I think it is a great album. Moody, played with abandon. Intricate too. How many people can play Wolves, Lower? Jesus.

I like the basslines, the spiky guitar and the drumming is fine. Not the first of its kind, but a big improvement on the dB's, the Feelies and Big Star IMO.

REM at its short lived finest. It's sad they released 200 more songs after this and couldn't make a graceful exit. They gradually got worse and worse, and just about everything after Document is a steaming pile of corn and peanuts.

If this had been all they'd released, they would be a better band for it.

I liked it when I first heard it. It has a bad title and the song titles are similarly pretentious; "Wolves, Lower", "Gardening at Night", "Boxcars (Carnival of Sorts)".

I haven't listened to this EP for fifteen years and have never owned a copy. I feel no nostalgia when I think of this record and have heard many better ones since.

Fantastic record...the Rickenbacker sounds sweet...what a weird little band they were at the beginning.

The "cool kids" on this site tend to hate R.E.M.

I never wanted to be one of the cool kids anyway.

Really.

NOT CRAP.

madlee wrote:some great music:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KA57Pafq_NU

funny how bass, drums and guitar was "alternative" at one point in the history of popular rock music.

When people make the "no stage presence" argument re: R.E.M....I think of this performance and know that they were once a jolt of unstoppable energy.

Their first 45, which I bought when it came out, sounded like it was recorded through a mile of mud. Just lousy sounding. I believe the 45 and Chronic Town were recorded at Mitch Easter's Drive In. Yes? The difference between the two records is night and day.

madlee wrote:some great music:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KA57Pafq_NU

funny how bass, drums and guitar was "alternative" at one point in the history of popular rock music.

I want their Rickenbackers.

Murmur and Reckoning are great albums. Never heard anything else they've done.

good record. everything up to fables is good stuff.

WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY NOT CRAP.