Murmur

I still dont get REM. I can see the value: its nice jangly, indie guitar with good lyrics and some obvious indviduality. But it still just slips by without much that makes my heart race

It's alright, but not my favorite R.E.M. album. Feels like this is before they hit their stride.

a bit too country, i found that a previous R.E.M. album made for great background noise but this one was noticeably dislikeable

Pretty great, like most REM

On their 1983 debut, Murmur, R.E.M. arrive not with a bang but a haze—a humid, half-glimpsed transmission from the edges of college radio. Built on the momentum of relentless touring and the cult promise of their early singles, the record leans into a murky production style that both obscures and enhances its appeal. At first, that swampy mix can feel like a barrier, but it gradually reveals itself as part of the album’s mystique, turning even the most immediate hooks into something elusive. The rerecorded “Radio Free Europe” opens things with a familiar jangle and a catchy chorus, though the clattery drum sound distracts, while “Pilgrimage” and “Laughing” showcase a band already confident in its melodic instincts—especially in the latter’s quietly propulsive bass work from Mike Mills. Much of Murmur’s character comes from guitarist Peter Buck, whose chiming, jangly tone defines tracks like “Moral Kiosk” and threads through the album like a signature. “Talk About the Passion” stands as quintessential early R.E.M.—earnest, enigmatic, and just accessible enough to hint at broader appeal—while “Catapult” delivers tight harmonies, a buoyant bassline, and a shout-along chorus that feels tailor-made for small clubs. “Sitting Still” rides strong guitar interplay, and “9-9” shifts into a twitchier, almost new wave rhythm, even if its vocals and drums get buried in the mix. The band stretches its palette with “Perfect Circle,” a piano-led departure that adds a reflective dimension, though “Shaking Through” feels comparatively slight. Still, even the album’s weaker moments contribute to its atmosphere. By the time the playful “We Walk” and the driving “West of the Fields” close things out, Murmur has firmly established R.E.M. as a band already in command of its sound. Like Chronic Town, it captures them fully formed yet deliberately obscured—a debut that draws you in slowly, its secrets unfolding with each listen.

R.E.M. is one of my favorite bands, and Radio Free Europe is my favorite song by them. That said, this is not my favorite album of theirs — the other songs just aren’t quite as strong in my opinion. Still a great listen all the way through.

Enjoyed this album, tracks seem sort of repetitive upon first listening. Need to listen more to fully grasp the lyrics. Otherwise sounds like standard REM sound.

Why do they have four albums on this list? Totally overestimated.

REM is one of my all time favorite bands so this is a little biased. And despite being an unapologetic 90s REM fan, this debut album is the best indie rock debut in history

I've no doubt it was an important album for the time and had an impact but I just found it monotonous. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.

i dont got many words. i had one song originally liked so its getting a 2

Excellent debut and a few outstanding tracks such as Perfect Circle and Talk About The Passion. Great bass playing too. Always having to compare to their later great work though.

I am a huge fan of 90s REM but had never sat down and listened to this whole album before. I miss some of the darkness of their later stuff, but it's still very REM.

First R.E.M. album for me and it did not disappoint

Love this band. Waiting for a comeback

It’s a bloody lovely happy jingly jangly guitar based pop folk record. Right up my street. Doesn’t get the full 5 stars from me, as it’s missing some magic ingredient, or some stand out tracks to elevate it. But a mighty fine record it is.

Too album, but one I rarely play. I prefer Green, but for a debut, it's solid. Nothing particularly standout but a fine way to spend 40 minutes.

I just don’t love REM

Murmur sounds great but there are no standout bangers. Minimalist production choices make it an anomaly for the mid 1980s, but Stipe has yet to develop his melodic chops.

Gas

It was fine I guess. I don't think there's any songs I'll be coming back for. Sounds like they had their iconic sound right from the beginning though which is pretty cool.

eee classi fav tracks pligrimage, laughing, perfect circle and west of the fileds

75

Another quite dull REM record I’m afraid. Wanted to like this more.

I’ve been looking for something like this. Need to listen to more REM. This album is a good showcase for their sound.

i love REM i wish i could see them in concert

Fantastic album.

ok but not as good as monster

Good voice, pretty basic

Came to this album about 8 years ago having only heard the Warner Brothers tracks of REM. Absolutely brilliant debut, jangly, emotional, catchy. Perfect Circle is gorgeous. Made me listen to every album of theirs and I fell in love with the band.

- I thought I'd like this because I like R.E.M.'s later albums, but the songs didn't really hook me. It's not *bad*, but it just feels kind of nothing. It might be because I didn't hear it in the 80s when it was fresh, and now there are so many bands that sound like this. - I enjoyed the melody of Perfect Circle (it's really pretty), Shaking Through, and (the hit) Radio Free Europe. - I didn't love the tone of the guitar - it leans too metallic/twangy. - I felt like Michael Stipe was singing out of tune quite a bit - I think he tried to go a little too low for his range, but when he's in his range, his voice has its distinct charisma. I can't make out the lyrics, though. - The bass is good, but I wish I could hear it better - I don't know, but the mix is kind of off to me. It's hard to really hear the vocals and bass on most tracks. It's mostly twangy guitar on top and drums. - I'm not sure, I think this is a 2.5, but I don't actually like it that much, so I think I'll round down.

Shoutout big DV for putting me on this niche band

- Never been a fan of REMs vocals - Liked 'Pilgrimage' and ' Shaking Through' - Pretty good overall, but I can't shake the feeling that they haven't quite found their more memorable sound yet.

Not really a fan of this. Seemed kind of hum drum.

Eh. Middle ground. It wasn’t bad or anything great

Terrific album, and perhaps R.E.M's best. Pretty well invented college rock. All the tracks have strong melodies, vocals, instrumentation, backing vocals, etc. I've never considered R.E.M.'s lyrics to be really impressive or anything, but they're always at least fine.

R.E.M. is just one of those bands that I have never thought was that great. That said, I did kind of like this album. Much like the early sounds of Live on Mental Jewelry and Toad The Wet Sprocket on Pale, there is an unrefined, less produced sound on this record which I quite like. They aren't the overwrought R.E.M. that they will ultimately become. It's more stripped down, less quirky, which makes it better than a lot of their later stuff. To be sure, this is far from a cover-to-cover listen, and not much more than an average album to my ear. But there was enough here to take it for a spin. 3-stars.

Basslines were great music was awesome album was awesomer

90s alternative nostalgia rock classic

Мне не очень нравится голос солиста. Гитарные партии напоминают the cure.

I'll be honest, I expected to like this more than I did. I was unfamiliar with the album, and it starts off so strong but the rest of the album didn't blow me away. Maybe I'll change my mind on that within time. That being said - I liked a fair deal of it. Favourites: Radio Free Europe Pilgrimage 9-9

is the kind of music that reminds me Dumb & Dumber OST

Best Track - "Radio Free Europe"

It was gentle and positive, although my highlight is A Perfect Circle.

The highest 4 possible. Lovely

Murmur is important because it is an early example of Jangle Pop and the first in a run of near perfect albums. The playing and arrangements are first class but the songwriting is inconsistent at this stage.

Every R.E.M. album stirs, to differing degrees, a complex mix of both positive and negative emotions. Their two most popular albums on RYM sit on opposite ends of the spectrum in this regard, with Automatic being their darkest record and Murmur being their most joyful. Both are both, but Murmur wins the prize for “R.E.M. album most likely to get you out of a funk.” Without being sugary or overblown it leads with an open, welcome heart. It is a stunning and uplifting debut. Murmur does not rely on any prominent, anthemic singles to wow its audience. Instead you have a series of spookily cheerful and melodic songs which the band beautifully mumble their way through. There is something quite special about how restrained and obscure a song like 'Pilgrimage' is. You could imagine a stadium version of "take a turn! (take a turn)" but instead R.E.M. dial everything down and get beauty out of the subtlest of moments. 'Laughing' manages to speed along at mid-high tempo without the band getting overly grand or carried away with themselves, it is personable and cute. More notably, the structure of this song feels mad. Like on their Chronic Town EP (1982) R.E.M. have built twists and turns into their music - random sonic shifts from the verse to the chorus to the bridge. Each section has its own distinct personality which compliments the sections around it. It's impossible to listen to the infectious 'Catapult' without singing along with the indecipherable "Catapult! (Catapoh?!)" call and response vocals. Whilst 'Sitting Still' has a touch of the melancholy to it overridden by a sense of hopefulness and determination - these feelings are conveyed purely through the musical performance as the lyrics are complete nonsense: This name I got we all were green See could stop, stop it well rid We could bind it in the scythe We could gather, throw a fit Up to par and Katie bars the kitchen signs, but not me in Set a trap for love, making, a waste of time sitting still" But they are not meant to make sense - the band are deliberately trying to obscure and confuse their work.

Murmur is a low 5 for me, to my ears it has fewer highlights than other REM albums i love (perhaps only the opener) but it moves along at a comfortable mid tempo and offers a very melodic space to spend time in. It’s got my favourite elements of jangle pop, post-punk, and flashes of poppier stuff which followed later and they’ve clearly always had an ear for a tune - i especially like the bass playing and Stipey’s vocals throughout

Pretty good. I don't like Michael Stipe's voice very much, but I can tell it influenced so many singers like Gord Downey and bands like 54-40.

R.E.M. may be the most 4/5 band to ever exist. I’ve never been completely blown away by them, but I still always have a pretty good time nonetheless.

Didn't have the big hits I'm familiar with, but this is great, fantastic band, songwriting, vocals, musicianship are all excellent. Nailed it on their debut, you can see why they became so influential.

Decent album but repetitive

Ålreit dette, høres ut som REM ja.

Ikkje frelst, men var jo ganske chill å høyre på. Føler at 2 blir for strengt, så da gir eg 3.

REM is a top five band for me since I was in 6th grade (Stand in the place where you are y'all) and they even topped my Spotify Wrapped last year. This is not my favorite album of theirs and not even a top 5 album of theirs for me but pretty much each album they put out between this and Automatic for the People is a 5-starrer.

It's R.E.M., all right. Seems they've had a distinctive sound from the start. Nothing here stood out to me; it sounded like a list of album tracks. Not bad, not great either.

Unmistakable REM sound, I enjoyed the instrumentation on this record, but the mix made the vocals sound a little bit muddy. Personally I enjoyed the second half of the album more than the first, the stand out song for me was Shaking Through. Overall this is a decent debut album but it didn’t blow me away. 3.5/5

This album sounds like a murmur when you compare it to the heights of R.E.M. , which is fine but nothing really stands out.

Musically it is a very solid album, but I just really dislike the singer's voice. I cannot help it, it is just very annoying to me in any song by the band. I wish I could ignore it, but it is dragging this rating back. 3/5

Fun album. Pretty nice to dance to. Nothing special.

It's kind of funny bc I really enjoyed Green. I awarded it 4 stars, but honestly, it could have been a 5. Document I enjoyed less, and now this... It's not bad. It's just not good either. It's like what I'd hear playing in the background of a smokey sportsbar occupied by a bunch of 50 year olds who been drinking since 1pm.

It's raw and unrefined and it is certainly a band still developing their sound... but they are ALMOST there. The benefit of hindsight... shows us that pretty much every element here just got refined as their career moved on... catchy poppy alt-rock songs, his whiny nasal singing, great basslines and melody all day. It's here.. just not QUITE perfected. Still, a very good record that is enjoyable to listen to and has stood the test of time. The production brings out a little more of their alt side than their poppy side... which as we all know, reverses in the coming albums.

this was decent

Passed mostly unnoticed. Nothing stuck really

no es mi estilo

Ok, just nothing special

As often between R.E.M. and me it's a meeting that could have been but that wasn't. Although 9-9 almost deserve a star of its own. Favorite songs: Pilgrimage ; Moral Kiosk ; 9-9

похоже на пиксис

First listen of the album and I’m giving it a 2. The tracks pretty much all had the same sound so a bit boring

Didn’t really like. Not my genre, got bored

I had fairly high hopes for this album. While I'd only heard R.E.M's most popular songs, I liked all of the ones I have heard. I'd say that the album met my expectations. It was good, but I didn't absolutely love it.

I love some later REM - Drive, The One I Love, The Great Beyond, Kenneth, E Bow - so it was disappointing to find this didn't connect. Some nice jangly indie pop, but it lacks the bite of the smiths, the danceability of the Stone Roses...after Radio Free Europe, the whole thing blends into a mush. It's not awful, and you see some hints of later ideas. Probably just scrapes a 3 on historical interest.

Every track could be my favorite on a different day. No misses at all. It's a cool experience to listen to this in this project, where the albums I've been served have been disproportionately early 80s postpunk, including a few I wasn't already familiar with. There's moments here where I recognize its connection to the time, to early music from the Cure for example, in the drums and bass sounds. It still is a unique, trailblazing thing, this postpunk of the American South, but I hadn't heard it like that before. Anyhow, this is for me a landmark album.

First two thirds are spot on. Lags a bit towards the end. But being their first real album and sounding and being totally original, you have to give it props. I’m going 4.5 here Some great music

Esoteric and different.

It was good. Started to all sound the same to me.

So good, listened to twice in a row.

No es mi tipo de música

Elite

Un disco que siempre me costó, pero entiendo a la gente que lo valora. Prefiero muchas cosas que vinieron después.

Warm Jangly guitars and some excellent vocals. Radio Free Europe is a must listen.

Honestly didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought it would, but still listened to it because REM has other bangers

Would actually tend towards a 4 but I'm setting a high bar. Good replayability, easy to listen to. 3.5.

I enjoyed the guitar. It’s a nice album that’s catchy. Great for something alternative that’s coming out of the 80s way ahead of its time. This album can get repetitive but still a decent listen.

3rd REM album so far - one to go! This one might be my favourite one yet.

It's amazing to think that this fantastic debut was largely ignored by the public when released in 1983. It's as if the world wasn't ready. But it's the second R.E.M. album I've reviewed on the list, and the second to get 5 stars. There are many highlights, from the understated Laughing to the beauty of Perfect Circle, from the guitar driven Sitting Still to the piano driven Shaking Through. We Walk comes across as a bit of a novelty track and is probably the only slight misstep, but the rest is pretty faultless. They would go on to sell millions, but they would find it hard to better this.

Love REM but this one was just kinda meh

Fun

3.8 3x great debut -- not sure i'd heard this before

I didn't hate this. I'd even say it was tolerable. Maybe it's because Michael Stipe doesn't sound as Michael Stipey on this album. I was into the bass lines.

I've always liked R.E.M.—"Radio Free Europe" is one of my favorites of theirs—but I never shared the "this band changed my life" reverence given to them by some folks (particularly the heads a few years older than I am). Among them, Murmur is a sacred text. I like it enough to own it, but not enough to listen to it much. Revisiting it now, more stands out to me to ("Catapult," "Shaking Through")—nothing life-changing, but that's ok.

Standout Songs: Radio Free Europe Laughing Talk About The Passion Moral Kiosk Perfect Circle Sitting Still Shaking Through

Jájá, fínt háskóla-nýbylgjurokk, en ekkert sem grípur fast og ég veit ekki alveg af hverju platan er á þessum lista.

piola, algunas buenas

The rollercoaster ride that is R.E.M. continues. There is the euphoric airtime, and then there are the halting brakes. Then, there are the the banked turns. This album is a banked turn. It's not bad, but far from the euphoric features of a coaster. Favorite Track: "Talk About The Passion".

I feel like a broken record saying this about another band, but do we really need four instances of R.E.M. on this list? They were ok, but not that great. I've always felt they were too whiney. As for this album, their later stuff is when they really started to shine (for as much as a whiney proto-indie band can shine). This is pretty meh.

3.0

Radio Free Europe and Talk About the Passion are the gems in this collection While the lest may not reach the same heights, this remains a fantastic first album and signals the greatness ahead

Not sure that I'm a huge REM guy. Ready for a genre switch from rock

this is the soundtrack to the worst episode of scrubs.

I listened to this twice today. Once early this after I saw the new record would be another REM album. My REM fatigue is high because this is three in 10 days. Initially I listened with bias. But Radio Free Europe is good. I read about it that you couldn’t understand Michael Stipe and his lyrics. I didn’t mind it. I actually loved this album. The music is really good and I can understand why people are fans. If I can make a comparison it’s like who people are fans of the Smiths or the Cure. I understand the fandom. They are good musicians and songwriters. So even though I got 3 REM albums in 10 days I think I became a fan and may listen to them more often.

In a musical world that was dominated by Michael Jackson’s Thriller came R.E.M.’s first studio album. And they could not have been different. Michael ruled Top 40. R.E.M. rules college radio. It was truly a sign of what was to come.

I like the mellowness of REM. There is something engaging about their music.

The best thing about this album is that his voice isn't as pinched and nasal as it would be on later albums. This album didn't do a damn thing for me. I don't know who came first, R.E.M. or The Smiths, but the The Smiths accomplished with their sound what these guys were trying to aspire to here.

Decent, had some fun groove, but not really my style.

Neither loved nor hated.

la verdad volando

Not much I can really say, Radio Free Europe is one of the best openers on a band's debut album, but other than that, a lot of the songs just seemed to blend together

Did not love it but I do like R.E.M.

This is the first R.E.M. album I've ever listened to--not a bad introduction!

Listened to it on the perfect day. Imagined mom in college listening to it:)

3/10

A fave from back in the day

Not the best REM record but a pretty good one.

Honestly so mid its unbelievable

Aldrig lyssnat på denna förut. Enda låten jag kommer ihåg att jag hört är Radio Free Europe. Det låter mycket åttiotal och jag tycker att senare REM är bättre men detta är början på något som ska bli större. Michael Stipes röst är fantastisk.

This is it! I love this record and this band. They have made several other great records but this is THE GREAT record that started it all.

Just didn't have any fun with it.

I love the overall sound, but Michael Stipe is not a great singer and as much of the lyrics as I could make out are really random. R.E.M. got a lot better as they went on. I would not listen to this again.

I like REM generally. I don’t know if it was just my mood or what, but this album didn’t grab me in any way. It was fine, but nothing stood out and I found myself zoning out and forgetting I was even listening to something. 3.5/5 I guess.

Great listen and was neat going to the debut album. "Radio Free Europe" was the star song and a great nominee for Album 1 Song 1. This established their sound and set the table for some incredible albums. I got to see REM's 40th anniversary of EP 'Chronic Town' with Mike Mills (bass) & Peter Buck (guitar) special guests Chris & Rich Robinson from Black Crowes, Darius Rucker, Fred Armisen, Puddles the Clown and more. David Cross emceed & went off on the crowd for the Braves moving to Cobb haha.

I like REM. This album was just sort of meh.

Ahead of its time

I like the voice. Very melancholic. A bit boring

++: Moral Kiosk, 9–9 +: Pilgrimage, Talk About the Passion, Catapult, West of the Fields +-: Radio Free Europe, Laughing, Perfect Circle, Sitting Still, We Walk -: Shaking Through 5,0/10

forgettable

This didn't leave much of an impression on me beyond it always being interesting to see where a band started from before they produced their best work. Based on the reviews I'd like to revisit it, but I haven't gotten around to that yet so sticking with my original impression of 3/5

I enjoyed the album but I wish I could hear the lyrics. However, despite being very mumble-mouthed, Michael Stipe’s voice works with the music.

Tätä ei oo tullut aiemmin kuunneltua, vaikka bändin suosituimpia levyjä löytyy omasta hyllystä. Tää oli ihan hyvä ja ok biisejä. Soitto on R.E.M.-levyillä aina hyvää.

Tho it's a cliché to say that nothing quite sounds like it - of course the best music out there is special and unto itself - there's simply no record like this debut, an album that oddly means a lot to me even if I don't regularly quote Stipe's obscure, playful lyrics or hum these prolific choruses. I guess what is most remarkable about Murmur is that I'm not sure how they pulled it off - the 'first indie rock album' could've easily been just another indie blunder, but it not only stands up, it has yet to be imitated. Like, if I were to say that no band sounds like the Cocteau Twins, that's true but obvious. But I don't know how it can be that Murmur is such a unique body of tracks: so curt & so delicate. 'Your hate, clipped and distant / Your luck, a two-headed cow.'

7/10

Non lo comprerei però le prime tre tracce e sitting still sono molto belle. Ha delle influenze doorsiane in qualche canzone ma sembra un album indie cantato da una voce anziana. Molte canzoni piacevoli

Funnnn

cool early 1980s alternative

Coffeehouse music

Fav tracks: laughing, moral kiosk, west of the fields Fun listen and deeper lyrical messaging than anticipated! this album lowkey whimsical…

pretty alright. I'm an R.E.M. Hater though so still not great

i feel like an early 2000s teen movie

One of the greatest debut albums of all time.

Ive never listened to this album before but it felt like I had.

I loved it !! A really cool album, it felt like a 2000's coming of age movie soundtrack. Perfect for a contemplative road trip. None of the tracks stood out for me, but overall I really enjoyed it. Maybe in a different mood it can become a favorite. I'll be definitely listening to this again. 3,5 ⭐️

Fine, nothing revolutionary

Jangle pop ligesom the smiths osv. Det er ringende guitarer og sådan bare lidt jingle lyd på en eller anden måde. Jeg ville beskrive det opløftende, men omvendt så er det også bare sådan lidt en glossy lyd? sådan lidt mørkt i en eller anden grad. Ellers er det jo postpunk som er attituden og energien fra punken men bare med mere finesse uden at være helt poppet. Men stadig meget med struktur i sangene osv. College rock som var sådan musik der blev delt igennem college radio, men det ikke var sådan dine klassiske radio numre, det havde sådan en diy, garage agtig lyd osv. Det følger altså ikke radioformler. Jeg tror jeg føler mig lidt ude af form på en eller anden måde, for da jeg lyttede til det var min første tanke ikke at tænke over hvornår det var lavet og hvorfor. Men det er jo start 80'erne så det er typisk post-punk. Men det er jo så en kickstarter på alternativ rock og hvad det helt præcist betyder det ved jeg faktisk ikke. Men det er der et eller andet sted i lyden. Jeg har det lidt blandet med R.E.M efterhånden, jeg synes virkelig det er sådan et amerikansk circlejerk band som bare bliver glazed fucking hard, men det er jo selvfølgelig også rigtig godt. Men måske er det de der virkelig jangly rock vibes som skinner igennem som gør jeg har det stramt over det. Men jeg synes det her album er bedre end de fleste andre jeg har hørt med dem.

REM has never resonated with me and this album was the same. There is just something about their sound and songwriting that is incredibly flat to me. They have a recognizable sound and it's impressive that their first album is so sure of itself.

Not my Favorite REM album but I was a little younger to fully appreciate it when it was released. It's such an important part of the New Age/ Alt movement.

I heard about REM in the 90's and mainly focused on that era for a long time. I still prefer that stuff. There's some great songs here, and some interesting stuff, but if I'm going to put in an REM album it's unlikely to be this one

rem c’est vraiment une dinguerie

I like the use of tension in this, holding a note for a beat longer than expected. Favourite track: Radio Free Europe

West of the Fields almost sounded like the Smiths so that was cool. The rest of the album….ehhh fairly boring as is often the case for “pioneering” bands and those that engineer a particular sound

Normalito, del monton, del monton bueno.

Hello 80s!

Hadn't heard a lot of these, but I really enjoyed it!

Easy listen!

I love me some REM, but this was a bit too slow and scattered for my tastes. You can really tell that this is their debut work, it hadn't quite "clicked" yet. It's still ok though!

REM <3 Radio Free Europe WOOO

écouté d’une oreille distraite entre des albums de Ghost. Pas pire. 3.5 ♡: Laughing, Catapult, Shaking Through

The kind of album that you have to listen to the whole way through rather than pulling odd songs from it. Really good, surprised it's as old as it is, you can really see their influence coming into the 90's.

Interesting, it's looks like it the Smith and beetles, I like it

I do appreciate REM, but I wouldn't have put this album in my Top 5 REM albums let alone the T1001 playlist. Respectable listener counts on Spotify for every track, with the classic "Radio Free Europe" clicking in at 25M. That's the only real radio friendly song, or greatest hit, on the album though. The rest are enjoyable tracks but probably stuff a true REMmy would choose. I've listened to the entire album before but the other above average tracks include "Talk About The Passion" (9M), "Pilgrimage" (3.1M), "We Walk" (1.7M) & "Shaking Through" (1.8M). None of the tracks on the album shine like "RFE" though. "Perfect Circle" and "Laughing" are boring. I'd add that some of these tracks sound like rough drafts, not really complete or polished, maybe just immature compared to latter works. I'd give this 3 stars if I were feeling generous, but this is more likely a 2.5-2.75 range album, just not enough meat on the bone to justify more.

Interesting to hear such early REM! It was a nice album, but to my ear they didn’t quite have the strong melodies yet that I associate with them. Some of their songs sound a bit like the Cure. Pretty good!

Had never listened this one before, some good tunes, but also some forgettable stretches for me. Nice to hear the evolution of REM but doubt I’d pick this one up again to listen to. Still an enjoyable listen though.

Good stuff. I think this one runs together a bit for me, but I really liked hearing it again.

60% is not good, 40% is great, nothing crazy new for its time, I'm not the biggest fan of Michael's voice, and the whole album isn't very connected.

The lyrics may be murmur, but the music sure as hell ain't. 5/5

Maybe it’s just because I got Metal Box before I got this one, but man, there is just nothing interesting me here at all. Just sounds astoundingly safe. Radio Free Europe is a very strong track though, credit where it’s due.

I C O N I C

Nah.

Kept afloat by some good hooks but they’re so disconnected that I don’t give full marks even for that.

Lovely but not great

I remember when an old housemate found out that R.E.M. used to be "underground". He was amazed. They just sounded too well-put together for that, and that follows in this album. I think you had to be there. Still good though.

Good music, but not for me.

Not a fan of hard rock.

Love this album. It reinvented indie and had buckets of fun doing it. It’s perfect.

An important album filled with catchy jangle pop anthems. One of the first bands to bridge the alt/indie scene into the mainstream. CLASSIC! 8/10

Good album, not their best in my opinion but still good

I see a lot of people describing this album as "college rock." I was sitting here like a dingus thinking "I'm a college student and I've never heard any other college student talk about R.E.M." and then I realised it's what alternative music was called before it was called alternative music. Anyways, I'm definitely missing something here. This album almost reminds me of a Cocteau Twins record. I feel drawn to the vocals because of what the guy's saying, but then I listen and have to ask "is he just saying random words?" Apparently the singer actually had no clue what he was saying in the chorus of Sitting Still, so yeah, random words. The instrumentals are much more understandable, but they're a little too one-note a lot of the time. That seems to be a common problem with this kind of music, I feel the same way about The Smiths.

Eminently listenable and the DNA of what REM would grow into is almost entirely there. Whilst they hadn't found their pop sensinilities yet, the sound is there.

I’ve been looking forward to this one as it’s always been on my list to give a proper listen to and I never seem to get around to it. Radio Free Europe is one of my favorite songs — the only one I’d heard more than once or twice before. It was still my favorite by the end of the album, but had a lot more competition. Each of the first three songs, plus Perfect Circle and Catapult stood out on first listen… and held up on the 2nd. I think I could see this being one of those records where nearly every song takes a turn as a favorite with more listens — a great sign for becoming an all-time favorite. You can hear seeds of avenues REM would take on future songs, but it is expertly distilled to a mission statement here. I came to REM through their 90s output, but I think this will end up being my favorite era. Wish I hadn’t taken so long but better late than never!

Murmur is a solid debut from REM. Start strong with Radio Free Europe, runs steady through the middle, all songs are good although some are pretty similar. No skippers. Strong finish with We Walk and Wedt Of The Fields. We enjoyed the listen. L = (2.5*s) A typical, good REM album J = (2.8*s) These guys improve with age and experience.

We got a darker, more indy rock R.E.M on this record and I like it. Stipe and Co have not honed in their unique style yet on this debut but it still has some originality and appeal. "Laughing" is top track. I think we are getting a bit to much of the band from the list but none of the albums are bad. Murmur gets 3.14 stars.

As much as I'm an R.E.M. fan I really don't think Murmur belongs on this list. It pales compares to their future albums, and for me their early work doesn't exemplify anything special like what they grew into. For the most part its just a forgettable alternative rock album. I'm a little surprised how critically acclaimed it was at release because it does little to impress me compared to their other albums nowadays. Understandably, debut albums tend to carry a lot more weight as you get a look at a band/artist at the start of their career. Maybe Murmur is looked upon a great debut that paved the way for them to become as huge as they were at the peak of their career. Saying it's not as good as their other work is hard to hold against them as its still a decent album, it just doesn't wow me like the rest of their catalog. 2.68 stars

La pâte REM est bien présente dés leur premier album.

Classic REM

Not that memorable

𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳 is the quintessential jangly debut — hazy, melodic, and wrapped in Michael Stipe’s famously indistinct vocals. The guitars shimmer in that unmistakable Southern college-rock way, and the songs drift by with a gentle, low-key charm. It’s an important starting point for R.E.M., but its subtlety also means it doesn’t always leave a strong impression on me. Pleasant, foundational, but not quite gripping.

An all time favourite. This record had such a huge influence on indie music and still feels timeless.

Not sure the mass appeal of REM. All sounds like the same song.

The REM vibes are there on their first release.

Good album with enjoyable songs! 7.3/10

Solid debut. Good mixing, some really good songs. However, 12 songs is a little bit tiring, considering the band's signature style of composition.

OK...but not remarkable

Conheci esse álbum por causa de "Perfect Circle", que é uma das minhas músicas preferidas da banda, mas confesso que nao lembrava das outras músicas. Ouvi duas vezes como parte da dinâmica aqui do APP e fiquei positivamente surpreso! Sim, "Perfect Circle" continua sendo a melhor do álbum, mas acabei descobrindo mais musicas memoráveis. O som pode ser chamado de "Pop Rock" ou "Alternative" na nomenclatura genérica de hoje, mas acho que lembra de forma mais específica o que se chama "College Rock" ou "Jangle Rock". A sonoridade lembra os anos 80, mas nao naquele aspecto demasiadamente plastico (que nao acho ruim, mas não combinaria com o som do R.E.M). Para um fã incondicional do The Smiths, Murmur é facilmente apreciável. Destaques "Perfect Circle" obviamente como já citada. Uma balada que acho belíssima e com uma melodia no refrão muito memorável. As 4 primeiras músicas são uma sequência de ótimas músicas, especialmente "Pilgrimage" e "Talk About the Passion". Também vale mencionar as ótimas "Shaking Through" e "West Of The Fields". Em resumo, um ótimo álbum de estreia que para mim fica facilmente entre os melhores da banda.

This was interesting because of how unlike a rem album it sounds. It’s like they hadn’t found their sound yet but still knew what to do.

Quite liked the sound of this overall. A couple songs stood out, particularly Perfect Circle.

radio free europe isch jo huuuere geil. aso im ernst s tönt geil, melodie super liebs. isch nochli z früe zum gnau beschriibe. polgrimage au suuper typischi rem zweiti stimm. laughing chli meh en downer aber schö. talk about the passion isch au chli ruhiger aber sie chönd songs strukturiere schöni riffs schriebe. und s goht immer füre irgendwie. moral kiosk au wieder eaasy intressant de schräg giti part isch suuuper. catapult sehr en moderne popsong wells im refrain afoch catapult! rüefed. aber isch no cool. he geg de schluss hets mi chli verlore aber e vieri ischs immerno. sehr krass wies ihren sound scho gha hend.

woah das wird wahrsch es 3! pilgrimage findi vor allem d strophe na cool, d gitarre isch..kei ahnig was genau aber ihprägsam uf jede fall moral kiosk macht na easy spass ahh und s cover isch HAMMER catapult findi funnnn und erinneret mich ahh van halen?? aso d gitarre im refrain? OHH ok also de refrain erinneret mich ah panama aber die gitarre?? weiss nöd hmm jaaa ich hans gfühl, das r.e.m. album hani am liebste gha aber langeds für es 4i? s het einigi cooli sache aber ener wenig womi mitgrisse het ICH HAN VERGESSE DAS Z RATE musses glaub nomal lose ok perfect circle isch scho au sehr cool

Good, upbeat

I’ve tried to get into this album. Meh 🤷‍♂️

Not my thing but Its still good

Always knew REM for the hits and fully understood their role as an innovator in the indie music sphere, but never listened to a full album of theirs. It was fine. "Radio Free Europe" is a bop, but everything after that doesn't do much to move the needle for me. Not bad, but not great either.

Average at best, great bumpin in the background

Good debut album and a certain harbinger of the continued success the band would go on to have.

名前だけ知っていたけど聞かずにいたバンド。 初期のインディーロック、ジャングルポップのバンドということで、ここで提示した内容が後世に続いていることが実感できた。 ただ、後追いということもあり凄さははそこまで感じず。

Pretty good!

Disc 1 is better

This one brought back some good memories. I lean more to this era of REM even though I dig everything they've done. This album is raw & not overly produced. The music to me is straight forward & to the point.

i liked this and would listen again but there were no real standouts that i would immediately go back to but it made me want to check out other stuff by them so more like 3.75

I love this album. Such a youthful originality that isn’t displayed in other REM albums. Not their best, but a killer debut nonetheless.

im so sorry but it was so booty i didnt finish the album...

I like the band, I enjoy my Inide Rock. Overall I think it's a good album, but it doesn't feel like there's too much to it. A bit of a snooze fest. I'm rounding up and giving it a generous 4 because it's enjoyable. Favorite track: Laughing

Wow this was great! Like I’m sure is the case for many people, the only R.E.M. song I knew was Losing My Religion. I never bothered to explore more from there, so I’m happy this album is on this list and that it’s so good! Def one I’ll revisit and maybe even buy on vinyl.

Loosing my my liking for Micheal stipe...c

Murmur Is an album that I've really familiarized myself with over the last couple of years due to seeing Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy performing it live a couple of years ago in San Francisco. It has one foot firmly planted in the post-punk movement and another one planted in jungle pop and because of that It ends up sounding like something completely unique. It doesn't have the coldness generally associated with post-punk But it isn't as poppy and catchy as something like The Smiths or mid-80s Echo and the Bunnymen. It's something truly unique, the kind of album that most other bands wish they could make.

Great album

es que no puedo decir que es malo, pero como que medio aburrido me pareció, las canciones son como mucho de lo mismo y es como rocksito tranqui, como que no va tanto pero igual tampoco fue como difícil de escuchar, eso sí al final ya como que no le preste atención

Pretty nice sounding slower rock album.

Really not one of their best. It's just ok.

It was a pretty okay album. They’ve had better.

I was a little kid in 83, the only album I cared about was Thriller. Forward to 93 and REM was blowing my mind with this wacky album. The clangy guitar, smooth eerie vocals, the bonkers lyrics.

Well put together album. Classic REM sound, just not completely my style. 2.8/5.0

I can't believe they used Swamp Thing's house as the cover.

Sorry, this is going to be a lazy review. There's nothing here that I found overly compelling in either direction. This is another record on the stack of post-punk new wave records on this list. The sound has a little more pop music sparkle and shimmer than the Echo And The Bunnymen record I listened to a few days ago, and certainly more than either Joy Division record, but not as ethereal as U2. I wish I could get into it because it’s exactly the kinda thing I should be into. I can even hear the seeds of the Counting Crows in this record, which should have me really enthusiastic. "Radio Free Europe" is the identifiable the hit here, but it's not a song I've ever had strong feelings about. R.E.M. is hugely influential and I respect their place in rock & roll history, but I just can't make myself care.

didnt catch me, but it dont means that its bad, just too indie for me, still added like three songs to playlist

One of the goats. Love everything here.

My kinda alternative rock. great

listened to it while i cooked, danced around my kitchen while i chopped veggies and it felt like a coming of age movie

Normal, el bajo increible pero la voz se me hizo repetitiva

Sparse and it gets kinda spooky. It also gets kinda boring.

-this is probably my second favorite R.E.M. album so far (Automatic For The People still winning). there’s something i like about the atmosphere, idk it’s a little moodier than most of their later stuff -before this it had been a minute since i last listened to anything by R.E.M. but i think i have a decent sample of their discog to go off now -Favorites: Radio Free Europe, Moral Kiosk, 9-9

REM are really cool and they have great songs on this.

very REM

I never could get into R.E.M.

This is good but nothing gripping. It's very melodic, "catchy" songs, but nothing that really stands out. In context of being their first album this is excellent work, but more of a stepping stone to later success then anything I'd make note of here. Still an enjoyable listen for sure, just not something I'd flip on. Clean guitar sound, definitely more of an alt album, maybe a bit of Oasis influence. 3/5.

I liked rem around the time of green and document then started to find them tedious later on. This album though is like a breath of fresh air, it’s more basic and raw and you get the feeling of this band has a lot to offer and the rest is history. Don’t know why I didn’t listen to it back in the day

Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but still incredible. This would be an impressive album for any band, but this being R.E.M.’s debut studio album makes it even more so. Great sound - Stipe’s vocals and lyrics always come through. Instrumentation impeccable as always; I expect nothing less from this band.

I've come to accept that REM just aren't for me and that's okay. Musically skilled as they are, Michael Stipe's vocals bother me so much that listening to them becomes a chore.

It is their first one so it has some of those shaky debut album features. Nonetheless, this is one fine piece of first material, already showcasing what is to come.

R.E.M.? before you speak dont move cause i don't wanna wake up wake up wake up wake up amoo essa música da ariana KKKKKKK FAVS (top 3): pilgrimage, 9-9, west of the fields menções honrosas: radio free europe, talk about the passion, moral kiosk, perfect circle, catapult compraria o vinil: eh talvez definitivamente oq eu acharia q um grupo chamado R.E.M. faria nota final: 4/5

Listening again to this, one of my favorites, I was finally able to follow Stipe's lyrics. For years I had no idea what he was saying but it really didn't matter. The music and the feeling in the singing conveyed it all. What a great debut from front to back. Just an all around excellent album from a band that are the forefathers of indie rock. Everything works, from the cover art of kudzu vines that captures the feel of the album, to the perfect production by Mitch Easter, to the collection of songs including all time greats "Radio Free Europe," "Talk About the Passion," "Sitting Still," and the quieter "Perfect Circle." Yes, I'm a huge fan, so it's hard to be objective but there's no denying the strength of this record and its place in rock history.

A foundational record of American indie music. The jangle pop is jangling on this one. Radio Free Europe has to be the best song here but I also love ones like Talk About the Passion and Sitting Still. My one gripe would be Stipe's awful enunciation, the album title is not a misnomer, and it makes a lot of these songs less memorable for me. Glad he went away from that vocal style on later REM stuff, because he has a hell of a voice

not bad

Murmur - R.E.M не смог дослушать вообще не мое radio free Europe 5,4/10 понял текст, но вообще не зацепило, как то не дожали не музыкой не текстом Pilgrimage 9/10 чисто из за звука, текст тоже не со всем понял, может это про какие эмоции которые человек поглощает, но я че то хз Laughing 5/10 попсовая песня, ее это не красит вообще, не понимаю о чем вообще поется

My second album by REM and I'm only about 12 albums into this. Fine album, pleasant to listen to but nothing special I thought. Not quite sure why it's raved about so much. Listened through somewhat inattentively but the only song, the best song was Harbourcoat which made me sit up and think I really like this. I then realised that track is off Reckoning as Spotify had gone on to play that afterwards. Somewhat disappointing and 3 out of 5

Cool beats

dit was een goed album - nog van dat aub

slow at times, but when its good its good

Even without great hits, REM vocals is amazing, especially when you remember that was the apex of the grunge era. Easy to listen and fun album.

Not bad

Kind of repetitive, but good for a car ride. Easy songs to digest

R.E.M. is an appropriate name for these lot since they near bored me to sleep

I've never much liked REM, mostly because of Stipe's nasal mewling, but in the 90s I couldn't deny the greatness of some of their music. On a separate listening journey I caught one of their early albums - not this one - and it contained none of that 90s goodness. I wonder what this one has in store for me. The Low-fi nature actually helps the album, as Stipe's vocals are less at the forefront. Add to that he was still growing into his voice and trying to figure out what he wanted to sound like, so later bad decisions had not yet been made. Elsewhere, the songs feel very... Weak. That is my problem with much of those American early alternative music. It had no edge. Everything is nice, shaking hands, pat on the back, I'll just play this little jangly riff for a few seconds while looking ashamed that I ignored mummy's pleas to learn piano instead. This is especially noticeable in the choruses where you want a bit of welly to make the songs more impactful, it instead they trundle along sounding like a band consisting of your school teachers rather than someone grabbing the world by the throat. Now, there are nice melodies here, solid ideas, but it too often gives the impression of a debut album, of a band recording their early crappy songs before they had the ability and experience to write anything good. The drums are distractingly flaccid, We Walk is bad enough to almost bring the whole album down to a One Star, and too many choruses sound like the one before. In essence, it's a poor man's Pablo Honey.

Kjent album for meg. Digger jangle pop, og R.E.M. regnes vel som pionerer innenfor sjangeren. Flere sanger med deilig driv her, i tillegg til noen virkelig rolige og koselige låter. Jeg foretrekker sistnevnte kategori her, da det passer vokalist Michael Stipe sin stemme utmerket, og sangene har nesten en hypnotisk kvalitet. R.E.M. gjør mye bra, men de har likevel aldri greid å bergta meg fullstendig. Lander derfor på nest øverste karakter. Top 3: Moral Kiosk, Pilgrimage, Perfect Circle

I didn’t really appreciate R.E.Ms music as a younger lad but I sure do know. This was the first time listening to this album

как точка отсчета инди-рока - засчитываю

The anti-80s. A unique, mysterious southern sound that never gets old.

Not bad, but definitely not my cup of tea. While the instrumentation is solid, Michael Stipe’s vocals just don't do it for me.

Es un gran Meh este álbum.. Olvidable.

Algunas canciones me gustaron harto pero no lo suficiente para guardarlas.

The album was not as good as the other R.E.M. album I’ve listened to but the project as a whole was solid.

Easy listening, soft rock with distinct vocals. Prefer their later songs.

Despite its reputation, Murmur felt dull to me, with many songs blending together and sounding too similar.

This album feels like a gloomy summer day. In LA we call it "June Gloom". It's upbeat, but also has some weight to it. Good, easy listen all around.

Great. Train ride

Was wel oké maar niet mijn style

idk i don't have much to say about this one. the songs are nice and all but it's very generic 80's rock i feel,, i wasn't really impressed, nothing really stood out to me. decent songs but i probably won't listen again lol

There wasn't anything interesting. It wasn't horrible just nothing really notable

I did not know this was R.E.M.’s sound, I was so blind for so long. Incredible stuff and great for the commute to college with a flannel and baggy jeans on.

Good album, can feel repetitive at times. Maybe too long, but I chose to listen to the deluxe version, so that's on me.

Don't like REM. Just don't. I've tried a few times. I feel absolutely nothing listening to this. But at least it's somewhat close to something I might listen to. It's like a good meal but everything's undercooked 4 / 10

I really enjoyed listening to some original REM, I’ve only known they’re popular stuff so this was a treat!

I found this REM album to be underwhelming. I had never heard their debut and given how big they got I was expecting more. I guess if you’re a completist this album is a must hear but as a part of this project it’s not.

12 of the same song

Pre-football match music. Thought there was a good song at the end but it was just that the album finished and The Cure came on

It's a borderline 5, but I think a 5 nonetheless. 'Pilgrimage' is a highlight.

Solid easy listening, good vocals

O primeiro álbum da banda, ainda tavam procurando identidade, ao menos soou isso. Bateria muitos anos 80, melodias previsíveis. Não salvei nenhuma música.

au dzaan momewonaaa xutjer movusmine tavidan

It's okay Nothing for a playlist, but nothing to make me turn it off. 3

Not usually a rem guy but I really enjoyed this. Soft, wandering

It was fine, middle of the road

A landmark album that perfectly captures a cryptic and mysterious atmosphere. Its pioneering jangle-pop sound creates a pleasant and nostalgic vibe that is intellectually captivating. While the sonic consistency can feel slightly repetitive to a spirit craving constant change, its influential and enigmatic nature makes it an essential and rewarding listen. ★★★★☆

Stellar debut. Really flows well and the melodies really keep you engaged. Favorite track: Pilgrimage

Great record!

Great album. You had really hear how REM and the Replacements influenced each other during their early touring days.

8/10

A ten-meter tall evergreen tree planted in the middle of the 1001Land.

This is really quite good. I like REM's later stuff, but I haven't heard this one in decades and I must say that I think It holds up way better than I expected, so this is a nice surprise. In a world where there are half stars, this is probably a 3 pushing 3.5. In a world *without* half stars, where this is leaps and bounds better than the albums I've ranked as 3 stars in the last week or 2, this is a 4.

Good album

Good album fairly samish Good vibe 👍 Background music

More highschool vibes.

i’m not rating this low cause it’s bad i’m rating it low because i personally found it boring and probably won’t relisten

Has some great songs. One of the iconic debut albums. Memories of youth.

Zelo hitro še eni R.E.M., tokrat njihov prvi album. Sm rekla nazadnje, da moram še enkrat dat šanso tistemu albumu, kar sploh še nism uspela nardit. Ampak glede na mojo prvo reakcijo, k sm dons vidla kaj me čaka, nism the biggest fan, na splošno. "Radio Free Europe" mi je poznan od prej, čist fletn komad. "Perfect Circle" mi je všeč, zveni velik drugače kot ostali komadi. Fak ej, ne vem. I want to like it more, but... Men je tok bland tole. Skor vse mi zveni isto. I guess z razlogom nikol nism padla v R.E.M. Niso zame.

I love the jingle jangle sound of R.E.M. thanks to the use of the Rickenbacker 360/12. I thought they were unique in a field of boring (imo) and unimaginative music cluttering up the airwaves in the 80s and 90s. Stipe could be a little pretentious and lyrically nonsensical, but that didn’t really matter. The music was/is unique and interesting. I admire the music but can’t say I was ever a real fan. I thought the majority of music at that time was unimaginative, at best, and a waste of time, at worst. So I didn’t listen to much of the current music. I missed some excellent music due to my pompous attitude.

One of the very first cassettes I ever bought and still an all-time favourite. Incomprehensible mumbling and a unique sound I much prefer to all the mandolins and whatever that came later on.

Unremarkable but still cool

Great album. Radio Free Europe is a stand out but the rest of the tracks are good.

Really just gets worse the longer it goes

Michael stipe is bald and bisexual but that doesn’t mean he makes good music

Можно переслушать, вдруг найдется что-то