Lots of bands are really good in their first few releases and then get bad (sometimes really bad) after that. R.E.M. is the perfect example. Their first five studio albums, Murmur (1983), Reckoning (1984), Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), Lifes Rich Pageant (1986), Document (1987), in my opinions, are all masterpieces, although of slightly declining quality chronologically. And their pre-Murmur EP Chronic Town (released in 1990) shines above them all, in terms of a new exciting sound. This sound was dominated by Peter Buck's jangly electric guitar and Michael Stipe's oblique, often murmuring and incomprehensible lyrics. And it's steeped in the band's Athens, Georgia surroundings and folk influences. This IS the R.E.M. sound, and it's why they became titans of college/alternative rock. The international stardom that came after that somehow (the band themselves? production? I don't know the cause) ruined their sound. The guitar tracks became a mishmash of strummy acoustic pap and the songs became pretentious, unlistenable anthems.
Here's my favorite R.E.M. song, "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" from Chronic Town. This is from a TV dance show, but they are actually playing live.
[edited by Slig 11/5/07]
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
Automatic For the People,which afficianados like you and paul hate, came out when I was at the perfect impressionable age, 13 or 14, and so I continue to like it to this day, even though Paul describes it as Schmaltz.
It's been a while; I'll have to give that album another listen sometime.
One later song I do like is "Texarkana", from Out of Time. The songwriting harks back to the early albums, even if the production is way more polished than the original sound.
You absolutely must listen to 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' it's the absolute all-time best 'mishmash of strummy acoustic pop and pretentious, unlistenable anthems' ever recorded - and it was all done on the road. If you don't like it the first 20 times through, keep listening. Eventually you will hear? the light.
Post a Comment