Murmur (studio album) by R.E.M.

A thoroughly enjoyable R.E.M. album that might get slightly overrated but there is still a lot to love about the music on here. They have some absolute classics on this release such as Radio Free Europe, Talk About The Passion and Sitting Still which demonstrate so much potential and are so enjoyable to listen to. The best of the tracks on here is Perfect Circle and it is possibly the greatest, or is at least my favourite, R.E.M. song of all time. It is just so rewarding and satisfying to listen to this song and I always find myself replaying it straight after finishing this album. The rest of the songs I haven't mentioned so far are pretty decent with a couple going a little beyond that which makes this a consistent and cohesive listen. However, this record only has a handful outstanding tracks and it is missing a few to be considered amongst the greatest albums of all time. Also, the style, while it is unique, does get repetitive and boring by the time you reach track 9 and this can make it feel like a drag to finish this record at times. Overall, a very good R.E.M record that has its moments where it shines but it isn't an elite level album despite how enjoyable it is to listen to.

Generally good album that shaped indie/alt rock as we know it today, but it suffers a little bit of similar sound of every track. I love Radio Free Europe and Talk About The Passion, Moral Kiosk, Perfect Circle is probably best sequence of songs on this album.

I find it quite baffling this is rated the #1 album of 1983. I enjoy R.E.M. but this isn’t even close to their best album and the fact that it’s placed over Synchronicity is insane.

From Jboy56 01/26/2022 12:06

This album pisses me off, I should be great but is not. The overall sameness of the tracks makes this a dull listen.
Definite highlights are missing. Very listenable, generally most of the songs fade to big nowhere

I don't rate this as highly as their 90s work. The album is pleasant but most of the tracks are very forgettable. Perfect Circle is excellent and is easily in my top 5 REM songs, Sitting Still is also nice, but the rest are nothing special.

strong throughout nice variant on classic rock sounds

Buen disco de REM.
Quizá un poco exagerado que sea el mejor disco de 1983.

TBC…

Album Rating:
( / )

Side one

"Radio Free Europe" – 77
"Pilgrimage" – 77
"Laughing" – 75
"Talk About the Passion" – 74
"Moral Kiosk" – 76
"Perfect Circle" –

Side two

"Catapult" –
"Sitting Still" –
"9–9" –
"Shaking Through" –
"We Walk" –
"West of the Fields" -

I still remember exactly where I was the first time I heard this album. Haunting vocals, even if I generally don’t have a clue what Stipe is saying.

REM is an interesting band because they always sound like themselves but they also reflect the era in which the album was released. Definitely a strain of early 80s New Wave tossed in with the REM DNA.

It’s hard to imagine writing a song as good as Perfect Circle this early in a band’s career.

You can definitely tell the musicians haven’t fully matured into what they would become, which might be the only downside to this record.

Not a bad album, but not one of their best. The high rank in 1983 is caused by a lack of good albums in the early 80s