REM Re-discovered

[Bass Culture]

[quote name='Bass Culture' timestamp='1480530626' post='3185169']
Was hooked as soon as I saw them doing 'Southern Central Rain' on some BBC music show in the early 80's. 'Life's Rich Pageant' was my personal highlight from the early years, and I've always thought 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' represented one last hurrah in an otherwise increasingly irrelevant roster of latter-day albums. First time I saw them was on the Work 'tour' (one gig in the UK, I recall!) at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987. All I remember is Pete Buck playing the opening chords of 'Finest Worksong' and turning to my mate, who had the same stupid grin on his face as I did, as our ears were assailed by this complete wall of sound. Bloody brilliant!
[/quote]

Jeez, just found out 'New Adventures in HI-Fi was 1996' - not that bloody latter-day then!

[rushbo]

[quote name='Bass Culture' timestamp='1480530626' post='3185169']
Was hooked as soon as I saw them doing 'Southern Central Rain' on some BBC music show in the early 80's. 'Life's Rich Pageant' was my personal highlight from the early years, and I've always thought 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' represented one last hurrah in an otherwise increasingly irrelevant roster of latterday albums. First time I saw them was on the Work 'tour' (one gig in the UK, I recall!) at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987. All I remember is Pete Buck playing the opening chords of 'Finest Worksong' and turning to my mate, who had the same stupid grin on his face as I did, as our ears were assailed by this complete wall of sound. Bloody brilliant!
[/quote]

I was at that Hammersmith gig, too. Life changing. "Radio Free Europe" played at Ramones speed with all the house lights on...Robyn Hitchcock on 12String for "Fall On Me". What a night. And 10 000 Maniacs were the support. Oh yeah.

I don't remember a BBC version of "S Central Rain", but there was a killer version of it on The Tube...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AinyLYhEpOM[/media]

Edited November 30, 2016 by rushbo

[stinson]

[quote name='Bass Culture' timestamp='1480530626' post='3185169']
Was hooked as soon as I saw them doing 'Southern Central Rain' on some BBC music show in the early 80's. 'Life's Rich Pageant' was my personal highlight from the early years, and I've always thought 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' represented one last hurrah in an otherwise increasingly irrelevant roster of latterday albums. First time I saw them was on the Work 'tour' (one gig in the UK, I recall!) at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987. All I remember is Pete Buck playing the opening chords of 'Finest Worksong' and turning to my mate, who had the same stupid grin on his face as I did, as our ears were assailed by this complete wall of sound. Bloody brilliant!
[/quote]

I was at that gig, amazing. Remember them playing Wipeout and 10,000 Maniacs supporting.

[Bass Culture]

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1480535568' post='3185231']
I was at that Hammersmith gig, too. Life changing. "Radio Free Europe" played at Ramones speed with all the house lights on...Robyn Hitchcock on 12String for "Fall On Me". What a night. And 10 000 Maniacs were the support. Oh yeah.

I don't remember a BBC version of "S Central Rain", but there was a killer version of it on The Tube...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AinyLYhEpOM[/media]
[/quote]

Possibly still my favourite gig ever. Completely overwhelming for the younger me. I seem to recall on the version of So. Central Rain I'm thinking of that they were standing behind some sort screens for part of the video at least. Of course I could just be completely misremembering too!

[Bass Culture]

Stinson, Rushbo - we should have a reunion!

[Bass Culture]

My bad, it looks like it was the original promo I had in mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msWi0c4tHV8

I'll stop my REM nostalgia trip now!

[howdenspur]

REM and the Smiths...I missed their 80's output completely until later. Embarrassing but there you go. The early REM stuff is very listenable. By "early", I guess I mean anything up to Monster. IMHO of course
Great clip from 1983 btw

[Deep Thought]

One of my favourite bands, and 'Fall on me' is one of my top three favourite songs. Saw them on the 'Up' tour, was booked to see them on the tour they cancelled because of Bill Berry's brain haemorrhage. I agree their best years were behind them after he left, but I don't agree they should have split then, they still had some fantastic songs in them, like 'Leaving New York' and 'Daysleeper', but the later albums really only had one or two decent songs on them. Mike Mills is a great bassist and a brilliant musician, and they wouldn't have been the same band without him. They are adamant that they won't reform, but you never know.

[rushbo]

[quote name='Bass Culture' timestamp='1480538252' post='3185273']
Stinson, Rushbo - we should have a reunion!
[/quote]

I'm in...if we wait until 12th September next year, it'll be the 30th anniversary of the gig. I'll just let that sink in for a moment.

[stinson]

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1480542574' post='3185347']


I'm in...if we wait until 12th September next year, it'll be the 30th anniversary of the gig. I'll just let that sink in for a moment.
[/quote]

That's horrifying.

[rushbo]

[quote name='stinson' timestamp='1480545651' post='3185384']
That's horrifying.
[/quote]

Yes. Yes it is.

[paddy109]

Although R.E.M. Was not associated at all with the genre I was listening t growing up I loved them and still do (although I wouldn't have shouted this from the tree tops at the time).

I was recently playing in a start up tribute R.E.M. act but unfortunately this didn't go anywhere ;-(

[Barking Spiders]

Quite liked Radio Free Europe then it was downhill all the way for me. Shiny Happy People and Losing My Religion are among my all time bottom 50. They weren't an awful band but I just don't get the praise critics lavished on them

[bazzbass]

those early IRS albums were amazing

even the ones after Green were still listenable.

We played lots of REM and Smiths before they actually reached down under in my originals band so people had no idea whose songs they were.

Didya like it? then it's one of ours lol

[spectoremg]

Man on the Moon is a pop-tastic masterpiece.

[paul_5]

In contrast to the majority of folks on this thread I prefer the later stuff: Automatic For The People, Monster and New Adventures In Hifi are all amazing albums.

[Thunderbird]

I find most of there music pants but enjoyed a few track on one album Monster I think it was

[mep]

One of my favourite bands. Played a few songs along the way. Tried to get a tribute band together but didn't work. Would loved to have seen them live but never mind.

[paul_5]

I passed up the opportunity to see them on the Monster tour (in Cardiff I think it was). I've not made many bad decisions in my life, but that's definitely one of them.

[Billy Apple]

I liked all the IRS albums, with some tracks being punctuation marks in my life (Fall On Me). Saw them live at Newcastle City Hall on the Green tour and it was brilliant. But after Green I tailed off. Couldn't stick the whole Shiny Happy People thing.

[bazzbass]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1480629627' post='3186036']
I passed up the opportunity to see them on the Monster tour (in Cardiff I think it was). I've not made many bad decisions in my life, but that's definitely one of them.
[/quote]

ditto here, lotsa GOOD decisions, Wings in 75, Pink Floyd in 82, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Eric Burden and the Animals, Canned Heat, Carlos Santana

One of my BAD ones was missing the Green tour

And choosing the Beach Boys over Dylan in 1978......... oh they were WOEFULL

[Bass Culture]

This thread has inspired me to dig out my old cassette deck from the loft and give my tape bootleg of that Hammersmith Odeon gig from '87 a spin this weekend. If I lost 3 stone it'd be just like I was 24 all over again!

[ivansc]

Some of the stuff Stipe and Buck did with Robyn Hitchcock was interesting - actually liked a lot of it more than the original REM stuff.

Edited December 4, 2016 by ivansc

[Daz39]

Currently binging on early albums after for years only listening to Monster onwards.
Great tunes, although the smash albums are hit and miss for me.

[the boy]

Inspired by this topic I'm gonna submit an R.E.M. Cover to the composition challenge this month. So many to choose from.