Push That, Push That, Push That to the Hull

As everybody and their monkey's uncle certainly knows by now-- because I am important (why else would this post start out with something about me?)-- last weekend, I called in sick to life. This was in order to stem the tide of the oncoming sickness in my body. Apparently, last harvest season I did not properly sacrifice my badger and Thor was not appeased. Anyway, I got to watching a bunch of YouTube videos, as was probably inevitable. While looking at something totally unrelated, well it was probably still music-related, I came across a video of REM's first ever U.S. TV appearance, on David Letterman's old show. I don't know that I'd previously seen them play any of their old (and superior) work before, and it was a revelation.

The song, "Radio Free Europe," is probably the bounciest on Murmur, a quite justifiable if not accurately representative first single. For a band that generally plays languid, opaque bedroom music, they follow up Letterman's introduction with sudden and surprising energy, and therein rests the revelation. It's easy to forget that these guys used to be scrappy kids like us, just trying to make something of themselves their twenties. They were just underground kids playing indie-- ahem-- college rock, and they just happened to get arena sized (probably because their first three albums fucking rule?). They probably, given their ages, grew up listening to punk and proto punk and classic pop and felt like there was no reason not to play with that same energy and simplicity, even if your lyrics are generally indecipherable. Probably the most striking thing in this video is the rhythm section. I already knew, owning Murmur, that the bass playing is secretly brilliant, while everyone tends to focus on Peter Buck's guitar and Michael Stipe's voice. On film, Mike Mills is a perfect indie kid-- thrift store shirt, jeans, and Converse-- emphasis on kid, since he looks a good ten years younger than the other guys. They even let him sing a little! He even mentions that the list price of the LP was $6.99, a full two dollars lower than the usual price at the time. And he felt like maybe it could have been even lower.

This is all also important to note, since I wanted to be the first on the train to celebrate 2008's 25th annniversary of Murmur. So, hoooray. The first brilliant album from a band that tried to set the non-musical example for the rest of the underground, "the REM Model." As described by Spin's Charles Aaron, in October, 2005:

"a series of basic, easier-said-than-done career moves: Hire a manager and a lawyer as soon as you make any money; tour like a circuit preacher; sign to an 'independent' label that has major-label backing; move to a major only when you've built a substantial following; inisist on 'creative control' (you make the decsions on the producer, the single, and the video); split the money fairly among the band members; don't fear the power ballad."

They probably didn't invent this and probably only learned by doing, but they succeeded at it and because of their position as a band that was closer to universal appeal than pretty much any other "college" rockers, they have served as inspiration for a couple of generations by now. Though the right inspiration, the right example is always only half the battle. Work had and right kiddoes.

Happy Birthday Murmur! (you're aged like I'm aged) Buy it and hear it and love it already, wouldya!

I wish I wrote this a week ago when it was all fresh.