Balkan72

Dudes - Peter Buck plays on two songs far more significant than any of the ones covered in this episode: 1. "I Will Dare" by the Replacements 2. "Madonna of the Wasps" by Robyn Hitchcock The first is one of the best songs on the best album of one of the best bands ever. The second is a also great song, and the guitar part ranks with Peter Buck's very best. Also "In the Sun" is Joseph Arthur song, not a Michael Stipe / Coldplay co-authorship. And the original is far better than the cover version.

Your revisions are unquotable unfortunately, but don't worry about it. Here's my commentary free of charge. Gardening at Night - solid, maybe I've heard it way too many times but has never quite done it for me as much as for some people. Sitting Still - acceptable alternative, but Laughing just as good and less played. Perfect Circle amazing but not at same level. Nothing wrong with any song on Murmur. Feeling Gravity's Pull - acceptable alternative (and way devalued by the podcast) Fall on Me - maybe but I've heard it too many times, can't listen to it with fresh ears any more Heron House - solid, but never one of my favs E-Bow - you may be right Country Feedback / Half a World Away - correction accepted Don't Sleep / Circus Envy - acceptable alternatives Sad Professor / Walk Unafraid - I actively dislike both of those, along with most of the record. Walk Unafraid is especially grating and maudlin. Chorus and The Ring - I used to agree but for me it hasn't stood the test of time. After not loving Up I was initially very psyched by Reveal as a return to form, but it wasn't. Boy in the Well - I guess it's ok, but Aftermath is the only track on the record I ever choose to listen to, and even then not so much. Man Sized Wreath - Disqualified by annoying "dance floor" line Hollow Man - first half of chorus is super catchy, but not enough there over all. Marlon Brando - acceptable alternative, I almost chose that one. All the Best - very good but marred but just ok lyrics - "show the kids" line is annoying. I feel like even as REM came back strong in the last two albums, the lyrics were only sometimes up to par. E.g., Discoverer almost a great song, but I dislike the "finesse / mess" part.

Also, the top ten lists are all wrong. Here are the best tracks on each record: Chronic Town: 1,000,000 Murmur: Laughing Reckoning: Harborcoat / Letter Never Sent (tie) Fables: Kohoutek Pageant: These Days Document: Welcome to the Occupation Green: You are the Everything Out of Time: Me in Honey Automatic: Try Not Breathe Monster: Kenneth New Adventures: New Test Leper / E-Bow / So Fast Numb / Electrolite (4-way tie) Up: Hope Reveal: Imitation of Life Around the Sun: Aftermath Accelerate: Supernatural Superserious Collapse: That Someone is You

The songs on this album are great. I agree with Adam on almost all of them. However, sonically it’s a bad recording - harsh, compressed, fatiguing and so I don’t listen to it as much as it deserves. By contrast, the rock songs on new adventures are just a much easier listen.