I found this brief interview with Michael Stipe and Mike Mills about the 25th anniversary reissue of Out of Time very revealing:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for- ... -1.3858028
R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
They were on Today over this last weekend and talked about a lot of stuff - pretty neat.
http://www.today.com/popculture/r-e-m-s ... re-t105169
http://www.today.com/popculture/r-e-m-s ... re-t105169
Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
One of my least favorite albums, but I will probably get it anyway. Such a great band, with every members contributions evident. Mitch Easter guided them to their best work.
Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
I agree with you that Mitch Easter was perhaps their best producer. But let's not slight Joe Boyd (Fables of the Reconstruction) and Don Gehman (Lifes Rich Pageant). In my opinion, the latter two albums are up there with Murmur among the band's greatest.rkbsound wrote:One of my least favorite albums, but I will probably get it anyway. Such a great band, with every members contributions evident. Mitch Easter guided them to their best work.
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indianation65
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Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
REM is my favorite band of all time, and it took a lot to knock KISS to #2.
I can do without "Out of Time" myself. I never cared for it, but it was/is always hard to compare the REM Warner Bros. albums to the IRS bunch. It's not even close.
Regardless, a reissue is not in order for me, but we all have our tastes don't we...
Addendum: For me, Peter Buck pickup up a Les Paul over a Rickenbacker changed the sound of the band. I liked a lot of the Warner Bros. albums, but they pale, and so does the sound.
...wisdom
I can do without "Out of Time" myself. I never cared for it, but it was/is always hard to compare the REM Warner Bros. albums to the IRS bunch. It's not even close.
Regardless, a reissue is not in order for me, but we all have our tastes don't we...
Addendum: For me, Peter Buck pickup up a Les Paul over a Rickenbacker changed the sound of the band. I liked a lot of the Warner Bros. albums, but they pale, and so does the sound.
...wisdom
Indian Folklore and Wisdom—Love, Learn, Listen
Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
Agree with Joe. The IRS stuff is wonderful. They lost me past Document.
"A Promise never Broken is a strange thing, Indeed." Kevn Kinney
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indianation65
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Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
I just clicked the link again, and reread the text...
Stipe says he hates "nostalgia, hates the idea of looking in the rear view mirror," so what is the thing to do? Hey, let's do a Reissue and talk about it!
As stated REM is my favorite band of all-time, and Stipe is my least favorite member. I think I'll pull out "Reckoning" today. I love it.
...wisdom
Stipe says he hates "nostalgia, hates the idea of looking in the rear view mirror," so what is the thing to do? Hey, let's do a Reissue and talk about it!
As stated REM is my favorite band of all-time, and Stipe is my least favorite member. I think I'll pull out "Reckoning" today. I love it.
...wisdom
Indian Folklore and Wisdom—Love, Learn, Listen
Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
Sure, but I think it's fair to allow him this self-concession in absence of new work, and in light of whatever "goodies" they're including with it.indianation65 wrote:I just clicked the link again, and reread the text...
Stipe says he hates "nostalgia, hates the idea of looking in the rear view mirror," so what is the thing to do? Hey, let's do a Reissue and talk about it!
As stated REM is my favorite band of all-time, and Stipe is my least favorite member. I think I'll pull out "Reckoning" today. I love it.
...wisdom
Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
Reckoning includes five essential R.E.M. tracks: "Harborcoat," "7 Chinese Bros.," "Pretty Persuasion," "So. Central Rain," and "Rockville." But I think the album as a whole is much more uneven than Murmur, Fables, or Lifes Rich Pageant, which I count as their three best. I think it's misleading to say that the I.R.S. years were uniformly great. Document was considerably weaker than anything that had come before; and I think if Green hadn't been such a true clunker, the last album for I.R.S. would have been recognized as the mediocre record it is.
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indianation65
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Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
Yes, everything is "opinion," and my opinion is that the entirety of "Reckoning" is greatness, not just 5 of the 10 songs, and "Document," mediocre or the worst of the IRS catalogue, hardly. "The Finest Worksong" is anthem'ish, just like "Begin the Begin," or any other anthem'ish REM song.
Yes, it's all opinion, and as for "Green" being a clunker, I wouldn't go that far because there are far worse Warner Bros./REM offerings, like "Out of Time" and "Monster."
The big difference in the two REM label offerings:
1. Stipe and his politics...snore!
2. Stipe vocal clarity
3. Buck chose a Les Paul over a Rickenbacker, and the "sound" changed.
4. Once they got to "Up," they wanted to be Radiohead, which I believe the bands were good buddies by this time, so why not "change."
...wisdom? Who knows...
Yes, it's all opinion, and as for "Green" being a clunker, I wouldn't go that far because there are far worse Warner Bros./REM offerings, like "Out of Time" and "Monster."
The big difference in the two REM label offerings:
1. Stipe and his politics...snore!
2. Stipe vocal clarity
3. Buck chose a Les Paul over a Rickenbacker, and the "sound" changed.
4. Once they got to "Up," they wanted to be Radiohead, which I believe the bands were good buddies by this time, so why not "change."
...wisdom? Who knows...
Indian Folklore and Wisdom—Love, Learn, Listen
Re: R.E.M. Out of Time Reissue
I couldn't resist sharing this hour-long interview with Mike Mills. It touches on the formation of the band and the early years, not just the Warner Bros. period:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Uq6o5RhrE
Would have liked to hear from Peter, too, but I guess you can't have it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Uq6o5RhrE
Would have liked to hear from Peter, too, but I guess you can't have it all.