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Is R.E.M. underrated by new music nerds?

I've been in a R.E.M. phase in late 2018, they kept me going through the toughest period of my life. A lot of their stuff especially in their incredible 1987-1996 run means a lot to me and have been pivotal in growing my music taste but emotion aside I think quality-wise they were one of the greatest rock band of all time, if not one the best band. I actually think this is not a hot take.

What I think is an interesting thing to discuss is how R.E.M. are relevant to new audiences of my age (I'm 20 btw) like all the music nerds that grew on the Internet (RYM or /mucore) or the music channels or profiles on YouTube and Instagram that review or examine music.

I think that in this demographic area R.E.M. are underrated or more specifically they are put inside the categories of "Gen X bands" like U2 or similar. And i think it's a shame because they have one the best musical palettes of all time provided by really skilled musicians and an incredible and eclectic vocalist and songwriter like Michael Stipe. A band that even when they became globally famous they managed to stay coherent to their sound (until at least the early 90s) and political ethic. Their material should get more recognition among younger audiences like mine considering the huge influence they had on a lot of artist.

What do you think?

seola30

Showing 3 responses by mitchagain

mitchagain
416 posts
 

+1 @yyzsantabarbara, "Mind Bomb" by THE THE is a great album. The slower and darker version of "The Beat(en) Generation" on their latest release ("The Comeback Special") better reflects the times that we are living in now, compared to when "Mind Bomb" was released in 1989.

+1 @bdp24, that's the first time I've ever seen FOSTER & LLOYD mentioned in these forums. Now, that is truly an underrated band!

As for REM, I lived in Georgia during much of their heyday. I always thought they were a good band, but not a great one. In retrospect, I'm finding that their music has not held up as well as I would've thought. Now I'm beginning to wonder if REM was The Eagles of the 1980's, a good band that happened to be in the right place at the right time.

I hate to make that comparison, knowing what Gram Parsons said about them, an all time great  diss of : "The Eagles are just a dry plastic f**k." 

mitchagain
416 posts
 

@yyzsantabarbara, it's probably not a coincidence that two of THE THE's best (and most consistent) albums were when Johhny Marr was a member of the band [Mind Bomb & Dusk].

@jcwilson makes a very good point: "they (REM) were also pivotal in showing that underground alternative bands could hit it big."

Being able to walk that tightrope between being both "cutting edge" and "commercially accessible" is tough and deserves some recognition.

mitchagain
416 posts
 

RE the U2 - Bono urban legend: even if that story is not true, it probably should be.

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