Monday, July 26, 2010

GATHERING OF GRUNTS AND GREENS: Some Guy tries to list the 40 Best R.E.M. songs. No talk of circadian rhythm, wrecking all things virtuous and true, and I think Monty got a raw deal from this ranking.

16 comments:

  1. Cecilia8:44 AM

    I'm a big time R.E.M. fan -- they're one of the few bands where I find myself stopping and actually listening to their songs, even though I've played them numerous times over the years.  Based purely on that criteria (songs I've listened to the most, that I continue to find beautiful and attention-getting, and that I continue to put on playlists and mixed cds), my top five would be:
    1."Losing My Religion" from "Out of Time"
    2. "Nightswimmimg" from "Automatic for the People"
    3. "How the West Was Won (And Where It Got Us)" from "New Adventures in Hi Fi"
    4.  "You Are the Everything" from "Green"

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  2. Cecilia8:45 AM

    Sorry -- number five got cut off.  "Drive" from "Automatic for the People"

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  3. I'm delighted to see that "Electrolite" makes the Top 5.  In part because "Monster" was not-so-good, a lot of folks disregard New Adventures In Hi-Fi, which has a lot of interesting work on it.

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  4. Benner10:02 AM

    "Drive" from Automatic didn't make the list.  Fail.

    1. Losing My Religion.
    2. Drive.
    3. Talk About the Passion.
    4. World Leader Pretend.
    5. Find the River.

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  5. Maggie10:06 AM

    Losing My Religion is one of my least favorite REM songs (which may have more to do with the video than the song), with Man on the Moon and Swan, Swan Hummingbird following closely behind. 

    Driver 8 and Fall on Me would probably top my list.  I also love  Exhuming McCarthy (from Document) and You are the Everything.  For reasons that have more to do with the memories I associate with them than with the actual song, I also have a soft spot for Nightswimming (actual swimming at night in Lake Michigan), Stand (8th grade talent show), and of course, It's the End of the World as We Know It.

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  6. isaac_spaceman11:04 AM

    This is why I could never be called an REM fan.  I completely agree (or at least mostly completely agree) with Maggie on Losing my Religion and "Swan Swan H."  My band also used to mash up "Begin the Begin" with Pink Floyd's "Time."  But REM was a much better folk band than pop band. 

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  7. The Pathetic Earthling11:17 AM

    I mostly like REM, although I find "Nightswimming" (along with "Everybody Hurts") to be downright grating.  And, "You are the Everything" was once involved in a very ill-advised and poorly targeted mixed tape.

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  8. J. Bowman11:37 AM

    I think there are quite a few 35-45 year old males made that tape. Mine also included "By My Side" by INXS. I am so glad 36-year-old me never had to meet 16-year-old me.

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  9. I've been an REM fan forever, but would have a hard time compiling a top-anything list, although I suspect "Man on the Moon" and "Fall on Me" would always be on there.  I do love "Losing my Religion" despite its over-use everywhere, and I'm happy to see Monster represented on this list. 

    I have always said that the end of Automatic for the People (Man on the Moon/Nightswimming/Find the River) is one of the best 3-song sequences anywhere.

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  10. KCosmo1:27 PM

    This list makes me happy because of Nightswimming, Fall on Me, and Pilgrimage.  Nightswimming, in particular, is one of my top X songs of all time.  (That was a non-specific X, not a roman numeral X.)

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  11. Hmm. I guess I should list five as well, though not ordered:

    Begin the Begin
    Ignoreland
    Swan Swan H
    Rockville
    Talk About the Passion

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  12. Jenn.2:23 PM

    I have set up an REM playlist containing 31 songs (plus one additional live version of Man on the Moon).  This list misses so many of the songs on my list that it's pretty amusing.  Anyway, if I had to pick my top five, in chronological order:

    South Central Rain
    Cuyahoga
    World Leader Pretend
    Find the River
    Be Mine

    That said, I absolutely adore Life's Rich Pageant, Automatic for the People, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi, and could easily have picked different representatives of those albums in place of Cuyahoga, Find the River, and Be Mine.

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  13. Anonymous7:50 AM

    I have not seen such breathlessly intese writing about rem since college.  Liked Stipe best when he was the shambling enigmatic mess who dressed in at least 3 layers and changed the lyrics to songs from show to show.

    1. So. Central Rain
    2. Radio Free Europe
    3. Talk about the passion
    4. Find the River
    5. Driver 8
    Bonus: Both the Andy Kauffman songs are very cool.

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  14. Anonymous7:52 AM

    Incidently, So. Central Rain has held up very well.  It was not my fav back in the day. It just grew on me like kudzu lo these past 25 years.

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  15. kevbo nobo7:53 AM

    hey. new PC didnt put my name in.  Damn you technology!
    /shakes fist impotently at monitor.

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  16. J. Bowman6:52 PM

    I guess I'll put up 5. Like so many others, in no particular order:

    1. Radio Free Europe
    2. You Are The Everything
    3. Nightswimming
    4. Low
    5. Shiny Happy People. I don't care what you think of it. It's a feel-good song.

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