CW50 - The Bands Edition - No. 10

GIMH · 08-05-2012, 02:45 AM

10. REM

Points: 197
Nominations: 13
3rd Place: 0
2nd Place: 2
1st Place: 0

No-one knows what REM stands for. Honestly, what is an REM? Despite this, they made some killer music in their time. Formed in Athens, a small in Georgia, USA in 1980, they were pivotal in creating the alternative rock genre and made a moribund music scene interesting. Dale Brumby said that they produced the rare feat of being the biggest band when they were the best. While I'm not sure about that, there's no doubt they were very good.

In 1983, REM produced their first album Murmur, which was more soft than most alternative rock bands of the time. However, while it was not popular with mainstream audiences, it won massive critical acclaim, with the album winning Rolling Stone's Album of the Year. The next 2 albums, Reckoning and Fables of the Reconstruction followed the same formula. It wasn't until Life's Rich Pageant, seen as the opposite to the murky Fables.... when REM started to break into the big time. They started to move towards a more mainstream direction and out of their college rock roots. However, their true breakthrough wasn't until Document, a political-ish album, and one that saw them break through to mainstream radio, with hit songs like "It's The End of the World as we Know It" and "The One I Love" bringing them the same sort of commercial acclaim as their critical acclaim. It was also their last album with IRS, with Green and onwards being produced by Warner Bros. This saw their popularity enlarge even further, and become world superstars, with great albums such as Green, Out of Time, Automatic for the People and Monster.

However, by the mid-1990's the band started to lose momentum. Up, a more experimental record, did not sell as well as other albums. While they still had some success, it wasn't anywhere near as big as it was and they started to go more flat without the drumming of Bill Berry. However, they had better albums towards the end of their shelf life, with Accelerate and Collapse Into Now. However, by the end of 2011, they eventually retired the band, and REM was no more. A grand journey through the times. As bands came and went, they kept recording music, impressively.

Line-up

Michael Stipe: Vocals 1980-2011
Peter Buck: Guitars 1980-2011
Mike Mills: Bass Guitar 1980-2011
Bill Berry: Drums 1980-97

Discography

Murmur (1983)
Reckoning (1984)
Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
Document (1987)
Green (1988)
Out Of Time (1991)
Automatic For The People (1992)
Monster (1994)
New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996)
Up (1998)
Reveal (2001)
Around The Sun (2004)
Accelerate (2008)
Collapse Into Now (2011)

Also:

4 Live Albums, 10 Compilations, 1 Remix Album

Download these songs:
Radio Free Europe; Swan Swan H; It's The End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine); Orange Crush; Losing My Religion; Everybody Hurts; Man On The Moon; What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

Write-up by morgieb

vic_orthdox · 08-05-2012, 02:57 AM

Well, I was wrong, thought they'd be a group to miss out.

grecian · 08-05-2012, 02:58 AM

It stands for Rapid Eye Movement, doesn't it?

Anyway 18 on my list, some great tracks through the decades. Stand probably my fave.

Adamc · 08-05-2012, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GIMH

No-one knows what REM stands for. Honestly, what is an REM?

Rapid Eye Movement. 8|

Nah, solid writeup.

BoyBrumby · 08-05-2012, 03:01 AM

Pleased REM made it in, would've been something of a travesty if they hadn't. Had them at #6 myself. Their decade of work that took them from Document to New Adventures... is unutterably wonderful.

GIMH · 08-05-2012, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamc

Rapid Eye Movement. 8|

Nah, solid writeup.

I know but I really liked it as an intro so I didn't bother to inform morgie

Spark · 08-05-2012, 04:15 AM

This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love

BoyBrumby · 08-05-2012, 04:18 AM

TBF to morgie, Stipe has always denied REM stands for rapid eye movement.

Less forthcoming on what it does stand for tho.

Spikey · 08-05-2012, 04:34 AM

just a bad feelies tbh

Uppercut · 08-05-2012, 05:41 AM

REM- the only artist that thousands of moody teenagers have in common with their parents. I'm not sure if any band has a broader appeal.

Spikey · 08-05-2012, 05:42 AM

uh

Spikey · 08-05-2012, 05:43 AM

i mean, there's this other band...

FaaipDeOiad · 08-05-2012, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

TBF to morgie, Stipe has always denied REM stands for rapid eye movement.

Less forthcoming on what it does stand for tho.

Always thought he was just being a huge wanker on that though. It's obviously rapid eye movement.

Pothas · 08-05-2012, 09:49 AM

Great band, stopped listening to them almost entirely the lat couple of years but gone back to them the last few months, forgot how much I loved them. Automatic still their best album to but really like Murmur and New Adventures in Hi-Fi is under appreciated in my opinion.

smalishah84 · 08-05-2012, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grecian

It stands for Rapid Eye Movement, doesn't it?

Anyway 18 on my list, some great tracks through the decades. Stand probably my fave.

08-05-2012, 02:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
GIMH Eternal Optimist Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Shake my tree where's the apple for me? Posts: 43,610	CW50 - The Bands Edition - No. 10 10. REM Points: 197 Nominations: 13 3rd Place: 0 2nd Place: 2 1st Place: 0 No-one knows what REM stands for. Honestly, what is an REM? Despite this, they made some killer music in their time. Formed in Athens, a small in Georgia, USA in 1980, they were pivotal in creating the alternative rock genre and made a moribund music scene interesting. Dale Brumby said that they produced the rare feat of being the biggest band when they were the best. While I'm not sure about that, there's no doubt they were very good. In 1983, REM produced their first album Murmur, which was more soft than most alternative rock bands of the time. However, while it was not popular with mainstream audiences, it won massive critical acclaim, with the album winning Rolling Stone's Album of the Year. The next 2 albums, Reckoning and Fables of the Reconstruction followed the same formula. It wasn't until Life's Rich Pageant, seen as the opposite to the murky Fables.... when REM started to break into the big time. They started to move towards a more mainstream direction and out of their college rock roots. However, their true breakthrough wasn't until Document, a political-ish album, and one that saw them break through to mainstream radio, with hit songs like "It's The End of the World as we Know It" and "The One I Love" bringing them the same sort of commercial acclaim as their critical acclaim. It was also their last album with IRS, with Green and onwards being produced by Warner Bros. This saw their popularity enlarge even further, and become world superstars, with great albums such as Green, Out of Time, Automatic for the People and Monster. However, by the mid-1990's the band started to lose momentum. Up, a more experimental record, did not sell as well as other albums. While they still had some success, it wasn't anywhere near as big as it was and they started to go more flat without the drumming of Bill Berry. However, they had better albums towards the end of their shelf life, with Accelerate and Collapse Into Now. However, by the end of 2011, they eventually retired the band, and REM was no more. A grand journey through the times. As bands came and went, they kept recording music, impressively. Line-up Michael Stipe: Vocals 1980-2011 Peter Buck: Guitars 1980-2011 Mike Mills: Bass Guitar 1980-2011 Bill Berry: Drums 1980-97 Discography Murmur (1983) Reckoning (1984) Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) Lifes Rich Pageant (1986) Document (1987) Green (1988) Out Of Time (1991) Automatic For The People (1992) Monster (1994) New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996) Up (1998) Reveal (2001) Around The Sun (2004) Accelerate (2008) Collapse Into Now (2011) Also: 4 Live Albums, 10 Compilations, 1 Remix Album Download these songs: Radio Free Europe; Swan Swan H; It's The End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine); Orange Crush; Losing My Religion; Everybody Hurts; Man On The Moon; What's the Frequency, Kenneth? Write-up by morgieb __________________ Watch out, for as soon as it pleases them they’ll send you out to protect their gold in wars whose weapons, rapidly developed by servile scientists, will become more and more deadly until they can with a flick of the finger tear a million of you to pieces RIP Craigos. A true CW legend. You will be missed.

08-05-2012, 02:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
grecian International Coach Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Hanging on ! Posts: 11,285	It stands for Rapid Eye Movement, doesn't it? Anyway 18 on my list, some great tracks through the decades. Stand probably my fave. __________________ Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes. Walt Whitman

08-05-2012, 03:01 AM	#5 (permalink)
BoyBrumby Englishman Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Doing the stance Posts: 42,629	Pleased REM made it in, would've been something of a travesty if they hadn't. Had them at #6 myself. Their decade of work that took them from Document to New Adventures... is unutterably wonderful. __________________ *- As featured in The Independent.* "This is not the time for namby-pamby promising youngsters who might just do something; not the time for building for the future. Pragmatism rules and they don't come more pragmatic than Rogers." - Victor Marks makes the case for stiff-legged and stiff-armed 35 year old left-handers in Ashes squads

08-05-2012, 04:34 AM	#9 (permalink)
Spikey Cricket Web: All-Time Legend Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: All Glory To The Nev Posts: 24,033	just a bad feelies tbh __________________ Indians can't bowl - Where has the rumour come from as I myself and many indian friends arwe competent fast bowlers ? With the English bid I said: Let us be brief. If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote. They then became sad and left

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08-05-2012, 02:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
vic_orthdox Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 24,365	Well, I was wrong, thought they'd be a group to miss out.

08-05-2012, 04:18 AM	#8 (permalink)
BoyBrumby Englishman Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Doing the stance Posts: 42,629	TBF to morgie, Stipe has always denied REM stands for rapid eye movement. Less forthcoming on what it does stand for tho.

08-05-2012, 05:42 AM	#11 (permalink)
Spikey Cricket Web: All-Time Legend Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: All Glory To The Nev Posts: 24,033	uh

08-05-2012, 05:43 AM	#12 (permalink)
Spikey Cricket Web: All-Time Legend Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: All Glory To The Nev Posts: 24,033	i mean, there's this other band...

08-05-2012, 09:49 AM	#14 (permalink)
Pothas Cricketer Of The Year Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Surbiton, UK Posts: 8,454	Great band, stopped listening to them almost entirely the lat couple of years but gone back to them the last few months, forgot how much I loved them. Automatic still their best album to but really like Murmur and New Adventures in Hi-Fi is under appreciated in my opinion.

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