R.E.M.

Any fans? I used to have all their albums—at least up until 1997 or so—but then sold them to make room in my dorm room (pretty much the only time I've ever sold anything from my collection). Anyway, I was in the mood to listen to Automatic For The People, so I downloaded it. Frickin' awesome album still! I loved everything they did up through Document, then on Green and Out Of Time they got a bit too poppy at times for my liking. But Automatic For The People was an instant classic. It's such a dark and eerie album, with only a few poppy moments ("The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight"), but even those songs great. A brilliant album from start to finish.

Anyway, my history with R.E.M. stopped with Monster, which I did like. I never bought anything after that and, like I said, sold off what I had. I'm considering rebuilding that collection. If anyone knows, how were the albums that came after Monster?

Never liked much of the "American Underground" movement, be it Punk or the post-punk Alternative College Rock of REM. I did find some of there older stuff enjoyable.

PS: Is it just me, or does "I believe" sound like a down-right country song?
- I like it, though

When we discussed "College Rock" awhile back, I had this to say...

Quote :

I have very strong, bitter memories of battles with the college-radio crowd versus the metal-heads in college. They all came off as pretentious pr*cks, thinking that their "intellectual" music was far superior to our "head-banging crap".

Sadly, I have no opinion on the music because the memories of the fans back in the day angers me and I wouldn't listen to it on principal. A very juvenile excuse, I know, but I like what I like.

I've lumped REM into that category and I stand by my statement.

I haven't heard any post Monster stuff. Can't help you out there.

REM is one of those bands that I have wanted to collect stuff from but there has always been something else I wanted more. From what I have heard, I really dig the stuff up through Document and then they lost me.

One day I'll have the albums collected.

Never really liked them, but I did buy the single for "Losing My Religion".

I liked their earlier stuff like "Orange Crush." I had a friend in college who was a HUGE R.E.M. fan and he made me a pretty cool mix tape of a lot of their singles, B-Sides, etc. I wish I still had that thing but it crapped out a long time ago.

On a sort of unrelated note, the movie "The Cell" was directed by the same guy who did R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" video (Tarsem Singh), and it has the same bizarro visual style as that video ... great movie. It's kinda like "Silence of the Lambs" on a few hits of brown acid.

spectrefate wrote:

I haven't heard any post Monster stuff. Can't help you out there.

REM is one of those bands that I have wanted to collect stuff from but there has always been something else I wanted more. From what I have heard, I really dig the stuff up through Document and then they lost me.

One day I'll have the albums collected.

You should really check out Automatic For The People. It's really a kick ass album.

I thought we discussed R.E.M. here before somewhere. Hmmm. Where's Shiney? He might like them and be able to help.

I just know that I wouldn't be objective to the Automatic album due to the number of hits. I'm going to start with the 2 "Best-ofs" they have and see which albums I will pick up.

I went through a R.E.M phase back in the 90's around the same time I was listening to alot of U2.I dont listen to that style much anymore.

Eyesore wrote:

spectrefate wrote:

I haven't heard any post Monster stuff. Can't help you out there.

REM is one of those bands that I have wanted to collect stuff from but there has always been something else I wanted more. From what I have heard, I really dig the stuff up through Document and then they lost me.

One day I'll have the albums collected.

You should really check out Automatic For The People. It's really a kick ass album.

I thought we discussed R.E.M. here before somewhere. Hmmm. Where's Shiney? He might like them and be able to help.

Perhaps it was this topic, started by Senior Shiney. Very similiar...
https://heartofmetal.niceboard.com/it-s-only-rock-n-roll-f8/college-rock-t1516.htm?highlight=college

I love older REM....they sort of started to lose me around "Automatic"

"Green", "Life's Rich Paegant"...."Murmur"

I still think them talented and all but it was not the same....

Do you need "Automatic" on cd, Eyesore? I got's it for you if so.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

spectrefate wrote:

I haven't heard any post Monster stuff. Can't help you out there.

REM is one of those bands that I have wanted to collect stuff from but there has always been something else I wanted more. From what I have heard, I really dig the stuff up through Document and then they lost me.

One day I'll have the albums collected.

You should really check out Automatic For The People. It's really a kick ass album.

I thought we discussed R.E.M. here before somewhere. Hmmm. Where's Shiney? He might like them and be able to help.

Perhaps it was this topic, started by Senior Shiney. Very similiar...
https://heartofmetal.niceboard.com/it-s-only-rock-n-roll-f8/college-rock-t1516.htm?highlight=college

Yeah, that's the one. Look at me keepin' it real. I hate when you say something online that has changed since you said it the first time. Haha.

And yeah, Shiney, I don't own any R.E.M. anymore. I'm on the fence about re-buying everything. I would like that album, though. That's one I'll always like. I'll probably pick up the first four or five albums again, too. I know that I read somewhere once that one of their recent albums was more like the early stuff. I don't know, though.

It's yours...it'll go in your next shipment.

Thank you, sir!

Have always really liked REM though they lost me after the New Adventures In Hi-Fi record. Have always surmised Bill Berry's contributions before he left must have been real big because I've never cared much for Up, Reveal, or Around The Sun. Those records just seem to lack something.

The new live record was also pretty underwhelming as well.

I've always thought REM deserved a real well done box set.

I like some of their stuff - I was never a huge REM fan, but we do have a few REM cd's

I used to hate R.E.M., but I'm still not sure why? I think that it might have been because of what I heard from them on the radio. I never really got into the band during their MTV hey day. From "Green" in '88 through "Monster" in 94, I kind of gave the band the cold shoulder.

I've learned to appreciate that time period of the band more these days, but I still like what I've heard since '96 (even with the departure of Bill Berry) and their earlier stuff prior to "Green".

Here's a little tidbit of information for Metallica/R.E.M. fans out there who might not have known this. Cliff was a pretty big fan of the first 3-4 R.E.M. albums before his all to unfortunate passing. R.I.P. Cliff!

Interesting tidbit about R.E.M. that I heard on the news this AM -- Saturday night's thunder storms (which were blazing outside while I was at the PNC Bank Arts Center watching Iron Maiden) knocked out the power at the Jones Beach Amphitheater in New York while R.E.M. were playing. They had to wait for about an hour before power could be restored to finish their set. Haha!