R.E.M. - "Collapse Into Now"

[dtram]

Bot overall. far effin better than I dared imagine 15 albums and 30 years in. Really hope the positive response from fans and critics inspires a tour. Living in Seattle it would be very conceivable to see Eddie Vedder joining them for "It Happened Today".

 

No doubt, I cant believe they had this in them, as I said before. Dont hold your breath for a tour. Mills basically said it was JMS who didn't want to go out. Seems to Buck and Mills would pretty much tour whenever, but it's Stipes call, which is fair considering how much work it has to be for him.

 

Like I said before, I'm kind of 50/50 on the whole tour thing. Love seeing them but have seen them so much that I can live with no tour. And lateley, I think they are still a great live band but I feel they have the worst paced sets of any good band I know of. Slow song (2 minute break to change instruments) loud song (2 minute break to change instruments) etc. No flow.

[Analogman]

Agree on the "Life's Rich Pageant" reference or parts of "NAIHF". The trouble with "Monster" is that despite its claim it rarely rocks. Absolutely loving "Collapse into Now" now I have listened to it 10 + times. Again no prizes for originality but lots of energy and more hooks than a butcher's shop

 

I like the song Strange Currencies - that is about it.

[dtram]

I like the song Strange Currencies - that is about it.

I always thought it was ashame that once they decided to make it a single, they shorted the title. The original title, With Love Come Strange Currencies was much cooler imo but I guess not very top 40 friendly. Surprised you dont like Kenneth.

[Analogman]

I always thought it was ashame that once they decided to make it a single, they shorted the title. The original title, With Love Come Strange Currencies was much cooler imo but I guess not very top 40 friendly. Surprised you dont like Kenneth.

 

That album sounds out of key, or musically out of time, or something like that.

[dtram]

That album sounds out of key, or musically out of time, or something like that.

That's why they called Out of Time out of time, beacuse it was so different than what was popular then.

 

My problem with Monster is that they got so focused on making a loud record, the kind of forgot to write great songs. I actually like the record if I'm in the right mood for it as they did do a good job capturing a mood. Stipe just got so wrapped up in this glam personna that he turned in what is probably his weakest collection of melodies.

 

And make no mistake, the key to the band has always been him. Yes the other guys help make the sound what it is but without his amazing melodic talent, listen to their instrumental demos and then what he does to them, we aren't on this thread now.

[Analogman]

I think I meant to say the song What's The Frequency, Kenneth? sounds disjointed.

[dtram]

I think I meant to say the song What's The Frequency, Kenneth? sounds disjointed.

Really? Well, mills did suffer appendicitis during it's recording and they say you can hear the song slow down at the end although i never noticed it. I remember hearing Kenneth when it came out and thinking, wow, if monster is half as good as this song we have a classic. Unfortunately is was half as good, IMO, and it's not quite a classic. Is a good record while engaging in a little of the old in out, in out if you hear what I'm saying.

[dtram]

No afraid I am a luddite on this stuff. Can't wait until Tuesday. Agree on "Everyday is Yours To Win". Find the part where the lead guitar and Mill's backing vocals come in kinda clunky and clumsy relative to the rest of the song. Bot overall. far effin better than I dared imagine 15 albums and 30 years in. Really hope the positive response from fans and critics inspires a tour. Living in Seattle it would be very conceivable to see Eddie Vedder joining them for "It Happened Today".

There's a flac of the record on demonoid.me and bunch of mp3 rips, sounds much better.

[auctioneer69]

That's why they called Out of Time out of time, beacuse it was so different than what was popular then.

 

My problem with Monster is that they got so focused on making a loud record, the kind of forgot to write great songs. I actually like the record if I'm in the right mood for it as they did do a good job capturing a mood. Stipe just got so wrapped up in this glam personna that he turned in what is probably his weakest collection of melodies.

 

And make no mistake, the key to the band has always been him. Yes the other guys help make the sound what it is but without his amazing melodic talent, listen to their instrumental demos and then what he does to them, we aren't on this thread now.

 

 

Exactly. "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" turned on to be the album that Monster should have been. I'd love to have been an insider on the making of "Hi-Fi". Especially re: Michael Stipe. The ultimate product of their recording isn't complete until he comes up with the melody and lyrics. You get the impression that with "NAIHF" he must have been forced to be a lot quicker in producing both. Yet the results are so good.

[dtram]

Exactly. "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" turned on to be the album that Monster should have been. I'd love to have been an insider on the making of "Hi-Fi". Especially re: Michael Stipe. The ultimate product of their recording isn't complete until he comes up with the melody and lyrics. You get the impression that with "NAIHF" he must have been forced to be a lot quicker in producing both. Yet the results are so good.

Yeah, i thought that too at the time. I will always believe that monster was just about the worst thing they could've done at the time for their US popularity. Just about any record they did after, ATS included, would have held a lot of that audience that came on board in the 90's. Yeah, monster sold a lot, but a lot of those got played once and never again. Following it up with ebow as the first single was kind of the nail in the coffin as far as US popularity. Now maybe they don't give a shit, and on some level i think they might have gotten leary of how big they were, but it's human nature, no one wants to be less popular than they once were. They thought they could do what ever they wanted and the audience would follow but that proved to not be the case.

 

As for CIN, on about listen 6 or 7 and can't get enough, that flac rip sounds great too, so much better than stream rip.

[auctioneer69]

Yeah, i thought that too at the time. I will always believe that monster was just about the worst thing they could've done at the time for their US popularity. Just about any record they did after, ATS included, would have held a lot of that audience that came on board in the 90's. Yeah, monster sold a lot, but a lot of those got played once and never again. Following it up with ebow as the first single was kind of the nail in the coffin as far as US popularity. Now maybe they don't give a shit, and on some level i think they might have gotten leary of how big they were, but it's human nature, no one wants to be less popular than they once were. They thought they could do what ever they wanted and the audience would follow but that proved to not be the case.

 

As for CIN, on about listen 6 or 7 and can't get enough, that flac rip sounds great too, so much better than stream rip.

 

Yes it's just a really, really good record. Totally agree on R.E.M.'s career trajectory in the States. But 'eff it. At least they have stayed interesting. Someone like U2 haven't taken an artistic chance in about 15 years. Well not if you don't include the worst single of their career - the execrable "Get On Your Boots".

[dtram]

Yes it's just a really, really good record. Totally agree on R.E.M.'s career trajectory in the States. But 'eff it. At least they have stayed interesting. Someone like U2 haven't taken an artistic chance in about 15 years. Well not if you don't include the worst single of their career - the execrable "Get In Your Boots".

I definitely agree with that. Most of the post berry records were ignored but 4 of the 5 of them are really good and if you're in a sunny mood you have reveal to put on, a rocking mood, accelerate, etc.

 

As for U2, after all you cant leave behind i kinda tuned them out. It sounds to me that they aren't taking chances but without having heard them, it's not fair to say. Thats what concerns me about rem's next step. Do they get experimental again and if not, do they get lumped in with U2?

[Analogman]

Really? Well, mills did suffer appendicitis during it's recording and they say you can hear the song slow down at the end although i never noticed it. I remember hearing Kenneth when it came out and thinking, wow, if monster is half as good as this song we have a classic. Unfortunately is was half as good, IMO, and it's not quite a classic. Is a good record while engaging in a little of the old in out, in out if you hear what I'm saying.

 

I don't know - jut not my cup of tea. I like the REM that did songs about the South, and told stories. Every band changes, some older fans go along on the trip, some don't.

 

Monster was one of the last cassettes I ever bought in an actual record store.

 

I will give this new one a listen, but I doubt I will buy it.

[dtram]

I don't know - jut not my cup of tea. I like the REM that did songs about the South, and told stories. Every band changes, some older fans go along on the trip, some don't.

 

Monster was one of the last cassettes I ever bought in an actual record store.

 

I will give this new one a listen, but I doubt I will buy it.

That's fair. We all have our share of bands where theres a period we dig much more than others. Stipe could sing the phone book and I'd probably like it. Think I'll put on Voice of Harold now that i think about it:-)

[Analogman]

That's fair. We all have our share of bands where theres a period we dig much more than others. Stipe could sing the phone book and I'd probably like it. Think I'll put on Voice of Harold now that i think about it:-)

 

Cool song.

[skip]

Streaming on NPR site...best REM record i've heard in years.

[Analogman]

It's funny, just about like U2, I think at this point I like the acoustic and/or slow songs better than whatever rocking songs they come up with. At least neither band is putting out albums of cover songs. And I hope they never do.

[myboyblue]

It's funny, just about like U2, I think at this point I like the acoustic and/or slow songs better than whatever rocking songs they come up with. At least neither band is putting out albums of cover songs. And I hope they never do.

Maybe because their old.

[Analogman]

And me too.

[airtaco]

Who else thought that "That Someone Is You," based on the title alone, was gonna be a wimpy ATS-esque ballad? Turns out it's the most "punkish" moment on the record and features one of its best melodies (pulled me up like I was cartoon quicksand)

[auctioneer69]

It's funny, just about like U2, I think at this point I like the acoustic and/or slow songs better than whatever rocking songs they come up with. At least neither band is putting out albums of cover songs. And I hope they never do.

 

 

Really like the faster/loudier/rockier stuff on "Collapse Into Now". Something as good as "All The Best" or "Someone Like You" is tough to pull of this late in the game. As for U2 - can you every imagine them releasing and album and not touring.? On the contrary the have a lot more in common with the Rolling Stones now - their albums are just the launching pad for another 2 year tour designed to accrete tens of millions of euro's in their respective members pockets.

[brownie]

How does this new album have the "R.E.M. sound" ? Maybe what I think is the R.E.M. sound (from way back in the 80's) isn't really the R.E.M. sound at all.

 

I dunno....I've listened to it a couple of times now and it's doing absolutely nothing for me.

 

I was a huge R.E.M. fan back in the day....Murmur literally changed my life...but nothing on Collapse Into Now is moving me aside from the last song with Patti Smith, which is the only song standing out for me at all. It's very hard-driving (which is a style I've never thought R.E.M. was particularly good at), and there is nothing nearly as memorable as Supernatural Superserious, which is the only song I can even remember from Accelerate at this point.

 

Meh.

 

Disappointing, and I really wanted to love it, if for no other reason than to relive my youth.

 

I think my love affair with R.E.M. is over, no matter how much I keep hoping that love affair will be rekindled with each new release....it just hasn't happened since Up....

[indy81]

Yes it's just a really, really good record. Totally agree on R.E.M.'s career trajectory in the States. But 'eff it. At least they have stayed interesting. Someone like U2 haven't taken an artistic chance in about 15 years. Well not if you don't include the worst single of their career - the execrable "Get On Your Boots".

 

Sorry for the OT...it seems like you dislike the band but I'm curious if you've heard U2's last album. I thought there were several adventurous (for U2, anyway) songs on there. You can argue the album was no good, but you can't really say they weren't trying to do something different with songs like "Fez/Being Born", "Unknown Caller", etc. And to their credit, they played a huge chunk of the album live when I saw them a couple of years ago. But since the sales were relatively low, I'm sure they'll be back to the crowd-pleasing pop songs for the next album.

 

Looking forward to hearing the new REM -- I've liked their post-Berry albums (except for AROUND THE SUN) more than most. REVEAL is particularly underrated.

[auctioneer69]

Sorry for the OT...it seems like you dislike the band but I'm curious if you've heard U2's last album. I thought there were several adventurous (for U2, anyway) songs on there. You can argue the album was no good, but you can't really say they weren't trying to do something different with songs like "Fez/Being Born", "Unknown Caller", etc. And to their credit, they played a huge chunk of the album live when I saw them a couple of years ago. But since the sales were relatively low, I'm sure they'll be back to the crowd-pleasing pop songs for the next album.

 

Looking forward to hearing the new REM -- I've liked their post-Berry albums (except for AROUND THE SUN) more than most. REVEAL is particularly underrated.

 

U2 haven't taken a real artistic chance 1997 and "Pop". "NLOTH" sounds like a compromise at best between the album they might have made and the one the thought would shift the most units. First band I saw in 1983 and one of my big early musical passions. The commercial aspect of the band which has always been important to them has dominated anything they have tried to do artistically for a long time in my opinion. Even the environmental disaster that is their current tour (three stages weighing thousands of tons scuttling all over the world - completely hypocritical when Africa will probably be the biggest victim of climate change over time) is really about getting 10-20,000 more people every night to see their 2 years of shows. It's really sad to see from the band that made "The Unforgettable Fire", "The Joshua Tree", "Acthung Baby", "Zooropa","Passengers" and "Pop" which all involved taking chances big and small. I wish they'd just come clean and admit that making money is far more important to them than trying to make anything artistically interesting. I hope to be proven wrong one day soon.

[pillowy star]

How does this new album have the "R.E.M. sound" ? Maybe what I think is the R.E.M. sound (from way back in the 80's) isn't really the R.E.M. sound at all.

 

I dunno....I've listened to it a couple of times now and it's doing absolutely nothing for me.

 

I was a huge R.E.M. fan back in the day....Murmur literally changed my life...but nothing on Collapse Into Now is moving me aside from the last song with Patti Smith, which is the only song standing out for me at all. It's very hard-driving (which is a style I've never thought R.E.M. was particularly good at), and there is nothing nearly as memorable as Supernatural Superserious, which is the only song I can even remember from Accelerate at this point.

 

Meh.

 

Disappointing, and I really wanted to love it, if for no other reason than to relive my youth.

 

I think my love affair with R.E.M. is over, no matter how much I keep hoping that love affair will be rekindled with each new release....it just hasn't happened since Up....

 

You took the words right out of my mouth (apart from disagreeing on the song, for me it's "Oh my heart" that I think is really outstanding). I was having a hard time trying to put my feelings about CIN into words, but you just did it for me.

 

I am quite sad about this though