Pitchfork'd - R.E.M.'s Murmur gets a 10.0

PopTodd · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:58 am

jewels santana Wrote:

tofurkey and the midols Wrote:

Zombeels Wrote:

Am I the only one that think Murmur is way to overrated.

i feel that way about REM in general

i don't think they are overrated, but I think they are very much a time and place band. I don't see current or future generations geeking out over them.

I do.
Like Velvet Underground, the influence (of their early albums) extended way beyond what the sales were at the time. Had they not carried on beyond Document, or so, they would have been remembered as such.

I think that their legacy has become victim of their own success.

fuse · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:03 pm

e-stone Wrote:

from what i've read it is a widely-available bootleg from that era, so chances are it's that show....

The show is commonly called "REM Rising" in the boot circles. It's a good sounding recording and this "official" version snips four songs for the sake of fitting it on a single disc. PMifyouwant.

toots · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:04 pm

i think they've secured a place in classic rock radio 15 years from now, if they haven't already. but i'm not convinced we'll see our grandchildren wearing pre-stressed faux-vintage REM concert tees from Hot Topic come 2046

PopTodd · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:07 pm

tofurkey and the midols Wrote:

i think they've secured a place in classic rock radio 15 years from now, if they haven't already. but i'm not convinced we'll see our grandchildren wearing pre-stressed faux-vintage REM concert tees from Hot Topic come 2046

I think you underestimate the speed of nostalgia and manufactured"retro".

Sex, Drugs, and Dave · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:21 pm

I don't know, they seem to be one of the few "classic" alternative bands that doesn't seem to be making new fans and having younger generations discover them.

Even getting Modest Mouse to open their shows over the summer didn't help.

toots · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:23 pm

PopTodd Wrote:

tofurkey and the midols Wrote:

i think they've secured a place in classic rock radio 15 years from now, if they haven't already. but i'm not convinced we'll see our grandchildren wearing pre-stressed faux-vintage REM concert tees from Hot Topic come 2046

I think you underestimate the speed of nostalgia and manufactured"retro".

now that you mention it, yeah, i probably overshot that by about two and a half decades

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

i wonder the age of the duder that wrote the p-fork write up, i always assume all of their writers get fired Menudo style after age 22.

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:31 pm

tofurkey and the midols Wrote:

PopTodd Wrote:

tofurkey and the midols Wrote:

i think they've secured a place in classic rock radio 15 years from now, if they haven't already. but i'm not convinced we'll see our grandchildren wearing pre-stressed faux-vintage REM concert tees from Hot Topic come 2046

I think you underestimate the speed of nostalgia and manufactured"retro".

now that you mention it, yeah, i probably overshot that by about two and a half decades

I don't think so. I still see people with Elvis shirts, Jerry Lee Lewis shirts, Miles Davis shirts. Cool is cool is cool and REM, for a time there, were the epitome of cool, IMO.

They continually make these Top 100 albums of all time lists that guarantee they will remain in that discussion forever which assures that people who want to dig further for music will at some point discover those 80's albums.

To Dave's point, just because Lou Reed continues to put out shitty solo albums and drive away fans by the hundreds, doesn't mean kids aren't still buying Velvet Underground records and shirts.

I'm not saying that I'm going out to buy some REM merch anytime soon but in 2050 some college kid might buy a shirt with the Life's Rich Pageant album cover and think it's the coolest thing ever.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

Rick Derris Wrote:

Cool is cool is cool and REM, for a time there, were the epitome of cool, IMO.

i just don't think that cool translates, i respect REM, but no part of me thinks they are cool.

Ex Lion Tamer · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:55 pm

nobody Wrote:

My old vinyl copy will do me just fine. Still, one hell of an album that I've pulled out countless times over the years. Hate to sound like a stereotype, but these guys really did their best work early on. This album and Reckoning will always be what REM sounds like to me.

We're pretty much sympatico on this album and REM in general - not much need for anything after Document or even Life's Rich Pageant as far as I'm concerened and while I'm not usually one to buy re-issues; especially when my old vinyl copy (which still gets a pretty regular spin) still sounds fine; but the writer's description of the re-mix and especially the live album just might get me busting open my piggy bank for this one.

The Mayor of Simpleton · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:21 pm

Radcliffe Wrote:

haha - this was one of the only Pitchfork reviews I've read in months. That perfect score made it necessary to see how they backed it up - and I don't think they did.

Still, this album has been screaming out for remastering ever since the advent of compact discs. And that live set would be a sweet listen, even just for the sake of nostalgia.

MFSL did a remaster of this (and Reckoning back in the later 90s, and they blow away the originals (and, from what I hear, they blow away the vinyl as well.) They both actually have bass - like, deep, punchy bass. Apparently the albums were mastered in such a way that they thought it would have more appeal or something, not as it was actually recorded, so what you got on vinyl and CD was not even close to reflective of what it should have sounded like. The MFSL versions are worth seeking out, and while I have no idea how this new remaster will sound, I'm certain it won't better the MFSL version, but it will probably be "good enough" for most people. The live disc will likely be worth picking up the set for when the price comes down into a realistic range. $25-30, as it is right now, is way too much.

discostu · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:22 pm

Please define MFSL

EDIT - http://www.mofi.com/productcart/pc/home.asp

The Mayor of Simpleton · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:47 pm

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:07 pm

jewels santana Wrote:

Rick Derris Wrote:

Cool is cool is cool and REM, for a time there, were the epitome of cool, IMO.

i just don't think that cool translates, i respect REM, but no part of me thinks they are cool.

I'm not even sure how to respond to you.

We can agree to disagree here.

Busty Rhodes · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:25 pm

jewels santana Wrote:

Rick Derris Wrote:

Cool is cool is cool and REM, for a time there, were the epitome of cool, IMO.

i just don't think that cool translates, i respect REM, but no part of me thinks they are cool.

I thought he said they were cool, not are.

And they were.

Ex Lion Tamer · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:25 pm

The Mayor of Simpleton Wrote:

Radcliffe Wrote:

haha - this was one of the only Pitchfork reviews I've read in months. That perfect score made it necessary to see how they backed it up - and I don't think they did.

Still, this album has been screaming out for remastering ever since the advent of compact discs. And that live set would be a sweet listen, even just for the sake of nostalgia.

MFSL did a remaster of this (and Reckoning back in the later 90s, and they blow away the originals (and, from what I hear, they blow away the vinyl as well.) They both actually have bass - like, deep, punchy bass. Apparently the albums were mastered in such a way that they thought it would have more appeal or something, not as it was actually recorded, so what you got on vinyl and CD was not even close to reflective of what it should have sounded like. The MFSL versions are worth seeking out, and while I have no idea how this new remaster will sound, I'm certain it won't better the MFSL version, but it will probably be "good enough" for most people. The live disc will likely be worth picking up the set for when the price comes down into a realistic range. $25-30, as it is right now, is way too much.

Now that you mention it I remember those MFSL versions. Do you know if they did a vinyl remaster as well? If I remember though the MFSLs got really expensie extremely quickly.

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:40 pm

The Mayor of Simpleton Wrote:

These look like covers for Joanna Newsom albums.

cybin · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:39 pm

Drinky for Christmas Wrote:

But how lame is it that they didn't include a remastered Chronic Town in the package? It's really the only part of Dead Letter Office worth listening to.

Meant to post this back when this thread started, but I couldn't find my camera:

[img][389:500]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r127/zippyphonic/rem_poster.jpg[/img]

e-stone · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:37 pm

just bumping to say i've been playing this in my car for the last few days and the remaster sounds fucking awesome. the live show is pretty damn good t'boot. i wish i could've seen them in their heyday....

hoping they continue with the catalog

e-stone · **Posted:** Mon May 04, 2009 12:49 pm

e-stone Wrote:

hoping they continue with the catalog

Quote:

The R.E.M. reissue campaign continues with a 25th anniversary deluxe edition of their second album, 1984's Reckoning, due out June 23 on I.R.S./A&M/UMe. Like last year's deluxe treatment of R.E.M.'s debut, Murmur, the deluxe Reckoning is a two-disc set. The second disc contains a live show taped at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on July 7, 1984 and aired on Chicago radio station WXRT. The Aragon show features eight Reckoning songs, old songs "Gardening at Night" from Chronic Town and "Radio Free Europe," "9-9" and "Sitting Still" from Murmur, and new songs "Driver 8" and "Hyena", which would show up on Fables of the Reconstruction and Lifes Rich Pageant, respectively.

180 gram vinyl versions of the reissued Reckoning and Murmur will also be released on June 23.

Dalen · **Posted:** Mon May 04, 2009 12:51 pm

180 gram vinyl versions of the reissued Reckoning and Murmur will also be released on June 23 <-----FUCK YEEEEEEEESSSS!!!!!!!!!

Danny Don't Rapp · **Joined:** Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:20 pm **Posts:** 1530

You're exactly the type of person I would expect to buy into the vinyl craze.

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

and you're the exact type of person I would expect to comment on it.

circle of life.

Fryxell · **Posted:** Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:16 am

bump 'cause it's almost 6/23.

Dalen · **Posted:** Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:28 pm

Fryxell Wrote:

bump 'cause it's almost 6/23.

ahhhhh yeah!

i pre-ordered at Amazon Vinyl a month or so ago.

http://www.amazon.com/Murmur-R-E-M/dp/B ... 023&sr=1-1

can't wait to hear it.

Pitchfork'd - R.E.M.'s Murmur gets a 10.0

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