REM=DEAD

[challenged]

Highlights of my REM concert days-

Theme song from Barney Miller,  Dont fear the Reaper, and other requests because they ran out of music (w/ 200 people @ a tiny place in Scotia, NY) 1981

Up front, inside a speaker @ the Boston U. gym- English Beat opened  (responsible for my tinnitus)1983

Best opener ever-  Minutemen @ The Mosque in Richmond 1985ish

Didn't get much better than the Gargoyle EP and Murmur,  as far as ANY "progressive rock" is concerned

RIP

Didn't realize you went to the Mosque show.  Small world.

[challenged]

okay, so I think I may have over-attended at 13 shows: Good Skates Roller Rink, Setauket, NY (Dream Syndicate opened and were awful); Nassau Coliseum opening for Squeeze and The English Beat, 2 GWU Smith Center Shows, 2 DAR shows, 2 Cap Center Shows, 2 Patriot Center Shows, Richmond Mosque Show, UNLV Thomas and Mack Center (Wilco opening), Merriweather Post Pavillion...

all were enjoyable shows, thanks to Seth, Rich & IMP for 9 of them...i think that REM may have been a gateway act for IMP to reach into the arena show world?

the break will be good, and I'll be at the 3 night stand of reunion shows in 5 years at 9:30...

[kosmo vinyl]

So does one unlock a badge or get a sticker from getglue for not liking beatles?  Because that's pretty much all that opinion is worth...

[Brian_Wallace]

So does one unlock a badge or get a sticker from getglue for not liking the nestles?  Because that's pretty much all that opinion is worth...

People are allowed to hate The Beatles.  I can give you 50 reasons off the top of my head and none of them involve the Magical Mystery Tour.  Sorry to upset your world view.  That's reason #1 right there:

Reason To Hate the Beatles #1:  If you hate ANY other band, no big deal.  Who cares?  But if you HATE the Beatles, it's assumed that you are being contrary or are stupid.  Beatles fans are THAT arrogant.  When in reality Beatles fans are incredibly naive and un-adventurous.  To Beatles fans, the Beatles are the ONLY band.  No band can come close.  It's a pretty pathetic way to view life.  Look at Noel Gallagher.  It's like being a fan of the Yankees.

However, The Nestles?  I LOVE the Nestles.  Especially their early stuff.  Before they sold out and became a video game.

Brian

[kosmo vinyl]

as usual a poorly broadly drawn argument from bw....

[kosmo vinyl]

I first saw R.E.M. when they opened for the English Beat and at the time I didn't know anything about them.  They left an impression, but I was far more into the Beat that night.

Saw them for at least the three tours up to and including Green.  Including one memorial night when a very drunk Replacements came out as a surprise middle act on the bill.  If the Mats intent was to win over new fans that night, they didn't do a real bang up job with it.  Set include a incredible sloppy rendition of "I only had a brain" with Paul on drums.

Think I saw them one more time after that when some friends got a chance to open for them in NJ in the late 90s.

[Thousand Made-Up Loves]

So does one unlock a badge or get a sticker from getglue for not liking beatles?  Because that's pretty much all that opinion is worth...

People under the age of 60 who are hardcore Beatles fans are big-time simpletons. I went through a Beatles phase. I was 18 and it lasted about a year, when I discovered newer, more relevant shit. That's the thing with the Beatles...they're irrelevant. Two of them are fucking dead. Yes, they'll always have being "the fucking Beatles" going for them. They helped revolutionize rock. I've listened to the second half of Abbey Road a billion times. They had some great albums. But there is just so much other great music out there, to pidgeon-hole yourself to the Beatles is just sad. It's simple shit.

[Cock Van Der Palm]

First time I saw them was opening for The Police during Murmur tour.  Last time was at Vote for Change in Philly.  I think their last great album was Document.  Losing My Religion marked their downward turn for me. 

[kosmo vinyl]

so basically the argument is that The Beatles are horrible, because they have hardcore fans.  Newsflash that argument could made about any band with a hardcore fan base. i.e. Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Wilco, Pink Floyd, Phish, GBV, etc, etc, etc.

[challenged]

pigeon-holeing is distateful to everyone, including the pigeon

the beatles are/were a great and influential band

REM are/were as well, but probably not as great or as influential

those of us on rock club "boards" not likely all that great or influential (other than James Ford)

[wml7]

Yeah, the first time I saw the Beatles live it was ok 

[Cock Van Der Palm]

How ironic, since most of  REM post Document catalogue can easily be categorized as elevator music.  On top of that there is no bigger self-righteous douche-bag than Michael Stipe, (except maybe BWallace).

R.E.M. are one of the greatest bands ever just for this quote from Michael Stipe: "?I've always referred to the Beatles as elevator music, because that's exactly what they were."

Brian

[Brian_Wallace]

How ironic, since most of  REM post Document catalogue can easily be categorized as elevator music.  On top of that there is no bigger self-righteous douche-bag than Michael Stipe, (except maybe BWallace).

Obvious.  Since Bono and Billy Corgan are still breathing.  Do you mean outrageously TALENTED, self-righteous douche-bags?  Then I agree 100% about Misters Stipe and Wallace.

The unique thing about R.E.M. is that the may be the only band whose "Critically acclaimed/Undeniably Great" period and "World Wide Popularity" period are almost mutually exclusive.  Explain to common folk what the "great, you know, great in a Pitchfork way" albums are and they may reply "You mean the one with 'Shiny Happy People' on it?".   And to the people on this message board this may seem outrageous, but later singles like "Leaving New York" and "Imitation of Life" are more recognizable and "popular" to the general population than "So. Central Rain" and "Can't Get There From Here."

And while they didn't leave on top, they really did have the best of both worlds.

Brian

[Frank Gallagher]

I don't hate the Beatles. They are just like Nirvana in the fact they were the poster boys for a genre. Plenty of other bands far superior to the Beatles within their genre but the Beatles just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The best band by far in that 60's 'Brit invasion' was without a doubt The Kinks. Dave Clark Five and Gerry and the Pacemakers I would also put above the Beatles.

Personally, I much prefer the Beatles early stuff and find their drug created shit, well.......shit. I am considering buying the Beatles compilation that is in Starbucks at the moment, so I'm not 'anti-Beatles' at all. They just weren't as good as history as led us to believe. Revolver would be my favorite album of theirs.

REM did absolutely nothing for me whatsofuckingever. And Michael Stipe is just a pretentios narsassistic douchebag who has a face you'd never get tired of kicking.

[Frank Gallagher]

How ironic, since most of  REM post Document catalogue can easily be categorized as elevator music.  On top of that there is no bigger self-righteous douche-bag than Michael Stipe, (except maybe BWallace).

R.E.M. are one of the greatest bands ever just for this quote from Michael Stipe: "?I've always referred to the Beatles as elevator music, because that's exactly what they were."

Brian

err......BONO?