Drakkar Jaune

I wanted to share this incredible find that I came across on some sketchy Russian mp3 website when I was looking for REM demos. All it said was "Михаи́л Стипенд 1983" for the credit, which piqued my interest, since that's around the release of Murmur, one of my favorite REM albums. Unfortunately, my computer now seems to be infected with quite a few viruses, rendering it almost unusable, but in the end, it was all worth it. Much credit to user Jordo for posting the other version. If I hadn't had heard that, I would have never known what this song was supposed to be. I've uploaded the file to my Soundcloud below...enjoy!

My track by track rundown: Side one – "Page side" "Finest Worksong" – Good slow groovin rocker with great bass work and vocals by Mills. The horn version sounds super cheesy to me now but I liked it back then. This song has real funk as opposed to the fake funk of "McCarthy." "Welcome to the Occupation" – One of the lamest intros ever, imho. Also very heavyhanded lyrics. Not one of my favorites, very plodding to me. "Exhuming McCarthy" – Also not so great. The faux-funk is painful to listen to now. Lyrically also heavyhanded. "Disturbance at the Heron House" – Great riff (even if it is recycled). A stone cold classic. "Strange" (Bruce Gilbert, Graham Lewis, Colin Newman, Robert Grey) – OK cover, def not super faithful to the original. "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" – Stone cold classic, backing harmony melodies are awesome, good electric guitar work and drumming. Very skankworthy song. Side two – "Leaf side" "The One I Love" – SCC. Great showcase of Stipe making the same verse words sound different each time with pauses, delivery, etc. "Fireplace" – I like it, but the "crazy world/crazy times" lyric seem a bit basic for Stipe. "Lightnin' Hopkins" – Boo. Like a Tom Waits dance remix. "King of Birds" – I liked it then and I like it now. Reminds me of "Time After Time" in a way (which I like). "Oddfellows Local 151" – Boo.

Maybe the Smiths. This would be a band that Scott might like way more than Adam.

Yeah, esp with the power chords vs riff (for "Stand"). Most definitely.

Gotta say that while I liked this album a lot the first go-around, it really doesn't hold up for me. Forgot about the terrible drum sound/reverb on "Lightnin Hopkins" and really was not feeling the fake funk on "Exhuming McCarthy". Having said that, the ep was still awesome, esp Adam's reaction to Scott positing that he liked "Romance" over the entire Document album.

The way this ep ended was amazing. Adam is so clearly way more into REM, and can't help but wax poetic.

Great ep. And GIlbert can't pronounce Scott or PFT's names for shit.

Gilbert's James Mason is better than Rich Little's, imho...

I love Paul but I swear I could google things way faster than he could!

Super stoked that Gilbert and Frank are on Earwolf. Been listening to them a long time and got very annoyed by their other Sideshow podcast ads at the ends of their episodes... This was a pretty great episode. Unfortunately we got no closer to discovering the veracity of the Cesar Romero oranges story than before. Either the Batman cast are a tightlipped crew or maybe Gilbert is hoping to make this a "real" apocryphal story...I swear most of the references online go right back to Gilbert!

https://soundcloud.c...lesplug/s-2H0DC

Scott and PFT have done their fair share of old-episode-referencing, esp on the Best Of's. Gilbert might actually top both of them in terms of his recall. The ultimate would be an ep with Scott, PFT as Alan Thicke and Gilbert going nuts.

I've checked out Gilbert's podcast since this ep (which I liked a lot--I think of Gilbert as a ridiculous over the top character like Adomian's Leykis) and this episode is mindblowing. Gilbert talking to his former boss Alan Thicke..... https://soundcloud.com/gilbertgottfried/alan-thicke-shecky-greene

I've heard of Scott and Scott, but Adam and Adam??

As one of the lads from Liverpool, it must have been difficult for Bonobos to feign surprise at all of the things Paul was pointing out on the tour.