So? Which one do you like more? I'm torn.

chronic town. 'carnival of sorts (box cars)' really nails a precise bit of melancholy restlessness and wistful something-or-other that doesn't really show up anywhere on murmur. made me feel nostalgic even when i was too young to have anything about which to feel nostalgic.

REM? Gimmie a fucking break, fuck REM.

Loved both of these upon first exposure. Definitely played Murmur more initially, but it is Chronic Town I have kept going back to over the years.

Chronic Town.

Carnival of Sorts (Live '83).

Wolves, Lower (Original faster version).

Gardening at Night (Live 84).

Chronic Town, easy. They never topped it.

Early REM still gets me every time, especially Chronic Town. The Ramones playing the Byrds. I love how it sounds just a bit wrong, even to this day.

Singer can't sing.
Guitarist only knows one solo and had to be taught it by the bassist.
Best singer is the bassist.
Best arranger is the drummer.

When I listen to this, it always strikes me as amazing that the Smiths formed at pretty much the same time and both bands had no prior knowledge of each other at the time of formation. Yet they were so similar at this early stage. Incredible coincidence!

The guy who signed R.E.M. to I.R.S. Records was the son of this CIA agent.

tommydski wrote:When I listen to this, it always strikes me as amazing that the Smiths formed at pretty much the same time and both bands had no prior knowledge of each other at the time of formation. Yet they were so similar at this early stage. Incredible coincidence!

Yeah they were both fucking horrible