Isn't that one of the best albums there is ? All the songs are awesome, the melodies are pure delight, Micheal Stipe's voice is just too fucking sweet and the writing is absolute genious. I love this album with all my heart. Some people like the Cure's Disintegration as a depression album, mine is REM's Automatic for The People. Everybody Hurts of course is pure delight, but each songs are great, except maybe Man on The Moon but even this one is pretty good.
Admin note: Former thread title was Automatic for The People appreciation thread
I will give you this...I am not a huge REM fan....but this is an amazing album.
Very good choice.
I like "new adventures in HI FI" better.
But automatic is very good
From this site:
http://www.soundgenerator.com/news/index.cfm?articleid=2586
R.E.M In View With CD & DVD Hits Release
R.E.M have confirmed the release of a comprehensive greatest hits package DVD/VHS to accompany the CD release. 'In View: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003' will include a collection of classic videos and live performances and is set for release on the 27th October 2003.
The simultaneously released DVD/VHS companion to the CD collection In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, the band's first greatest hits album to catalogue their most successful years, will also be R.E.M.'s first 'best-of' video compilation from this period, containing singles from the albums: Reveal, Up, New Adventures in Hi Fi, Monster, Automatic For The People, Out Of Time and Green.
The DVD/VHS release features 16 video clips, including classics like 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite' and 'Everybody Hurts' and also brings together compelling performances of 'Imitation Of Life', 'Losing My Religion' and 'Man On The Moon', taken from 2001's South Africa Freedom Day concert in London's Trafalgar Square.
The new R.E.M. CD album In Time: The Best OF R.E.M. 1988-2003 contains all 16 tracks presented on the DVD, plus the songs 'All The Right Friends' and 'Animal', recorded for this 'Best-Of' collection. A Limited Edition expanded version of the CD will also be made available containing an additional disc with 15 rarities and B-sides.
Finally, for fans of the Surround Sound 5.1 Advanced Resolution mixes of Automatic For The People and Reveal and In Time: Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003 will receive a DVD-Audio release on 10th November 2003.
DVD/VHS Track listing
Bad Day
All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)
Imitation Of Life
The Great Beyond
At My Most Beautiful
Daysleeper
Electrolite
E-Bow The Letter
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Nightswimming
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Everybody Hurts
Man On The Moon
Losing My Religion
Stand
Orange Crush
Bonus Rare Videos
Tongue
How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us
New Test Leper
Bittersweet Me
Lotus
I'll Take The Rain
Bonus Live Tracks
Imitation Of Life
Losing My Religion
Man On The Moon
I choose Automatic easily over Hi Fi. Hi Fi is R.E.M. exploring the casual cool of Rock star ego so the depth is not there and in just constructing some good rock songs they don't seem to really impress that much. All the structures they explore, (besides maybe E-Bow) are very general in rock history and have been explored to greater depth and a more unique sound or feel. R.E.M for the most part seems to be just covering another avenue and are unprepared for the most part to really own it. They just swim through it and create some decent songs in the process.
Automatic for the People, on the other hand, is a masterpiece. Its R.E.M at its best in craftmanship of song and the album is laced with a sadness that gives the album its own feel. Find The River is my favorite R.E.M song.
~rougerum
::frosted flakes tiger dialect::
"there' g-g-g-g-g-r--r-r-eat!!!!"
thew song .."drive" is my all time super duper, totally rad off the heezy for-sheezy, put it in a pot and boil it , then sautee it in rhythm..song..
I really love 'nightswimming'. But all their songs kick ass.
REM way
overated
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffionahaswings.com%2Fforum%2Fimages%2Fsmiles%2Fnew_2gunsfiring_v1.gif&hash=8c40127e3cf4b45dcee2eee60d8341de00103d43) Michael Stipe
Sheesh...How can you say that?
#Beady shakes her head in disaprovement.
"Up" 's vitality as an electronic-alt experiment was way underrated, especially given how much attention "Kid A" received despite its significant borrowing from this great masterpiece. Just one example- NEAT- of how REM doesn't get *enough* credit.
Quote from: pookiethecat"Up" 's vitality as an electronic-alt experiment was way underrated, especially given how much attention "Kid A" received despite its significant borrowing from this great masterpiece. Just one example- NEAT- of how REM doesn't get *enough* credit.
I like
Up more than Radiohead, too.
...but I like
reveal more than
Up. :wink:
Glad this thread was brought back to life. Everybody Hurts + alchool + depression = nirvana
Quote from: neatahwantaREM way
overated
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffionahaswings.com%2Fforum%2Fimages%2Fsmiles%2Fnew_2gunsfiring_v1.gif&hash=8c40127e3cf4b45dcee2eee60d8341de00103d43) Michael Stipe
Ridiculous. REM is waaaayyyy UNDERrated.
Quote from: pookiethecat"Up" 's vitality as an electronic-alt experiment was way underrated, especially given how much attention "Kid A" received despite its significant borrowing from this great masterpiece. Just one example- NEAT- of how REM doesn't get *enough* credit.
Don't say that in the Radiohead thread. Fans of them respect Automatic for the People enough to stay off your back. I do disagree with that myself. Radiohead borrowed in influence as did R.E.M. for both albums. Neither started anything.
UP has some some good songs, but loss of an identity as a whole and too weak songs to appreciate the album more. Reveal feels like Up cleaned up.
~rougerum
Quote from: Pas RapportGlad this thread was brought back to life. Everybody Hurts + alchool + depression = nirvana
The main cheer of the Philadelphia Phillies' fans this yeah was a peppy
"Everybody Hits, Waa-Wooooo!"
For some reason, I corrupted this and spent most of September going around the office singing, "Evvvvvvvvvreeeeeeebody hits, sometimes...."
Some people chuckled, anyway.
I'm an odd duck.
What about Out of Time?
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanWhat about Out of Time?
Pros: "Country Feedback" and "Texarkana," two of my very faves.
But
Automatic doesn't have an albatross-track like "Shiny Happy People" to mar it...
Quote from: godardianQuote from: Jeremy BlackmanWhat about Out of Time?
Pros: "Country Feedback" and "Texarkana," two of my very faves.
But Automatic doesn't have an albatross-track like "Shiny Happy People" to mar it...
I like "Half a World Away" and "Low," also.
In addition to the aforementioned albatross, "Radio Song," is a not-so-novel relic that really dates the album.
"Up" was shite... it was the band at a loss... "We don't have a drummer, we need a new one" - "I don't want a new one, I want our old one" - "Let's use a drum machine"
Automatic for the People is a fine album, but I don't understand how it can be held over Document and New Adventures in HiFI
Quote"Up" was shite... it was the band at a loss... "We don't have a drummer, we need a new one" - "I don't want a new one, I want our old one" - "Let's use a drum machine"
what an ignorant, baseless comment. i demand clarification. what makes you think that. can you support that statement whatsoever?
I think he's right about that...
Quote from: Pas RapportI think he's right about that...
how?
Quote from: Pas Rapport
Ridiculous. REM is waaaayyyy UNDERrated.
No, they're not. They're commonly regarded as in the absolute top tier of American bands of the last 20 years. Top Five easily, maybe even Top Three.
Quote from: MeshQuote from: Pas Rapport
Ridiculous. REM is waaaayyyy UNDERrated.
No, they're not. They're commonly regarded as in the absolute top tier of American bands of the last 20 years. Top Five easily, maybe even Top Three.
The thing with "under" and "over" rated is that it all depends on where you are and who you hear. Remember when VH1 did their Top Songs of the past 25 years ? Eminem's Lose Yourself was number 4 god dammit. The best song of the PAST 25 YEARS was Smells Like Teen Spirit. REM was nowhere. Shit, that was the best exemple of misrating. Just thinking about that list makes me sick
Quote from: Find Your MagaliI like "Half a World Away" and "Low," also.
Yes! "Low" is one of my favorite REM songs...
Quote from: pookiethecat"Up" 's vitality as an electronic-alt experiment was way underrated, especially given how much attention "Kid A" received despite its significant borrowing from this great masterpiece.
I kind of have to disagree with that. Okay, Kid A wasn't hurt by Thom's friendship with Michael Stipe (i.e. Everything In Its Right Place). But I don't think anything on Up approaches anything on Kid A, either in vitality or originality. There are some great sounds (some of them very original, if a little Beach Boys-ish), but that might be more of a credit to Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. The lyrics are terrible though. Really, they are. Aren't they? Radiohead has great lyrics, and they don't shove them in your face like REM does with Up. Really, just jaw-droppingly tacky and stupid.
As long as Up has come up, something more interesting than Up:
"REM's Peter Buck is a confirmed fan. The last time I intereviewed Buck, he was far more interested in asking about the then-forthcoming Black Box Recorder album than he was talking about REM's Up LP." - From an article on Luke Haines in Word (UK), 06/2003.
http://xixax.com/viewtopic.php?t=1979&start=15
Also posted in "Now Playing."
n.m.e. (http://www.nme.com)
HOT NEWS!
R.E.M. have unveiled the tracklisting for their eagerly awaited new album 'AROUND THE SUN'.
The follow-up to 2001's 'Reveal' is released on October 4. It's preceded by a single, 'Leaving New York', on September 27.
Among the tracks on the album is 'Final Straw', a version of which the band made available as a download on their official website last year.
The full tracklisting is:
'Leaving New York'
'Electron Blue'
'The Outsiders'
'Make It All OK'
'Final Straw'
'I Wanted To Be Wrong'
'Wanderlust'
'Boy In The Well'
'Aftermath'
'High Speed Train'
'The Worst Joke Over'
'The Ascent Of Man'
'Around The Sun'
As previously revealed, the band will be playing five shows with Bruce Springsteen and Bright Eyes as part of the 'Vote For Change' events aimed at sparking political change in the US around the time of the US Presidential elections. Those dates are followed by a tour of North America.
The full list of shows now reads as follows:
Philadelphia (October 1) (Vote For Change)
Cleveland (2) (Vote For Change)
Ann Arbor (3) (Vote For Change)
Minneapolis (5) (Vote For Change)
Orlando (8) (Vote For Change)
Los Angeles Greek Theatre (October 13)
Santa Barbara Bowl (14)
San Francisco Greek Amphitheatre (15)
Irvine Verizon Amphitheatre (16)
Saint Louis Fox Theatre (19)
Indianapolis Murat Theatre (20)
Nashville Ryman Auditorium (22)
Atlanta Gwinnett Arena (23)
Chicago Theatre (25/26)
Akron Thomas Performing Arts Hall (27)
Boston Fleet Center (29)
Atlantic City Borgata (30)
Washington DC Constitution Hall (November 1)
New York Madison Square Garden (4)
Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena (5)
Pittsburgh Palumbo Center (7)
Toronto Hummingbird Center (9/10)
Ottawa Civic Centre (11)
Montreal Bell Centre (12)
Thunder Bay Fort Williams Gardens (14)
Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall (15)
Calgary Saddledome (17)
Seattle McCaw Hall (19/20)
Vancouver Orpheum (21)
Salt Lake City E Center (26)
Denver Fillmore (27)
European dates are expected to be announced soon.
I think Around the Sun is better than the rap it got when it came out. In anticipation of Accelerate I got it back out and was pleasantly surprised. I feel it's way too long, so while on my drive to work I came up with cutting three tracks (3/5/6) leaving a solid 10 track 42 min or so album. I can see why those 3 songs were on the album but a The Outsiders EP with some b-sides could have been a good place for those tracks. I've just been listening to those 10 in sequence, so possibly even a different order of those tracks could enhance it more.
Accelerate being constantly compared to their older material makes me want to get their back catalog. The oldest record I have is Automatic. I was always mixed on the 6 or so tracks pre-Automatic that I was familiar with, so I hadn't been interested enough to go back (or at least wanted to invest any money to do so). After listening to clips on Amazon, it seems I'm missing out on some great stuff.
Shouldn't we be talking about R.E.M.?
I'd like to reiterate my love for Out of Time. It was actually one of those formative albums I listened to growing up, so I am biased.
"Shiny Happy People" is ridiculous of course, and I even thought it was ridiculous back then, but musically, the songwriting is amazing. If a new band released a song like that, everyone would be going nuts.
My other favorites from the album:
- Endgame
- Low
- Half A World Away
- Texarkana
- 0:06–0:30 of Radio Song
I actually think "Losing My Religion" is overrated... never interested me much.
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on October 16, 2011, 01:37:03 AM
I actually think "Losing My Religion" is overrated... never interested me much.
no way. it's underrated, if anything.
"Up" is very underrated.
I fuckin love R.E.M. "Out of Time" takes me back to jr. high, when everyone started to play guitar. That and R.H.C.P.s "By the Way"
Quote from: Pubrick on October 16, 2011, 05:41:07 AM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on October 16, 2011, 01:37:03 AM
I actually think "Losing My Religion" is overrated... never interested me much.
no way. it's underrated, if anything.
It's a good song, I know that, but for some reason it hasn't quite held up for me. Maybe it's not musically interesting enough. The whole "that's me in the corner" bit is a little melodramatic, too.
Quote from: Christian on October 16, 2011, 09:20:31 AM
"Up" is very underrated.
I think Up is kind of meh, but isn't it true that it had massive influence on Radiohead as they were putting together Kid A / Amnesiac? There's also the fact that Nigel Godrich engineered Up.
Reveal might be better. "I've Been High" is great. (Though songcraft wise, that would probably work even better as a classic more acoustic R.E.M. track.) E:
found it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEmQlUGQ6io) ... weird how that nearly perfect song goes to crap at 2:45, though.