Music Banter - View Single Post - Talk About the Passion

Rickenbacker · 01-20-2010, 01:45 PM

no responses to the Murmur review... oh well. Up next:

Murmur [Deluxe Edition]
Reissued 2008
I.R.S. Records

2008 marked the 25th anniversary of Murmur, R.E.M.'s landmark debut LP, and thankfully for R.E.M. enthusiasts, I.R.S. Records was happy to reissue it. The 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Murmur includes the original album completely remastered, as well as a bonus disc containing a previously unreleased live show at Larry's Hide-Away in Toronto from 1983, prior to Murmur's release. The track listing is as follows.

Laughing
Pilgrimage
There She Goes Again
Seven Chinese Brothers
Talk About the Passion
Sitting Still
Harborcoat
Catapult
Gardening at Night
9-9
Just a Touch
West of the Fields
Radio Free Europe
We Walk
1,000,000
Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)

Overall, the live set is excellent. This show finds the band in a place where they don't feel they have to play any hits... because they didn't have any hits! The big problem with R.E.M.'s later, more orthodox live album "R.E.M. Live" is that it casts the band as a big successful rock band. Sure, the sound quality on R.E.M. Live is great, and the songs as good as they were in the studio, but somehow it doesn't feel "real". Live shows, even recorded ones, should feel "real", and this set is very, very real. Stipe, who at the time was known for his shyness, manages to engage the audience between songs as they shout out requests for obscure b-sides and the like. The audience here loves the band, and Stipe even comes out of his shell after some time to tartly respond "No, no, no, no, no!" after powering through a blistering "Radio Free Europe" when a group of people asks them to play "Shaking Through", an underrated Murmur classic. The Murmur songs sound incredible, as does the cover of the Velvet Underground's "There She Goes Again", the b-side to the re-released version of "Radio Free Europe". But even better than the Murmur and Chronic Town songs are those from their forthcoming album Reckoning. The recordings of "Harborcoat" and "7 Chinese Bros." are so filled with energy that it feels like the band is there. And of course there is nothing less than a stellar performance by drummer Bill Berry throughout.

By the way, the best part is where one fan yells out "BOX CARS!" and another yells out even louder "BOOOOOX CAAAAAAAARS!!"

Pure class.

Key Tracks (Click to Download): "There She Goes Again", "Seven Chinese Brothers", "Harborcoat"

(Rating is for the live set alone)

8.5/10

01-20-2010, 01:45 PM	#17 (permalink)
Rickenbacker / Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Conn Posts: 1,338	no responses to the Murmur review... oh well. Up next: Murmur [Deluxe Edition] Reissued 2008 I.R.S. Records 2008 marked the 25th anniversary of Murmur, R.E.M.'s landmark debut LP, and thankfully for R.E.M. enthusiasts, I.R.S. Records was happy to reissue it. The 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Murmur includes the original album completely remastered, as well as a bonus disc containing a previously unreleased live show at Larry's Hide-Away in Toronto from 1983, prior to Murmur's release. The track listing is as follows. Laughing Pilgrimage There She Goes Again Seven Chinese Brothers Talk About the Passion Sitting Still Harborcoat Catapult Gardening at Night 9-9 Just a Touch West of the Fields Radio Free Europe We Walk 1,000,000 Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars) Overall, the live set is excellent. This show finds the band in a place where they don't feel they have to play any hits... because they didn't have any hits! The big problem with R.E.M.'s later, more orthodox live album "R.E.M. Live" is that it casts the band as a big successful rock band. Sure, the sound quality on R.E.M. Live is great, and the songs as good as they were in the studio, but somehow it doesn't feel "real". Live shows, even recorded ones, should feel "real", and this set is very, very real. Stipe, who at the time was known for his shyness, manages to engage the audience between songs as they shout out requests for obscure b-sides and the like. The audience here loves the band, and Stipe even comes out of his shell after some time to tartly respond "No, no, no, no, no!" after powering through a blistering "Radio Free Europe" when a group of people asks them to play "Shaking Through", an underrated Murmur classic. The Murmur songs sound incredible, as does the cover of the Velvet Underground's "There She Goes Again", the b-side to the re-released version of "Radio Free Europe". But even better than the Murmur and Chronic Town songs are those from their forthcoming album Reckoning. The recordings of "Harborcoat" and "7 Chinese Bros." are so filled with energy that it feels like the band is there. And of course there is nothing less than a stellar performance by drummer Bill Berry throughout. By the way, the best part is where one fan yells out "BOX CARS!" and another yells out even louder "BOOOOOX CAAAAAAAARS!!" Pure class. Key Tracks (Click to Download): "There She Goes Again", "Seven Chinese Brothers", "Harborcoat" (Rating is for the live set alone) 8.5/10 __________________ last.fm rym Talk About the Passion - R.E.M.'s Discography Reviewed Last edited by Rickenbacker; 01-23-2010 at 08:54 AM.