How Does It Feel (To Post About R.E.M.)?

swamp jazz box set said:
On first listen I like the toned down, vocals upfront feel on the new Kenneth mix. I think the over-production and volume on the guitars on Monster can be hard to digest in large quantities, like eating 12 pieces of heavy, sugary cake in one sitting. I'm excited to listen to the new mix in full.
Click to expand...
Me with the original version of the Scary One...

giphy.gif


The remix of Kenneth just isn't carb-loaded enough for me to compare to the original.
 
swamp jazz box set said:
On first listen I like the toned down, vocals upfront feel on the new Kenneth mix. I think the over-production and volume on the guitars on Monster can be hard to digest in large quantities, like eating 12 pieces of heavy, sugary cake in one sitting. I'm excited to listen to the new mix in full.
Click to expand...
No ones going to mention the absence of the tremolo guitar? :)

It's like he remixed it specifically for Scott Aukermam.
 
Space Wanderer said:
Taking out the tremolo is one thing - but I won't stand for cutting out two "I couldn't understaaaaaaand"s and one "don't fuck with me" from the end of the song.
Click to expand...
Yeah not sure why that was chopped off the end, but I’m 100% OK with the tremolo being cut, even if it’s the most iconic part of the song for some. I like how the vocals are pushed up a touch more too. I think it’s a solid remix and it’ll be interesting to hear the whole thing. Supposedly, the record was meant to be recorded live in studio and have as little overdubs as possible, and that idea wasn’t particularly followed in the end. Thankfully, I’m not super attached to the sound of the album so I’m open to any and all changes for the remix. Plus it will be nice to upgrade from the Brazilian press I have of it... hopefully Calbi does a good job.
 
mitchwagz said:
Yeah not sure why that was chopped off the end, but I’m 100% OK with the tremolo being cut, even if it’s the most iconic part of the song for some. I like how the vocals are pushed up a touch more too. I think it’s a solid remix and it’ll be interesting to hear the whole thing. Supposedly, the record was meant to be recorded live in studio and have as little overdubs as possible, and that idea wasn’t particularly followed in the end. Thankfully, I’m not super attached to the sound of the album so I’m open to any and all changes for the remix. Plus it will be nice to upgrade from the Brazilian press I have of it... hopefully Calbi does a good job.
Click to expand...
As I noted in the Pre-Order Thread, in the last year or so I've come around to the view that the original album is a masterpiece. In particular, I think it may be the best and most consistent REM album from a songwriting perspective (which is obviously saying quite a bit) - the record is known to everyone as a giant monument of guitar effects and other oddball production choices, but that monument is built on top of twelve rock-solid rock songs. So if the remixes amount to them scraping off a few layers of distortion and gimmicks like the tremolo in What's the Frequency, and that helps people who are put off by the album's overall aesthetic appreciate how frigging good these songs are, then that'll make me happy. But rewriting the songs themselves (seriously..."don't fuck with me"? I didn't get around to listening to this remix until this afternoon and can't believe that's not all we've been talking about all day) is a different story.

I'd never heard the bit about how it was supposed to be recorded live with few overdubs - I think that would have been amazing, but 1) I actually do like the sound of the original record, 2) I think it was good for the band at that time to be pushing their boundaries and 3) that sounds a lot like the approach they ended up taking on New Adventures in Hi-Fi, so it's possible/likely that if they'd gone that route on Monster then we wouldn't have gotten the same bulletproof follow-up record.
 
Space Wanderer said:
As I noted in the Pre-Order Thread, in the last year or so I've come around to the view that the original album is a masterpiece. In particular, I think it may be the best and most consistent REM album from a songwriting perspective (which is obviously saying quite a bit) - the record is known to everyone as a giant monument of guitar effects and other oddball production choices, but that monument is built on top of twelve rock-solid rock songs. So if the remixes amount to them scraping off a few layers of distortion and gimmicks like the tremolo in What's the Frequency, and that helps people who are put off by the album's overall aesthetic appreciate how frigging good these songs are, then that'll make me happy. But rewriting the songs themselves (seriously..."don't fuck with me"? I didn't get around to listening to this remix until this afternoon and can't believe that's not all we've been talking about all day) is a different story.

I'd never heard the bit about how it was supposed to be recorded live with few overdubs - I think that would have been amazing, but 1) I actually do like the sound of the original record, 2) I think it was good for the band at that time to be pushing their boundaries and 3) that sounds a lot like the approach they ended up taking on New Adventures in Hi-Fi, so it's possible/likely that if they'd gone that route on Monster then we wouldn't have gotten the same bulletproof follow-up record.
Click to expand...
True and NAIHF is probably a top 5 REM record for me. I’m so excited to see what they do for it in 2021 but I really hate how we have to wait for that as well as reissues of Up and Reveal.
 
news.avclub.com

R.E.M. shares unreleased track to raise money for Hurricane Dorian victims

As reported by Stereogum, R.E.M. has put a previously unreleased track called “Fascinating” up for sale on Bandcamp, with all of the proceeds going to benefit the Mercy Corps’ Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the Bahamas. The Stereogum story notes that nearly 76,000 people were left homeless...
news.avclub.com news.avclub.com

Well, this is definitely a Reveal outtake that's for sure.
 
Space Wanderer said:
news.avclub.com

R.E.M. shares unreleased track to raise money for Hurricane Dorian victims

As reported by Stereogum, R.E.M. has put a previously unreleased track called “Fascinating” up for sale on Bandcamp, with all of the proceeds going to benefit the Mercy Corps’ Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the Bahamas. The Stereogum story notes that nearly 76,000 people were left homeless...
news.avclub.com news.avclub.com

Well, this is definitely a Reveal outtake that's for sure.
Click to expand...

Reveal is my favorite post-Berry album by a country mile.
 
dbarila said:
No ones going to mention the absence of the tremolo guitar? :)

It's like he remixed it specifically for Scott Aukermam.
Click to expand...
hlaveta said:
It's not the same song for me without that tremolo.
Click to expand...
Space Wanderer said:
Taking out the tremolo is one thing - but I won't stand for cutting out two "I couldn't understaaaaaaand"s and one "don't fuck with me" from the end of the song.
Click to expand...

I am torn down the middle.
On the one hand, the new mix sounds WAY better and I love the overall clarity of everything.
On the other hand, I don't like the revisionist history of removing parts of the song that would be considered either iconic (the tremolo guitar) or part of the form (two lines of lyric at the end).
I don't know...
Good thing I ordered the 2xLP version.

As thrilled as I am that I will finally be able to hear and decipher the lyrics to some of my favorite songs on the album ("Circus Envy," I am looking at you), I just hope they don't pull something like this with New Adventures In Hi-Fi or Up when the time comes because, and I know I am in the minority here, Monster began a string for me of my three favorite R.E.M. albums back to back to back and I'm not sure either of those albums could be improved upon.
 
MadLucas said:
I am torn down the middle.
On the one hand, the new mix sounds WAY better and I love the overall clarity of everything.
On the other hand, I don't like the revisionist history of removing parts of the song that would be considered either iconic (the tremolo guitar) or part of the form (two lines of lyric at the end).
I don't know...
Good thing I ordered the 2xLP version.

As thrilled as I am that I will finally be able to hear and decipher the lyrics to some of my favorite songs on the album ("Circus Envy," I am looking at you), I just hope they don't pull something like this with New Adventures In Hi-Fi or Up when the time comes because, and I know I am in the minority here, Monster began a string for me of my three favorite R.E.M. albums back to back to back and I'm not sure either of those albums could be improved upon.
Click to expand...
With respect to the lyrics, it has occurred to me that we might be listening to a "radio edit" that isn't labeled as such on Spotify or whatever. Possible that the version on the remixed LP will still include my beloved f-word.
 
Ok someone please help me out here. If I understand correctly, the 25th Anniversary expanded has 2 LPs. The original mix remastered, and the remix with the new up front vocals, taking out the tremolo, etc. Is that correct? I really want a remastered but the original mix with the distortion and heavy guitar sound etc that currently I only have on CD.
 
marshall said:
Ok someone please help me out here. If I understand correctly, the 25th Anniversary expanded has 2 LPs. The original mix remastered, and the remix with the new up front vocals, taking out the tremolo, etc. Is that correct? I really want a remastered but the original mix with the distortion and heavy guitar sound etc that currently I only have on CD.
Click to expand...
There's a single lp with just the remastered original album too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top