ALBUM REACTION: R.E.M. - Murmur

[@AlexHaitz]

More R.E.M. Reactions: Chronic Town EP: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHOvZGZ8mcSoqac Reckoning: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5DMfKSHbdyCqNk Fables of the Reconstruction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZibmJ57jb-cqaM Lifes Rich Pageant: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4uuXoVqdqd3gqM Document: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bn6ZeaSFo72DbLs Green: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f56wnIyboJtsi8U Out of Time: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ip6QppiEeNqoZtU Automatic for the People: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npCtpnutadqqj7M New Adventures in Hi-Fi: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4CYaqeZpNKKaM0 Fall On Me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZicc2R8eqh7q7s Here I Am Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f56pnnmagJ6tqNE Nightswimming: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYaoiayKgM-VfM0 Tongue: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2XCqpiqe7Z5jtk

[@Nimno74]

Mike Mills vocal harmonies are so amazing.

[@j.r.a.f.t.m.]

Got to be the best backup singer ever

[@Nimno74]

@@j.r.a.f.t.m. Him and Remi from the Stone Roses.

[@dathorndike4908]

Pilgrimmage was the first song that really showcased those harmonies.

[@Nimno74]

Reckoning, Fables, and Document are all great too. Life's Rich Pageant is a personal favorite.

[@davidmannion7333]

The great thing about Perfect Circle is that Bill Berry wrote it. When your drummer is chipping in with songs like that you know you're on a winner. And I think you'll like Reckoning as well.

[@james0060]

Peter Buck stated they'd been awake for days without sleep and he stepped outside on a break and saw some kids playing on the street and it moved him to tears. He took that emotion to this song through his guitar.

[@Don-lg3oy]

So glad you liked it that much. One of my all time favorite albums for 30+ years now. All of those early R.E.M. albums have a special place in my heart. Shaking Through is probably my favorite track but I love them all. That song can bring me to tears. Something about the music and the vocals. Does something to me.

[@boognish94]

Glad you're going down this rabbit hole, R.E.M. is definitely the band to go through, amazing discography!

[@scottmcrae3355]

One of the greatest debuts ever. I am a big fan of all of their early albums. You are in for an enjoyable ride. Can’t wait to watch the rest.

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

a masterpiece. was listening to it whilst working in the Tesco warehouse a few months back! Stand out track : Pilgrimage. -C Great choice!

[@kevtruth]

I'm at a loss for words. This was fun. Classic album, great reaction. I've been anticipating this one. Looking forward to Reckoning

[@Nimno74]

Also, ... love that you love this.

[@edwardlosty549]

Really glad you enjoyed this. The thing that always got me on this album is the bridge on most of the songs. I think someone said every REM bridge is the same, but to me it’s like the big drop on an EDM track. Boom, there it is. Worth listening out for Mike Mills backing vocals as you go through the albums, they sound like they don’t quite belong, but somehow bring the song together.

[@seandavies75]

I love the structure of their early songs... verse - pre-chorus - verse - pre-chorus chorus! verse - pre-chorus - chorus! bridge - verse - pre-chorus - chorus And dismount. Genius.

[@mattjohn4731]

Hell yeah REM taught me so much about rock. They covered Velvet Underground, Mission Of Burma, Lennon, Byrds, Wire, Roky Erickson. It may have been in an REM context that I first understood words such as eclectic, eccentric, rootsy, college rock... They are a great band to get people deeper into music

[@transmit13]

Their cover of Pylon's "Crazy" is one of my favorite covers ever. Pylon, another great Athens, GA band.

[@matthewowen2182]

Wait til you hear Reckoning

[@SiLatics56]

Shaking Through still my favourite song from this album. So many twists and turns and a brilliant melody. Encapsulates the early REM sound perfectly.

[@andrewgraaf5071]

Hey Alex, I’m so happy you experienced this the way I did when I heard this back in the day. I was really anticipating your reaction and it payed off!

[@richardmose]

Thanks for another on-point reaction. I adore this album. It was their first full length album, and in 1985, it was in the cassette deck of my car for an entire year. I listened only to this while driving to school and work. Is it possible for an entire album to be both whimsical and sombre at the same time? This was my introduction to their style, approach, and substance. It only gets better from here.

[@barneypivnick4513]

Definitely not downhill from there.... The chorus of Pilgrimage and the bridge of the last track still remain to be amongst my favorites with an elative effect similar to the climax of Pixies' Motorway to Roswell. The Byrds are often referenced but I find a little of America (the band, of course) mixed in, as well and the ghostly overtones emanating from Mike's Rickenbacker bass trigger a deja vu kind of feel on a level that no other band has been able to produce. Anyway, I really enjoyed the reaction and found your take on empathetic and Voyeuristic listening quite enlightening. Father of three at your age? Wow! Respect... I can see where REM would be a little more applicable to your life than the unsentimental and impersonally heartless (yes, voyeuristic) style of the near equally enjoyable Pixies.

[@californiahummus]

Early REM is the best. IRS label albums have a more natural sound and feel almost intimate.

[@j.r.a.f.t.m.]

Great video Alex and great to hear that you love it, possibly my favourite album of all time and for my money it's hands down the greatest debut. Everything is so realised and the record as a unique sound. Despite all the fantastic performances from the band I think Mills stand outs, his bass playing is so melodic, upfront and his harmonies and piano playing compliment so much.

[@dathorndike4908]

9-9 is the real hidden gem on this album in my opinion. Just a great avant garde track in the spirit of Gang Of Four. That song was a staple of all their early tours and live it was a ferocious rocker that brought an entire different dimension to REM's live set. 9-9 was a great song that deserves alot more recognition than it gets today.

[@urbangorilla33]

The Gang of Four influence is often overlooked, especially on Mills' bass playing.

[@debjorgo]

Yeah, I like Reckoning better than Murmur but my favorite song on Murmur is "Talk About the Passion".

[@toddnicholas4056]

A brilliant album that I listened to when it released in my sophomore year at college...the beginnings of the college radio influence in music...so different than anything I'd heard before...all the accolades from Rolling Stone were completely justified...brought in jangle guitars to real serious listening, plus epic bass and unique vocals...Perfect Circle kills me every time I hear it, such a simple piano line throughout, but it (and the other additions musically) creates an almost haunting and reminiscent/nostalgic feel...similar to what I felt later in their catalogue with Nightswimming...

[@Turnabout]

I think Pilgrimage might be my favorite REM song of all time. I can only call it gorgeous and heartbreaking and I'm too choked up every time I hear it to analyze it further. I'm afraid to listen to it too often because I don't want it to ever feel prosaic to me.

[@dathorndike4908]

Love Pilgrimage, too. Never could get why the band really didn't think much of it. They dropped it pretty early on from their set lists and have never included it on any of their greatest hits records.

[@deckofcards87]

REM's opus. These aren't big catchy anthems like on 'Automatic For The People', but they're more understated in their greatness.

[@lotwala]

Perfect Circle is one of those songs that can regularly give me chills. Sitting Still is the album song I've probably listened to the most, though (trying to decipher the lyrics!)

[@urbangorilla33]

Perfect Circle's biggest chills moment is that short guitar part at the end of the bridge.

[@Nimno74]

Serious comment. Michael and Co. wanted this album to be perfect. Up until this point, all they had under their belts was a regional cult following, a seriously good ep, and some bootlegs. They all crafted, and re-crafted these tunes, and the order in the album forever. I have friends who are still friends with them, and they all can testify to the work ethic and vision they have/had.... especially Michael and Mike.

[@AlexHaitz]

Honestly one of the best debuts I've heard. The focus and attention to detail on the forward thinking composition while maintain a strong pop sensibility right out of the gate is stunning.

[@musicaddict5076]

Great review and awesome seeing you appreciate it as much as the rest of us. Perfect Circle, Talk About The Passion and Shaking Through are my favorites. Easily in my top ten albums of all time.

[@dathorndike4908]

Actually, in it's manic energy, and Gang Of Four influence, 9-9 was very much a pre- cursor to "Auctioneer (Another Engine)" off the Fables album.

[@seanmcnally4818]

This album was released 41 years ago today. (April 12th, 1983)

[@lauce3998]

Perfect circle and Talk about the passion are the best songs for me. Well , all the album is in the same level.

[@marcpevoto9839]

Your review echoes my personal experience- when I first heard this as a college freshman in 1983 my mind was blown! I still consider it the finest debut by anyone, anywhere.

[@dathorndike4908]

Peter's guitar work on Talk About The Passion always impressed me from this album. Very heavy Byrds vibe to me here, but also impressive because Pete was so young and inexperienced here and was still able to put on a really good showcase of acoustic guitar picking.

[@mattjohn4731]

Btw you are kind to not mention that '03 Stipe's lyrics were largely indecipherable. He was "painfully shy" but had obvious artistic authentic voice and compositions

[@transmit13]

Great reaction! One of those life-changing bands as a kid in the Eighties.

[@Nimno74]

Omg...you went all the way back to my deep roots. R.E.M. and maybe Velvet Underground... that's me at 14/15 years old.., all the way back in 1988ish. Edit:. Also, I'm a Georgia boy, so this band gave me pride back in the 80s. I even lived in Athens for about a decade.

[@mikemullen8598]

Excellent album! Echo and the bunnymens 1982 LP Heaven up here is worth a listen

[@samsquanch1996]

Laughing is hands down my favorite REM song.

[@shinybeast8946]

Sitting still is so good.

[@samsquanch1996]

@@shinybeast8946 Definitely

[@tharveytucker1]

What’s tough about Murmur nowadays is that it’s hard to comprehend that NOTHING sounded like it when it came out. Then college rock started to copy and change accordingly.

[@michaelz9892]

This is the purest REM album. Automatic for the People is their masterpiece.

[@leonhaven6262]

Automatic for the people is their pop masterpiece, Murmur their alternative rock masterpiece.

[@declancavanaugh1123]

@@leonhaven6262 for sure

[@dathorndike4908]

Automatic is great but Fables is their masterpiece

[@samsquanch1996]

The album that created alternative rock!

[@secretsymphony]

As someone who followed your reactions to the likes of the Smiths and New Order, I recall you responding to comments where people thought you couldn't relate to the British experience. As a British person myself, I thought of REM who are my favourite American band. I drew a similar conclusion to you. I realised one of the reasons I liked listening to REM was for that American experience. Alternatively, I can internalize it if I find the lyrics relatable. it's funny hearing you iterating similar thoughts on the other foot in this video. For example, when Morrissey sings a line such as, "The rain falls hard on a humdrum town, this town has dragged you down," most people in the UK would immediately relate to this. Britain is an island with regular rainfall all year round. It's damp, grey, and dark for the greater proportion of the year. You may play this record for its Britishness or relate it to your own experience in America. And of course, I'm not Morrissey, so even though from the same country, I'm still introjecting the lyrics with a sort of empathy. With REM, you've got the advantage. It's all good.

[@AlexHaitz]

Nice comment, thanks.

[@bryansimpson3149]

You’re gonna love reckoning

[@macartney4285]

REM ❤

[@dathorndike4908]

Your facial expression during 9-9 had me laughing. But I expected no less.

[@jasonegeland1446]

The Bolshoi - Friends, '86 is great from start to end.

[@anitaname1]

❤

[@mattjohn4731]

I enjoy this. I agree with you, and I think Fables is much better. It's a sentimental favorite for me but also a critical success

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

Moral Kiosk definitely was an influence upon Interpol

[@dathorndike4908]

Pilgrimage is so amazing but never got much love from the band. I never really could figure out why

[@thoru4367]

Hi, pls could you do review on the new Pixies album Doggerel 2022

[@momothecat1]

West of the fields least favorite... disagree. Love the analysis though.

[@MisbehavingChild]

I love the first 2 songs of this record, cant really vibe with the rest of it

[@turu4600]

🤔

[@Iluvthosetightp]

This album gets better with every listen. I like the post-punk/early Cure vibes in it. Very decent reaction! 5 out of 5 :))

[@dathorndike4908]

There was a very distinct cross blending of styles between REM and The Cure during this time. Good point