I’m going to start unconventionally in my lookback of this album. I received the cassette tape (maybe from Columbia House) as part of my ill-conceived attempts to try to listen to music that wouldn’t get the shit kicked out of me at school. So clearly, I chose REM, because what bully would even touch someone who listened to the alt music gods that were Stipe & Co.
Anyway there was this little nugget.
My parents kinda freaked out over a cartoon that didn’t even really show anything. And that kind of wanted me want to listen to it even more, if nothing than out of curiosity and rebellion. Maybe there was a hidden message in one of these songs. Maybe “shiny happy people” meant something else. Yeah, I was quite the rebel wasn’t I. Back then I remember my favorite songs off that cassette were, of course, Losing My Religion and Radio Song, in that order.
I still remember most of the album by heart, as I listened to it for a while after. It had a resurgence with me several years later when I was working with this girl who crazy liked REM. As in, she was going to marry Michael Stipe someday. (That obviously didn’t happen – she clearly should have opted for me instead.) It was then that I picked up a few more songs to listen to off the album – Half a World Away, Texarkana, and Country Feedback. And I’m going to be honest – Country Feedback was only interesting because they dropped the F-bomb in it.
Here it is 32 years later, and to celebrate its anniversary, I am giving it another listen from start to finish.
Radio Song – A very pop feel with the traditional REM “southern” sound to start the album. It’s not ironic, for those who know the band’s early works that their most commercially successful album to date at the time would be critical of the radio. The song is still okay, obviously dated, but perhaps if they can prepend or “radio” with “satellite radio” or “YouTube” it would be relevant. We haven’t come very far.
Losing My Religion – The crown jewel of the album and still one of REM’s most revered hits by many, this song still, for better or worse, is what REM is to many people. When you say the word REM, people either think pre LMR, LMR, or Post-LMR depending on when you started to like the band. The fact that this song still gets somewhat regular airplay is kind of amazing, and is a testament to the staying power this song has, or the lasting effect it had. I’m not quite sure which is worse. I think most are polarized on this song and we all pretty much know it, so I’m going to move on. Plus I think it won awards or something. So there’s that.
Okay, one more comment before we move on. The music video. I know it has a deeper meaning behind it and all, but it’s funny. It all starts out with spilled milk. Then this man is questioning everything. I was scared to spill anything for about 6 months for fear of what I might find out. Eventually I did end up spilling milk, and found out that when milk spills and you don’t clean it up, it starts to smell really bad. Not good when you’re on a date.
Low – This song never really appealed to me then, and it still doesn’t. To me he sings low, low and then lower. Part of me used to think it was about religion (I like your hands, all full of glory) but then later came to find out it was more about regret and self-reflection. Which is the opposite of shiny and happy. I tried to like it, but I just can’t. It’s boring. I can probably listen to it again and have more success when I’m having a difficult time falling asleep.
Near Wild Heaven – We’re back into pop territory. It’s a bright upbeat song that I don’t hate. I think it’s because it reminds me of happy times when I was younger and had less worries. I can be a bit of a sap for songs like this and I don’t know why. Everything tells me I should hate this song, but I don’t. I can’t really explain it. Maybe it’s because Mike Mills did the vocals on this and not Michael Stipe. Is it a coincidence? (We’re going to find out it’s, in fact, not.)
Endgame – It’s an instrumental, which was a bit refreshing. It’s like a nice break from hearing singing. I appreciate the soaring instruments that builds methodically. It reminds me of a sort of ambient music track, which I became quite fond of later in the decade and in the 2000’s.
Shiny Happy People – I don’t even know where to begin with this trainwreck. It’s almost as if someone came to them and said, “Okay look. You have to write a song that’s catchy and fruity and just overall garbage.” And Michael Stipe said “Okay. Here’s a song about throwing love around.” It’s described as Jangle Pop, and as such, probably doesn’t even belong in this article.
It’s one of those music videos that somehow actually makes the song worse than it already is. I challenge you to sleep tonight after seeing it. Kate Pierson of the B-52’s was in it, so, there’s that I guess.
Belong – I just realized that I pretty much hated almost everything about this album so far and I didn’t think I would be doing that when I took this self-assignment. But then I came to this track and realized that streak is going to continue. It’s another early 90’s sappy song with an optimistic message. There’s not much to this song other than really talking over some music. It’s almost like they needed a break after expending all their energy dancing around with Kate Pierson and shiny people, so they laid this one down next.
Half a World Away – This one is another seemingly bright song where Michael exasperates about things that aren’t happy. Loneliness and separation between people isn’t happy. Maybe that’s the reason I kind of still like it. It’s also simple, which appeals to me and has throughout the ages.
Texarkana – Another Mike Mills joint. Which means I didn’t hate it. I happen to like a lot of other Michael Stipe led songs, I guess they just aren’t on this album. I actually didn’t know Mike Mills sang this song (along with Near Wild Heaven) until a couple of decades later. Then I relistened and thought yeah. That isn’t Michael Stipe. Is it a little country with the steel guitar? Yeah, I guess so. It’s probably an homage to the city of Texarkana which is on the border to Texas and Arkansas. Listening to it a few times, it appeals to me about being apart from people you care about, and being on the road. Not that I’ve spent that much time away, but sometimes it feels like it. I should call my parents now.
Country Feedback – They forgot to put down the steel guitar. They forgot they started as a little alternative band from Athens, Georgia. They should have saved their F-word pass for a better song. Its another song about frustration and redemption. The lyrics might be beautiful, as some people put it, but the track just isn’t that good. Michael Stipe needed to get laid or something.
Me In Honey – The last track returned to the pop feeling with Kate Pierson backing him up again, so the last song must have gotten Michael laid. All is right in REM land again.
Looking on this as a whole, I was a lot more down about the whole album than I thought I would be. This leads me to one of three conclusions.
- I was in a bad mood when I wrote this (I don’t think I am though).
- My memories of this album were so much better than the music itself.
- The music itself really hasn’t stood up to evolving standards over time, and it seems dated, a relic of a bygone era that I should probably leave buried in my past just like memories of a girl named Nicole who lusted after Michael Stipe instead of me. And it wasn’t really alternative music from an alternative band.
But that (would be) just a dream.
