•
Rating: LA RECENSIONE
Recorded in January 1983, Murmur is the album that sets the guideline for the entire subsequent production of the Athens group. Awarded as album of the year by "Rolling Stone" magazine, it becomes the symbol CD of the college rock of the 80s.
Characterized by the precise integration of the fundamental Buck on guitar, the versatile Mills on bass, the perfect Berry on percussion, and Stipe's distinctive voice, which "murmurs" into the microphone impressionist lyrics of sought-after accuracy, the record opens with "Radio Free Europe," the single that drives the album and highlights its characteristic traits. It continues with Mills' bass prominently featured in "Pilgrimage," certainly one of the most beautiful and interpretatively challenging songs with regards to Stipe's lyrics, who sings of two-headed cows and arcane languages à la Talking Heads. The third track is the delightful "Laughing," which anticipates "Talk about the Passion": it is not a love song (Stipe would not use this word, according to him excessively analyzed by singers, for most of the 80s), but a particular reflection on suffering in the Christian sense of the term. Passing through the rhythmic "Moral Kiosk" one arrives at "Perfect Circle," another masterpiece of the album, born from a simple harmony on which Stipe sings with delicate precision. With "Catapult" and the subsequent "Sitting Still" and "9-9", the group, continuing to use lyrics of highly subjective interpretation, brings the engaging riffs back to the forefront. This is also exemplified in "Shaking Through," followed by the charming "We Walk," almost a nursery rhyme that revisits the previously addressed theme of childhood. Closing the album is "West of The Fields," full of references to the classical world that permeate the entire record.
An album I would recommend everyone to buy, for the historical importance it had for the group and for the American underground. It is also a fabulous CD from the musical point of view and explains the importance these four artists have in the international artistic scene.
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
R.E.M.'s 1983 album Murmur set the blueprint for their future work and became a symbol of 80s college rock. Praised for its precise musicianship and Michael Stipe's unique vocal delivery, the album features standout tracks like "Radio Free Europe" and "Perfect Circle." Known for its introspective and impressionist lyrics, Murmur remains a significant milestone in the American underground music scene. This highly recommended album showcases the enduring artistic importance of this influential band.Tracklist Videos
R.E.M.
Formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980. Core lineup included Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills; Bill Berry was the original drummer until 1997. Pioneers of alternative/college rock with a career spanning to their 2011 split.98 Reviews
Other reviews
By ste84
R.E.M. have made indie rock a source of inspiration for many bands (see Nirvana).
'Talk About The Passion' deals with the conditions of the homeless: Michael Stipe sings of 'empty prayers' and says that 'no, no one can bear the weight of the world'!
By Kurtd
Murmur is psychedelic, it’s punk, it’s pop, it’s alternative, it’s impressive the way Stipe’s voice in "Radio Free Europe" makes me feel good, and a few tracks later "Perfect Circle" makes me feel bad.
The true "maturity" they left entirely here, in Murmur.
By Rax
A folk-rock that supports, in the verses, sorrowful melodies which never descend into whininess, and then explode into unexpected choruses of extraordinary beauty.
Murmur is a surprising testament to the talent of the four from Athens in constantly rewriting the same song in new ways.
