'Fables of the Reconstruction' the moment it came out, back in '85, yikes, and I was pretty excited when, a short time later, I found this "Can't Get There From Here" maxi. There it was, plain as day... "Extended Mix" right on the front cover. I ran home and threw it on with the anticipation of more horns, more ahhs, more everything. Hmm, it sure sounded an awful lot like the LP version. In fact, it was exactly the same as the album. Oh, well, at least I had two B-sides that didn't appear on the new one. Well, the odds and sods 'Dead Letter Office,' released in the spring of '87, indeed, killed any reason to ever own this 12" single.
There would be many more disappointments from R.E.M to follow, but enough has been written here on that subject. I could have been lazy and ripped these two B-sides from my CD copy of 'Dead Letter Office,' but I opted to pull out my 28-year-old single. You know what? Somehow, it made me feel better. Long live vinyl!
R.E.M. - Bandwagon (mp3)
R.E.M. - Burning Hell (mp3)
10 comments:
I've always had an uneven and uneasy appreciation for R.E.M. I love so much of the very early material and lost interest in the mid/late 80's as they gained popular appreciation. Now I'm the first to admit that as bands I like achieve success I seem to lose interest in them - mainly because they aren't my little secret anymore but also because more often than not with popular aclaim comes a blanding of sound and intent. I will always be a Comsat Angels fan over a U2 fan, a Spandau Ballet fan over a Duran Duran fan.
We are cut from the same cloth, Echorich. I couldn't stomach R.E.M's jump to a major or the whole arena-rock turn of events. The first two albums are so good, however, I still consider them one of my favorite bands... even if I couldn't make it all the way through the IRS years.
Boy, we should form a club! I, too, absolutely love some early REM, but over the years I have almost come to loathe them; it's the same with U2. Why a bands later sub-par work and/or the inane posturings of their front man affect the legacy of their superior initial works is beyond me, but that's how I feel! I cannot listen to Murmur, or War, or even Achtung Baby anymore without wanting to jam an ice-pick into my ear canal. Sad sad sad...
Hi E. It's interesting U2 was brought up by you and Echorich. I also put them in the same camp with R.E.M. At least with R.E.M. I lasted through four albums. With U2, I only made it through the War/Pride single era. It's too bad you can't listen to some of these early works, but I completely get why you can't.
With U2 I was all set to love War, but in then end it was built on three singles, the best of which was a falure on these shores - Two Hearts Beat As One. By the time of Live At Red Rocks album, I knew it was ALL OVER. I give them props for getting Eno (not Lanois, ENO) for The Unforgettable Fire, but as one of my friends has opined, this was U2 just trying to make their New Gold Dream 81 82 83 84.
As for REM, I got as far as Fables Of The Recontruction and it was basically all over.
I only really rate Boy by U2 anymore. I like it's gaucheness and the fact that Bono admits that his ego is big enough to support a landslide (A Day Without Me).
Although some of their weaknesses are now more obvious than they were at the time I still pull out the first three REM albums every now and again. Saw both REM and Simple Minds supporting U2 in early eighties. All I can say for Simple Minds is that the make the decline in the others look mild..
Seamus,
If you see this and have a second, when did it all go wrong for Simple Minds? Interested in how long you stuck with them.
Not that you asked me, but I stuck with them through Sparkle in the Rain, which has not dated very well, I'm afraid. I still listen to those first 5 albums, rekindled via the box set X5 (might as well have called it "No Need To Go Any Further"), which was a terrific idea and well deserved. Here's hoping they can make as startling a comeback as OMD!
Uncle E,
Your answer is exactly the same as mine. I think there are quite a few of us out here, but I wondered if Seamus might have stuck it out a little longer. Of course, my hunch could be wrong and he may have ditched them even before Sparkle. Let's see if we get an Irish point of view.
I anxiously await his POV!
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