Murmur
by R.E.M.

From telefunker 03/28/2009 23:58 | #3362 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Probably the most 'atmospheric' album I've ever heard in that sense. Completely transports you to some sunny old town in the American south sometime circa 1983. Stunningly good tunes and, well, I like Stipe's voice..

From swhaze TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/26/2014 20:39 | #115365 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I know Murmur's listed in many a "best album of the 80's" list, if not "best ever," I know it was a breakthrough for a particularly progressive sound, I know people worship at the temple of Michael Stipe, but I really don't like this album. We've all got one - that album that everyone tells you is brilliant, but does absolutely nothing for you. (Edited)

From timtooky 03/08/2014 21:58 | #105722 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

i can't explain, what it exactly is - but somehow i have problems with the older rem stuff. murmur is maybe a good example. the whole album is full of cheerful songs, really nice - but with me it doesn't work out. michaels funereal vocals don't fit to the happy tunes and all songs seem to wait for something - they just don't come to life. all together not one of my favourites

I moved down to London from Birmingham in 1982 and was fortunate enough to fall in with a great bunch of people, some of whom are still friends over 40 years later.

Amongst those folks was a guy called Terry who is a couple of years older than the rest of us and who, even back then, had an awesome record collection. At the time of the release of this album he was living in a bed sit in Notting Hill. This was before the eponymous film came out and made the place trendy and priced out the locals but don’t get me started on that.

Anyway, Terry’s flat was literally a bed, a record player, speakers and his record collection.

At the time Notting Hill had more record shops than you could shake a stick at, top of the list then, as it still is today, was Rough Trade West. Always a great place to visit, chat, meet people and buy the occasional album.

Terry was a frequent visitor and one afternoon we ended up at his flat and he said that he’d been recommended an album by a new US band. He put it on and wow, it was like nothing we had ever heard,

Incoherent vocals and a sound that grabbed you from the first listen. Little did we know that they would go on to become the biggest band in the world. They were our secret back then. Changed my music listening habits from that point on.

This album brought various artists into my world like, The Wipers, Dream Syndicate, Bob Mould (Sugar, Husker Du), Rain Parade and many others (Edited)

A fun and crisp sounding album. It does seem boring at first listen but it might click after a couple listens, and it is sophisticated while still seeming simple. That being said, I still feel like it’s influence, like nirvanas nevermind, outweighs its actual musical quality. The only song that really had an effect on me was Moral Kiosk, everything else I can admire and enjoy, but it all blends together as one long chorus honestly. I also find Michael Stipes vocals leaving much to be desired, at least on this particular album. But it is a problem I have with all of REM’e music. He just stays singing in the same key and style for the whole album with hardly any variation, it feels monotonous after a while, like he is phoning in, but maybe that’s what he was going for, I couldn’t tell you. For a debut, it’s still pretty damn Impressive, if just a little overrated in my humble opinion. I have read many people’s comments saying that it became their favorite album but only after several listens, but if you ask me , if it takes more than 3 listens for you to like an album, than it’s probably just the placebo effect taking place.