Reviews (page 12 of 13)
I love R.E.M. but didn't enjoy this album that much. There weren't any stand-out songs. They have so many better tracks imo.
Poor man's Paisley Underground
too long
this album made me feel nothing one way or another so its a 2/5 from me
vibey but bland
I found myself not really being able to get into this album. I typically love R.E.M. whenever I hear them, but would often find myself not paying attention to the album. Underwhelming.
It’s great but there are SOME songs I think are kind of mediocre.
+++ 9-9 --- pilgrimage not much to say about this one. its fine background music but when i pay attention it just makes me want to listen to depeche mode or tmbg instead.
not my type. pretty 80s though.
У меня нет желания продолжать это слушать. Послевкусие неприятное. Radiohead гораздо интереснее в плане музыки.
Unremarkable like a murmur. :/ A mellow album.
Good sounding, kind of basic instrumentation with low key vocals, kind of random lyrics. But very consistent idea in the songs.
Easy listening but nothing stood out.
Nothing stood out to me as really great
I'm pretty convinced that every R.E.M song let alone album sounds the same.
isch no okay, aber nöd weltbewegend…
Did enjoy as much as I thought I would. A little mundane and monotonous. His voice became annoying after awhile
Not my favorite REM album.
It's R.E.M. Every single song on every single album sounds exactly the same. It's fine for 1 song. An album of R.E.M. is way too much.
shaking through and we walk ate rest of it put me into rem sleep
Listening to this album reminded me of decomposing leaves on the floor in a park after heavy rain. Favourite track: Pilgrimage.
OK I guess, but a little forgettable compared to later records.
It was ok. Wanted to get into it, forgettable.
Every song is a 3 but the album is a 2
Starts off with a decent song then afterwards you get hit with one forgettable song after another. The majority of this album felt very one-note. I had to fight my sleep demon every time the next song played. This was quite unfortunate listen. Top 1: Radio Free Europe The rest of the album is mid 2.50/5
Meh
Pretty boring.
I expected more from REM but this did nothing for me
Songs i know: none i think Songs i like: none i think Weird album this one, not a bad one but a bit samey. Deffo a vibes thing because I've never been a fan of REM really, seem like the Coldplay of the 80s in the sense that everyone knows who they are but can't remember which song it is they know and which album it was.
Interesting album this. When I really got into REM back in the day there was a whole period of releases that I'd never heard of (pretty much everything pre-Green) that I enjoyed delving into and hearing their sound change. Not many bands that hit their commercial stride and superstardom on their 7th album. Fair play. Anyway, I quite like this album. It's small, jangly and well indie but you can hear the potential of what they would go on to achieve. This is their Pablo Honey. Standouts: Radio Free Europe Pilgrimage Moral Kiosk Shaking Through Low Points: Quite a few songs passed me but nothing I thought was terrible. Just a nice breezy flow through the whole album, even if a lot of it sounds the same. It did outstay its welcome slightly and lack of hooks make it all a bit forgettable. We Walk was a bit of weird one I guess if I had to pick one. Sounds like a song from a Funnybones book. Always wonder what the Day 1 REM diehards feel about them becoming probably the biggest rock band in the world in the early 90s. Sellouts...
more enjoyable second half... kind of a nothing album though.
Not bad, but not good either. Never been an REM fan and still ain't
tem uns riffs que dão pro gasto, umas viradinhas pro refrão que funcionam, mas no geral é chato.
na wikipedia tá falando que o album chamou atenção pelo som pouco usual. que doidera. enfim, se forçar, desce. mas deve ser uma das bandas de jangle pop que eu menos botei fé na minha vida, credo
Dull as dishwater I’m afraid.
My least favorite R.E.M. album that I've heard so far
Rem sure sounds alot like the tragically hip. No Canadians we'll never understand their impact.
I'll start by stating I'm not the biggest R.E.M fan. Turns out I especially am not a huge fan of earlier R.E.M. I don't think Michael Stipe's voice and 80s new wave go together very well. There are times during the album where you can hear where their style of more later 80s/early 90s R.E.M peaks through, but at the same time most of it is pretty forgettable. By far my favorite song on the album is Catapult because again, it sounds like something they would have on their later albums than this weird early 80s new wave album. I understand all bands have to start somewhere, but I'm glad they kept making music because I think R.E.M would not be remembered if they just released Murmur.
Admittedly I’ve never really been an R.E.M. fan but I don’t really find much to latch onto. It’s not bad but I’m unlikely to be listening again anytime soon.
Meh
I really don't get the hype around R.E.M. Their music is completely inoffensive, but there's nothing remotely interesting about it.
Only decent and nothing more.
None of these songs click on loudly enough to make them memorable. Weird. 2 stars
I still don't like REM.
Couldn't get into this one. They don't sound that confident here which makes sense since this was their debut. It just sort of sits there with very little energy. It gets better for them later on in their career but this one doesn't need to be in the book.
It's ok
I like the beat, and I think that it could mean like how so many songs have so much unwanted/useless noise/ that has no meaning, and are false and annoying, which is probably why there is only one beat and repetitive words throughout the song
This was... fine. It was inoffensive but also instantly forgettable, and it was difficult for me to distinguish the songs. I'm not sure I "get" R.E.M.
La mejor canción ha sido la balada de perfect circle. La forma de cantar de michael stipe no me llega como otros grupos.
Not a fan of R.E.M. at their best. The only thing that saves this album from being a 1 star for me is Peter Buck's guitar work. He does some pretty interesting stuff with material that would otherwise be completely bland. 2 stars, just for Peter Buck, otherwise it would 1 star.
Kinda boring. Same pace, no standout songs, bleh. 2/5
A lot of songs sound very similar. After a while the singing can get annoying.
why does the normal version has all them live versions too? nevermind, the album was okay but nothing near to great. nothing special to me at least.
Pop for serious people. Or serious music for pop people? Which one am I? Am I both? Or neither? Who can say? I can say. I'm both. Two stars. REM beginning REM. Not really essential. Two interesting but ultimately forgettable stars.
I've never liked this album. After all this time it still feels like the album that the band made before they really understood what makes for good hooks and songs. It is definitely not on my list of albums that must be heard before death. I would include one of their other more polished albums than this one.
This did nothing for me at all. Extremely forgettable which is in stark contrast to the REM album I had a couple of days ago.
Why does these men insist on making me hear them sing?
I do not like R.E.M. Stipe is too whiney, the guitars are too jangle-y. This album is not convincing me otherwise. Top tracks: "Radio Free Europe"
Nope but I would see michael shannon's rem cover band play this one if given the chance
Not for me
Hard work getting through the whole album.
Vibey for a certain 80's sound but pretty dull
it is what it is
I think this might be a context album. Everyone seems to agree that it’s an amazing first album from REM, the original Indie Rock band. To be honest I thought it was boring and Michael Stipe’s voice sounded very different! It was interesting to hear how they developed their sound.
Made sense while I was listening to it, but at the end I couldn't quite remember what I'd just listened to - bit like a dream
REM istn't my favorite - never was and never will be....
Meh
album gave me rapid eye movement Fave: radio free Europe and catapult 2.5/5
i can tell this is the first album… in a bad way. mid asf everything sounds the same. later REM is way better.
Got bored and didn’t finish.
Early R.E.M. with some interesting lyrics, but I found the rhythm guitar to be repetitive and unengaging. 2/5.
hmmm tosi hyvä mutta sanoisin että ei vedä oikeen vertoja husker duulle... taitaa huskeri viedä tämän kilpailun.. ei tarvi hävetä kun loppujenlopuksi aikalailla maailman influentiaalisin bändi se huskeri niin ei tarvi allapäin olla...noh sen verran voi olla että yksi polvi maahan ja päätä alas... please save me huskeri... if you can hear me huskeri please save me.... älä välitä tähdistä... tähdet ei merkkaa mitään... huskerilla yksi tähti... koska se on ainoa yksi tähti... kuin jumala... ainoa jumala... muiden jumalien palvominen harhaoppia.... huskeri... huskeri... huskeri... ilmesty.... radio free euriope
surprisingly bland kinda throwaway music
I suppose I am not sure why this album makes it over Out of Time or Automatic for the People.
Ya know.. I thought I was a fan of REM. But I guess I’m not.
Whiny
I'm just not an R.E.M. guy I guess. This sounds like a band's first album. There are definitely some interesting things going on but the songs are pretty boring and the vocals are so blah
9-9 has a great sound. The rest is forgettable.
An ok album
It sounds well produced, specially the drums, but feels like mainstream radio formula rock. Not one for me.
i honestly had no idea that R.E.M. was such an old band. I thought they were such a 90's sound, but it turns out they had been on the circuit for a while. that being said... still not a huge fan of them. I did enjoy the song 'Standing Still', but mostly I wasn't a huge fan.
It's boring
I've never really liked the lead singer's voice of this group. Still don't. Just bland pop from another vastly overrated band.
Not heard this debut album from R.E.M. before. It feels like they are still trying to find their sound. Too many tracks followed the same formula which made the overall album a bit dull. Later albums are better
Never really got the deal with tgese guys and have now listened to talking heads a lot these feel like inferior copies. Its all jangles and moaning.
Enjoyed this all the more for not having any of the overplayed big hits. Dragged a bit by the end though, R.E.M. don't really do variation
I tried to listen but it kept moving away like trying to remember a dull dream and resolutely stayed in the background.
Hadn't ever listened to their debut album, better than I expected it to be, quite repetitive and samey throughout. 2.5
A lesser REM album. Nothing really did it for me.
This was aight.
Not particularly good or memorable.
Genuinely shocked at how commercially uninspired this album was
There's nothing wrong with this album, but I also have no intention of going out of my way to listen to it again either. There were some songs I liked like '9-9' and 'West of the Fields', but most of the album didn't vibe with me with the overly bright, twangy, and repetitive sound. Overall I was waiting for it to end.
Boring. Sounds like Christian rock. Surprised I didn't really like it. I think it's the lead singers voice.
i dont particularly dislike R.E.M., i just find them quite boring. this album really cranked it up with the boredom as well.
Meh
I just got their album Green as a pick a week ago, and considering this is what I get 2nd, what a yawn fest.
I'm sure it was revolutionary but doesn't really stand up even to other REM albums in my opinion, kinda dragging
Mmm, may need to listen to this one again as it didn’t leave an impressions.
This is the 4th R.E.M. album. It is just there. Not really memorable. No need to revisit.
Not their best, that's for sure
Early REM was great
More of the same kinda indie rock music I’ve heard but not as good. Singers voice is a little bit annoying. Scratch that VERY ANNOYING SO DRONY Don’t see myself going back to any of the songs
Okay
Loves: Notes: I did not like the opener. I don’t seem to like most of the melodies even if the rest of the song sounds interesting (pilgrimage)
Not their finest work.
Another R.E.M. album within a week. I do prefer this more than Document, although I find this pretty boring 2.5/5
#185. It's REM. No need to listen to it to give it a proper rating, but I guess I'll do it anyway. And... yep. Just as I suspected, it sucks. REM is certainly nothing someone needs to hear before they die, or ever really. 2/5: dumb.
Second attempt at getting into R.E.M. Attempt failed. 0/2
“Laughing” was incredible, but nothing really else impressive on this album.
2,5
Just kinda boring. I try not to let my disdain for REM to color this review but ugh this was a slog. Laughing wound up being the only song I liked.
meh
Found it pretty repetitive. It's not that I don't like it but eh.
Meh 2.5/5
I like some R.E.M. songs but this is a gonna be a no from me dog. Radio Free Europe is a good track and nothing is bad about it outright in production or playing but the songs themselves are pretty boring. Maybe it's because I was exposed to their greatest hits right off the back so I know they get better? Or maybe because Automatic for the People is IMO their best record and I heard that way earlier. This just isn't as risky or with any songs that hit as hard.
Rem. Not really interesting
yeah i guess its good
I've never been a big fan of R.E.M. There was a time when they seemed to win Brits every year, regardless of whether they had released anything or not. This album hasn't really changed my mind on them. It was interesting to hear their earlier work, but nothing really grabbed me. Still in the "It's fine, I suppose" bracket.
War noch nie wirklich großer R.E.M Fan. Klar Hits wie "Losing My Religion" oder "Everybody Hurts" sind bekannt und holen mich auch verhältnismäßig gut ab, aber das Album Murmur kam mir sehr eintönig vor. Dafür war es soweit ganz entspannt und als Hintergrundmusik bei der Arbeit in Ordnung.
Background noise
Meh
Couldn’t tell you a single song. Good mellow background music, but I felt that the vocals were washed out by the rest of the sound. Probably good to study or read with. I can’t dance to it, I can’t sing to it, I can’t wallow in my misery to it, I can’t party to it, and it doesn’t hype me up. So there’s a limited use case for me. After all, to me the entire album felt like a Murmur…
https://youtu.be/UIyoNvInzCI?si=uf5dgaFuQfQbfPm8 I'm not sure why R.E.M. is as popular as they are. I guess they work for some folks, but I was mostly bored listening to this album.
Pleasant enough. I quite like Stipe's voice, but I have no idea what he was on about. "Cryptic lyrics, jangly guitar and melodic basslines" isn't really my thing. It would have worked better shifting up a gear or two in places.
geht so, spätere alben sind viel besser
I know everybody hurts, but most of this album is the reason for that. A lot of the songs sounded and felt the same in a lot of ways
Aina välillä massasta erottuu jotain kuulemisen arvoista (avausbiisi, Perfect Circle, kaksi viimeistä..), mutta kokonaisuudessaan tämä puksuttaa raiteillaan turhan tasaisesti, ja kyllä, meinasin nukahtaa ensimmäisen puoliskon loppupäässä. Olisiko tämä ollut avain heidän visioonsa?
This was not the same whiney BS that Green was. It didn't sound like the lead singer was wailing his voice into the abyss but instead it sounded like some fake edgy guy who grew up as the black sheep in his small suburban town finally went to college and is playing his acoustic guitar on the quad for chicks trying to paint himself as a misunderstood, lost soul. I hate that it moves the needle for me but sadly I'll have to give it one more star.
Mixed feelings on this one, I'd like one song and hate the next. My favourites were Moral Kiosk and We Walk.
Didn't get into it. I wasn't paying full attention, but I can't remember any of the songs. Not REM's best work for me.
I thought I liked REM more than this but it was so forgettable. Just plain audio porridge.
Better than the first album of theirs I got. Extremely boring, but distinct '90s' sound even though it came out in 1983, so probably pioneering in some ways. 2.6.
I think back when it could of been cutting edge...but I found it mundane.
2/5. Maybe I'm not getting it, is this really a 10/10 like all these reviews are saying? Sure, it was definitely ahead of its time, basically started the 90's rock revival in 1983, but it's influence does not weigh more than the actual listening of the album. I didn't hate it but it was quite boring. Sure, there were some bops but I must not be getting it because I wouldn't care to play this one again, nothing excited me, just did enough mid without being annoying.
Thought this was just forgettable at first, but actively disliked it by the end.
2.5 - not bad, just really bloody boring
I find REM pretty boring except for their few hits which weren't on this album.
Dull
Entirely inoffensive but completely forgettable for me. Nothing really felt special here, doubt I will revisit this one.
I like R.E.M, but this isn't the best. What i expect from a mid 1980 rock album. Almost boring but there were good times. Couldn't really get into it though.
Loved 'Green' but this one is exactly how I picture REM to sound, and it wasn't so good...
- meh
I don’t mind the odd R.E.M. song, but this album was just not for me.
Same ol' REM
About what I expected. Got tired of it quickly, but for a few moment td
I can’t see myself connecting with this, just find it pretty blah.
Couldn't really get into them. Tried two listens but kept stopping midway. Maybe try again someday.
Extra medium right down to the meh picture on the cover. The songs you know are OK, and you missed nothing on the ones you didn't.
I like REM, I even love some of their songs. This album does show the beginnings of those songs you love. As I was listening to this album I kept wanting to hear a good hook, a strong chorus or a nice lick but instead got bland mellowness but not even good enough to count for that. Sometimes you just want a song that fucks and this isn't this. Half way through the album I put on hangar 18 by Megadeath just to get something that fucks. Murmur is a fine enough album but lacks any punch or even a slap. 2/5
Is of just me or the vocals puprosely mixed just soft enough to not understand.. i hear syllables at a time otherwise forgettable even if the instrumentation is apparently skilled
not my jam, 2*
I always thought that R.E.M. was kind of boring and this album confirmed that. I just didn’t really have any connection or interest in this album. Two stars
I think the alt genre is an odd descriptor. If anything doesn't 100% align with the current popular sound that slap that ALT descriptor in front of the genre like its supposed to explain what it sounds like. Depending on what decade you are listening to Alt-rock can sound completely different. This album was supposed to be the start of alt rock but it honestly sounds like a lot of the other chill jams from the 70's and 80's. None of the songs really stood out to be and I had to push myself to finish the album. It isn't one I would ever go back to listen to again. 2 Stars
not for meeee
I had kind of high hopes for this, I liked the first track, but unfortunately after that it got dreadfully boring and samey sounding.
Never really got into REM when they were "big" and can't really get into them with the albums that have made this list. I actually have Radio Free Europe downloaded and this is the only song of the album I can say was good and upbeat. I found the rest of the album rather slow and pretty boring. I did think Catapult was OK, but really, nothing got me excited. When I hear hear REM, I think of overplayed college music and all the frat boy pussies I use to smack around after a few beers, just for fun. 2.5
Man, honestly at this point high school me would be awfully confused with current me. I can easily tolerate REM and love Supertramp. Most Nirvana is still pretty much a pass for me though tbh, sorry Luke. *high fives 17 yr old me* Anyway, I enjoyed the last REM album on the list more than I thought I would. I haven't really gone back to it though. Sadly this is more of the same for me. I know REM has really really good albums and I'm looking forward to them. This ain't it though. Don't get me wrong there are definitely cool ideas here but for me it just never came together. 2
An album of two tracks and a lot of filler. Radio Free Europe's a legitimate banger and Talk About the Passion a distant second. The rest is unmemorable whiny bollocks. Album really doesn't belong in any 'top of' anything. I suppose when it was released it could be considered ground braking vs what else was around in 1982 but it's not aged well at all. Pass.
Radio free europe a good opener, most of the others fall a bit short and unmemorable.
Music wasn’t bad, just not my taste
Very lofi Good background
Decent album. 2.6
College rock, meh
This is REM's shitty 80s college rock phase. It's probably their weakest album.
I think the best thing I can say about this album is it truly shows how much REM developed from here to become such a huge band in the 90s. The folky influence is there, and the angst, but the songs are all very mid level. None of the hooks or leftfield inventiveness which conquered the world. It's very much the Pablo Honey of their ouvre - you wouldn't have guessed that this band would go on to immortality from these meagre beginnings.
BL: I really did not like the previous R.E.M. record I had, I pray that this one is better because I thought the last one was a slog and probably the worst record I’ve had the entire run so far. AL: While this was definitely an improvement on “Automatic for the People”, I still didn’t like this. The first half of the album had some moments where I was almost excited for it. The opener and “Catapult” were two tracks I enjoyed. However everything else just melded into one, and the second half of the album after Catapult just became a chore to listen to, no interesting ideas were heard or musical variation. I’m amazed I’m dissapointed by R.E.M. twice in a row but I guess they are just not for me. FT: “Radio Free Europe”, “Catapult” 2/5
omg
Didn't enjoy it. But I appreciated how modern there sound was for 1983.
Not great
mid. 2 or 3. je n ai pas accroché
Prefer other REM
Boring
I feel nothing when I listen to this, but it’s listenable. 4/10
Too mellow, kind of basic. Might’ve been really good for it’s time, but uninteresting to me now.
вроде как и не отвергалось, а вроде как и забыл уже, что там было приятно
60ish albums into the list and it feels like 1/2 have been REM or Bowie.
Sure is some post punk lol Not super into this, but the lyrics are interesting. Mostly bored. About half way thru and I'm hovering around 2/5
It's so bland. I have a lot of time for REM, Out of Time is a great album. I personally really like the Reveal album, and the single "The Great Beyond" from the Kaufman movie - which is brilliant. But this one, Murmur, was so, so bland, it all merged into one and I got rather bored. I appreciate the album's place in indie rock development, hence two stars.
Did not enjoy.
Hear the REM, but not super my sound yet
вообще ничего не поняла, белый шум какой-то
Disco muy del estilo de REM. Pop tranquilo y sin fisuras. Buena voz y melodías suaves. No destaca especialmente en nada
Doesn't do it for me
I was listening to this while cleaning my apartment and folding laundry. Nothing stuck out, but then one song came on that really struck my fancy. I threw the laundry down to check what the title was, all giddy and excited to have found a gem. And then I pick up the phone only to find that this album had ended without me realizing and The Cure’s Jumping Someone Else’s Train came on as one of Spotify’s recommended songs.
C Radio Free Europe - 2 Pilgrimage - 2 Laughing - 2 Talk About the Passion - 2 Moral Kiosk - 2 Perfect Circle - okay, this is an actual sleep aid 1. Catapult - 3 Sitting Still - 2 9-9 - 1 Shaking Through - 3 We Walk - 5 West of the Fields - 2
Before REM refined their style, it's the definition of Middle Of The Road.
Welcher Spacko meint denn, in dieser Liste müssten zwei R.E.M.-Alben enthalten sein? Kann ich nicht durchhören.
got to be honest, never really got into REM that much. this was pretty boring, in my opinion.
It's ok, but not a memorable album from REM. It leads with its most memorable song, and kinda flatlines after that.
I felt like I was having a stroke with how similar all the songs are and how incomprehensible the singing is. I wanted to like it but it just brought almost nothing by to stand out for me. 4/10
tava escutando a mesma música por 1h??? todas pareciam iguais, nenhuma se destacou. não vou procurar para escutar mais por conta própria.
música de rádio, não fede nem cheira. Gostei da primeira música mas as outras não se destacaram muito individualmente, ficaram meio blended together.
It's a murmur all right - there's little in these songs to stick for more than a few minutes after the record is over - and is especially start when you know R.E.M. have composed some of the most stubborn of earworms. Disappointing.
Scale: 1: Dissapointing 2: Didn't enjoy 3: Decent 4: Enjoyed 5: Would listen again (My first impression if not mentioned otherwise in a comment) Radio Free Europe: 2.5/5, ok Pilgrimage: 1.5/5, rather annoying Laughing: 2.5/5 idk Talk About The Passion: 1/5, worst one so far Moral Kiosk: 3.5/5, decent Perfect Circle: 1.5/5, boring Catapult: 2/5, idk Sitting Still: 2/5, idk 9-9: 3/5, fine Shaking Through: 1/5, bad We Walk: 2.5/5, fine West Of The Fields: 2/5 idk Overall: 2.08/5, pretty mediocre and rather boring
Great throwback to REM, but not a huge fan of their style in general or this album specifically.
Was fine, nothing special. Fine for the background but not planning on listening again
Before they were good
boring old R.E.M. I think there just overplayed and that's why it's boring to me who knows
Music for staring absentmindedly at a blank wall.
It was fine. I guess I don't like REM.
Pretty generic drone- acoustic. Meh.
Man I like the singer of this band and like 50 percent of the instruments but I feel like rems stuff isn’t connecting with me. Nothing is really sticking out for me aside from the hits and they need to drop the mandolin ffs
I want to like it, really I do, but there just isn’t something there I connect with. By the time ‘Sitting Still’ came on, I found myself ready for the album to end.
Okish album from one of the most overrated bands. Mostly background music but refreshing in that Stipe hadn't yet developed is full whine of a voice.
This is bland and boring.
Not a huge fan of R.E.M. Nothing particular stood out to me
murmurmrmurmurmur. R.E.M. are kinda boring.
Better than I remember but still not very impressive
T3B 1. Talk About The Passion 2. Radio Free Europe 3. 9-9
Not their greatest album, interesting sounds for the time but not songs that I’m a huge fan of, don’t really like the mumbling lyrics.
Boring…
OK - it's REM, and it's early, so not too douchey, but still it all sounds very much of a type
Best Song: Moral Kiosk. I think I just like this song lyrically and the drums bounce in a pleasant way. Worst Song: 9-9. A spastic song that never goes anywhere. Overall: I know a handful of R.E.M. songs that I kind of like. None of them are on this album. Not sure why this album was included, but it really gave the impression that R.E.M. has only one speed, and that speed isn't particularly exciting.
Maybe if I was 10-15 yrs older I would appreciate this band more
R.E.M. a été un band marquant d’une bonne décénie. Ils ont marqué le pop avec chansons bien construites, des refrains accrocheurs et des textes qui traitent de sujets inattendus d’une façon propre à eux. Cet album me laisse sur ma faim dans chacun de ces domaines. C’est comme s’ils n’étaient pas encore prêts. On fini l’écoute en se disant « bon, ok, ça va ».
ikkje spesielt minneverdig like rem i teorien men detta va ikkje så bra
nothing special
Definitely not my favorite from R.E.M. Nothing really stood out.
REM are a boring band with two good songs and neither one is on this album. REM basically sound like Husker Du if you stripped out all the punk and vitality and just left aborted scrapings.
I'm just not a fan of REM. I can't actually believe this is the third album of theirs on here!
Wasn't bad, but didn't feel like anything special. Most of the songs we good enough to leave on in the background but only a few actually had me invested enough to listen. Not sure if my opinion would change if I gave it another listen but for now it was very underwhelming.
Fairly bland indie.
meh
Murmur by R.E.M. (1983) Let’s be charitable and set the lyrics aside, given that (1) lyricist/lead vocalist Michael Stipe used the expression “complete babble” to describe some of his lyrics, (2) he mistakenly misgenders a mythical reference (Laocoön and “her” two sons on “Laughing”—I couldn’t stop), and (3) the sounds of the senseless syllables frequently are at odds with the musical mood and meter. Gibberish would be an improvement. While some have complimented R.E.M.’s lyrics with the term “indecipherable”, I would argue that there is no cipher in the first place. Words on this record are merely a device on which to hang the subpar lead singer’s voice. This album is all about the music, which is, well, okay. It’s mostly competent rock, with a tight rhythm section and inventive guitar composition, and including a few brief moments of really cool sound. In historical context, it was different, appealing to restless ears searching for options, but it was not quite different enough. Don’t get me wrong, rock is all about rebellion against the inherited verities. But rebellion without a projected aim fails as Revolution. The result is like invasive kudzu covering an abandoned railroad trestle, suitably depicted on the album cover art. If this is ‘alternative rock’, one might well ask, “Alternative to what? Ennui?” 2/5
Genre: Jangle Pop 2/5 Throughout the process of this 1001 Albums project, I've found that I absolutely love The Smiths. A lovely contemporary of the Jangle Pop era and a truly delightful continuation of the Beatles sound. Their American counterpart, R.E.M., does everything very similar to them, with similar structures and arrangements, but with absolutely none of the studio flair, none of the attitude, and nothing in terms of challenging the form. This album is surely a favorite amongst most whisper rock fans, but this album, aptly named Murmur, truly murmurs along. No sense of urgency, vocals from Stipes that I can't stand, and flat out boring execution of nearly every song here. It's all well-produced, and I'm sure at the time this sounded truly unique, but upon listening with fresh ears in 2022, this album flows like mush and doesn't sound much better.
kind of meh for me
Toe tapping music, but pretty forgettable for me. Felt like I was forgetting the songs as I was listening to them.
Just seemed very downbeat and dull to me.
L'album est moyen selon mes goûts, ca ne bouge pas beaucoup et j'ai l'impression que le 45 minutes de l'abum est très long. aucune chanson ne m'a vraiment accroché et cela semblait du pareil au même. 2.50
Clever, but boring, and I really do not like his singing
Bemerkenswert wie alle Songs sich wie Losing My Religion anhören
Only went through 3 songs. Snoozeville
Tyhjänpäiväistä rokkirallattelua, joka oli varsin puuduttavaa jopa REM:in tuotannoksi. Yleensä REM:in levyillä hittibiisit jaksavat pitää mielenkiinnon yllä edes hetkellisesti, mutta tältä levyltä nekin loistivat poissaolollaan. Kolmella kuuntelukerralla yksikään kappale ei jäänyt mieleen erityisen positiivisesti, joskaan ei myöskään negatiivisesti. Toistaiseksi listan heikoin REM-ehdokas, jonka 2,5 pyöristyy alaspäin.
2/5 nope
It's not the cool opinion but I prefer the pop period REM to the indie period. Not my favourite of theirs
Eh
I don't own this one and have never heard it.
Listened to the whole album and could only tell the songs apart due to the youtube ads. Yes they had a good sound but can't imagine this being anyone's favourite album.
Least favourite R.E.M. album
trash
not my cup a tea
Michael Stipe sounds older here than he is now. Snooze..
Neither nowt nor summat.
The wiki on this album is a good read. Solid album, though not a go to for me.
Bit underwhelming tbh. Couple of decent tracks. 3/10
A bit samey and not any stand out tracks makes this monatanous.
well made, but not really my style
Vanilla. I don't get R.E.M., soft soft rock. Nothing inspiring about it.
Bit harsh perhaps but it wasn't as good as Automatic for the People so...
Nettes Indie Album aber eines von 1001 ?!? Gelächter! Ergo: „Laughing“ einziger Lichtblick 1.7
It was fine. Had it on while I cooked dinner, only listened to a few tracks. Didn't feel much one way or the other.
Man, I just don't like REM. Never have. Moral Kiosk is fun. 9-9 is enjoyable. A lot of the songs sound the same to me. I think I hate Michael Stipe. He reminds me of a weird elementary school art teacher. His voice comes off as condescending. I would give this a 1, but I don't want Stipe to give me detention.
Not bad, but some songs lost my interest. 2 stars only as I have high hopes for the other albums on the list.
So iconically college music that it sounds like satire
Grand, I'm sure they have better albums
I didn't hate this album when I started. But I grew to hate how fucking boring it was. I give it a 2 as opposed to a 1 because the repetition on the last three tracks was nice to cook to.
Langweilige Radio Musik... Catapult ist aber schon catchy und vibey. Aber sonst ist das alles ehr Mittel. Ich will irgendwie 2* geben, weil Ihr so gemein zu the Verve gewesen seid. --> 2*
Own
not what they're known for
Boring! This had a grand total of ZERO bangers upon it. Only got two stars because Michael Stipe does has a good voice none the less.
I like REM but this wasn't my favourite of theirs.
Didn't really know any of the songs on this album and nothing really stuck out. Classic REM sound. probably could be better albums for this list.
Meh. Not my favorite. Not a huge R.E.M. fan to begin with. They definitely have a few songs I really like, but this album didn't have the feel of those.
Not bad, but not something that would compel me to listen again. If one of those tunes came on the radio, I wouldn't be compelled to change the station, but I wouldn't be compelled to listen through either. Not a lot of compulsion here. 2 stars.
Boring. Voice miserable
I just don't give a shit about REM.
1/1
I do not like REM
Pure cack
More painfully boring and nasally music from one of the most generically mainstream bands ever. An epitome of "coworker" music that must sound so good if you've literally heard nothing else before
Monstrously dull
1.42
It was good. Started to all sound the same to me.
this is the soundtrack to the worst episode of scrubs.
Nah.
Good music, but not for me.
Not a fan of hard rock.
im so sorry but it was so booty i didnt finish the album...
didnt catch me, but it dont means that its bad, just too indie for me, still added like three songs to playlist
Es un gran Meh este álbum.. Olvidable.
Despite its reputation, Murmur felt dull to me, with many songs blending together and sounding too similar.
Worst album yet by far. I hope the restaurant don’t like this. This is terrible.
I’ve never been an REM fan, and apparently I still am not.
Faggot mould
I've never listened to this album (34). Enough! No more Mr. Bald Guy!
Another boring band
Listening to this album is like listening to nothing... It's a murmur that mumbles instead of whispering something. It's bland and repetitive and, still, there's nothing. Nothing. I think I liked more the last album of R.E.M. I was assigned, and it wasn't of my like at all. But still it had something interesting, if I may say interesting for a R.E.M. album.
Not my style of music. All of the songs sounded very similar.
Boooooorrrrrriinnggggg
Bit of a dirge
I think i have Singles Expectation Disease with R.E.M.. Every time I listen to an R.E.M. album I'm waiting for it to become an R.E.M. album and most of them never do and it's disappointing.
Fuck rating albums. Just let me listen.
I skipped through this pretty quickly, familiar enough with it that I know I don’t need to listen to it again before I die.
So, the best of indie pop? This is terrible. Michael Stipe's voice, while technically good, is worse than a prepubecent teens. Grating is an understatement. The music - every song - is now one of the 8 default settings on a Casio keyboard. I award it no stars, and may God have mercy on its soul.
Dårlig og kjedelig
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Nah Fick dich is ja Tod langweilig
For me, there wasn't a single remarkable track on the entire album. Seems like R.E.M. and Michael Stipe was kinda atonal and semi-punky from the beginning, and this just doesn't do anything for me. Yeah, their hits are poppy, but this album has nothing hit-worthy on it. My Rating: 1/5
My appreciation for REM has not increased over 30 years. Hard pass.