this album is closer to that album that pretty much anything they've done since

there are maybe one or two songs that kinds of drag or sound familiar to the "Automatic for the People" era

but for the most part, the things rocks - glad to see it again

(not coincidently, in an interview they noted that they tried to have their new drummer stop doing his own thing and start emulating Bill Berry - it shows)

Subby: Everybody Hurts, Everybody Crys Cries, new R.E.M. cd is R.E.aMazing

FTFY, Illiterate-mitter

I think I'm the only person who liked Monster.

mfaby:
Just one more non-college grad telling us who we should live our lives and why our politics are evil.

You obviously don't come to Fark for the conversations, then.

degreeless: The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.

Try "Burning Hell" on Dead Letter Office.

tricycleracer: I think I'm the only person who liked Monster.

No, you're not. It's not my favorite, but I do enjoy it. New album is awesome.

tricycleracer: I think I'm the only person who liked Monster.

Monster is my husbands favorite album... he likes telling people they are sad tomatoes

/we met at an REM concert

I will concede that Around the Sun was 50% balls-suck, but Up and Reveal are damn good albums! Reveal was one of R.E.M.'s best - I'd put it third after Hi-Fi and Fables.

Granted, I'm a total fanboy and, aside from half of Around the Sun, I like every album they've made.

I'm waiting to get this album and the new B-52's together. ATHENS LOVEFEST!

Meh. Not great...semi-okay is my verdict. It has a beat you can dance to.

The 80's. Sadly, they are not coming back anytime soon.

Meh...wake me up when they start playing "Catapult", "Wolves, Lower", "Carnival Of Sorts" and "Gardening At Night" live again.

/old school REM fan
//hates everything from GREEN forward
///did like their apprearance on Sesame Street..it was on the other day.

So is it amazing to bland, AOR types who are desperate to relive their college years and can't wait to file it next to their Sheryl Crow and "hold on, I haven't listened to this Nirvana CD in YEARS man! Wow, I didn't know I still had it" or is it actually good?

It's REM so I am willing to give them the benefit of a doubt.

SockMonkeyHolocaust: So is it amazing to bland, AOR types who are desperate to relive their college years and can't wait to file it next to their Sheryl Crow and "hold on, I haven't listened to this Nirvana CD in YEARS man! Wow, I didn't know I still had it" or is it actually good?

It's REM so I am willing to give them the benefit of a doubt.

probably a bit of both - I think it is really good and will convert some younger fans, but most younger kids today view R.E.M. the same way I viewed Boston and Styx when I was a kid.....old.

/damn, I think I better go check that my life insurance premiums are paid up

degreeless: The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.



/New album is truly awesome.

degreeless: The only R.E.M song I ever liked was "It's The End Of The World As We Know It". The rest sound like whiny, preachy, soft-on, hipster music from an angry bald guy that's uncomfortable in his own skin.

/Stupid Photobucket

"New Adventures" is in my top 3. "Green" was alright. "Document" was my first true love. "Reveal" was my least fav. Through the years, I have gotten more and more into "Up". Surprisingly powerful if you give it another chance.

Never liked them. I do remember the whining from the indie crowd when Document came out and got popular how badly R.E.M. had sold out, though. That was hilarious.

I bought it online almost a month ago. Thanks Russia!! It's essentially Life's Rich Pageant Part II. Nothing's really flat out amazing, but almost all the songs are pretty good.

Around the Sun SUCKED except for one song.

For my money:

Life's Rich Pageant > Automatic > Murmur > Up > Document > New Adventures > Fables > Green > Monster > Out of Time > Reveal > Reckoning > Around the Sun

Up is their most underrated, it was different from anything else they did but had a ton of great songs. Could never get into Reckoning, think it was a sophomore slump.

Think this one is sounding like it'll end up in the top half of the list for me.

Valdes: I bought it online almost a month ago. Thanks Russia!! It's essentially Life's Rich Pageant Part II. Nothing's really flat out amazing, but almost all the songs are pretty good.

Around the Sun SUCKED except for one song.

Which song did you like off AROUND? I liked the album, but for me, the stand-out track was "Ascent of Man"

My ranking:

Automatic > Out of Time > Life's Rich Pageant > Document > Accelerate > New Adventures > Fables > Reckoning > Up > Monster > Green > (B Sides album with drunken King of the Road track) > Reveal > Murmur > Around the Sun

Yes. I hate at least half the songs on Murmur.

I can also play the same game with U2:

Actung Baby > War > Pop > Rattle and Hum > Joshua Tree > Unforgetable Fire > Zooropa > All.T.Y.C.L.Behind > How.T.D.A.A.Bomb > Boy > October

Essentially, Accelerate is as good as "All.T.Y.C.L.Behind," but not any better or worse.

Just finished listening to it. Not bad.

I guess Cartman was right.

sararenne: tricycleracer: I think I'm the only person who liked Monster.

Monster is my husbands favorite album... he likes telling people they are sad tomatoes

/we met at an REM concert

That's my wife's favorite lyric from that CD as well.

R.E.M. were my favorite band from high school through college, but then Bill left and they released Up. I'm trying not to listen to all the hype surrounding Accelerate, but it's hard not to get excited.

chrispco: I will concede that Around the Sun was 50% balls-suck, but Up and Reveal are damn good albums! Reveal was one of R.E.M.'s best - I'd put it third after Hi-Fi and Fables.

Granted, I'm a total fanboy and, aside from half of Around the Sun, I like every album they've made.

I'm waiting to get this album and the new B-52's together. ATHENS LOVEFEST!

I liked Monster and UP. Actually, I'm in the "total fangirl" group and love all their stuff.

I picked up the B-52's new CD on Tuesday - it's TEH AWESOME!

The new Metallica album will be better.


\And that's saying something, since Metallica has officially sucked since 1990

I haven't listened to any of the crap since New Adventures in Hi-Fi, but Accelerate is pretty good.

That said, subby should be embarrassed by his attempt. Some can do it with some bands. Other times, just no.

Propain_az: The new Metallica album will be better.


\And that's saying something, since Metallica has officially sucked since 1990

having heard both the new REM and new Metallica, I can tell you that REM wins...

though, the Metallica was real early demos, so I can't call it a fair comparison.

Valdes
Yes. I hate at least half the songs on Murmur.

THIS
I only really like the first four songs or so...

I agree with farkers above who say that "Lifes..." and "Automatic..." are R.E.M's best albums.... for me "Lifes..." edges out "Auto" for the top spot..
[sometimes it seems to me like "Automatic" drags in places if you listen to it all the way thru...]
tho "man on the moon", "nightswimming" and "find the river" are a great trio of great closing songs.
[i could do without "new orleans instrumental" or "Star me kitten", tho...]

astro716: Am I the only one that liked Reveal?

No.

tricycleracer: I think I'm the only person who liked Monster.

no, many of us love it... it was one of my faves in high school

Pretentious asshole rockstars, exactly what Peter Buck said they would never be.