) 
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
Portions of this page Copyright 1948-2008 Muze Inc. and Muze Europe Ltd. 
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.R.E.M. - Murmur (CD 1992)
| Track Listing 1. Radio Free Europe 2. Pilgrimage 3. Laughing 4. Talk About The Passion 5. Moral Kiosk 6. Perfect Circle 7. Catapult 8. Sitting Still 9. 99 10. Shaking Through 11. We Walk 12. West Of The Fields
Album Notes R.E.M.: Michael Stipe (vocals); Peter Buck (guitar); Michael Mills (bass, background vocals); Bill Berry (drums).Additional personnel: Jefferson Holt, Bertis Downs.Recorded at Reflection, Charlotte, North Carolina in January 1983.R.E.M.'s full-length debut is a landmark album that set the standard for the next 10 years of indie rock. The Athens quartet combined Byrdsy, folk-rock guitar jangle with obscurantist lyrics and a post-punk compositional sensibility to create a vibrant new sound that would soon be imitated by every high-school poet with a Rickenbacker guitar. R.E.M. was also one of the first bands to make the long, hard journey from college radio (when it was still college radio) to mainstream acceptance, and managed the difficult task of maintaining its integrity at every step along the way. MURMUR, far from an embryonic debut, shows a fully-formed unit with a strong artistic vision. (It was preceded by two legendary underground releases: The "Radio Free Europe" single--which was re-recorded for MURMUR--and the CHRONIC TOWN EP.) Producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon's lofty reputations would have remained intact even if they had never worked on another record after this one. The gentle-but-insistent arrangements and glorious pop hooks of songs like "Catapult" and "Talk About The Passion" provide the perfect contrast to Michael Stipe's earnest, moody vocal style. Drummer Bill Berry's breathless effervescence provides the perfect backdrop for this album of jumpy, intellectual pop. Editorial Reviews Rolling Stone Magazine (11/01/1989) Alternative Press (08/01/2001) Rolling Stone (11/01/1989) | |||||||||||||
Reviews  Talk About the PassionReview created: 06/04/08 by:  Twenty-five years old this year and REM’s ‘Murmur’ still sounds as fresh as a daisy. Remarkably accomplished for a debut album, because the band had already honed its sound with considerable touring and recording, REM’s blend of 1960s-style jangle pop beefed up with a post-punk sensibility and suffused with Deep South mysticism was a winning and influential formula. Tracks like ‘Talk About the Passion’, ‘Radio Free Europe’ and ‘Perfect Circle’ are so brilliant and well-loved as to be almost part of our musical DNA, but the album’s less-celebrated cuts also delight. I love ‘Shaking Through’ with its soulful, piano-driven melody; ‘Catapult’s’ simply joyful catchy singalong; ‘West of the Fields’s murky mysticism and ‘ 9-9’s’ edgy, babbling backing vocal track which recalls the Velvet Underground’s ‘Murder Mystery’. As REM progressed through its stellar catalogue of music the band undoubtedly delivered more mature and confident records with superior compositional acumen but the freshness and sheer joy of music that suffuses ‘Murmur’ makes it one of their very best, which means it must be one of the best albums of all time. Review ID: 10000000006541388 Was this review helpful? Report this review |
 |
Buy this item
Related items
About eBay | Announcements | Safety Centre | Partner Centre | VeRO Protecting IP | Policies | Feedback Forum | Site Map | Help | |
Copyright © 1995-2008 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
| |
