VicAjax
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2004
- Posts
- 4,622
- Likes
- 13
I've been slowly converting my CD collection to ALAC, and just imported this gem.
I haven't listened to Murmur in at least 5 years... possibly closer to 10. What a flawless album... easily one of the best debuts in the past 30 years (if you don't count their equally supurb Chronic Town EP).
I grew up in Atlanta, so R.E.M. were a hometown phenomenon even as they were becoming national stars. They were a huge part of my youth, and their mindbending ability to draw from and fuse various genres into a singular sound had a huge impact on me.
On Murmur, Stipe's surreal, often incomprehensible singing sounds like he drinks cigarette tea for breakfast every day. Combine it with Buck's jangly arpeggios and Mills's little-boy backup singing and the whole album it has a mesmerizing sense of mystery, like it was just dug up from the kudzu that overgrows its cover.
And there's not a single weak song on it. Every song seems to be better than the one before it. "Perfect Circle" is playing now. Wow.
If one were to listen to it for the first time knowing nothing about the band, you'd never be able to peg what era its from... its timeless in a way that even other masterpieces are not.
Or maybe i'm just intoxicated by nostalgia. Nahh.
I haven't listened to Murmur in at least 5 years... possibly closer to 10. What a flawless album... easily one of the best debuts in the past 30 years (if you don't count their equally supurb Chronic Town EP).
I grew up in Atlanta, so R.E.M. were a hometown phenomenon even as they were becoming national stars. They were a huge part of my youth, and their mindbending ability to draw from and fuse various genres into a singular sound had a huge impact on me.
On Murmur, Stipe's surreal, often incomprehensible singing sounds like he drinks cigarette tea for breakfast every day. Combine it with Buck's jangly arpeggios and Mills's little-boy backup singing and the whole album it has a mesmerizing sense of mystery, like it was just dug up from the kudzu that overgrows its cover.
And there's not a single weak song on it. Every song seems to be better than the one before it. "Perfect Circle" is playing now. Wow.
If one were to listen to it for the first time knowing nothing about the band, you'd never be able to peg what era its from... its timeless in a way that even other masterpieces are not.
Or maybe i'm just intoxicated by nostalgia. Nahh.