So when you read these posts and then decide that I’m functionally handicapped, just keep in mind…It’s Really Hard to Write About Music. Bear with me.
Thanks to a couple of semi-reunions (at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame induction and a tribute show at the 40 Watt) and the release of …And I Feel Fine, a look back at the band’s work on the IRS Records label, R.E.M. has been talked about even more than usual here in their home base of Athens in recent weeks.
Over the next couple of days (weeks), I’m going to take a look back at some of the best work from one of the five greatest bands ever to exist’s albums from the IRS years.
We begin with 1983’s Murmur.
From All Music Guide:
“Leaving behind the garagey jangle pop of their first recordings, R.E.M. developed a strangely subdued variation of their trademark sound for their full-length debut album, Murmur. The songs on Murmur sound as if they've existed forever, yet they subvert folk and pop conventions by taking unpredictable twists and turns into melodic, evocative territory.”
Some Athens trivia, as per Wikipedia:
“The cover art features sepia-toned photos of a trestle and kudzu vines covering the ground and nearby trees. The trestle featured on the album's cover, originally part of the Georgia Railroad line into downtown Athens, has become something of a local landmark. Plans to demolish the trestle, now commonly referred to as the "Murmur Trestle," met with public outcry. On October 2, 2000, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission voted to save the trestle.”
Samples:
***All MP3s are for sampling purposes only and will stay up for seven days. If you like the music, buy the music. If you have any concerns about the materials posted, please e-mail me or leave a comment.***
Patrick, if you could throw the above disclaimer into the sidebar somehow, it would keep me from having to post it every time. If not, no big deal.
Radio Free Europe
Shaking Through
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