REM - Feeling Gravitys Pull

[peiklk]

"Time and Distance are out of place here..." Used to sign workplace greetings cards with that :)

[breathingbook]

"It's a Man Ray kind of sky. Let me show you what I can do with it"

THAT lyric is when I fell in love with this band...freakin' sublime...

Of course, Losing My Religion is about when I fell back out.......

[SubmergedRecords]

@breathingbook I liked "Losing My Religion", but that is around the time they started losing me. I do think Accelerate was the best thing they've done in years, though, so that gives me hope for their new album.

[RobinPillage]

@breathingbook "Fables" is probably my favorite album by R.E.M.. They lost me at "Shiny Happy People ", though.

[tympanicus]

Bluz me is a typical british know it all who thinks the best in american music is thanks to the brits. My comment was about Sioxie and the Banshees, not Husker DU. YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE SOUTH. RETARD.

[Bluzme]

@tympanicus you just need to learn to accept the fact that you're wrong !

[LantaGem]

@tympanicus For what it's worth I've always heard a "goth" type sound (for want of a better word) in this song, and Old Man Kensey too. (Speaking musically, rather than lyrically).

Fables was recorded in England, and produced by Joe Boyd who was known for his work with a number of famous British bands, so there may have been some influence. And btw, I'm not a Brit.

[FetusLovesYou]

THANK U SO MUCH FOR POSTING! BRILLIANT!

[Desutoroyalove]

bill is so hot..

[dreadedG]

25 years of Fables of the Reconstruction. But what about their earlier and better work?

[tympanicus]

Sorry, I don't hear the Siouxie and the Banshees influence. There's a lot of background to their early music, and it has a lot to do with the SOuth. Husker Du comparison is fair. Nothing british about this.

[Bluzme]

@tympanicus honestly don't know that much about Husker Du, but I can definitely hear the Banshees influence in this song ( maybe it's best to just agree to disagree on this one though ) ...otherwise, a brilliant song !

[BabyBerlin]

R.E.M. recorded "Fables" in Britain, so perhaps the Siouxie comparison is apt. Who knows what went in their ears there and stuck?

I think, in a few ways, R.E.M. has musical influences in common with British bands of that period (like Siouxie and the Banshees). Perhaps it shows more here?

All I've read about that time is that the guys in R.E.M. were miserable recording in Britain. The album kind of shows this, I think.

It's brilliant, though, regardless, imho.

Thanks for the vid.

[541967]

@BabyBerlin Actually aside from an array of London punks throughout the Seventies- R.E.M's influences were by and large Yanks (such as Big Star). In fact the band felt more akin to artists such as the Replacements and Husker Du than they did their all too trendy counterparts from across the Atlantic.

[BabyBerlin]

@541967 True dat.

[snappyintx]

I pretty much love all of the IRS records...My brother bought Murmur when it came out and I would sneak and listen to it when he wasn't around...I was 9.

[12bar145ne]

My favorite REM tune,Mikey...:D

[themooddisorders]

It is so odd, and one of my faves too!

[saffyminty]

Apologies to the Prunes, who were in fact Irish of course!

[saffyminty]

This song has a really unusual, almost stygian sound to it, similar to a lot of early English "goth" bands. Shades of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Virgin Prunes etc., tho no doubt all parties concerned would deny any influence either way.

[darthsleigh]

brilliant song

[MsChalcedony]

My favorite REM song ever!

[hammertoejoe]

This is the REM song I always liked the most, a great opening for an album (Reconstruction of the Fables, 1985) the song is very dark and beautiful, I swear there are many hidden (read it "forgotten") gems in 80's music...

[TheAndromedaGirl]

Isn't it "Fables of Reconstruction"?

[RabbiJochanan]

It's both. Says "Fables of the Reconstruction" on the front, and "Reconstruction of the Fables" on the side of the album.

[traitor0837]

First time I've heard this song. Its amazing!

Actually, I think it was in a movie... anyone have any ideas?

[punkrockxzz]

i love those fuckin strings in this song. REM is the fucking shit

[935323]

beatles anyone?

[punkrockxzz]

of course

[935323]

Yea-uh!!!!

[undersolo]

And the Byrds, VU, and a host of other bands.

Still, this is the first R.E.M. song I ever heard.  Video and song floored a young kid in 1985!

[935323]

Yeah, they really were unique at that time. Still, the first 3 albums defied being classified, and in a big way defined the whole "College Radio," scene; that then became indy rock. R.E.M. at that time changed a lot of things

[themooddisorders]

Even Life's Rich Pageant was great, it is REM's transition record for me. The only REM album I dislike 60 percent of is Green....almost 22 years later I dont get it....some is great, but some is not a good grasp for a band this caliber

[nunzioforpresident]

totally agree

[redbugiii]

awesome

I've never seen the video to this song!

It's great..............

[bubmel]

Still say this is REM's best album. Fables and Life's Rich Pageant ,for me, never get tired.

[DebTruth]

agreed!

[girlienerd]

@bubmel agree 100%

[themooddisorders]

@bubmel I respect that. May be cliche, but I truly believe Murmur and Automatic were the best. Chronic is always good though. So much power in so few songs!

[dfresh0114]

Fables really is underrated, but was always one of my early favourites, especially this song.

[RunyonFan]

@dfresh0114 I couldn't agree more with you and bubmel. It's genius. I've been on this train since '85 and it's still the best they've ever done.

[BatsBasilica]

Great Song.Possibly their best.

[RadiantCowbells]

Styx; no offense; I never liked supernatural superserious. I loved When the day is Done though, and I liked Hollow Man. However, most of the non-singles felt like filler.

[mindcontrolpete]

The mood and video of this song is so peacefully dreamlike it makes me want to...This is a standout example of why I love this band.

[eXiLe824]

I stumbled on this song just a few years ago during my freshman year of highschool. It completely blew my mind, opened me up to all sorts of new music, and made me into a huge R.E.M. fan. Absolutely genious.

[Brettrevella]

"...when the light is mine..." U2 may have have sold more and were more in the spotlight in the early and mid eighties but R.E.M. were so much better! This song is not drug induced by the way! The guys always said they kept each other in check and Stipe is the one who wrote lyrics and he has never been arrested in his life for drugs or alcohol. Hello. These guys have in R.E.M. are kind of an example to other bands. No drug arrests, no rehabs,

[RobinPillage]

I don't know, Brettrevella. This sounds pretty acidic to me. Just because no members of REM has ever been arrested for drugs or been to rehab doesn't mean they didn't partake a little now and then back in the day. But you could be right though. Even if FGP not a acid inspired REM tune, it's still a great psychedelic song. Fables is by far my favorite REM album. I never get tired of listening to it.

[bubmel]

Love REM, Stipes been down that dry and dusty trail though...and we all know when your mouth is dry, you're plenty high.

[RODERICKMOLASAR]

Until tonight I hadn't heard this song anywhere since June 4th 1990. Thanks for posting it.

[Einsamkeitmann]

great song !

[RobinPillage]

Methinks maybe the boys from Athens Ga dropped a little acid back in the day? FGP is a great "psychedelic" song. I wish they had recorded more songs like it. Fables of the Reconstruction is still by far my favorite REM album. It just has a great groove.

The first time I saw REM Live was in 1983(?) at a little bar in Baton Rouge, La called "the Bayou" on Chimes St near the LSU Campus. Hearing REM was like a breath of fresh air! Who knew they would become so big? Over 25 years and still rockin!

[computerblue84]

this video is SO beautiful and atistic...this is my favorite band!!

[tubularheel]

actually, this was released in 85. poison and guns and roses really didn't hit until a couple of years later. r.e.m. set the tone for so much, but never sounded like what was going on at the time. This was back when rock music actually still progressed forward from year to year.

[Interpol134]

I need to get into this album a little more. I normally just play it for 'Actioneer' gasp!

[hermcart66]

REM IS ONE OF THE BEST BANDS IN THE WORLD BACK IN THE 80S AND EARLY 90S THE EARLY STUFF !!! there to commercial now!!!

[StyxTBuferd]

Actually, they're getting better (at least, from their late 90's and early 00's albums). Accelerate is a good album IMO.

[Ornamentk]

The first part of this was filmed in Atlanta @ the Civic Center on New Year's eve 84. Guadalcanal Diary and Love Tractor opened. What an awesome show!!!! They had yet to release Fables at the time...

[plasticstretch99]

I went to that concert. I was home on leave from the Army. I saw them in '87 at the Fox theator & '89 at the Omni. The Indigo Girls opened for them in '89. My wife went to high school with the indigo Girls.

[classicrocker1965]

best song from fables of the reconstruction

[Ruda59]

"...When the light is mine..." This is one of the most original songs from the 80s. Even U2 could not boast such original lyrics and song structure.

[incinoman]

except why would U2, they suck balls.. can't even compare to REM

[MrTomCruise]

incinoman Damn right - Bono's not the record-holder, he's the record. Bono likes the biddy.

[nunzioforpresident]

hahahaha he's a big turd yeah

[tmutazz]

My favorite album by far. it's been 22 years and I still love it!

[Ruda59]

"...it's a Man Ray kind of sky..." Great line! "Peel back the mountains, peel back the sky..."

[Ruda59]

Great R.E.M. song few people know about from "Fables of the Reconstruction." Very original and note when this album was released "hair bands" were the rage. Poison, Guns and Roses. R.E.M. far surpassed them musically and with much better lyrics.