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From:R.E.M. , A&M ,
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R.E.M.'s First Masterpiece, 1998-08-08
It's amazing how fresh and distinctive Murmur sounds nearly 25 years after its release. This was R.E.M.'s first masterpiece and every music fan should have a copy of this album in their collection and listen to it regularly. It really is that good and that important.
If you listen to their debut EP Chronic Town first, it's clear that the band was holding back a bit when they recorded that EP. Don't get me wrong, Chronic Town is great fun, but Murmur is far more advanced. It's like the band jumped directly from Algebra to Calculus.
The experimentation on Chronic Town is still here (that thunder noise on "We Walk" is really the sound of balls on a pool table) but it's dialed back just a touch so the album doesn't sound naive and gimmicky. Michael Stipe's lyrics (when you can hear them) improved tremendously between the two albums. And while all of the songs on Chronic Town sounded similar, the band purposefully gave each and every song on Murmur its own distinctive flair -- from the country-twinged "Talk About The Passion" to furious rave-ups like "Moral Kiosk" and "9-9" to folk rock numbers like "Catapult" and "Shaking Through" to the nursery-rhyme charm of "We Walk." There are no defined musical boundaries here.
Most of the songs on Murmur were written pre-Chronic Town and tucked away for the band's first full length album. Two songs ("Radio Free Europe" and "Sitting Still") had been released as a single before Chronic Town was released. "Radio Free Europe," largely at the record label's request," was remade for Murmur, while "Sitting Still" was basically the same track. Two more songs ("9-9" and "Shaking Through") were originally recorded for Chronic Town, but were set aside for Murmur. Another song ("Pilgrimage") was a demo that the band liked enough to put on the album as-is. Peter Buck claims the band knew exactly how they wanted the album to sound like, right down to the track order, before they even entered the studio. I don't know if that's true, but it's apparent the band was well-prepared for their first album.
Nearly everything is turned upside down here. This is why Murmur was so revolutionary. Most groups put the lead singer and lead guitar at the forefront -- here you hear Berry and Mills more clearly than Stipe and Buck (maybe because Berry and Mills were more accomplished musicians than Stipe or Buck). Most groups follow that strict verse-chorus-verse song structure. Here, you have several unique combinations -- like a verse-bridge-chorus, or something like "Pilgrimage," which starts with Stipe shouting the chorus from a distance. All of this, coupled with Stipe's mysterious vocals, gives Murmur its unique feel. It really is fascinating stuff.
Despite all of this mystery and deception (or maybe because of it), Murmur really grabs your attention and just doesn't let go. I can't listen to "Perfect Circle" (which is still probably the most beautiful song R.E.M. has ever recorded) without getting a tear in my eye, or "We Walk" without smiling and bobbing my head back and forth. Moody, mysterious and charming -- Murmur is simply an astounding piece of music.
2 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
Still The Best R.E.M. Album, 1998-07-27
If all you've bought from R.E.M. is newer crap like "Monster" and "New Adventures in Hi-Fi," then you are missing out on the real gems from this band. This is truly a classic album, one that has stood the test of time and will continue to do so. Every song is a masterpiece, and the feel of the album is perfectly evocative of the creeping Kudzu weed that is pictured on the cover. The lyrics are mostly indecipherable, but this allows the songs to be like gorgeous puzzle pieces that you put together according to your own interpretation. Awesome, awesome stuff, and R.E.M. has yet to top it (and probably never will).
The first and one of the best of REM's recordings, 1998-07-14
This is by far one of the best in REM's albums. Although not the first (Chronic Town EP was), this still displays some of the best raw talent there is today. Every song is a masterpiece. Be sure to buy this, especially since there is now a remaster.
2 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
classic album, 1998-06-11
While others are lauding the likes of deep purple, iron maiden, and van halen as "classic", Murmur by REM stands out as one of the most defining albums of my generation. Soft, jangly, yet driven, this album blended feel and excellent songwriting into one of the most popular bands today. This album rocks.
2 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
Great CD, 1998-06-11
Murmur is a welcome musical masterpiece. You may not understand the words, but the songs will linger in your head for years.
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