I've got this theory...

[dogandponyshow]

Clearly, it is not a good as the others, but I think because Stipe didn't even know the bleeping lyrics to the songs, that made it go down one more notch.  Buck plays the guitar, Berry plays the drums, Mills plays the bass and your job is singing the lyrics. Lazy ass....

D.

[Oz]

Stipe's famous for not knowing the words to his own songs. On every concert, there's a laptop in the corner of the stage with the words and often he sings entire verses just reading them from the laptop. Yep, it's stupid, but hey, he sings so much weird lyrics, I can imagine it being hard to remember them...  ;D

And about Monster: it's a rock record, it's meant to be a rock record and rock records are always a little less interesting than crafty, layered, mysterious pop records. Well, maybe that's a bit of a huge statement to make, but here's how I see it: they had just made their magnum opus, Automatic for the people, wich is like the improved, enhanced version of their previous masterpiece Fables of the reconstruction of the fables, or something like that, they were huge, speaking in terms of succes and critical praise, and yet in their private lives they were totally messed up, people dying all around, Buck divorced and depressed... So what to do? Just go on following the same path they had been following for 10 years, after they just did that in a way they could never do again (Automatic), or just change dramatically and experiment with some rock 'n roll? Sure, the album has its flaws. I especially think they should have dumped the last 2 tracks and maybe something in the middle as well, but I do think it was a brave thing to do. And the experiments with their image, Stipe's crush with eyeliner, I always appreciate when a band tries something like that, even when they fail. Oh, and John, my favourite tracks of that album are 'Let me in' and 'Strange currencies', the latter being a radio hit single...  ;D

Anyways...  ;)

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

O, my indie cred shrinks by the hour.  I play Monster in regular rotation...it may be the only REM record that has that distinction.  Now, Mrs. C has just about all of the REM one could wish for in her regular rotation, so perhaps she's cooler than I.

(I already knew that, actually)

[dogandponyshow]

Ballsy to have that in regular rotation but I respect the fact that you are willing to admit it.  Let's see....I have Tesla's greatest hits in my regular rotation.  That may be close in comparison....and yeah "O"....he did have the black eyeliner on which sent it another notch down.  I do appreciate a change in style but dudes wearing eyeliner doesn't do for me.

D.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

aw hell, you should see some of the embarrassing crap I've got in regular rotation...see the "canadian metal" thread from a few weeks back, for example.  :-/

[dogandponyshow]

I am right there with you....I was giving you one that I could get away with because there are certainly others that would be ridiculed. I can promise you that. But, by the same token, I grew listening to some of these artists and hate to say it, I still like them and will for the rest of my life.

D.

[MMJ_fanatic]

aw hell, you should see some of the embarrassing crap I've got in regular rotation...see the "canadian metal" thread from a few weeks back, for example.  :-/

jc--I meant to ask before, you remember Y & T?  I always loved the tune "Summertime Girls"

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

jc--I meant to ask before, you remember Y & T?  I always loved the tune "Summertime Girls"

Coney Hatch's "Monkey Bars" is the finest example of Canadian metal, ever...with Y&T right behind.  God, am I gonna have weird dreams tonight!

[MMJ_fanatic]

Mwuhahaha!

[dogandponyshow]

Wasn't Aldo Nova from Canada....wouldn't call it metal but somewhat of a metal twinge.

D.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Aldo Nova rocked my world in the early 80s...so did Fastway, Rush, the aforementioned Coney Hatch (who is played in near constant rotation on the Conaway Geek-O-Player :))...Saga, Loverboy (that "Standin' in the Strike Zone" is awesome when baked), Helix, Honeymoon Suite, etc. etc.

You can't call all of it "metal" per se, but you can say it was cheesy.  I had a fucking blast listening to this shit, not knowing squat about REM, or X, or the Jayhawks, or anyone else making cool music at the time.  Livin' in the sticks pre internet days was hell, you were at the mercy of all your stoner friends and the record stores within a short drive's distance from you to discover music.

I get shit all of the time about this, but I didn't know any better at the time.  Can't know what champagne tastes like if you've only known Stoney's...

[MMJ_fanatic]

Oh man, I remember Saga they had this one song I used to love it was their big hit, right at the tip of my tongue  :P help me jc.......

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

hnmmmm..."the flyer"?

[MMJ_fanatic]

Naw but thanks to that page you dropped me I was sble to jog my memory:

"ON THE LOOSE"! I love that song :D