Everything is open to interpretation. That’s the beauty of things. There’s no right way or wrong way; we take what we can from what we experience. This series of posts is about the stuff that inspires me. I’m not trying to convince you – I’m just brain-dumping some fanboy love on to the page. Not everyone will agree. That’s ok.
This is one from back in the day – but it’s the ones that stick with you that can have the biggest impact. First off, try to put aside any preconceptions (misconceptions) you may have about R.E.M. This was their debut album back in 1983 and a record I first heard many years ago but after the band had reached global mammoth-ness with Losing My Religion.
The reason it’s so important to me isn’t just that I love the music and that it hit me at an important time of life – I also love what it represents. This is a true indie album. Produced by I.R.S. Records in Atlanta, Georgia, I think it stands up against any of the great indie debuts and, as the music scene has evolved in the last 30 years, I actually think it may have gained even greater recognition if it was released today instead of back in the 80s.
That’s not say that it was ignored at the time – released in the same year as Thriller and U2’s ‘War’, Rolling Stone Magazine still nominated it as their record of the year, which was pretty unusual for such a ‘small time’ release.
The band members were all around 20 years old. They lived, worked and studied in Athens and, like a lot of kids, all wanted to be in a rock band. But great musicians? Not really. Lead guitarist, Peter Buck, was such a novice that on many of the tracks Mike Mills actually plays ‘lead bass’ to make up for it. Buck learnt to play once he was in the band, not the other way round.
And Michael Stipes’ distinctive vocals that are intelligible, save for the odd recognisable phrase… was he intentionally distorting his voice? It seems as if he’s too shy to let his words ring clear and true: at this stage he’s the opposite of a confident, brash frontman. In the words of Mitch Easter, the producer:
“We put him in in front of a microphone and that was the sound he made.”
However, what they were saying was less important than how they said it. They had a raw urgency and edge that I don’t think they ever reproduced and I think few bands have achieved, while turning out such great songs too. Just like looking at a painting that you don’t entirely understand but that speaks deeply to you nonetheless, Murmur gets you on a subconscious level and doesn’t let go. Even 30 years later.
beautifulorange 
Indeed a great album! I didn’t discover it until 2 years after its release (things took time to reach Australia back then) but i was pleased when it did. It sat between to my Stiff Little Fingers and Japan collections.
Stiff Little Fingers are awesome… but I don’t even know Japan! I hadn’t listend to Murmur for 3 or 4 years but pulled it out again at the start of this year and was amazed at how fresh it still sounds.
Japan was obscure, and i think that’s putting it mildly. David Sylvian got a name for himself later but it was pure 80’s.
Great band, my favorite song from them is Bang And Blame.
I love that song too. But really love the rawness of this earlier work… it’s got a different feel from their later stuff.
It sure does. Are you a fan of the Tragically Hip? They’re the Canadian equivalent of R.E.M.
Never heard of them… I’ll have to search them out. Thanks for the tip.
This was one of those bands that really benefited from MTV’s alternative music shows. If you made it on there, you had a chance on mainstream radio. So Echo and the Bunnymen and Eurythmics, who probably would have stayed in the import only box, ended up playing the music hall or large college venues (5,000 – 10,000) That does not sound like allot, but most alternative bands played clubs and amusement parks like Astroworld. But then again without amazing bands like REM those alternative music shows would not have been that popular. 🙂
Great album from a great band.
I remember Japan! And David Sylvian’s blonde quiff! The cooler end of frilly shirts and goth-lite revivalism, all alabaster skin and dry ice. Ghosts? Quiet Life? Oh Lordy what a trip down memory lane! Not quite Siouxsie but much, much cooler than the mannerist followers that came after.