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Post by singingsparrow on Jan 26, 2011 18:02:50 GMT -5
Accelerate benefited from being billed as R.E.M.'s "comeback" album (and actually outsold its predecessor stateside!), and I think there would need to be a similar hype to sustain them for this album. I think the only way they'll be able to sustain that hype is if they tour more aggressively, frankly. R.E.M. have never been much of a touring band since as far back as their I.R.S. years, when they did tour heavily. Ever since they established themselves on Warner Brothers Records, however, they really have only had a small handful of major tours. They didn't tour at all between the "Out of Time" and "Monster" eras, for one. And from what I'm hearing, it doesn't seem like they're going to go out of their way to tour this era. That was their main Achilles heel during the peak of their popularity, and it caught up to them eventually. I think the shifting winds of Alternative music's influence on Mainstream Top 40 (which disfavored the band) and Berry's departure demoralizing the band are surely the two main reasons the band's stature has declined over the past fifteen years, but had they toured more frequently then I think it's likely they would have maintained a greater level of popularity to this day. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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Post by The Party Captain on Jan 26, 2011 18:52:02 GMT -5
fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2091382Yeah they're not touring this time. Another reason they're not that popular is they've had to stick to their guns. Just about every experimentation they've tried has been frowned upon. It's the law of diminishing returns.
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Post by singingsparrow on Jan 26, 2011 20:57:15 GMT -5
fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2091382Yeah they're not touring this time. Another reason they're not that popular is they've had to stick to their guns. Just about every experimentation they've tried has been frowned upon. It's the law of diminishing returns. I don't find that true. Since they've always been defined as a quintessential alternative band, it was inevitable they were going to hemorrhage commercial momentum when the bubble burst. I certainly won't argue their post-Berry days have wielded weak to underwhelming sales, but I don't think it necessarily has to do with their experimentation eliciting frowns. In fact, "Reveal" was heralded by most critics at the time of its release for just that, and even many fans have admitted openly in fan clubs that it is among their strongest offerings to date for the lyrical maturity and warm production. "Up", also, despite its lukewarm initial reaction, has grown on many since, and it is now seen as a key contributing influence to Radiohead's experimental transition. "Around The Sun" is their only experimental foray that has been heavily lambasted. I think the first two post-Berry releases floundered commercially because, above all else, alternative radio's clout was declining heavily and the band did not actively promote the material. To give credence to the former argument, it's important to keep in mind their decline actually began with the last album Berry contributed to, "New Adventures In Hi-Fi"............which was both critically-acclaimed upon its release and has been cited as one of their best albums constantly ever since for its raw production and musical diversity. "Accelerate" resonated more because it had an air of nostalgia to it that sounded like the days prior to Berry's departure. Many fans had essentially stopped paying attention to them for a stretch of time but still wished them well and would peek in time to time, and it was then where, after wishing for so long for the band to return to a straight-up band dynamic, that their interest was revived considerably. Thus the improved sales figures, even amidst an overall decline in record sales year-by-year. I'm predicting this release will all but certainly sell less than "Accelerate", but I do think will outsell "Around The Sun" at least, for the reason being it is accessible to many of their fans who had been pining for a return to form, and will purchase the album by default alone. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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Post by Shadows in the Dark on Jan 27, 2011 0:14:56 GMT -5
They're at #56 with a +82 bullet - Maybe it can reach the peak of Supernatural Superserious.
That said, not a big fan of this one.
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Post by singingsparrow on Jan 27, 2011 1:27:53 GMT -5
They're at #56 with a +82 bullet - Maybe it can reach the peak of Supernatural Superserious. That said, not a big fan of this one. I think the chorus is the only part of the song that stands out. The verses are flat and lack any kind of bounce or driving force to them. I also don't like the build-up into the chorus with the repetitive mentioning of the title. Also, I liked "Discoverer" quite a bit in that Stipe's vocals benefited from the reverb and an almost gypsy-like musical flow where, even when some of the lyrics sounded nonsensical to you like the turmeric and brass one, you still followed along. Here, Stipe's vocals struggle to rise above the melody. This will chart Alternative, but that's not saying much really. I happen to believe "It Happened Today" would have made a much stronger lead single, in spite of the two-minute long coda. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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shanas
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Post by shanas on Jan 27, 2011 23:12:49 GMT -5
Lisp
you mention their album sales
have you got the numbers of the releases you have mentioned on hand at all ?
would love to see the figures since Monster onwards
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shanas
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Post by shanas on Jan 27, 2011 23:15:14 GMT -5
as for this track it's growing on me but no-where near as good as anything they released off Accelerate
I've always liked Mike Mills's backing vocals and it's an area of this song I like during the chorus
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Post by The Party Captain on Jan 28, 2011 2:02:57 GMT -5
I myself thought SS was the only standout track on Accelerate. The rest of it was kinda dull. Some was annoying (Man-Sized Wreath). "Until The Day Is Done" was pretty good, too.
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HereIsGone
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Post by HereIsGone on Jan 28, 2011 10:24:32 GMT -5
Aah...off-topic for this conversation but I've had the chorus of this song stuck in my head all day.
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Post by American Idiot on Mar 7, 2011 19:50:37 GMT -5
I just listened to the new album and man this is easily the worst R.E.M. album I have heard. I'm VERY disappointed to say the least since quite a few of their earlier albums are still some of my all-time favorites. There are some decent songs, but not much seems to stick out at all. Obviously they're not going to get much or if any play at all on Alternative. I can't think of any format that would play them now. Honestly, Classic Rock should give them a try.
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Devin
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Post by Devin on Mar 7, 2011 20:20:00 GMT -5
^ They're Top 10 on Triple A (I think, or at least very close to Top 10). That's probably the only format that fully supports them nowadays.
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Post by Walking Contradiction on Mar 7, 2011 21:08:42 GMT -5
I think this is the worst single they've ever released. And "Discoverer" isn't much better. Not sure if I even want to bother with the album.
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atlantaboy
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Post by atlantaboy on Mar 7, 2011 21:41:21 GMT -5
Honestly, Classic Rock should give them a try. I kind of feel like Classic Rock is too "working class" for R. E. M.
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Pipa
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Post by Pipa on Mar 7, 2011 22:23:37 GMT -5
The general consensus is that this song is weak. I for one love it.
"Bad Day" and the "Around the Sun" album were their weakest efforts IMO.
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Post by American Idiot on Mar 7, 2011 22:49:49 GMT -5
^ They're Top 10 on Triple A (I think, or at least very close to Top 10). That's probably the only format that fully supports them nowadays. I completely forgot about the Triple A format, which makes perfect sense now that I think about it that they'd succeed there. Hot AC just seems too suited for modern day Pop and lighter mid-late 90s Alternative Rock bands that are still around, which I guess they do fall into, but they had some of their bigger hits in the earlier part of the decade. Yeah, Classic Rock doesn't really fit them either as they haven't been around THAT long and anyone from the late 80s/early 90s that is now played on Classic Rock stations has to be one of the big grunge bands or Metallica.
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Post by Walking Contradiction on Mar 7, 2011 23:40:59 GMT -5
At least here in New York, R.E.M. gets some classic rock radio airplay on WAXQ. They also get played frequently on WRXP, which is officially a AAA station, but is really more of a gold-based Alternative that will occasionally play a Tom Petty or AC/DC track.
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Post by singingsparrow on Mar 8, 2011 22:18:48 GMT -5
I just listened to the new album and man this is easily the worst R.E.M. album I have heard. I'm VERY disappointed to say the least since quite a few of their earlier albums are still some of my all-time favorites. There are some decent songs, but not much seems to stick out at all. Obviously they're not going to get much or if any play at all on Alternative. I can't think of any format that would play them now. Honestly, Classic Rock should give them a try. I respectfully disagree strongly. Regardless of what they would churn out, this album would inevitably draw tireless comparisons to all their previous material and complains that this effort "doesn't hold a candle up to _____ and _____ and _____." Stipe simply isn't going to return to mumbling lyrics, where it would look blatantly approximating if he ever dared. Their drumming simply isn't ever going to be the same again, as it is much more militant and straight-forward now. College listeners have evolved in their preferred tastes just as the band has. Anyone can compare their more recent material to their earliest material all they want, but it doesn't change the reality that, ultimately, it is how the album stands on its own that is most important..............and I think this is a better-than-decent offering. What I will say is that my main critique of the record is its compression. It's marred, along with other great records like Miranda Lambert's "Revolution", by the "loudness wars" atrocity. Thus, no matter what, as satisfying as the record truly is to my ears............it nonetheless makes for a diminished listening experience. But the songs themselves, overall, are much welcomed. I actually think "Mine Smell Like Honey" is a throwaway and the weakest moment on the record, frankly. It sounds like a more jangly, optimistic relative of their previous lead single "Supernatural Serious". I also never got into "Uberlin". Beyond that, though, I love the energetic guitars and meter-transcending excitement to Stipe's vocals in "Discoverer", the rawness of "All The Best", the playful infectiousness and arena-ready energy of "Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter", the vintage feeling of joy you gather from "That Someone Is You" and find "Walk It Back" the most compelling ballad the band has released since "At My Most Beautiful", particularly with Stipe's understated vocal. There may surely be some selective borrowing from other eras throughout the record, but it's naturally what happens when you're this deep into your recording career. Nostalgia will inevitably creep in in some fashion, and for what it's worth, R.E.M. utilizes their previous moments of glory well in the most part. "Collapse Into Now", on its own merit, is a rather decent record. So what if it holds a light to their earliest material or not? Especially for a band entering their fourth decade in active existence, it's quite amazing they can compose material this listenable to begin with, let alone actually be together to do so. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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Post by singingsparrow on Mar 8, 2011 22:20:56 GMT -5
^ They're Top 10 on Triple A (I think, or at least very close to Top 10). That's probably the only format that fully supports them nowadays. Even there, they've hemorrhaged stature. Each of their lead singles since "Up" had epic debuts and shot straight to #1 in an instant there. In contrast, "Mine Smell Like Honey" is over a month into its chart run there and is struggling to remain intact in the format's Top Ten. They're on the verge of becoming homeless, essentially, as far as radio format is concerned. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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atlantaboy
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Post by atlantaboy on Mar 9, 2011 17:10:24 GMT -5
^ They're Top 10 on Triple A (I think, or at least very close to Top 10). That's probably the only format that fully supports them nowadays. Even there, they've hemorrhaged stature. Each of their lead singles since "Up" had epic debuts and shot straight to #1 in an instant there. In contrast, "Mine Smell Like Honey" is over a month into its chart run there and is struggling to remain intact in the format's Top Ten. They're on the verge of becoming homeless, essentially, as far as radio format is concerned. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus You gotta take the song into consideration though - I don't think there's any format that'll automatically rocket a band to #1 with every lead single they put out I mean, this track is alright, but it's essentially the same lead single they've been putting out from CD after CD, and the title/hook is pretty bizarre
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Post by singingsparrow on Mar 9, 2011 18:22:15 GMT -5
Even there, they've hemorrhaged stature. Each of their lead singles since "Up" had epic debuts and shot straight to #1 in an instant there. In contrast, "Mine Smell Like Honey" is over a month into its chart run there and is struggling to remain intact in the format's Top Ten. They're on the verge of becoming homeless, essentially, as far as radio format is concerned. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus You gotta take the song into consideration though - I don't think there's any format that'll automatically rocket a band to #1 with every lead single they put out I mean, this track is alright, but it's essentially the same lead single they've been putting out from CD after CD, and the title/hook is pretty bizarre Yet "Imitation of Life" sounded virtually identical to "Driver 8" and that didn't stop it from becoming a decisive hit there. Beyond that, I don't necessarily think their lead singles have all sounded the same. We can poke at "Around The Sun" all we want, but at least give credit to "Leaving New York" for sounding much more moody and ballad-like for a lead single (with the possible exception of "Losing My Religion", which I actually consider more a slower mid-tempo than a ballad, have they EVER released a ballad as a lead single?). "Drive" was dark and minimalist, followed by the loud and completely straight-forward "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" followed by the slam-poetry dirge "E-Bow The Letter"..............I just don't necessarily buy the argument that their lead singles all sound identical, aside from several exceptions. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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atlantaboy
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Post by atlantaboy on Mar 9, 2011 19:10:37 GMT -5
You gotta take the song into consideration though - I don't think there's any format that'll automatically rocket a band to #1 with every lead single they put out I mean, this track is alright, but it's essentially the same lead single they've been putting out from CD after CD, and the title/hook is pretty bizarre Yet "Imitation of Life" sounded virtually identical to "Driver 8" and that didn't stop it from becoming a decisive hit there. That's cause Driver 8 was never a single, though (so your average listener didn't know it) I don't know, to me this sounds pretty similar to Supernatural Superserious, Imitiation Of Life, and The Great Beyond (actually also Bang And Blame) I think the only reason SS charted well on Alt. and AAA was cause it had been such a long time since R. E. M. had a hit - if it had come out a year or two after IOL, I think it would've had some trouble
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Post by Walking Contradiction on Mar 9, 2011 19:17:29 GMT -5
To me, the only lead single this sounds remotely similar to is "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?", and maybe to a lesser extent "Supernatural Superserious". But it's not nearly as good as either.
For the record, "Driver 8" WAS a single.
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pen
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Post by pen on Mar 9, 2011 19:23:22 GMT -5
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atlantaboy
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Post by atlantaboy on Mar 9, 2011 19:23:29 GMT -5
For the record, "Driver 8" WAS a single. It never charted (on Alternative)... EDIT: Whoops it charted on Mainstream Rock in 1985 I guess (before there was an Alt. chart)
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halo19
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Post by halo19 on Mar 9, 2011 20:22:09 GMT -5
For the record, "Driver 8" WAS a single. It never charted (on Alternative)... EDIT: Whoops it charted on Mainstream Rock in 1985 I guess (before there was an Alt. chart) The group's pre- Green discography was screwed statistically because of the fact. I think there was also a promo for Reckoning's "Pretty Persuasion." There's a site that shows WLIR's screamers, and that one was there well before "So. Central Rain." As for the Triple A performance, I think it's proof that this songs is honestly rather weak. I could see R.E.M. doing an entire album of better songs.
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Post by singingsparrow on Mar 9, 2011 22:59:03 GMT -5
It never charted (on Alternative)... EDIT: Whoops it charted on Mainstream Rock in 1985 I guess (before there was an Alt. chart) The group's pre- Green discography was screwed statistically because of the fact. I think there was also a promo for Reckoning's "Pretty Persuasion." There's a site that shows WLIR's screamers, and that one was there well before "So. Central Rain." As for the Triple A performance, I think it's proof that this songs is honestly rather weak. I could see R.E.M. doing an entire album of better songs. And they have.............which is called "Collapse Into Now"! Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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Nicholas2.0
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Post by Nicholas2.0 on Mar 13, 2011 3:05:34 GMT -5
I respectfully disagree strongly. Regardless of what they would churn out, this album would inevitably draw tireless comparisons to all their previous material and complains that this effort "doesn't hold a candle up to _____ and _____ and _____." Stipe simply isn't going to return to mumbling lyrics, where it would look blatantly approximating if he ever dared. Their drumming simply isn't ever going to be the same again, as it is much more militant and straight-forward now. College listeners have evolved in their preferred tastes just as the band has. Anyone can compare their more recent material to their earliest material all they want, but it doesn't change the reality that, ultimately, it is how the album stands on its own that is most important..............and I think this is a better-than-decent offering. What I will say is that my main critique of the record is its compression. It's marred, along with other great records like Miranda Lambert's "Revolution", by the "loudness wars" atrocity. Thus, no matter what, as satisfying as the record truly is to my ears............it nonetheless makes for a diminished listening experience. But the songs themselves, overall, are much welcomed. I actually think "Mine Smell Like Honey" is a throwaway and the weakest moment on the record, frankly. It sounds like a more jangly, optimistic relative of their previous lead single "Supernatural Serious". I also never got into "Uberlin". Beyond that, though, I love the energetic guitars and meter-transcending excitement to Stipe's vocals in "Discoverer", the rawness of "All The Best", the playful infectiousness and arena-ready energy of "Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter", the vintage feeling of joy you gather from "That Someone Is You" and find "Walk It Back" the most compelling ballad the band has released since "At My Most Beautiful", particularly with Stipe's understated vocal. There may surely be some selective borrowing from other eras throughout the record, but it's naturally what happens when you're this deep into your recording career. Nostalgia will inevitably creep in in some fashion, and for what it's worth, R.E.M. utilizes their previous moments of glory well in the most part. "Collapse Into Now", on its own merit, is a rather decent record. So what if it holds a light to their earliest material or not? Especially for a band entering their fourth decade in active existence, it's quite amazing they can compose material this listenable to begin with, let alone actually be together to do so. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus Do you write reviews professionally? You should. I know you've been around these parts at least as long as I have, and I've always respected your opinion, but recently, I must say I've found myself really enjoying and looking forward to what you have to say in any song topic in this forum. More so than ever before.
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atlantaboy
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Post by atlantaboy on Mar 13, 2011 12:30:07 GMT -5
^Lisping H publishes professional reviews (I'm almost positive) - he's the man!
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Nick
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Post by Nick on Mar 13, 2011 12:55:05 GMT -5
I find myself liking this album the more I hear it. Hoping for a top 5 debut on this coming week's album chart.
I kind of wish Kate Pierson was doing the backing vocals on "Alligator....".
Loved "Me in Honey" and "Shiny Happy People" back in the day.
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pen
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Post by pen on Sept 21, 2011 13:19:52 GMT -5
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