Murmur

yeah pretty good in a way its easy to the ears but forgettable cause i cant recall a single song ive listened to yesterday

For a band that's widely considered to have birthed alternative rock in its most contemporary form, R.E.M. has never quite appealed to me in the traditional sense. This debut album especially is unabashedly sleepy, hypnotic, and lulling. I understand that's likely the appeal of an album like this, with Michael Stripe's performances coming off as almost dream-like - vocally and especially lyrically, but sometimes I'm left hoping for something a bit more sticky or vibrant. This mood works particularly well in a song like 'Perfect Circle', a song very predictive of the melancholic-sounding direction the genre would branch into many years later. I quite enjoy listening to this album merely as a way of pinpointing certain influences. Influential sounds, song structures, and patterns are rarely this in-your-face - it's to the point where I'm left fascinated but the rudimentary nature of these roots still leaves me wanting something more. This is one of those albums that I just don't get *yet*. It's not without its highlights though, 'We Walk', 'Shaking Through', and 'Radio Free Europe' I find very enjoyable.

Un poco rollo. Un 3, por ser REM.

Classic band not their best songs

Albumi #27, 23.08.2024 R.E.M.:n debyyttialbumi vuodelta 1983

Sounds like REM tbf. Simpsons: Yes

Started off enjoying it, liked the vibe generally but nothing stood out.

Was alright but nothing quite top notch.

very forgettable. not really my favorite genre. 80's music is mostly blah

Boat transistor on the combine Free washer on the sign Left on might go fly Wheat mango gone bye Yes, that makes as much sense as the lyrics on the album. Also, almost every song follows the exact same pattern - a jangly guitar line, driving bass line, straighforward drums, Michael Stipe singing nonsense, verse chorus verse chorus. It's also interesting and a little lame that you hear all elements of R.E.M. on this debut album. In other words, they don't evolve much (although their sound does get richer on Automatic for the People). I generally like their sound, but their albums are almost interchangeable to me. Favorite tracks: Radio Free Europe, Talk About the Passion, Moral Kiosk, West of the Fields.

I really got into REM but later than Murmur. Monster was the first album I really loved then I went backwards from there. But this was still very enjoyable.

I like it! I'll admit to being pretty distracted on my walk but the vibes were good. I think We Walk is my favorite, just cuz I'm *pretty* sure it's in 6/4. How do you rate these things 3/5?

A lot more melancholy than i remember

Not bad! Similar to the stuff they do later, but more holistic. Very one style

It's a solid first effort from R.E.M. "Radio Free Europe" was a fun opener. Here, R.E.M begun their journey. A few albums later, they improved their sound. But this album sounds like other albums from its time. 3 stars for "Murmur".

Massì.

Enjoyable.

3.1

This was probably seminal for indie music but now it is a very average REM album

Samesy

I get that R.E.M.'s debut made the list because it would have been unusual for its time, but 41 years later I don't hear anything particularly special about it. It's ok though. Something about We Walk caught my ear.

This was ok, but nothing great. I did like the radio hit "Radio Free Europe".

some of this sounds like it was recorded with a water bottle over the microphone but still good. the bass and rhythm section carry the whole thing. enjoy the glory days before REM discovered what a mandolin was

Very REM, not exactly my favourite style - but chill.

The first couple of songs are great, but the record becomes pretty homogeneous after about song 4. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the sound of it, but it could have been an EP

I'm not a big REM fan but liked this album more than I thought I would. 3.5.

The music on this album was unknown to me but is pretty good. No songs really stood out, though, other than the We Walk song.

The only remarkable thing about this record is the release date. In context, I’m sure it was a wildly revolutionary sound, but 41 years later it sounds like any other 90s alt record.

insanely strong DEBUT album??? there was a ridiculous amount of repetition and a lot of it blends together and sounds very similar, but overall a very cohesive and clean album that was moderately fun to listen to/it had great vibes/my dad would love this i think there were no BAD songs on the album but i fear it had a few tracks that were mid and boring (@ perfect circle) which were contrasted with a few really great and solid tracks (radio free europe, 9-9) 3/5 mayyybe a 2.5/5 if i'm feeling mean

Consistent quality album. Without the bangers of their later work. 7/10

A clean alternative pop/rock album. Every song is listenable, with great guitars and vocal harmonies. Lyrics are absurd af. Too jangly. Okayish. Favorites: Talk about the passion, We walk.

First time hearing these guys besides radio songs. Some good rock but nothing amazing

Great, dreamy, alternative rock. A consistent album but nothing hits the high water mark of the first track.

Not too bad, but definitely not as good as the R.E.M. album that I got a couple of weeks ago. Overall, it is a nice album that is good as a background listen.

averaging any emotional peak in both direction and still beeing worth listening is not average skill

This album was fine. Nothing really stood out to me. To their credit, R.E.M.'s sound style is very distinctive and it's clear how much it influenced music for the decade after they came on the scene.

Kicking things off with the debut album Murmur by R.E.M, I’ve always sort of known about them but have never listened to a full album until now. For starters this album does have a cozy, easygoing, and relaxed feeling to it. I enjoyed the instrumentation, and the vocals grew on me as the album progressed, and the lyrics serve their purpose, overall a decently good time! However, I don’t see myself coming back to this during any casual listening, it’s good but doesn’t wow me or excite me as much as it probably would’ve had I been there during their breakout years (as I understand they are very influential). The songs kind of bleed together near the end to me (tbf I’ve only listened to this twice now) so while enjoyable, it doesn’t leave me wanting to hear it again and again. That being said I’d be down to listen to more from the band to hear how they progressed throughout their career. Solid and enjoyable listen 👍🏻 My favorite song: Sitting Still

I always considered R.E.M a very strong group, but I have concluded that they only have quite a few hits that are really good. The rest, like this album, and the one we had one the list before that, is quite boring. Nothing that stands out or excites really. Weak 3.

This album really just passed me by. I'm not a great fan of R.E.M in general but thought this album sounded ok. "Radio Free Europe" is even a good song and the only one that stuck out as special. The rest I tried listening to multiple times during the weekend. While good to have on in the background it didn't really leave any lasting impression. We have had 3 R.E.M albums now and I think this is worse than "Automatic For The People" but better than "Document".

I can see the potential, but being more familiar with their later work makes this sound so clunky when listening to it for the first time. Maybe it's a grower...

This feels like lower-tier REM for me. They've got the nice jangly guitars and rhythms, and the usual backing 'ooh' vocals. It's all perfectly nice, it just feels a bit bland and samey to me.

Yes

Another one

song reco: radio free europe ⭐⭐⭐ overall, it was a good experience. it radiates sunday morning vibes. 🌞

Just like I remember them.

Besides the few popular REM songs I don’t think I’ve heard much else. Not bad.

Perfectly average. Nothing remarkable to note at all really but that's not necessarily bad. Great for a debut album. I enjoyed listening throughout and would listen again in the background. 6/10 (3/5)

Not used to alternative rock. Hard to grasp the words, but the album has a nice steady flow.

В целом ласкает ушки и на удивление не плохо состарился, однако вряд ли я когда-нибудь намеренно переслушал хоть один трэк из этого альбома

6/10 Прикольная, балдёжная темка. We Walk особенно зашла. Да и впринципе бодренько, можно с кайфом послушать в дороге например. Недостаток, разве что, в том, что все песни одинаковые какие-то, не очень хорошо запоминаются, мало изюминки в них. Ну а так, годно, в целом.

Bueno.

I've never gone quite this far back in R.E.M.'s discography. I also wouldn't have guessed that this was R.E.M.'s debut album if I didn't read up on it before listening. While a little understated compared to their later work, it honestly still sounds pretty polished and familiar. The jangly guitars, clean drumming, and melodic basslines and choruses, it's all there. R.E.M. would obviously go on to reach great heights after this, but "Murmur" was very much an announcement to the alt rock world that R.E.M. was here and ready for an extended stay. The current avg rating of 3.41 accurately reflects my feelings on this I'd say.

This was pretty cool. I honestly haven't listened to much R.E.M. outside of the hits so it was cool to see an early version of them and how they started out.

Number four from REM, and that's four albums without "Losing My Religion." Alex was really hyped on this one, telling me it was his favorite we've had so far. To me it's one of the bottom two, maybe my least favorite. I knew listening to it that it was either very early or very late REM, because it sounds much more subdued, lowkey. Stipe isn't singing as strong, either because he's getting old or because he's not sure of himself yet. Turns out it's their debut, so I'm right. And even though it's my least favorite I've heard from them, still a good handful of tracks I'm keeping. Subdued vocals aside, the melodies are great, and you could tell from a debut like this that these guys were going places. The last few tracks on here lost me a little bit, if this were trimmed to end before that point I'd be rating it higher for sure. I feel bad saying this on the one REM album that Alex liked the most, but this would probably be my pick to replace with Out of Time, to get both "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People" on this list. Shoutout to REM though, serious hitmakers, haven't heard a single album from them less than a 3.5, which is really good. Favorite tracks: Radio Free Europe, Laughing, Moral Kiosk, Perfect Circle, Catapult, Sitting Still. Album art: Some mysterious dried out forest shot, creeping vines and stuff all over the place. It's unsettling, actually reminds me of the creature from that Night Gallery episode, Brenda. I like it though, it's effective. 3.5/5

Started off great, got repetitive

Favourite track, "Laughing." "West of the Fields" is a weird one. The album kind of blends together a little too much for me. It's not bad music, but it isn't spectacular either.

very nice

- I am really not a fan of R.E.M. At all. I will say that I liked this album a bit more than I was expecting, but that is because I was expecting the absolute worst. I just find the band's sound to be annoying 99% of the time and very characteristic of what I do not enjoy about rock. - Lush sounds overall, but I am most impressed by R.E.M.'s ability to specifically focus on certain instrumental isolation. There are just distinct moments when the percussion, the guitar, or the piano will just pop out; those are the best moments. - Enjoyed "Laughing" (once again, those percussive isolations) and "Perfect Circle." - Found "Talk About The Passion" grating. "We Walk" was even worse. - This does sound remarkably forward-thinking for 1983. Still do not enjoy it overall, though.

A bit repetitive but otherwise good

R.E.M. has always been a bigger concept than artist for me. I love what they represent, but their music puts me to sleep.

I liked this a fair bit more than Document. Radio Free Europe is a good song. A few samey tracks though. A solidly high three.

70/100

R.E.M. definitely belongs on this list but they have better albums than this one. This is a fine debut showing a lot of promise for what was yet to come.

This was a bit dull. I'd heard the album before a few times and it never left much of an impression on me. Having relistened to it for the first time in decades, it's about the same as I remembered.

Was okay

I know some of REM's work, but not so much this album, aside from Radio Free Europe. The overall sound is good, but I didn't really get hooked by any of the songs.

Lost a star about halfway through.

Gæti hugsað mér að fíla þessa í botn ef ég hefði verið 23 árið 83 en annars bara ókei plata. Uppáhalds lag: Radio Free Europe

meeeeeehhhhhhh.

Not my favorite R.E.M. album. 3.

Not a fan of the vocalist. Similar to the Smiths, maybe worse.

It’s REM in the eighties - it feels just as you would expect, if you’re more familiar with their nineties outings.

Really solid all the way through. Not a bad song on the album. No stand outs either. I liked the bass tones and vocals.

The drums are always good with REM, but they really stand out on this one! On Moral Kiosk, they are really crisp! I like REM's slow songs the least, so Perfect Circle is the one that's a bit of a low spot. The songs feel a little too vulnerable when they are slow an moody.

Um álbum bem mediano, talvez na época tenha ajudado a consolidar o rock alternativo. Nenhuma musica é ruim, e todas são bem produzidas, mas sinceramente nenhuma me pegou. Eu daria 2.5/5 para realmente ficar bem no meio, mas como gosto de REM e não tem nada de ruim mesmo vou arredondar para cima.

Not R.E.M.'s greatest hits.

Loved the back half, still think I enjoy the later albums more (not that I’ve listened much)

Ok

This album is good, but here we are with another album that is just that, good. This certainly has some catchy bass lines and fun guitar, but every song sounded very similar. Looking at this in historical terms or even influence on future music does not make this a great album. It gets lost in history, because it's not one of the greats. You can influence greatness and not be great.

Listened Before? Y I dig this album in the way that I dig most early 80s alternative. It's decent background music but I definitely wasn't cool (or old) enough in 83 to really get into it back then... and unfortunately the very genre it helped create had passed it by tenfold by the end of the decade. Radio Free Europe is a classic. The rest of it is decidedly "meh". Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Radio Free Europe

Not listened to this album before. Pretty good

Some nice jangly moments but nothing special...

It got some good tracks and it’s a good debut album.

Was alright, nothing special

Good album. Didn't have any of the stand out tracks from some of the bands more acclaimed works, but still a good listen. 3.5/5 Might listen again

Listening felt like seeing a high school girlfriend who you’re still friendly with but have no romantic feelings for anymore. I once loved this and even more so because REM at Fiddler’s Green was the first concert I went to without any parents supervising, but now it’s just a hey how are you nice to see you type of thing.

The mood of this album was a little on the sad side, and I thought it was nice enough, but I didn't really like it all that much personally. I thought it was boring, and if I were looking for a similar mood there are other albums I'd prefer over it every time.

Good

R.E.M is always quality but I probably prefer their later albums. Playing Listens: 1 Fave Track: Pilgrimage Rating: 3

Inoffensive soft rock

This is a really cool debut album, love all the indie rhytms here. Maybe i expected a bit more 'cause in some songs it felt kind of repetitive, but is really cool.

Never really listened to old REM but lovely toons

Fresh for the year it was published. Similar songs that form a landscape, cozy but like a hotel you would never return.

Not bad.

It was fine, nothing to write home about. The mix yt music built afterwards was nice tho

it's alright. could see how this would be very popular when it came out. sounds pretty modern! don't think I need so many REM albums in this list tho.

I’m not the biggest REM fan and this album didn’t convert me, but it was enjoyable enough and there are certainly worse albums on this list. It all gets kind of samey as it goes on

Never really got R.E.M. Their hits are great and fine to put on and feel like it's the 90s. But this album just seems like a worse version of what the Talking Heads were putting out. And Michael Stipe loves to say borderline offensive things about Asian people...

I can understand the impact and see how many bands took insperation. but I do not like the way the lead singer sings. there is something so whiny about his voice. while this is not something he ever says he feels like someone who is complaning that women dont want nice guys anymore

Ok.

p chill. but a lil too whiny to be worth a relisten for me

Surprisingly solid for a debut album. A lowkey, softer sound than their future work that feels to me like a precursor to grunge. I dig it.

Tame. And not in a good way imo. But Ill give them the benefit of doubt? 5/10.

Feels out of place and makes me feel out of place but not in a necessarily good way. 2.7/5

Like many of these albums, listening in the current time and trying to recall how peculiar this music was when it was released is difficult. R.E.M. have been influential to so many bands and artists over the years that it doesn't sound as wild as it did in 1983. Radio Free Europe still grabs me like it did back in the day, raw and furtive and somehow also with a floating feeling.

Чуть ли не два подряд альбома R.E.M. подряд на 1001 спустя о-очень долгое время, когда я слушал их последний раз - и я чувствую себя довольно странно по этому поводу. С одной стороны это не плохая музыка, отличные песни, но не трогает, как когда-то. Лучшая песня - Radio Free Europe.

bit samey, nothing stood out

Hum.... hmmm... hummmmm... I think I liked it musically. Lyrically, I couldn't tell you a single word that was said. That about on par with my expectations based on the one other R.E.M. album I've heard. I think I just hear the lead singer's voice as a melody and not English of any variety. I might listen to this more. And, I think I might like it more if I listen to it more. But, for now I'm rating it at three stars for being interesting and for not disliking it, but I suspect I very well may want to raise it to four stars after two or three more spins. I just don't care enough to spin it more right now.

I think this album gets so much acclaim since it was at the forefront of this type of rock. At least to me this sounds ahead of its time for being released in 1983. Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but a solid listen and pretty good for a debut. 3.5.

A curious choice. Fairly average to my ears.

Further evidence that REM has always been over-rated. College rock sucks brah.

An album where all the songs start to sound the same.

first listen. typical REM album, pleasant to the ear but absolutely nothing stands out and leaves you wising it was heavier or there was more going on.

I would say I actively like REM, jangle pop, and adore indie music. But this album falls into the realm of being too proto-everything. The recording is incredibly muddy, the lyrics too mysterious and hard to hear, and songs often devolve into repeating the song title as a chorus. A start to an incredible band with great things ahead of them, but not a great listening experience for me.

R.E.M.'s debut album. Great basslines and driving drum beats, with guitars twinkling over Stipe's distinctive voice. Sparse verses with louder, busier choruses throughout. Lyrics are basically nonsense, but the melody laid down by the vocals are crucial to the cohesiveness of the tracks. Generally listenable and enjoyable. Musically could have been written yesterday, but mastering and recording gives away its age. I wouldn't be disappointed for someone to put this on at a dinner party, but I wouldn't ask for it myself.

I don’t care for R.E.M.

I really enjoyed this album. Somehow I missed REM back in the day. My loss! I think if I'd paid attention I would really have loved them. Oh well, now I like them a lot.

So far i like song 2, pilgrimage 4 is also ok, better than rush, better than eliminator

Really cozy! Feels like a movie soundtrack in a way. Really clicked with me for some reason. But songs can get a bit too repetitive like "we walk" for example. And the vocals throughout the album while good, are also quite unchanging. 3.5

It's okay!

5 Goodies: radio free Europe. Perfect circle, catapult, we walk

Standout tracks: Pilgrimage, Perfect Circle (A+ song), Shaking Through. Was an enjoyable listen, and I can respect how bold they were in their style for a debut album. Overall, it was decent, but did not match expectations based on the acclaim this album has received since release.

A great album by R.E.M. Listening to this expanded my understanding of the band to a greater capacity. I have always known them for their hits and to see this more raw and underground feel brings a depth to their work. My honest rating is 3.5 (3 because we can't do fractions with this UI) because I enjoyed a few tracks very much and it invoked a deep sense of nostagia but the rest of the songs weren't as lyrically strong nor as memorable. Some standout tracks are: "Radio Free Europe" "Talking About The Passion" "Perfect Circle" "9-9"

6/10 would listen again

alright, I just listened to "It's the end of the world" for the millionth time xD

Perhaps too “early REM” / experimental for me

Solid album with some standout songs-gets a bit drone-y though

Tight

It was okay, although I sorta like this genre of music, I tend to find it pretty boring. The last 2 tracks were really good though🔥🔥

Very calm sounding album. I only listened to a few songs as I was quite occupied with other things. There’s a good amount of songs, but they do sound similar to each other.

Fine, relaxing background acoustic.

It was interesting

I guess the sound was innovative. No major bangers though.

M'agraden moltíssim algunes cançons de REM, però penso que aquest disc (tot i que súper representatiu de l'estil de la banda) no té cap tema que destaqui per mi. Expected Lorenzo Rating: 4

Didn’t love it, but it was alright.

tem seu valor enquanto música de fundo, mas esperava mais profundidade... como diria meu amigo Ian: "nada particularmente me chamou atenção"

Amazing album

Close to 4

Not their best but enjoyable nevertheless. 3.5 from me.

This is the 3rd REM albums I've gotten. Though this is their debut album. I can defiantly see how they must've inspired several bands that would emerge in the late 80s and early 90s. Sounds ahead of it's time. Though I did like the other 2 albums I've gotten by them better than this one

Ich kannte nur die Banger von REM, mag scheinbar aber auch die unbekannteren Tracks!:) Gleichzeitig wird mir das Album keine schlaflosen Nächte bescheren. Klassischer "Trede-Vote" mit 3 von 5.

- Ich war nie großer R.E.M-Fan - Das beste, was ich über die sagen kann ist glaube ich, dass sie einen sehr charakteristisch und markanten Stil haben und den durchziehen. Finde die Hits von denen ganz geil. Leider ist keiner von denen auf dieser Platte - auch wenn mir ein paar Songs bekannt vorkamen. - grundsätzlich rundes Album aber hat mich wirklich unbeeindruckt gelassen 2,75/5

When I put it on my mom mistaked it for the rock band from her church and commented that they were playing better than usual. That could give you an idea of the music, that it could be confused for modern day Christian folk rock played at every large church across the country. That's how bland and inoffensive it is. Sure it's a step above your standard Christian rock, but not that much different.

Not bad

Not great, not terrible. 3/5

I liked this album but probably will never listen to it again.

this is gonna be an album I can appreciate for now but maybe some day it will click more. I can appreciate what it was doing for the time, I like the instrument work, and definitely its soft, mossy, murky texture. I think it only goes so far for me though.

p505. 1983. 3.5 stars. Not their best work - see Automatic For The People for that - but this good stuff, jangly guitars and some cracking tunes let down by filler and obscure lyrics.

This is my first R.E.M. album. I'm aware of their influence and some of their big songs, but that's about it. I feel like I owe this album at least one more listen, because it kind of washed right over me. There are moments of interesting instrumentation and turns of melody, but I have trouble understanding the lyrics and the mix is a little flat, so it starts to sound the same. I'm on the edge of really liking this, which is the same edge as leaving an album behind after a single listen. Highlights: Laughing, Moral Kiosk, Catapult, Shaking Through

I honestly had to double check the date this album came out a few times. It really has a cool indie rock sound that it could have come out like 5-10 years ago. The “Michael Buble playing in the background of a coffee shop” award goes to REM. This a great album to just have on in the background of a 30-40 minute drive. I did enjoy it more than the three stars suggests but no real standouts to make it a four.

I listened to this album twice through with it being a weekend, so clearly I at least somewhat enjoyed it. The second listen was from beginning to end straight through and some of the songs started to blend together so I think that detracts from it a bit. R.E.M.’s influence on alternative rock is apparent even with it being their first album. You could tell me this was released in the 90s and I would believe it because it sounds like it fits right in. Easy listening, great background music. Best songs were Radio Free Europe, Laughing, and West Of The Fields. It’s gonna be a three for me.

Pretty good sounding, standard REM fodder. Would listen to again. Not much more to say about that. High 3

A good album, I liked Radio Free Europe the most.

It sounds exactly like I think of REM sounding like but a bit less refined. A solid debut to be sure. Review is a bit behind original listen

Not my favourite REM album

I only knew one R.E.M. song before this (Losing My Religion) and it probably should've stayed like that... this didn't blow me away

listened to 30/01/24 at midnight

An album that sounds like it was recorded in 1986, and not 1983. These minor timeframes make a difference when they are your formative years. It sounds like a proper album - a body of work with each song relying on each other. Songs such as Radio Free Europe come across as being a bit jointed on a Greatest Hits. I enjoyed sitting down and listening to this, start to finish the way it should be. Blimey, there's a bit of funk in that bass. A half decent debut.

This album has some great songs, and some real filler. I like REM, and this has hints of their later greatness, but it's never been my favorite of theirs.

Liked the other R.E.M album more. Didn't hate this, but Green had an energy this album lacks in my opinion.

Solidly normal good ish stuff, I just don’t think they were trying to say anything of substance?

fino, chill 3.5

Kao chill al nekak dosadno, 4-5 puta sam ga puštao i samo zaboravio da slušam išta lol

I enjoyed this album.

The sound was probably fresh when it came out but it felt monotonous. Still a fun listen

Oikein kiva kontrasti mumisevasta (jep) ja siksi synkähkön oloisesta laulusta ja jopa iloisesta vaikka mollissa kulkevista melodioista. Aika tasainen massa biisejä kuitenkin, mikään ei nouse kovasti esille. Kolmannella kuuntelulla olisi voinut jaksaa keskittyä sanoihin, niistä olis voinut saada enemmän irti jo heti.

when i first listened to this album i was angry. i packed my angry eyes; just incase. i was listening to the beethoven 9 scherzo and living every note. i was bartending with great rage and stocking with furious anger. and the fentimans sparkling did know that i am the lord. now im listening with the peace and breezyness which this album was wrought with. and its really steady. i know it was revolutionary for the time and i dont care. cam always says that certain albums are "alright" and i always snap back with a belligerent and beethovian intensity, how can music be okay? it is good or it is not! and i will only listen to it again if it is good! but this is the closest thing i have gotten to understanding that an album can be like this. its okay. i dont think ill pick this up again often but the want may creep up on me once or twice in my life and it will be a pleasant surprise to me. now i need a classic cam metaphor as a closer. damn this is hard. "this album is like switzerland. its very neutral most of the time, but contains distinctive sweet treats." something like that idfk

I like the instruments and structures of their songs, but I'm not a big fan of the main singer's voice. 2 songs I like from R.E.M are actually not from this album (Find the River and Half a World Away)

It didn't like me. Probably is a good album for others. It's not bad but it doesn't move me.

Good album, not great. Enjoyed it as I have never heard it all the way through.

It wasn't bad some songs I liked then some songs not sure on. But it was quite relaxing in ways

No bad songs in particular, but it all started to sound the same after a while, a very 'safe' album in my opinion, and I love the indie genre. Not their best album either.

Perfectly listenable album that has a very late 80s sound, surprisingly it's from 83. No huge standouts and I don't think there's any of their hits here (admittedly not an REM expert) so it falls a little short of expectations.

Good album. Easy listening. Takes me back to the 90's. Curious choice of album for this band - I feel like they have bigger hits on other albums.

fine, doesn't thrill me 2.9

3/5

Did not enjoy, found it repetitive

Definitely ahead of its time and you can hear how this inspired bands like the Replacements and Uncle Tupelo. I wish I found more of the songs catchy or very memorable. A few good ones but I wouldn’t consider this a “no-skipper” myself

R.E.M.'s 1983 album "Murmur" is often heralded as a seminal work in the alternative rock genre, but upon initial listening, I found myself not entirely in the headspace to appreciate its significance. The album's jangly guitars, enigmatic lyrics, and Michael Stipe's distinctive vocal style create a sonic landscape that requires a more attentive ear. While I tried to acknowledge its influence and recognise its place as one of the "1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die," I couldn't immediately connect with it. Perhaps a revisit is in order, as the intricacies and subtleties of "Murmur" may reveal themselves more fully with a fresher perspective. Sometimes, certain albums demand a second listen to truly grasp their impact, and "Murmur" seems to fall into that category for me.

All REM sounds the same

Like really really well made toast

Not a big REM guy

Empieza a sonar una cancion despues de 40 minutos que digo ostia esta si esta guapa. Habia terminado el album y estaba sonando otro.

Can see how it was very influential, definitely ahead of its time. Not my flavor.

Always liked REM. Have Document, Automatic… and Up. Don’t have any history with this one though. Passion transported me back to summer ‘91 with that guitar sound. Like an aural episode of Pete & Pete. Overall a good debut but not as good as REM gets. No real hooks or bops. Songs added to Spotify: 1

Always been a casual REM fan so I enjoyed this one enough, but it didn't resonate in any way (aside from Radio Free Europe, which I've always liked). Definitely felt a little repetitive, sonically.

It's what I expected a full REM album to sound like. Not bad, but nothing sonically that grabbed me and made me want to listen again.

Good album

It was ok but no note worthy songs so very little to bring me back.

Inoffensive

Not on Spotify

Meh

Nettes Album, coole Band. Glaube, dass ich keinen Song gekannt habe.

Meh

Godfathers of alt/indie music. You can hear hints of what the genre would become throughout this album. All that said, there were only a few songs that really stood out to me.

Déçu mais pas choqué

I like R.E.M., but I cannot listen to a whole album of them, the songs sound too much the same.

I think with a few more listens I would really like this. 3.3 for now

Jangly and bittersweet poppy alt rock. This is a solid debut that sets out the sound REM spend the next two decades evolving. The best bits are the hyperactive interactions between the bright clean guitar arpegios (great right-hand work here from Green) and the melodic Beatles-y bass lines. The singing and lyrics are in Stipe's distinctive style, but don't reach the heights that would come in later albums.

6.5/10

Not their best album.

Some killer tracks that show the future promise of this band, but some mediocre tracks too.

I wasn't feeling this and was going to give it a 2, but "We Walk" was good enough to bump this up to a 3.

Postpunk på den gode måske, tager garagelyden og blander med gode hooks

Fair

Jangle pop. Sounds like Nirvana if Nirvana did pop. Good car music. I liked one of their songs. 2/3 star

Pleasant, but not very interesting.

Not bad.

Good, not as good as others. Somewhat one dimensional.

In three words: punkish, folkish, enjoyable. A bit aged sound.

It’s was alright. Just didn’t spark any joy for me

Far from outstanding but not bad

Good background tunes - all sounds very similar - no songs I knew to anchor the album. Would need to listen to again with headphones.

I wanted the other REM album, but still solid

Laughing is really good. Good album but songs all sound very similar

pretty good, i quite liked most of the songs kind of nothing special to be honest would listen to it in its entirety again

I don't know. It's nice. But I wouldn't recommend listening for someone that doesn't get R.E.M.

R.E.M at their most college rock and most boring, radio free europe is still fun but the rest of the album was eh

Ok

It was ok, not really my style.

Es un meh, no es la gran cosa para ser R.E.M.

Interesting to hear more from REM than "Losing my Religion". Okay music, but not very memorable.

just very nice-sounding. i wanted to rate it a bit higher but i just kept zoning out and forgetting to properly listen to the songs, so it wasn't as captivating as i wanted it to be. i knew i quite liked r.e.m. from what i'd listened to before, but i couldn't have sung a song of theirs off the top of my head so i wasn't exactly sure what to expect. it definitely wasn't this genre, but i still quite liked it overall.

A few songs stood out to me, but it wasnt anything too special. Overall decent listen.

Robust musicality, featuring impressive vocals and intricate guitar work, solidifies its position as a standout of Post Punk Indie Rock

Easy to listen to. It's hard to unremember the SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE REM that wouldn't stop for years. But, this first album of theirs is Radio Free decent.

Better than I’ll probably give credit to

L'album était cool à écouter en voiture, mais il n'a rien d'original je trouve. La première musique m'a fait rire car quand ils disent "push that push that" j'entends "peuchère peuchère" 😂

Sympa mais pas transcendant. Type d'album qui serait encore mieux en live.

not my jam :(

Not the best

I try to like them. I just don’t. I can mesh with a few of these songs, but their style is just choppy and lacks the rhythm.

Hey, I've been practicing an REM song. Everybody Hurts. It's not a hard song. The only technical part it has is the "Don't throw your hand, oh no" part. Never heard this album before. REM was one of those bands for me that defined the grunge era. There's just a certain sound to them that reminds me of when I was coming into my awareness of music and discovering my own tastes. And to clarify, it's specifically the voice. 3 stars

Debut album from a small up-and-coming band from a sleepy college town the the south, I see big things from them...

Not my go to genre but somewhat enjoyable for some songs. Pretty impressive for a debut album but nonetheless it still wasn't my ideal cup of tea. Songs seemed thrown together for some but the ones that stood out for me were Talk about the passion, We walk and West of the fields. Average album, average score. 2.5/5

I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. Great sound, timeless.

Decent, didn't move me that much

Laughing is first to get Playlist treatment. Moral Kiosk has also been playlisted.

1. Radio Free Europe - this one was ok 2. Pilgrimage - didn’t really care for this one 3. Laughing - didn’t mind the sound of this one. 4. Talk About the Passion - just ok 5. Moral Kiosk - this one is a little more interesting 6. Perfect Circle - 7. Catapult - 8. Sitting Still - 9. 9-9 - 10. Shaking Through - 11. We Walk - 12. West of the Fields - Overall, I didn’t mind this album, definitely very consistent and listenable but it didn’t really wow me though. The singing style gets a little tiring since it’s a little monotone for me.

I've tried listening to REM albums a few times, and they are generally well-crafted with their own recognisable sound. However, they are also drearily forgettable. I guess if this album had any emotional impact, it's something like "generalised listlessness". I can see how this would be a powerful time capsule album, if this was like the soundtrack to your adolescence. But who spent their adolescence listening to toothlessly slow-motion indie? What's annoying me is that I actually like the vocals, the songwriting, and lots of the sound - but it's so lukewarm in delivery that I'll forget all these songs by tomorrow. 3*

Fine music. Very average. Don’t like the whiny voice. Sounds like he needs to take a yuge dump.

I lost my religion listening to this.

This album makes me feel nothing. It's decent

Not bad, it was alright. Piano was fun.

It's REM. Not much to say otherwise. 3/5.

god this is making me feel like a dad

you can find some hooks in it

There's 4 REM records on the list. That's too many. I like this record, but it's not their best by far. Not the worst by far either. But I don't think this should have been on the list. Sounds like a British new wave record with an American singer. Favorite song: Pilgrimage.

Some real good songs on there! Radio Free Europe, Catapult stood out.

Solid rem album. A roadtrip anthem for sure. Little soft and sounds samey throughout but good.

No particular song caught my attention.

It's nowhere near my favorite R.E.M album, but it's still R.E.M, and that's enough.

I like the album a lot, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it. We walk may have been my favorite track.

Seems like Radiohead got quite a bit of inspiration from REM. Its not bad, its quite alright, some songs are very musically pleasant to listen to, some not so much, some lyrics are nonsensical and just make their respective song sound like filler.

It took me a little while to get into it, but it was nice.

Average

6/10. Surprisingly liked some later tracks, but not for me.

Surprised that I didn't recognize any of the songs off this album. "Sounds like R.E.M." is my feeling, and realizing it's from 1983 makes it more interesting - since it could totally be released today and you wouldn't know it was 40 years old.

An enjoyable listen even though this isnt my thing either. BIG sound, very well recorded.

Fav: We Walk

Pretty standard alt rock, nothing special. 6/10 decent.

Entertaining enough to listen to. Good rhythm guitar work. Didn't recognize any of the songs.

Very nice sound. I like that the guitar leaves a lot of room for the bass. The guitar itself is also lovely.

This was a good listen. More subdued than later R.E.M. They seem to never go back to this style of american folk rock and alternative blend.

good, sweet, fine

R.E.M. Lowkey alt rock. I do like it but not a lot sticks. Not very eventful.

Generally speaking, I enjoyed this album! I had never heard R.E.M.'s debut studio album before, so I was quite surprised to hear a very clear inspiration for modern indie rock sounds here, way back in 1983. As a fan of 2000s+ indie rock, it's no surprise I found some enjoyment here. R.E.M. would definitely go on to do better things, in my opinion, and some of the rhythms did seem to get repetitive here, but still, the very blatant indie inspiration was probably the most apparent to me here.

Rock alternativo de R.E.M. No me ha hecho mucho... Un 3.

Huske kje så masse fra da, men såg da hadde fått jævlig bra reviews i følge wikipedia

Never been a big Stipend but the first half of this record had me rethinking! Lovely easy-going alt rock tracks with a nice little sprinkle of existential unease. Then I'm not sure what happened, but my interest really dropped off in the second half. Might give it another run in future to settle the score. Three and a half. Fave track: Laughing

Very reflective of the era it came out in. Joni Mitchell is one of great lyricists of all time and this shows here. Soul searching and soothing.

I really liked some of the songs. Had a hard time distinguishing one from another at some points. Its definitely mind-blowing to think this was released early in the 80s. REM influence on indie rock is insane.

I enjoyed this record. Never really listened to R.E.M much, but really dig the production on this, and there are some good jangly tunes here. Honestly, the production sounds amazing for 1983 to my ears. Some of it did wash over me a little bit, but I suspect it'll improve with further listens. Favourite tracks: Radio Free Europe, Laughing, West of the Fields.

They become better but this one is just ok

A good debut

Fun, simple catchy songwriting. highlights: Catapult, Shaking Through, We Walk

Very REM. No particularly memorable tunes.

Half snoozy, half catchy. Pilgrimage is a fun track.

2,75

It’s a strong debut album, I just found it hard to get really into. The guitars are interesting, Shaking Through was was favourite track on it, Radio Free Europe was strong as well. It just never fully drew me in, just kinda consistent all the way thru but nothing blew me away. Edit: gave it another listen and it may be a grower, for now 3 stars

Never knew REM (stipe) was known for unintelligible lyrics. Radio Free Europe and Talk About The Passion were the singles. Not what I was expecting - probably wouldn’t have known this was R.E.M on first listen.

nao o melhor deles

The pioneers of indie rock. Am not necessarily a fan of theirs but their influence on the genre cannot be ignored

I also kinda like it, still I'm not saving any songs to my playlist. It was ok.

Not as good as I was expecting...

Standout: Radio Free Europe Others: Talk About the Passion 3.5/5

OK, didn't pull me

Pretty nice debut by this iconic band! The vocals are definitely a well discussed weaker point, but Michael would work on that for upcoming releases. I have never been a big R.E.M. fan, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be. But I recognise their significance in music and applaud them for their great body of work, look forward to diving in their other releases though! 7 out of 10

3 stars

I like Rem but meh for me

decent album for the time

Invloedrijk, en dat is duidelijk hoorbaar. Maar niet geweldig.

Mid REM

I expected this to be better. I liked the R.E.M. songs and albums of the 90s that I grew up on but I never dug into the past catalog. I found it to be okay but not compelling.

Never really liked REM, and that didn't exactly win me over.

REM distinct sound. Original for the time. Every song instantly recognizable as REM. Boring as all fuck.

This had a good sound, but didn't grab me like some of their later albums.

has peaks, but overall kinda boring rock/punk. 6.5/10

3.4 Really can hear the Echo and the Bunnymen and Killing Joke influences here it's so cool to see their sound develop too faves: radio free europe, 9-9

I adore REM but this album is not amazing. Bring on Automatic For The People.