In fact, any time Michael Stipe has his mouth open, I prefer it to be because he's eating.

As opposed to the tons of good songs REM had... Yeah... Right...

Quote from: SosthenesAs opposed to the tons of good songs REM had... Yeah... Right...

Good =/= Pleasing to Rotwang!.

Well, if there's such a thing as objective morals, I think we all agree that REM should be put on the "evil" side. Although I'd put "Everybody hurts" and "Shiny happy people" even further in the dark side...

Quote from: SosthenesWell, if there's such a thing as objective morals, I think we all agree that REM should be put on the "evil" side. Although I'd put "Everybody hurts" and "Shiny happy people" even further in the dark side...

Oh, come on.  You're throwing out the baby with the bathwater.  "Automatic for the People" is easily one of the best albums of the 90s.  Seriously.  Even if you don't like "Everybody Hurts" (which I can easily tune out when I listen to the whole CD).  "Find the River" more than makes up for it.

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaOh, come on.  You're throwing out the baby with the bathwater.  "Automatic for the People" is easily one of the best albums of the 90s.

Well, if you add "mainstream" before "albums", I might even agree, considering what I generally think of 90s music...

i lost touch with their stuff after "life's rich pageant."  material like "stand" and "shiny happy people" etc. made me go :what:   i know those aren't really representative of their later tunes, but the music just took an angle that didn't do it for me anymore.

now if i could just find my "chronic town" e.p. . . .

Quote from: SosthenesWell, if you add "mainstream" before "albums", I might even agree, considering what I generally think of 90s music...

Philistine.

Quote from: beeberi lost touch with their stuff after "life's rich pageant." material like "stand" and "shiny happy people" etc. made me go  i know those aren't really representative of their later tunes...

No, no, in many ways those two tunes are representative of what their later music became.  I even agree that "Life's Rich Pageant" was, in many ways, their last hurrah, adding only that "Automatic for the People" was a brief return to form (with at least one irritating concession to that annoying form of pop they'd discovered). After that album, I lost touch with their sound.  With the exception of "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" I couldn't honestly tell you what their music has been like since.

All this said, yeah, "It's the End of the World as We Know It" is an annoying fucking song...but still not as fucking annoying as "Happy Shiny People" and Kate Pearson's off-key shrieking.

!i!

(P.S. Oh, hey!  I almost forgot.  Happy Mexican Independence Day, Rotwang! :haw: )

Quote from: Ian Absentia(P.S. Oh, hey!  I almost forgot.  Happy Mexican Independence Day, Rotwang! :haw: )

Thanks. You're actually 4 months and 11 days early, but it's kind of you to think of my Mexican half.

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Thanks. You're actually 4 months and 11 days early, but it's kind of you to think of my Mexican half.

I like to get a jump on things.  My new neighbors were apparently thinking of half of you, too.

!i!

Should I reveal my ignorance here? I remember Orange Crush growing up, and by the time I'd finally figured out which band was responsible for sticking that in my head (for years it was stuck there... years I tells ya) they started in with the shiny happiness and ending of the world.

Needless to say, I never bothered to figure out more than I didn't care for Stipe and company. In fact, Stipe managed to annoy me more than his music when I'd see him interviewed or just punditing on MTV and the like. Thankfully rarely.

I at one time loved "Losing My Religion" , then I got sick of it.

 Now I seem to only like when OTHER people do REM songs.

 Like this version of "Losing my Religion" :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7hRnPKdQq4

- Ed C.

Quote from: SpikeIn fact, Stipe managed to annoy me more than his music when I'd see him interviewed or just punditing on MTV and the like. Thankfully rarely.

I know what you mean.  In the years since he started becoming a vocal activist about...something or other...I've gradually superimposed Moby over Stipe in my mental world.  I'm much happier for it.

!i!

I was an REM fan very early on when I bought Reckoning, their second album. I quickly bought Murmur (their first) soon after. They made pretty solid albums all through the '80s, my favorite being Life's Rich Pageant. When they got to the '90s they weren't as good. Automatic for the People was a pretty good one though.

I saw them in 1983 when I was living in Hawaii. They played a small dance hall on Halloween night (there was a costume contest, but that's a different story). Back then Stipe had a big scruffy head of hair. It was a great show.

I've never cared much for REM. I think they're one of the most over-rated bands of the 80's and 90's.