I have been working a lot of extra hours the past few months. Those extra hours have come with a few extra dollars attached and I have dutifully spent them... mostly on music.
I will spare you all the details but it seems those extra [paid] hours are about to be a thing of the past. So will the extra dollars. I will be returning to my usual, and by no means meager, music budget. I drove to Nashville (2 hours) after work to drop the last of my overtime money on music.
This excellent installment (and the conversation it sparked) of Sir Brewster's Bootleg Country series revealed I had a certain hole in my music collection.One of the first purchases I made was R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction. I am listening to it now. I knew several of these songs (from their inclusion on Eponymous and having hung out with more than one R.E.M. fan over the years).
I was not on the ground floor of the whole R.E.M. thing. I was 10-years old when Murmur was released (sorry, Sir Saleski, but it is true) and my parents had strict rules about the kind of music we were allowed to hear. Besides, I am not sure the band had reached small, middle-class Iowan elementary schools. I began asserting my musical independence around the time of their commercial peak, but when other kids were buying Document, I was buying Girls, Girls, Girls. Fortunately, I grew out of it.
The point of that story is to explain how I could have gotten so many of R.E.M.'s albums without owning Fables of the Reconstruction until last night. I picked up the band's trail beginning with Automatic for the People - which remains the best thing the band has ever or will ever record. I tried to move forward with the releases that followed while at the same time catching up with what they had done before. What can I say? I got most of it. I like most of it (and love plenty of it). Somehow, I managed to miss this one.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
Grimey's strikes again?
2 - DJRadiohead
I went to Grimey's first- they only had Automatic. I had to go to Tower for the others.
Oh... and the three more I have bought since then. Yes, I am that retarded.
3 - DJRadiohead
It is worth mentioning that the surround version of "Star Me Kitten" from Automatic is an experience our friend A.L. Harper could describe better than I.
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
She could explain it using nothing but vowels and/or our Lord's name in vain.
5 - DJRadiohead
Something like that, yeah.
6 - SFC SKI
I can understand your plight. I have more recorded music than I could possibly listen to, yet I buy more. I do find myself buying digital versions of analog originals, too. All that is not so bad, but the fact that a lot of great music; one hit wonders, obscure '80's import only bands, indie and alternative bands from a time when those names meant something, and one-off live broadcasts losts in the haze of freeform radio past, those I may never find.
BTW, by the time "Girls, Girls, Girls" came out, R.E.M. had already fallen into the trap often taking themselves too seriously, you made the right choice. Now Murmur and Eponymous, I'd get those, and Green.
7 - DJRadiohead
When did R.E.M. not take itself too seriously? They seem to me to have always been a bit self-conscious in that regard.
Speaking of Eponymous, R.E.M. released a new compilation of the I.R.S. years and it blows Eponymous out of the water in terms of capturing that 8-year run.
8 - Mark Saleski
if i could write a batch of tunes as great as Automatic For The People then i would deserve to take myself seriously.
or something like that.
9 - Mat Brewster
Why anyone would have any desire to buy two copies of Up is beyond me. One copy is more than enough, heck about 1/3 is enough.
By buying these extras you are saying that you have the rest of the back catalogue (Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant, Document, Reconing) right?
10 - DJRadiohead
Sir Saleski- you are not kidding. Automatic is a masterpiece and an album I consider to be an all-time great. That was a gentle nudge at R.E.M., not a harsh indictment of them. That is a fuckin' masterpiece.
Sir Brewster, I am proud to say I am now complete. I've got them all, including multiple copies of some. I'll probably trade those duplicates in at a used place towards some new stuff.
I read an interview Stipe gave about the new compilation and his assessment of Up is that it is about two songs too long. He's right. It is too long. It is maybe 3 songs too long. If you trim 2-3 songs from it, it doesn't become Automatic good but it does improve the overall album.
11 - Mat Brewster
Upon chastizing you I began looking through my REM collection and realized that I am short a Document. I'm sure I had it at some point and have lost it. So I may be headed to the store shortly for some REM shopping.
I have been listening to the band all afternoon though.
12 - DJRadiohead
I am listening to "Welcome to the Occupation" as we speak.
It is easy to forget Document was a good record because of the two "hits." It kind of gets lost in the flood. I like this album. I have been listening to the band since your Bootleg Country piece.
13 - Eric Berlin
There's REM music that's loose and breezy but there's always a degree of self-consciouss reflection about it. I think that's why they're one of my favorite bands, actually -- they're just right for that certain mode of introspection (and, sometimes, wallowing!).
My favorite REM albums far and away are Life's Rich Pageant and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. My first album purchase of theirs -- Out of Time -- is actually my least fave of thiers, funnily enough.
Great piece, DJR !
14 - Eric Berlin
So true, Mat -- I'll go through REM binges myself -- they're that kind of band for me. Document is a hell of a great record. Damn, "Exhuming McCarthy" is a great song and catchy as hell and a great political statement and is still fresh all these years later -- how many songs can you say that about?
15 - Mark Sahm
In my teens, I pigeonholed R.E.M. because of songs like 'Stand' and 'Shiny Happy People'.
But after I reluctantly saw the REMers live twice (as a courtesy to my wife, who's a huge fan), I realized they wrote many great tracks.
I still hate Shiny Happy People though. And Imitation of Life. :o)
16 - S.Rod
Mark, I knew that your life would not be complete until you heard Imitation of Life played live at MSG. ;P
17 - Eric Berlin
Mostly agreed on Shiny Happy, but I think Imitation is a great tune. I said that Out of Time was my least favorite REM album earlier, but it's actually got some great songs on it. "Radio Song" is not one of them -- it's probably my least favorite on them all (and kind of a go at shaking the self-conscious thing for once!).
18 - DJRadiohead
"Imitation of Life" is a weird one for me. I think it is wonderfully catchy and tuneful and yet has some of THE worst lyrics. On balance, I like it but with a twist of a cringe on my face at various times.
Interesting mention of "Exhuming McCarthy." I just bought that compilation and I think they did a marvelous job with track selection. "Exhuming" might be the one mistaken omission but they got so much right it is hard to quibble there.
"Shiny Happy People" is classic camp. Sure, it's a bad song but it is also fun.
Around The Sun is my least favorite album. "Leaving New York" is a stunner and is Stipes best vocal. The rest of that album is trash.
I still have never seen them live. Thanks to EB, S.Rod, and Sahm for stopping by.
19 - tink
I so totally get the whole have-to-have complete catalog point of view. Be glad that it's contained itself to just US releases.
Hope I didn't just open up a new can o' worms...
20 - DJRadiohead
Too late, Tink. I have certainly scoured the earth and the 'net for European singles and b-sides and compilations and the like.
21 - Connie Phillips
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22 - Mat Brewster
Out of Time was my first full length REM album, as I'd only listned to the singles beforehand. I loved it then and I love it now. "Radiosong" aint so great but come on "losing my religion" is a great song. As is most of the album. It is a little shinier than most of their previous albums and a little less jangly, but I think it still holds up.
Agreed that Automatic is their master work and a true classic album.