Murmur

Couple song were good but overall not memorable

REM

liked this

An extremely nostalgic album for me

2.5 nothing crazy

Sometimes a drone isn't cool, it's just a whine

Hey, I can understand Michael! Still, a little to subdued for my tastes. Close to a 4/5. 3.5

Radio Free Europe is a fantastic opening track. But it’s so front loaded, it becomes a bit of a slog by the end

Nice debut album

16 year old me thought this was boring. Oh, how times have changed (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)

Not my favorite R.E.M. album but its still good.

Surprised it didn't sound like I remember REM sounding but also completely unmemorable

Nice

Buen álbum debut de la banda. Un par de grandes temas, otros más o menos. 5/10

Legendary debut album; the jangly guitar pop of my youth. Favorite deeper track is "Pilgrimage".

Really enjoyed this one. I have some later REM albums but most of this one was new to me.

one of the greatest bass players of all time???

It was okay. Nothing really grabbed me link in other REM albums. I can't say I would seek this one out again.

Remin tunnistais vaikka silmät kiinni

buen rock ochentero me gustó

Don Dixon and Mitch Easter might be two unknown names for the vast majority of people that enjoys music, but when it comes to jangle pop and power pop fans, they might ring a bell to them since they have been for a while. Murmur, the debut album by R.E.M was no exception and they both rescued R.E.M after hearing "Pilgrimage". I.R.S permitted this since the band was absolutely dissapointed with Stephen Hague and his technical emphasis. Rooted in a strange but amazing mix of jangle pop, folk rock and post punk this record saw the light in 1983 and even when the band was trying to get rid of the jangley sound, you can hear some of that on the opener "Radio Free Europe". Murmur appeared almost out of nowhere, taking twists and turns that felt unpredictable since the cryptic lyrics of Michael Stipe and the way they were mumbled and sometimes whined made a strange and solid pair with the stylistic resources of Peter Buck as guitarist who admitted to be influenced by The Byrds, Television and The Feelies. Also, The Rhytmic section is heavily influenced by british post punk and it would be a constant in the following records making it less funky more and more. R.E.M was not the monster they would become in the 90's, but Rolling Stone named it "best album of 1983" over Thriller by Michael Jackson, Synchronicity by The Police and War by U2. Peter himself said it was mind blown by how well the record was received in UK even when they not toured yet. A marriage between punk and a Rickenbacker. This one is probably a weird description for a record like this one, but Rickenbacker was one of the most favorite brands for guitars and bass of many bands including The Smithereens and if Don Dixon actually worked with them at the very same time and age, now you probably understand where R.E.M and this record as a whole comes from. You only have to give it a try.

Every time I came to the conclusion that this wasn’t a 5, I fell in love with another song. Still a few that are just average to me, but the good here is great. A 5 it is. Love their early sound.

I think there are some R.E.M songs I like but maybe they aren't on this album. It kinda felt like it was almost there for me, like edging into something more exciting or angsty or something but didn't full get there.

Big time classic from my teen indie era, one of the first albums I bought on vinyl I think back when you could get really good second hand vinyl in charity shops for like a quid. I really like early REM there's something very comforting about it to me. Looking objectively this isn't their best though, but still gets a cheeky four stars

Ik merk al gelijk bij de eerste paar nummers. Dit is gewoon niet zo m’n cup of tea.

Pues es un álbum típico de los 80s sin un sonido innovador como tal cabe aclarar q no soy fan del rock pero hubieron canciones muy emotivas y otras q a pesar q me parecían genéricas también me atraparon en su melodía y ritmo como fue web walk

When I listen to this now, the first thing that strikes me is the production quality. For a first album from an indie rock band from Georgia, it’s impeccably recorded and produced. Next the musicality really comes through. The cohesion that every member has in realizing their wholly unique sounds is remarkable. They’re staggeringly confident on the debut. Staking a claim in the sonic landscape and playing the hell out of it. Then there’s Mr.Stipe. Already bursting at the seams to escape into the pantheon of rock gods. His songs are evocative, his lyrics sublime and mysterious, and his voice powerful and confident. All in all a terrific debut by an important band.

A solid album with solidly produced and recorded songs.

Ok my third attempt to write this review. I didn't know this is REM's first album, it kinda shows as Stipe's voice delivery and the jangly guitars are there but not yet full developed (and yes, I do have Losing My Religion as example here). If feels Murmur is like a shoegaze album in some moments (Full Circle), but the album grew much more on the second listen. I know I need the book to understand why this is on the list, but I cant see why...as there are stronger REM albuns. 3/5

It's fine, but all REM sounds the same to me.

Smiths plus usa men mindre gnälligt och en låt heter Europe

I know this is supposed to be one of their best. I had no problems with it but it didn’t stick out to me much. I thought we walk was really good though

This sounds like REM, but it's not quite like the late 80s albums. A bit more raw and unpolished maybe. This album is good, very good in places, but it's not quite keeping my interest as much as the other REM albums on the list.

RATING: 9.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Pilgrimage LOWLIGHT: Catapult

Stand-out tracks: Radio Free Europe, Pilgrimage, Moral Kiosk, Catapult, We Walk, West Of The Fields All of the tracks were very catchy and I can't really say there were any inherently bad ones. However, a lot of them do blend together, especially towards the middle portion of the album. The opening and closing section of the album are really good to me, enough to give it a 4 despite the dull middle.

I bet the lyrics were quite eloquent. If only I wasn't so distracted by the lulling vocals and droning instrumentals. Favourite Track(s): Radio Free Europe Least Favourite Track(s): Standing Still, 9-9, We Walk

There’s a couple of REM albums I like way more when I listen to them that I do when I think about them if that makes sense. This one doesn’t have that effect on me.

I know it’s not cool but I love REM.

Un disco interesante, del que me ha gustado bastante más la segunda mitad que la primera. Las letras me resultan totalmente incomprensibles.

Owned Arguably the best Debut album of all time

Bad and forgettable alt rock songs. There is no need to have this on a list unless the list is "the artistic trajectory of REM". There are a few experimental bits and spots I like, but not essential. 2/5

Ma millegipärast eriti naudin REMi vokaale, pillimängu ja kiiksuga muusikat. Isegi kui ma ei kuula väga palju sõnu, siis jääb mulje, et nad laulavad millestki asjalikust. Päris paljud lood lendasid mu Liked Songs nimekirja, isegi kui on pigem vähe selliseid koheselt meeldejäävaid palasid. 3.6/5

This is a pretty good debut album - if there's any criticism I'd make, it's that there seemed to be little variety in the tracks here.

Not my cup of tea but I can still appreciate it

While this is the album that started it all for R.E.M., it's not even the early-career album that I would consider to be the product of a fully formed band. Murmur has quite a few great songs on it, but I believe Reckoning is where they became a more fully formed band. Murmur is also not R.E.M.'s best album. That would be Automatic for the People. For any other band, Murmur would be the big highlight of their musical catalog, but for R.E.M. this was just the start. Radio Free Europe is the perfect start to the album, as it encapsulates what R.E.M. will try to be for the next 3-4 albums. I am surprised these songs don't have more plays on Spotify as well. Only Radio Free Europe has more than 10,000,000 listens. I wish Gardening at Night had made the album, as I prefer it to some of the other songs on here. That's not a knock on the other songs but a credit to Gardening at Night. I love R.E.M., which is probably obvious and this is a great album that launched a thousand college bands.

I like his voice and sound in some of the songs, but nothing really stuck with me on this album.

Feels like generic, but enjoyable rock, with impossible to understand lyrics. Everybody Hurts gets it up to a solid 3.

Still good but didn't get to me like it did in the past. I like it but why don't I just love it...

M.E.H.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-wU_WNFrvU

7/10

It was alright. I think I had some more fun with it because I am currently in Ireland

Thematic & unique; a good R.E.M. album’

Another solid 3 for the 3rd R.E.M. album on this list

6/10

really enjoyed!

R.E.M. never fails to disappoint. except here, which i guess is excusable as their first album. (seriously, that barely sounds like Michael Stipe)

Pretty good but prefer their later work

muy acertado al día de hoy, tranquilito pero su toque rockero de los 80s

This was so dreary, especially compared to Document. It felt like the latter had more emotion and passion put into it. And what's wrong with indie bands having horrendous vocalists?

Second half is pretty damn throwaway, but the first half is fun. Insanity lyrics.

very solid.

bday album

I liked We Walk. Not sure about the rest of it.

This is great. R.E.M's best album. It sounds fresh , its original(especially for the time), its super fun and influencial. Its a Jangle pop masterpiece. It does lose a bit steam on the back end. But its fine theirs no bad song here.

Really like this album. It’s probably my favorite REM. But it’s just not a 5. I think it is. But then when I listen to it… yeah. It’s just not. 4 Boolean: True

Such a good debut album. I might like they first ep more, but it’s hard to beat classic REM

Good pop rock songs A little bit of post punk/new wave here and there Great alternative rock record

This was my favourite of the REM albums we’ve had. It was less sad and actually had some interesting sounds. I’m not sure I would listen again but I enjoyed listening to a different sound of there’s

This was alright, probably the best REM record we've had on here, but that might just be because it's more conventional and easier to listen to.

good

2,5

HARD pass

for what people say about this one, not that good tbh

There are a couple REM songs I like; these are not they. These all sound same-same.

All these songs sound the same to me. It's not bad, but it's also not memorable.

Not my favorite REM but pleasant Favorite tracks: Radio Free Europe, Catapult, We Walk

Lähin asenteella et ei tää oikee lähe mut olihan tää ihan hyvää settiä. Mennään kolmosella

Ohan tässä jo REMin tyypilliset soundit, mutta ei vielä eka levy lähde lentoon. Meni kuitenkin hyvin taustalla.

Kyl tää alkukantanen hihna on mieleen. Ihan ei riitä täyteen pökkäsyyn, mutta lähellä ollaan. Sillai tää on hiano, että piisit on hyvin sävellettyjä ja sovitettuja ja soitettuja, mut sit tuotannollinen puoli on vähän raakaa, niin luo hyvää kontrastia. Laulu nyt hakee viel uomaansa, mut ei se nyt niin merkittävä tekijä oo, että sit myöhemmin oppi avaan suun kokonaan eikä vetänyt vaan peruna suussa.

Oli ihan tyystin entuudestaan tuntematonta remmiä, mutta oikein mainiota! Tuli muutamasta biisistä vähän Paul Wellerin jutut mieleen. Tykkäsin kovasti!

Frankly I don't have a damn clue what bro is going on about. Cool lyrics probably, but they also might just be nonsense. That's okay though. R.E.M. set out to make timeless music (meaning, ignoring every single 80s music trope), which already moonshots them basically to the top of the decade. Now, that's a pretty low bar, and this album didn't leave a major impact on me, but I certainly wasn't against it, and mostly I'm just looking forward to listening to their later, more developed work. Solid 3.

So before we played this I said to you, “I’m not a huge fan of R.E.M. but I’ll give this a good go to see what we’re missing”. Neither of us were excited by this album. My opinion on R.E.M. remains unchanged.

What a load of crap. No stars

I just cannot for the life of me get into R.E.M. I just do not see the appeal beyond the occasional one song here and there.

Fine

Fire, helped me understand mother

One of the better R.E.M. albums

Absolutely love this album

R.E.M. but without any songs I know. Still sounds pretty good. Highlight: "Radio Free Europe," even though it sounds a little bit to me like Michael Stipe is trying to disguise the fact that he's Michael Stipe. I don't know if I would give R.E.M. four whole slots on the 1,001 but at least they've been consistently enjoyable.

Better than I thought it was going to be but still... Just kinda lifeless. For some reason I always thought they were a 90's band and knowing that this came out in 83 some how makes me feel more lenient and like it more? Eh I'll try again!

I know Michael Stipe is an amazing lyricist but the music isn’t really complimenting that in a way that resonates with me.

This is REM’s debut album and as such I understand its inclusion in this list. It is nice to hear how the unique REM sound was already present when they formed. In a vacuum though, this is not a very remarkable album.

Monotonous and lacking soul but it wasn't the worst thing ever

>альбом называется murmur >ни одной песни про кошек 0/10 Ладно, если без приколов, это прям весьма приятная пост-панковая альтернатива, Radio Free Europe зашла. Раньше пытался слушать некоторые бэнгеры от более поздних R.E.M. и мне как-то не заходило совсем, хз, без откровений. Не все песни одинаково хороши, но дебютник оказался приятный. Сразу слышно на чем строится весь дальнейший альтушник.

The most 90s sounding 80s album of all time

Early R.E.M will always be a firm favourite for me. Incredible record.

Remaquablement moderne : en 1983, ca sonne déjà comme les groupes de rock chiants des années 2000.

Super cool alt album, feels like a lot of modern indie albums. I enjoyed listening, but it was a bit boring, and repetitive, so 3 stars from me.

I didn’t realize just how long R.E.M. has been around. This album, this whole style seems so at odds with everything else from that era. When I was first getting into music R.E.M. was considered passé. But we really need to give them credit for pioneering college/ alternative/ indie rock.

Art school intellectual or pretentious? I’m still not sure. Its not on my playlist. Quite like the sleeve though a collaboration created by Ann Kinney, Carl Grasso, and Sandra Lee Phipps and Michael Stipe of course.

Gods, many good songs that not just all blend together

223/1001 🇺🇸 This band mean the world to me and whilst its a thrill to be with a band from before they hit it big to hear them in their purest form i did it the other way round with REM. After picking them up aroundcl Out Of Time, there was so much pleasure in discovering their earlier records. There is something so understated and beautiful about Murmur. The title for starters, the cover and Stipes lyrics which are pretty cryptic whilst being sung with so much feeling. Best Tracks: Perfect Circle, 9-9, West Of The Fields, Talk About The Passion, Radio Free Europe, Laughing.

Great album. Every song is good. Feels ahead of its time - like a decade early. Of course a decade later REM was at the top of the charts, so it makes sense I guess. 5 stars.

Some days REM is my all-time favorite band and some days Murmur is my favorite REM album. Some days both those things are true at the same time; usually on days when I have made the wise decision to listen to Murmur. I was once walking between registers in the course of my five-something dollar an hour job as a bag boy at Winn Dixie and singing “Not everyone can carry the weight of the world” from “Talk About the Passion” quietly to myself (this was one of those days when REM was my all-time favorite band and Murmur was my favorite REM album) and a fellow bag boy who would go on to get in a car accident that left an indentation in his forehead big enough that he could stick a quarter in it and have it stay there even when he shook his head violently as a party trick heard me and responded “yeah, especially not a Williams” as a mildly insulting somewhat non sequitur regarding the fortitude and ability to persevere in the face of adversity of myself and my family generally.¹ I just looked up my fellow former Winn Dixie bag boy on Facebook and he lists his occupation as disabled but describes starting his journey at Liberty University in 2024 (so in his late-40’s because he’s my age) and earning a certificate in accounting, but not stopping there and re-enrolling the next year and earning his certificate in Medical Office Assistant with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Based upon his profile picture, he still has the quarter-sized indentation in his forehead. So maybe he was onto something when he implied that he and those of his bloodline had a greater tolerance for adversity and ability to persevere than the weak and feckless Williams family. REM weren’t exactly "Southern boys just like you and me" as Pavement described them in “Unseen Power of the Picket Fence”. Michael Stipe and Mike Mills grew up military brats which is like being from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Peter Buck and Bill Berry were Damn Yankees.² But the band did an excellent job of absorbing some of the ingredients found in the heady brew that is being Southern, one of which is perseverance. Southerners are like the kudzu featured on the cover of Murmur. Not really good for anything, and in fact a real nuisance and impediment to getting useful benefit from a piece of land, but no matter how much you try to get rid of it, the damn stuff just won’t die. Cut it back as much as you like and a week later it will be covering your field again and have a medical office assistant certificate with a 4.0 GPA. REM formed in 1980 and broke up in 2011. If doing what they did day-in-and-day-out for 31 years, and producing as many exceptional albums as they did during that period, isn’t perseverance then I don’t know what is. Another ingredient of the Southern experience is sometimes some of us make great art. Of all the great art that has been made in the short history of our country, I would argue that the lion’s share has been made by Southerners.³ Being crazy doesn’t necessarily mean you will make great art - in fact, 99% of the time being crazy will just result in you being crazy and art won’t be involved in the slightest - but being crazy, or at the very least dancing along the cliff’s edge of insanity, appears to me to be an absolute necessity to making truly great art. A thoroughly sane person can be an amazing craftsman and make beautiful things, but to be a true artist you have to be a little bit crazy. I think that is why the South is such a fertile ground for art. All Southerners are at least a little bit crazy, so we have one of the fundamental building blocks of great art already checked off from birth. Most of us never achieve, or even consider trying to achieve, any of the thousand other things that go into making great art. But by God do we have the being crazy part sorted. REM were a little crazy and they were an active touring band for thirty one years, a portion of that spent as one of the biggest bands in the world, which is bound to make someone crazy even if they started out sane, which shows true perseverance. They exhibited at least two of the ingredients that go into making the insanely beautiful, or more often just insane, monstrosity that is a Southerner. REM also made some of my all-time favorite albums, and Murmur is one of those, and I am thankful to have been able to experience it and to continue to enjoy it. ¹My fellow bag boy’s comment was made in the spirit of gently teasing workplace banter designed to pass the time rather than a spirit of ill-will. He was the Dwight to my Jim except I didn’t play any pranks on him or marry the cashier I had a crush on and our boss wasn’t Michael Scott but an elderly (or she seemed elderly to me at the time) redneck named Linda who could be a hoot at times but not in a Michael Scott-type of way. ²Yankees are people from up North (i.e. anywhere that isn’t the South) and Damn Yankees are people from up North who come to the South and don't leave. ³I would argue that because it is objectively true and if you pick the side of an argument that is objectively true then you have a better chance of winning the argument, and I am overly competitive and have an unhealthy focus on “winning”. I put “winning” in quotation marks because people with sense aren’t really playing a game when they play the game that is on the surface. Oftentimes they are playing a different game and the game they appear to be playing is just the outward expression of that deeper game that has a scoring system that isn’t on the inside cover of the box and has to be learned through years of actually paying attention to not just what people are saying but what they mean and correctly interpreting those implications. And the really smart ones aren’t playing a game at all and are trying to do something that is actually important like be happy or connect with others and the game is just an avenue by which to do that. But I am a very surface-level person and often don’t realize that there are ten other important games or non-games stacked on top of the game I am playing when I play a game with someone and so I play the game we are ostensibly playing rather than the more important game or non-games going on at the same time. "When a wise man points at the moon the imbecile examines the finger."

The birth of indie rock as we know it. Jangly guitars, bass lines that largely reside beyond the 5th fret, four to the floor drums and the lyrics of a generation breaking out of the 70’s standards and fighting against emerging hair rock/metal. Rough around the edges, but unmistakably REM where you can clearly see the direction they’re heading in. A must listen for anyone into Indie rock and pop music.

great mixing & anything else

I've always thought early REM was overrated and latter REM underrated. This has not changed my view. I liked 'pilgrimage' and 'laughing' but the album overall is fairly plain.

La naissance d'un band unique.

good songs good album

Aight

i thought r.e.m. had to do with being asleep but the music here is pretty lively actually 7.5/10 best song - 9-9

I'm a casual fan of REM really and more likely to listen to their peak 90s stuff than their earlier output. It's decent and you can hear the ingredients that would go onto make them ultra successful. I understand their influence in the 80s in the alternative rock scene at a time where hair metal and hard rock was the dominant genre in that sphere but I don't really think of this as essential on a musical level, knowing what follows it.

Dece.

Not the REM I know and love. Nothing really stood out

Dette _er_ faktisk det bandet jeg ble fortalt at REM var før REM ble selve definisjonen på amerikansk alt. rock. Flott jangle pop! Når ikke opp til Crazy Rhythms eller noe med Johnny Marr på gitar, men fakta er at det finnes altfor lite god jangle pop der ute, og det er fint å kunne legge enda et album til repertoiret.

Jangle for the people!

It's still good and it still smells like the summer of 1983

very dad music but i fuck with that so no real complaints here

Better than I remembered. I was never a huge REM fan back in the day, but listening to this debut album now, I can definitely understand why it made a big impact.

Good music, mediocre drums.

murmur murmur murmur

Two tracks in, and I’m already seeing some of what they were doing: Copying other famous artists of the day and adding their own twist. Radio Free Europe felt very Tom Petty. Pilgrimage felt very industrial, like the Cure. But each felt tongue in cheek and self aware. I quite appreciate their style. As I continue, I notice the styling and genre changing and melding continues, leading to an overall enjoyable experience. My only real knock is that some of the songs are fairly repetitive in their lyrics and/or chord progressions. Still, it worked in each track that it comes up. The lyrics themselves carry strong themes of growing up and finding oneself. It certainly helps the album have a more timeless quality than a lot of other albums from that era. Overall, familiar and yet new with twists on various stylings to create their own unique sound. 4/5.

Radio Free Europe Sitting Still Shaking Through

Pilgrimage 9-9 We Walk

Great album

I love R.E.M. but I confess this first one never really grabs me. The critics at the time went bananas for it though, so maybe I'm just listening to it through the filter of later albums that I find more interesting.

Came out my first year at college. Between it, B-52's, and Prince the entire party soundtrack was set. Which had me hating REM at first. I was more Clash and Hip Hop at the time. Sounds better to me now.

3.5/5

cool, no se si le cacho tanto la vibe

It's good but doesen't really grab me. No song really stands out but no song sounds bad either

Never bought this first album. Great sound, but honestly later albums had more memorable singles

Really enjoyed this listening

nice indie tunes, more raw than their late work

ну, во-первых это красиво

It's ok, I've never really got into REM. I think I once owned this but never actually listened to it.

buenos arpegios pero bien fome el disco

Murmur was perhaps the birth of what would be alternative rock: spawning a whole new niche of music that sounded like it was for 80s college kids of Gen X over the boomer music of the 70s. Not being pejorative, it was an album that soon defined what Gen X music would be. R.E.M. was coined "college rock" I guess as a contrast to disco's emergence in the late 70s as rock bands started to get a little funky with repetitive drumming and that scared predominantly white people. Enough generation talk, Murmur still rules today. Perhaps the most stereotypical R.E.M. album for Stipe's wonderful murmuring and hard to hear nature, but all that jangle rock sounds from the 60s and 70s was given a new chapter with Peter Buck's guitar playing. If R.E.M. didn't sound more clearly commercial in the 90s, I could've mistaken this album for being 10 years older than what it is. They were a band in the right place at the optimal time for a new generation of different music listeners, and also manage to sound uniquely timeless as well.

An album that forms the foundation of classics to come. Very consistent effort from start to finish - Radio Free Europe is the highlight.

Maybe ahead of it's time, but nothing stood out to me on this album

A decent album. REM always tends to sound the same though. Also, this was the album I got on the day my first child was born so I’m going to give it an extra star just in case my sleep delirium has made me overly critical.

This is an incredible debut album. I can really see how REM went on to become such an influential group, as this album feels ahead of its time for 1983. Beautiful and layered compositions, interesting lyrics, and great vocals. Love it!

I actually really liked this and would be willing to revisit. It feels like a more toned down version of what R.E.M. would be in later album (which works for me) Favorite song: West of the Fields

Solid album, other than Radio Free Europe nothing particularly stood out but it was quite enjoyable.

I do enjoy early REM and it’s delightfully free of cheese. This one is solid and probably starts with the best track, Radio Free Europe

A pretty likeable jangly album. Not a lot that I absolutely loved, but I definitely didn't hate any of it.

1st one good

Have to say like several REM albums this one really not grabbing me at all 2 out of 5 currently 2 it remains just didnt jive with it at all

REM makes decent music but the singer is just so whiny.

It was ok, enjoyable sound but nothing particularly stuck out. May revisit later.

OK, I like this album but maybe a big part of it is nostalgia. I think the prominent basslines and just generally strong rhythm section sets this apart from being a generic jangly guitar album. There are only a few songs that stick with me though. If it's enjoyable in the moment but doesn't leave anything behind, that takes away from my appreciation. I like REM's early stuff, but it's pretty weak compared to Life's Rich Pageant or Document where I think they locked in together and the vocal lines were more powerful. I'm not as much of a fan of the more wistful moods represented on this album. Essential listen: no Desert island disc: no

music is love

Completely and utterly bland. Didn't notice a single song.

As with most REM fairly boring and repetitive. However, I don't hate it and I can see the appeal?

Haven’t listened to this in many years, and anticipated that it would not have aged well, but was pleasantly surprised.

It's pleasant enough.

Early R.E.M. is always a delight to listen to. Although I like the latter output of the band. This early work has some more edge over it.4/5

I don’t think I feel anyway in particular about this album. It’s pleasantly forgettable, in that I won’t mind it playing in the background. But it’s not exactly getting me to move or feel a certain way.

I enjoyed the music but found the singer to be mr mumble mouth. Couldn't understand shit without pulling up the lyrics. Would have been a fun instrumental album. Instead it sounds like a garbage can

I really liked this! With it being their first album, I assumed it might be different from their later stuff, but turns out they’ve just always sounded like that. I think REM is a polarizing band, as in you like them or you don’t, but I like them. Strong debut for sure.

I haven't listened to R.E.M.'s last couple of albums, but Murmur is very likely the band's best record. About 4.3 stars.

Ótimo álbum, com composições bem boas de ouvir. Perfect Circle foi a minha preferida, eu gosto muito do timbre do piano sustentando a melodia da música.

Early indie rock, overall a solid album

A very solid 4

R.E.M.'s debut album really set the stage for what was to come, it still sounds incredible to this day.

One of my favorites, colorful jangly sounds and tribal rhythms

Way better than that other one I had to listen to! Strong 6

Not bad, not exceptional either, good as a background music while you're doing house chores 🙌

Plenty of tracks on here. I had not heard and enjoyed.

No fav song

A very solid introduction to a very important band.

I was working at a music festival for the state broadcaster once and got the chance to interview Mike Mills. I was so uncharacteristically nervous and star struck, I forgot to record the damn thing. So it was just a nice 10 minute chat with a lovely man that I’ll remember for a long time. As for Murmur, it’s 10/10, five star, no holds barred, absolute brilliance from start to end. I must have listened to this album a million times. Perfection.

I feel like once you’ve heard one R.E.M. song, you’ve heard most of them. “Losing My Religion” is the exception because that’s legitimately a great song, but this album mostly reinforced my opinion. There were a handful of moments I liked, but most of the songs started running together pretty quickly. The jangly guitars, Michael Stipe’s half-mumbled vocals, and the general mood are all fine. I just kept waiting for something to separate one track from the next. “Radio Free Europe” had more energy than most of the album, but even that didn’t make me understand why this record is treated like such a landmark.

I liked the first song...

Radio Free Europe shows REM's post-punk, almost new-wave side more clearly. It could almost be a Blondie track! The whole album doesn't quite have that sound that sets REM apart yet. There are jangly guitars, strings and Stipes distinctive vocals, but it just lacks something. Best track - Talk About the Passion 3 stars - bit disappointed. I expect more from REM in terms of hooks and intensity.

REM started off making softer, folkier music than expected. Not a bad thing, just belies where I think they were really meant to reside, which was the new wave jangle pop of the next few records (Don't get me wrong, you do hear tidbits of that sound often here.) "Talk About the Passion" is one of my all-time favorite songs by them, though. As far as this being a debut, it's damn good- beyond that track, "Radio Free Europe," "Laughing," and "Moral Kiosk" are all awesome. The record plays super well from start to finish, consistently entertains (Mike Mills you are one of God's gifts!)

It was really ok. I enjoyed it.

Agree with the majority. It's okay: nothing standout, nothing especially bad. Doesn't really do anything for me but probably a good debut. Went on a bit and sounds like Costello on downers.

Fairly good album. Unfortunately find the main singers voice so annoying:(

Good debut but their really strong stuff is later

I hadn't heard this album in its entirety yet. There were only a couple songs that I recognized, and the rest didn't really stand out. I can see how this album could grow on me with more listens for sure.

Their best album in my opinion. Just reaches 4 stars.

ok, not my favourite

Nich so meins aber kann ich trotzdem irgendwie appreciaten

REM have some classic tracks but sadly this album contains none of them. Even the well-known ones are 'easy listening', meant in a non-pejorative kind of way, but this one never had any stand-out moments

After Automatic for the People their second best album

some good alt rock

To be fair I would sound like this if you gave me enough speed and left me in Georgia.

J'ai réécouté Murmur, le tout premier album de R.E.M. sorti en 1983, et après avoir essayé de percer le mystère des marmonnements de Michael Stipe, mon verdict est tombé. Ce sera un 3 sur 5 ni plus ni moins, et c'est exactement la même note que celle que j'ai attribuée à Green. Avant de me lapider pour hérésie, restons calmes, respirons un coup et regardons les choses en face de manière objective. Nous sommes en 1983, une époque où la synthpop britannique commence à saturer les ondes et où le rock américain cherche désespérément un second souffle après l'explosion punk et le dégonflage de la New Wave. C'est dans ce paysage qu'arrive ce quatuor d'Athens, Géorgie, avec sous le bras un disque qui va poser les fondations de ce qu'on appellera plus tard le college rock. Le groupe refuse les gros synthés pour revenir à des guitares claires, des lignes de basse bondissantes et une voix qui refuse obstinément d'articuler. C’est charmant sur le papier, c'est historique dans l'impact, mais est-ce que cela en fait un chef-d'œuvre absolu de bout en bout ? Pour moi, Murmur reste un bon album, indéniablement doté de très bons titres qui justifient sa place dans l'histoire, mais il souffre aussi de gros morceaux de faiblesse qui laissent au final un sentiment profondément mitigé. C'est le type même de disque qui oscille constamment entre le coup de génie brut et la redondance absolue, me donnant parfois l'impression d'écouter le même morceau folk-rock. Un disque charnière, certes, mais bancal. Le grand point fort de ce disque, c'est cette alchimie immédiate entre la guitare Rickenbacker de Peter Buck, qui jangle comme si sa vie en dépendait, et la section rythmique impeccable de Mike Mills et Bill Berry. Dès le morceau d'ouverture, la fameuse version réenregistrée de "Radio Free Europe", on prend une claque d'énergie brute. Le refrain est d'une efficacité redoutable, la basse est d'une fluidité incroyable et la batterie pousse le tout vers l'avant sans jamais faiblir. C'est le paroxysme de leur style primitif, une décharge de pop urgente qui donne envie de prendre sa voiture et de rouler sans but précis. L'autre immense réussite qui me hante à chaque écoute, c'est évidemment "Talk About the Passion". Là, le groupe touche à une forme de mélancolie lumineuse absolument parfaite. La voix de Stipe se fait plus caressante, les arpèges de Buck s'envolent et l'équilibre général montre ce que le rock alternatif américain pouvait offrir de meilleur : de l'émotion pure, sans fioritures grandiloquentes ni solos de guitare interminables de métalleux permanentés. Rien que pour ces fulgurances, l'album mérite qu'on s'y arrête et justifie qu'on l'écoute encore aujourd'hui. Le travail des producteurs Mitch Easter et Don Dixon mérite aussi d'être salué sur ces grands moments. Ils ont réussi à capter une atmosphère unique, mystérieuse, presque pastorale, qui tranche radicalement avec les productions hyper-compressées de 1983. Le son est boisé, organique, un peu crasseux sur les bords mais toujours chaleureux. La voix de Stipe est mixée en retrait, presque comme un instrument supplémentaire, ce qui renforce cette sensation de murmure ésotérique qui a donné son titre à l'album. C'est poétique, c'est intrigant, et sur les trois ou quatre meilleurs morceaux de la galette, ça fonctionne à merveille. Mais voilà, une fois qu'on a enlevé ces quelques hymnes incontournables, qu'est-ce qu'il reste ? C'est là que le disque commence à montrer ses limites et que mon enthousiasme s'effondre gentiment. Aller droit au but, c'est aussi admettre que la seconde moitié de l'album s'embourbe dans des structures ultra-répétitives. À force de vouloir imposer leur marque de fabrique à tout prix, les morceaux finissent par tous se ressembler. On retrouve inlassablement le même tempo moyen, les mêmes arpèges en boucle et les mêmes mélodies de basse qui tentent désespérément de meubler le vide intersidéral de certaines compositions. Certains titres font office de pur remplissage et me laissent totalement de marbre. Les mélodies s'essoufflent, le dynamisme s'estompe et on sombre rapidement dans une sorte de folk-rock léthargique qui manque cruellement de hargne. Le refus systématique de Stipe d'articuler ses textes, si séduisant sur les morceaux rythmés, devient ici franchement agaçant. Quand le morceau est faible, ce chant marmonné n'est plus un mystère poétique, c'est juste un mec qui donne l'impression d'avoir oublié ses paroles ou d'avoir abusé des calmants avant d'entrer en cabine. C'est mou, c'est flou, et ça plombe le rythme global du disque de manière impardonnable. Cette alternance constante entre le très bon et le franchement dispensable crée une frustration terrible. On passe d'un morceau qui vous dresse les poils sur les bras à une piste suivante qui s'écoute d'une oreille distraite. C'est ce manque flagrant de cohérence qualitative qui m'empêche de crier au génie et qui me pousse à ramener ce disque à sa juste valeur : un premier essai prometteur, rempli de promesses d'avenir, mais encore englué dans les approximations de la jeunesse. Murmur est le jumeau spirituel de Green dans ma discographie personnelle de R.E.M., d'où cette note identique de 3 sur 5. Dans les deux cas, on fait face au même syndrome : le groupe est capable d'écrire des classiques absolus de la pop alternative, mais s'avère foutrement incapable de maintenir ce niveau d'excellence sur la longueur d'un album complet. Là où Green péchera plus tard par une production parfois trop propre et des expérimentations à la mandoline un peu faciles, Murmur pèche par son excès inverse, une uniformité monotone qui fatigue sur la durée. Ne vous méprenez pas, j'aime ce disque pour ce qu'il représente et pour les quelques pépites qu'il contient. Il a ouvert la voie à toute une génération de groupes indépendants et a prouvé qu'on pouvait faire du rock aux États-Unis sans céder aux sirènes du commerce de masse ou du hard rock de stade. C'est un disque important, historique mais l'importance historique n'a jamais sauvé les morceaux faibles d'un album du saut de piste systématique. Un bon album, donc, mais certainement pas le messie que la critique officielle tente de vous vendre depuis quarante ans. À écouter pour sa sève primitive, mais en gardant la télécommande à portée de main.

This band really almost never disappoints. There’s always something wildly creative going on in their music that creates something really interesting. For example the song “Perfect Circle” the piano playing sounds crazy, and like I couldn’t figure out why it sounded like that. Thankfully I found the answer when I was researching about the album (something I almost never do unless something really intrigues me) and apparently there’s TWO people playing those parts in unison. So that ethereal sound comes from being almost perfectly in time but just naturally being slightly off at moments. It’s just so creative and cool. And for this to be a debut album is also wild! Seriously I ended up saving almost every song on this album. That being said it wasn’t perfect. There were times where it got alittle too slow and mopey for me personally, but that’s not saying a lot. Like the vast majority of this album was awesome and really interesting. It also makes me realize that every song I know and have saved of REM’s are all singles and I don’t think up to this point I’ve ever listened to a full album of theirs start to finish. I really hope a few more REM albums are on the list.

Better than Green, for sure. R.E.M. is still bland to me tho.

Apropos nothing: I saw R.E.M. in 1986 at W.O.W. hall in Eugene ((OR). I was fresh out of the army and it was a highlight for live shows I've seen in my life, maybe because I was now free from that military crap for which I had volunteered. I was at W.O.W. hall in 1984 to see the Wipers before heading to Germany (after basic training) for the beginning of my millitary service. I can say that I've seen 2 of the best concerts of my life at W.O.W. (Another was at a venue in PDX (maybe?) where I saw X and danced my ass off, being so high on acid...let's just say I was very happy.) 4 "not their best but still worthy" stars. P.S.: I also saw/listened to Exene recite some poetry in a small bookstore in Renton, WA, where I presently live. That was an intimate space....

Their first is still possibly their best.

Yess

Initially was very into it but became a bit background noisy...nothing jumped out at me

Best song up front, Radio Free Europe is an easy ear-worm for me. The rest of the album is interesting, but not outstanding. That one song put this album on the map, from my perspective.

Don't know why I didn't get into R.E.M. so this was a first time listen. Surprisingly timeless but I read now that was the intent. I imagine a lot of people won't particularly rate it but I get the feeling it's one I'll come to love if I listen more.

Impressed that they found their "sound" on their debut album.

Doesn't have the well known hits like their other albums but I got more into this the more I listened.

Déjà écouté avant. Tous les éléments, ou presque, de ce qui fera le son R.E.M. dans les années qui suivront sont déjà là, totalement formés ou encore en formation : la voix si distinctive de Michael Stipe et ses textes cryptiques, bien sûr, le mariage divin entre la basse post-punk de Mike Mills et les arpèges de guitares d'inspiration folk de Peter Buck, leur sens consommé d'une certaine mélancolie rock... Pour un premier album, c'est un triomphe, peut-être le premier album majeur du rock alternatif US, limité seulement par sa production un peu bouillasse et par l'absence de morceau "tour de force", toute la setlist étant à peu près sur le même plan, sans ventre mou, mais sans pic de brillance non plus. Top : We Walk Flop : Catapult

its was nice but wasnt that good 5/10

I've never listened to REM longer than a single song at a time. This was a neat experience. They're quite varied but they suffer from distinctive singer vocals so lots of the songs sound similar despite there being a good chunk of variety here.

I was initially excited when I saw R.E.M., but this album didn’t do it for me.

There’s a really interesting strain of music peaking out this time from Stipe’s monotone voice. I particularly liked Perfect Circle (shades of nightswimming, especially once you know the inspiration) and Shaking Through. I’ll call this 3.5 rounded down to 3.

Not bad but I’ve always struggled with Michael Stipe’s voice and some of their production choices.

Good/5

So so excellent. I love R.E.M. but I specifically love this album. It’s got such a cozy and relaxing atmosphere but still is so interesting and fun.

Reminds me of my freshman year of college. I wasn't that into Michael Stipe's mostly indecipherable whining then (hated it because my suitemates were blasting it all the time), and though I appreciate the jangly guitar now, still not a fan.

It’s a four because it’s a beautiful lay up before 3-5 slam dunks. Should really be a 3

Crazy to think that this was considered alternative or underground in 1983 and just eight years later, R.E.M. was just about the most mainstream artist around. This was a lot better than I anticipated it would be and definitely would recommend others check it out as it is ahead of its time.

probably my favorite R.E.M. so far, I enjoyed this decently. a lot of the songs sounded like they were sooo close to being ones I really enjoyed but weren’t quite there. but i still found it pretty pleasant. Fav tracks: We Walk

Herhalend Prima achtergrond

wasn't that great

This doesn't quite rise to the level of their later albums, but Murmur is a great album. It's a shock that it's as well polished as it, REM was fully formed on their debut album.

Strong 4.5

Surprisingly great ngl

I can’t quite tell you why, but the more I listen to R.E.M, the less I like them. This just did not interest me at all. And this is the 3rd R.E.M record I got in the last few weeks. And I know there’s at least one more coming.

Good album. I like REM (I've gone to one of their concerts) but not my favorite one. Still, good one.

#47 Very polished for a debut album, and sounds timeless; I couldn't believe this was released in 1983! Definitely a foundational album for alternative and indie rock that followed it, and a stark contrast to everything else on rock radio in its time. Pilgrimage, Shaking Through, and We Walk are my highlights.

Prefer their more mature sound

Released in April 1983, R.E.M.’s debut full-length album Murmur didn’t just introduce a band from Athens, Georgia—it essentially mapped out the blueprint for American alternative college rock. In an era dominated by sleek, neon, synth-heavy British pop and bombastic arena rock, Murmur arrived like a ghost from the woods: mysterious, atmospheric, and completely out of step with its time, which is exactly why it remains timeless. ​Murmur is a flawless debut. By refusing to chase 1983’s trends, R.E.M. built an insular world that never ages. If you want to understand where indie rock came from, this is the sacred text.

Standouts 9-9

Enjoyment: 6/10 Replayability: 7/10 Cohesion: 5/10 Flow/Pacing: 6/10 Artistic Merit: 5/10 Weighted Average: 5.95/10 Review: I have only listened to a few R.E.M. songs in the past, so this was the first time I've listened to an entire album of theirs. If they're as good as this one, I'm looking forward to more. Liked Song(s): Radio Free Europe, Pilgrimage, Catapult, 9-9 Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? No

mid

Radio Free Europe is the keeper. Fresh, raw early REM sound from the era of the Chronic Town EP and Wolves,Lower and Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) and stylistically skews towards XTC. On par is the slower number Talk About the Passion which presages the musicality of their later work.

I've never heard of any of these songs, but I really enjoyed this album.

7.0/10

Not even the best REM and still just a great album - scuh pitch perfect indie. Is it a masterpiece, probably not but is there a weak song here..no.

'Shaking You' was my favorite on the album. Not a huge fan of the cheery R.E.M. sound.

First repeat artist! So what i didn't say about the first album was it sounded so 90s I was shocked it was from 87 and I feel the same about this so far very early. Way more 80s but they were among the bands of the 90s so I think the r.e.m. sound just is 90s even if this album is 83!

My go to was Out of Time (which I like a lot better), but this is good too.

I tried but Michael Stipes voice grates me. A couple of pleasant enough tracks and it could grow to a 3/5 but not enough there to make me want to listen to it again.

As with every other REM album I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot, as my wife is a fan), I like it, but I don't love it. I think every album they've ever made is a four star effort, and this is no exception. Consistently consistent, that's for sure.

Super nostalgic. Sounds like something my dad would put on on road trips

hört sich leicht weg

I've liked the odd REM track over the years but have never been a fan. This album does nothing to change that. Like most of the albums on this list, it just passed me by without making me sit up and pay attention.

Not much to say REM is often very bland , no bangers on this album.

Solid work

And so began the college radio revolution…

Quite enjoyed this and was tapping my foot a few times, surprised this was their debut, very assured sound considering

Like the other REM albums I've gotten, I like it, I don't love it.

Surprised that REM has 4 albums in the project and I’m just getting my first one at #907. This was good, but very similar to their overall sound elsewhere and lacking in any big hits. Overall 3.25/5 we’ll see how their others fare

Gran ritmo, alcuni pezzi super.

It was fine.

If your view of this band is burdened by the baggage of over-familiar singles from their peak, this is your way in to discovering their true magic — a debut with its front man Michael Stipe still finding his voice, pushed back in the mix with the drums brought up front for an unmistakable, inscrutable sound that draws you in and never lets go.

Does not sound like 1983. I liked it a bunch

I owned this album back in the day but didn't remember listening to it that much...right up until I played it for this project and was able to sing nearly every line.

This held my attention better than the previous R.E.M. album we listened to. Some of these songs are definitely catchy, and there are some interesting harmonies in addition to the sharp for I mentioned on the first track. I think it deserves a stronger three than the other one.

Funny that this comes up so soon after I mentioned it (favorably), in reviewing (the less amazing to me 1987 REM album) Document. 5 stars, for this one! Still sounds great to me, 43 (wtf?!) years later - fresh, amazing, near perfect. I love every element of these songs - Michael Stipe’s idiosyncratic vocals, but powerful singing; Peter buck’s jangly guitar, weaving through the melody, bill berry’s excellent understated drumming providing punctuation abd emphasis, and (last but not least) Mike Mills’s melodic bass and important background/harmony vocals. And the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, because of how it all blends together, each component making the other parts sound even better. I was 21 when this came out, and it’s an album made by guys who were not much older than me, from the part of the US where I spent my formative years, and expressing, musically, the excitement of new possibilities (musical and otherwise). This was a landmark album for me, and for people around my age. At least the ones who took music seriously.

this is the most I've enjoyed REM, but it's not that much. the singer's voice is devoid of expression. it's very 80s sounding I think "Laughing" is the first song I like by them. I see all the talking points: tight rhythm section, tasteful bass and supporting vocals, weird lyrics, etc. But I don't feel it. The rhythms are too straight. I suspect I would feel differently if I hadn't grown up with all the alt-rock that followed them

Very good album

What is with 1990 cool voices

This def needs a relisten, I think if I try this one again I’ll like it a lot more, I wasn’t exactly focused while listening to this album. Very much enjoyed the last 3 tracks

it’s upbeat and jangly, but just okay overall

this is background noise to me i fear. good background noise, but still.

Superb

chill but good.

Cool album, some songs with pretty daring instrumentals and other that feel like nirvana ripped them. Not what i was expecting at all !

It’s ok, but nothing special - it’s easy listening to REM

Nah

Give a band credit where credit is due. This is a sign to stick to what you like to do because it’ll eventually work out. This came out in 1983? 1983?!? Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes (Luke’s favorite) came out the same year as this. How can I call this ahead of its time if it’s carving the time ahead of itself!

Reminds me of Nirvana but more pleasant, not as anxious or guttural. Imagine how surprised I was when I found out this came out 10 years before Nevermind.

Mumbly baritone Romantic poetry in Elmer's glue (ingredients: nuthin but sticky sticky guitar & bass). Could listen to this shit for hours. 1983...are you sure you don't mean 2003? I hear the unborn spirit of Cobain too (did not expect this). Listened two times through while strolling, and then realized I was majorly lost and over two miles from home...pressed play for a third time without thinking.

Sublime. Brilliant.

A lot of the songs have potential, but REM has always sounded boring to me. I was dozing off while listening.

That was pretty boring but significantly better than Mariah Carey’s bullshit.

Great one

Decent album from a legendary band. Starts off instantly recognizable, and then there's a bunch of tracks that aren't in the R.E.M. greatest hits rotation, but are a solid offering nonetheless.

Muy bueno, pero sí senti uqe me gustan otros más de rem

I was obsessed with REM as a young person, I still am. Even though I stopped buying their albums after New Adventurers in HiFi, I never really had a problem with their output. This is where it all started for me, with the mumbling, jangly, melodic beauty of their work. I find them hard to define, feeling that college rock best describes them, its lo-fi but don’t let that make you think it is not polished, their work is cleverly executed and this album still haunts me to this day.

Really great, reminds me of music my parents listened to when I was young and Athens.

Not my cup of tea.

Murmur has as good an argument as Unknown Pleasures, Velvet Underground and Nico, and Ramones, for the best rock debut ever. REM magically arrived fully formed. A complete sound that could be no one else, Murmur started the indie/college rock era. The songs are perfectly crafters and performed. REM went on to have a legendary career, and Murmur is their opening argument for their place as greatest American rock band ever.

Solid introduction to R.EM.'s discography. I like a lot of their later more famous songs so hearing their early tracks was really interesting. Fav Songs Radio Free Europe Talk About The Passion Shaking Through Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? Yes, is considered the birthplace of indie/college alt rock of today and is a very solid listen

they're talented, just not my cup of tea

Mumble

I thought this album was really fun. Kept a really fun upbeat post prog rock beat the entire time. This album feels like it was in the transition phase from what we see in prog rock to modern rock. Beginning of set instrumentation of a drumset, guitar, bass, and a singer. No unnecessary saxophones. While I love the transition aspect of this album I don't think that it has reached perfection, 4.5 (4) Stars.

Surprising how little their sound changed over the years. Very good.

Great stuff.

As minimal as a band can really get. You've got your drums, guitar, bass, vocal and some piano. It's very raw, but not in a visceral way, but in a pure and unadulterated way. The music itself is quite light and jangly, with very melodic basslines, and some nice vocal harmonies. In many ways the album lives up to its title, 'Murmur.' There is nothing special about the production at all and that gives it a very humble sound. If anyone has ever played in a band in high school or something, you'll know how bad that can sound. This album kind of has that sound where your entire band is 100% on top form and actually sounds good for a change. The big difference is that this is for the entire album, and not just those 10 or so seconds. This makes the album sound quite relatable. You wish your band sounded as good as this even if it's not your prefered style or the perfect, polished, virtuoso artists you love. R.E.M.'s Murmur is a testament to the importance of getting the basics down; it's what you could sound like if you simply stopped making excuses and actually practiced. It was a pleasant listen, jangley and fun, but nothing really stood out. 3/5

Jangle jangle

tal vez en los 80s esto era innovador, pero ya no màs 3.6

# Album Name: Murmur # Artist: REM # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Probably the best REM album ive heard. Very enjoyable with plenty of good tracks. # Top Tunes: Radio free europe/ Pilgrimage / Laughing / The Passion / Perfect circle # Would I listen to it again? Yes

is everybody hurts their only interesting song

Super catchy hooks and riffs, surrealistic lyrics, and songs that don't overstay their welcome, all coming together to create a rather succinct debut album. Murmur is definitely a sign of good things to come, remaining strong throughout and very rarely dipping in quality. You can't beat a bit of R.E.M. Favourite track: 9-9 Least favourite track: West of the Fields

I've always been more of a Document girly, but I can't find a flaw in Murmur. There's something in R.E.M.'s specific flavor of jangly that just scratches an itch deep in my brain.

It was alright

All hits!!!

I like the unique vocal sound of r.e.m. I knew some stuff from the band but nothing of this album. Nothing off this album was immediately catchy as other stuff they'd be known for

неплохо, но не завайбилась

more upbeat

I like R.E.M. and I need to listen to them more. This was an enjoyable album.

Tight, melodic tunes that never outstay a welcome, indecipherable lyrics that somehow still feel full of meaning and power, a record that doesn’t get old.

Despite putting It's The End Of The World As We Know It as my senior yearbook quote, I honestly am not that big of a fan of R.E.M. They're fine. I don't think there's anything wrong with them. I just don't feel that strongly about them. Murmur didn't change that. Radio Free Europe was solid, and I don't think there was anything else here that caught my attention, good or bad.

Not my favourite REM work but a decent listen

3.5/5

It was fine. Nothing too exciting about it.

Нууу норм

It’s ok as a background

3/5 meh