R.E.M. Thread: TFK's all time favourite band

Heā€™d do well on here.

And him a military brat.

Talk about biting the hand that fed him.

Heā€™d fucking kill us all off in a week. Imagine if he was from Limerick?

And yet nobody considers him as much a preachy cunt a la the hewson fella.

I think that Fables of the Reconstruction may well be the best R.E.M album, despite a very difficult recording process in London where the band nearly split up. Ironically it was when they left the US they actually found their real sound of the South.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAk7bdKmeWI

Listened to Reckoning again recently.

Rediscovered this absolute gem.

https://youtu.be/gsiy1H5tIoM

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Yet another hidden gem from the Athens lads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geVEJLBx6dM

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The guysā€™ first TV performance with their first, and still arguably their best, song.

Radio Free Europe on Letterman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icGOLDJv08c

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Great tune listened to it a few times this week; first time in years

As I was waiting for a kettle to boil there about three hours ago I suddenly, for no discernible reason, thought of the REM song ā€œThe Sidewinder Sleeps Tonightā€.

The words of the chorus were always unintelligible to me - Iā€™d always been happy enough to imagine Michael Stipe was singing ā€œCominā€™ in Jamaicaā€, though I knew this couldnā€™t be right.

I decided Iā€™d do a google search to find out what the correct lyrics are, and found out that they are quite a mouthful: ā€œCall me when you try to wake her upā€.

I think ā€œComin in Jamaicaā€ would have been much better, personally.

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

I always thought it was ā€œhow will you try wake herā€.

Stuart Olding once asked Paddy Jackson this question. Jacksonā€™s answer was ā€œsurprise sexā€.

What a bunch of fags.

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Where?!

I actually went and listened to that album on spotify for the first time Tuesday morning and it was decent for the most part ā€¦ That song in particular was a stand out.

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@farmerinthecity - iā€™m going to go with Laughing as the better song actually.

Iā€™ll stick with Radio Free Europe.

Shaking Through is another cracker. In fact there isnā€™t a weak song on the album.

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https://youtu.be/bQFiVHO-B4k

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Geniusā€¦

The run from Chronic Town (1982) to Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) is part of musicā€™s Mount Rushmore. I know this emphasis is severe ā€“ in particular, on Lifes Rich Pageant (1986); in general, on the next four albums.

Butā€¦

Swan swan hummingbird is a seriously underrated track