Murmur (album)

Murmur
Studio album by R.E.M.
Released April 13, 1983
Recorded January 6 – February 23, 1983, Reflection Studios, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Genre Alternative rock, Jangle pop
Length 44:11
Language English, French ("Talk About the Passion")
Label I.R.S.
Producer Don Dixon and Mitch Easter
R.E.M. chronology
Murmur
(1983)		 Reckoning
(1984)
Singles from Murmur
  1. "Radio Free Europe"
    Released: June 8, 1983 (1983-06-08)
  2. "Talk About the Passion"
    Released: November 1983 (1983-11)

Murmur is the debut album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1983 on I.R.S. Records. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its sound, defined by singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bassist's Mike Mills' melodic basslines.

Contents

Recording

R.E.M. started recording its debut album in December 1982. I.R.S. paired R.E.M. with producer Stephen Hague, who had a higher profile than the band's previous producer Mitch Easter.[1] Hague's emphasis on technical perfection did not suit the band; the producer made the group perform multiple takes of the song "Catapult", which demoralized drummer Bill Berry. Also, Hague took the completed track to Synchro Sound studios in Boston and added keyboard parts to the track without the band's permission and to their dismay.[2] Unsatisfied, the band members asked the label to let them record with Easter.[3] I.R.S. agreed to a "tryout" session, allowing the band to travel to North Carolina and record the song "Pilgrimage" with Easter and producing partner Don Dixon. After hearing the track, I.R.S. permitted the group to record the album with Dixon and Easter.[4]

R.E.M. entered Reflection Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina in January 1983 to begin recording sessions with Easter and Dixon. Much of the band's material for the album had been tested on preceding tours. Because of its bad experience with Hague, the band recorded the album via a process of negation, refusing to incorporate rock music clichés such as guitar solos or then-popular synthesizers, in order to give its music a timeless feel.[4] Berry in particular was resistant to "odd" musical suggestions, insisting that his drums be recorded in a drummer's booth, a practice that was antiquated at the time.[5] Dixon and Easter took a hands-off approach to much of the recording process. The pair would only fix up a vocal track or ask singer Michael Stipe to re-record a vocal if it was very substandard.[6]

Music

Murmur's sound characterized the quieter, introverted side of the first wave of alternative rock in the United States. The sound was new at the time, though not stepping beyond the constructs of traditional rock music. The guitars have a bright ring like chimes that brought on comparisons to The Byrds, and the bass guitar has the bright punchy sound of the Rickenbacker favored by Mike Mills. Mills carries much of the melodic element of the music on the bass, contributing to the moody sound of early R.E.M. albums. Also contributing to this sound is the distant singing of Michael Stipe whose obscure lyrics, sung indistinctly, lend to the mystery and depth of the music.

In a rare instance of R.E.M. co-writing, Stipe asked friend Neil Bogan to contribute lyrics to "West of the Fields."

Packaging

The trestle featured on the back cover of the original vinyl LP release, originally part of the Georgia Railroad line into downtown Athens, has become something of a local landmark. Plans to demolish the trestle, now commonly referred to as the "Murmur Trestle," met with public outcry. On October 2, 2000, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission voted to save the trestle.[7]

Copies of the initial tape edition—catalogue number CS 70604—list "There She Goes Again" as the final track, but it is not present. This mistake was fixed with subsequent pressings.

Reception

 Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Pitchfork Media (10/10) [8](Deluxe edition)
Drowned in Sound 10/10 stars [9](Deluxe edition)
Allmusic 5/5 stars [10] (Deluxe edition)
Slant Magazine 5/5 stars [11]
Robert Christgau (A-) [12]
Rolling Stone 5/5 stars [13](Deluxe edition)

Murmur was released in April 1983. The record reached number 36 on the Billboard album chart.[14] A re-recorded version of "Radio Free Europe" was the album's lead single and reached number 78 on the Billboard singles chart that year. Despite the acclaim awarded the album, by the end of 1983 Murmur had only sold about 200,000 copies, which I.R.S.'s Jay Boberg felt was below expectations.[15] Murmur was eventually certified gold (500,000 units shipped) by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1991.[16]

The album drew substantial critical acclaim. Rolling Stone gave the album four out of five stars. Reviewer Steve Pond felt the album fulfilled the promise the band showed on Chronic Town. He wrote, "Murmur is the record on which [R.E.M.] trade that potential for results: an intelligent, enigmatic, deeply involving album, it reveals a depth and cohesiveness to R.E.M. that the EP could only suggest." He concluded, "R.E.M. is clearly the important Athens band."[17] It was Rolling Stone's Best Album of 1983, beating Michael Jackson's Thriller, The Police's Synchronicity and U2's War. Buck noted in 2002 that I.R.S. was "mind-boggled" by the album's positive reviews, especially in the British press, since R.E.M. had not yet toured that country.[18]

Accolades

Since its release, Murmur has featured heavily in various "must have" lists compiled by the music media. In 1989, it was rated number eight on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s.[19] In 2003, the TV network VH1 named Murmur the 92nd greatest album of all time. Some of the more prominent of these lists to feature Murmur are shown below; this information is adapted from acclaimedmusic.net.[20]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Rolling Stone U.S. Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years[21] 1987 #58
Entertainment Weekly U.S. 100 Greatest CDs of All-Time[22] 1993 #49
Spin U.S. 100 Alternative Albums[23] 1995 #8
Pitchfork Media U.S. Top 100 Albums of the 1980s[24] 2002 #5
Rolling Stone U.S. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[25] 2003 #197
Blender U.S. 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die[26] 2003
Q U.K. The 80 Best Records of the 80s[27] 2006 #6
Mojo U.K. The 100 Records That Changed the World[28] 2007 #75

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, except where noted. 

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Radio Free Europe"   4:06
2. "Pilgrimage"   4:30
3. "Laughing"   3:57
4. "Talk About the Passion"   3:23
5. "Moral Kiosk"   3:31
6. "Perfect Circle"   3:29
Side two
No. Title Length
7. "Catapult"   3:55
8. "Sitting Still"   3:17
9. "9-9"   3:03
10. "Shaking Through"   4:30
11. "We Walk"   3:02
12. "West of the Fields" (Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe and Neil Bogan) 3:17
1992 The IRS Vintage Years edition bonus tracks
No. Title Length
13. "There She Goes Again" (Lou Reed) 2:48
14. "9-9" (Live in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, July 13, 1984) 3:04
15. "Gardening at Night" (Live in Boston) 3:47
16. "Catapult" (Live in Seattle, Washington, United States, June 27, 1984) 4:03
Live at Larry's Hide-Away July 9, 1983
No. Title Length
1. "Laughing"   3:51
2. "Pilgrimage"   4:08
3. "There She Goes Again" (Reed) 2:43
4. "Seven Chinese Brothers"   4:15
5. "Talk About the Passion"   3:02
6. "Sitting Still"   4:11
7. "Harborcoat"   3:45
8. "Catapult"   3:51
9. "Gardening at Night"   3:33
10. "9-9"   3:16
11. "Just a Touch"   2:27
12. "West of the Fields" (Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe and Bogan) 3:06
13. "Radio Free Europe"   4:57
14. "We Walk"   2:55
15. "1,000,000"   3:05
16. "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)"   3:58

A vintage radio promo for the album is hidden in the pregap of the bonus disc.

Personnel

R.E.M.
Production and additional musicians

Chart performance

Album
Year Chart Position
1983 US Billboard 200 36[14]
1994 UK Albums Chart 100[14]
1996 111[14]
2009 199 (Deluxe Edition)[29]
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Radio Free Europe" Billboard Mainstream Rock 25
1983 "Radio Free Europe" Billboard Pop Singles 78

Sales certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – U.S. Gold October 10, 1991

Release history

Murmur was bundled together with Chronic Town and Reckoning in the United Kingdom as The Originals in 1993.

On November 25, 2008, I.R.S. Records, A&M, and Universal Music released a 25th anniversary edition two-disc reissue of Murmur. Disc one features the standard 12-track album, digitally remastered, and disc two contains a previously unreleased live concert the band played at Larry's Hideaway, Toronto, Canada, on July 9, 1983. In addition to Murmur songs, the set includes tunes from the Chronic Town EP, a Velvet Underground cover, and early versions of songs from Reckoning and Lifes Rich Pageant.[30] The release also includes a fold-out poster insert, featuring exclusive essays by producers Don Dixon and Mitch Easter, as well as former I.R.S. executives Jay Boberg, Sig Sigworth, and art designer Carl Grasso.[31]

Murmur
Region Date Label Format Catalog
United States 01983-04-12 April 12, 1983 I.R.S. vinyl LP SP 70604
44797-0014-1
Compact Disc 44797-0014-2
cassette tape 44797-0014-4
CS 70604
United Kingdom 01983-08-29 August 29, 1983 I.R.S. LP 70014
United States 01983 1983 I.R.S./A&M Compact Disc 70014
The Netherlands 01983 1983 Illegal LP 25433
South Africa 01983 1983 I.R.S./CBS LP ASF-2886
Worldwide 01990 1990 A&M Compact Disc 70014
Worldwide 01991 1991 A&M Compact Disc 129
The Netherlands 01992-07-31 July 31, 1992 EMI Compact Disc 7 13158 2†
The Netherlands 01992 1992 I.R.S. LP 4653781
United States 01995 1995 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab LP 231‡
Compact Disc 642‡
Europe 01999 1999 EMI Compact Disc 13158†
Europe 02000 2000 I.R.S. Compact Disc 7131582†
Asia 02007 2007 Toshiba/EMI Compact Disc 53571
United States 02008-11-25 November 25, 2008 I.R.S./Universal Music Group Compact Disc 001225102•

†I.R.S. Vintage Years edition, with bonus tracks
‡Remastered edition on 180-gram vinyl and gold Compact Disc
•Remastered Deluxe Edition, with Live at Larry's Hide-Away bonus disc

The Originals
Region Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom 01995 1995 I.R.S./EMI CD box set 7243 8 35088 2 2

References

  1. ↑ Buckley, p. 71
  2. ↑ Black, p. 72
  3. ↑ Buckley, p. 72
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Buckley, p. 78
  5. ↑ Buckley, p. 79
  6. ↑ Buckley, p. 89
  7. ↑ "Murmur Trestle Information", Athens-Clarke County Online. Retrieved August 17, 2006.
  8. ↑ Pitchfork Media Review
  9. ↑ Drowned in Sound Review
  10. ↑ Allmusic Review
  11. ↑ Slant Magazine Review
  12. ↑ Robert Christgau Review
  13. ↑ Rolling Stone Review
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Buckley, p. 357–58
  15. ↑ Buckley, p. 95
  16. ↑ Search for R.E.M.: Gold and Platinum data. RIAA.com. Retrieved on May 12, 2008.
  17. ↑ Pond, Steve. Murmur review. Rolling Stone. May 25, 1983. Retrieved on May 12, 2008
  18. ↑ Buckley, p. 77-78
  19. ↑ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rstone.html
  20. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". Acclaimed Music. http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/. Retrieved 2010-8-17. 
  21. ↑ "Rolling Stone Top 100 Albums of the Last Twenty Years". Rolling Stone. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rstone.html#albums. Retrieved 2010-8-17. 
  22. ↑ "100 Greatest CDs". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/eweekly.html. Retrieved 2010-8-17. 
  23. ↑ "100 Alternative Albums". Spin. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/spin100.html#100%20alternative%20albums. Retrieved 2010-8-17. 
  24. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pitchfm
  25. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named RS1234
  26. ↑ "500 CDs You Must Own: Alternative Rock at Blender.com". Blender. http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=122. Retrieved 2010-8-17. 
  27. ↑ "The 80 Best Records of the 80s". Q. http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/628482. Retrieved 2010-8-17. 
  28. ↑ "The 100 Records That Changed the World". Q. http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3172289350&frmid=0&msgid=714055. Retrieved 2010-8-17. 
  29. ↑ http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK2009.HTM
  30. ↑ R.E.M. Announce Murmur Deluxe Edition
  31. ↑ R.E.M.HQ: NEWS - Murmur Deluxe Edition

External links

  • Murmur at Allmusic (I.R.S. Vintage Years edition)
  • Murmur at Allmusic (Deluxe Edition)
  • Murmur at MusicBrainz (I.R.S. Vintage Years edition)
  • Murmur at MusicBrainz (Deluxe Edition)
R.E.M.
Peter Buck • Mike Mills • Michael Stipe
Bill Berry
Accompaniment
Nathan December • Buren Fowler • Peter Holsapple • Barrett Martin • Scott McCaughey • Bill Rieflin • Ken Stringfellow • Joey Waronker
Managers
Bertis Downs, IV • Jefferson Holt
Studio albums
Murmur • Reckoning • Fables of the Reconstruction • Lifes Rich Pageant • Document • Green • Out of Time • Automatic for the People • Monster • New Adventures in Hi-Fi • Up • Reveal • Around the Sun • Accelerate • Collapse into Now
Compilations
Dead Letter Office • Eponymous • The Best of R.E.M. • The Automatic Box • Singles Collected • In the Attic • In Time • iTunes Originals • And I Feel Fine
EPs
Chronic Town • Not Bad for No Tour • Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes • Live from London • Reckoning Songs from The Olympia
Other albums
Man on the Moon • r.e.m.IX • R.E.M. Live • Live at The Olympia
Singles
"Radio Free Europe" • "Talk About the Passion" • "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" • "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" • "Cant Get There from Here" • "Driver 8" • "Wendell Gee" • "Fall on Me" • "Superman" • "Ages of You" • "The One I Love" • "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" • "Finest Worksong" • "Orange Crush" • "Stand" • "Pop Song 89" • "Get Up" • "Losing My Religion" • "Shiny Happy People" • "Near Wild Heaven" • "Radio Song" • "Drive" • "Man on the Moon" • "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" • "Everybody Hurts" • "Nightswimming" • "Find the River" • "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" • "Bang and Blame" • "Strange Currencies" • "Crush with Eyeliner" • "Tongue" • "E-Bow the Letter" • "Bittersweet Me" • "Electrolite" • "How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us" • "Daysleeper" • "Lotus" • "At My Most Beautiful" • "Suspicion" • "The Great Beyond" • "Imitation of Life" • "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" • "I'll Take the Rain" • "Bad Day" • "Animal" • "Leaving New York" • "Aftermath" • "Electron Blue" • "Wanderlust" • "Supernatural Superserious" • "Hollow Man" • "Man-Sized Wreath" • "Until the Day Is Done" • "It Happened Today"
Videos
Succumbs • Tourfilm • Pop Screen • This Film Is On • Parallel • Road Movie • In View • Perfect Square • When the Light Is Mine • R.E.M. Live • Live at The Olympia • R.E.M. Live from Austin, TX
Related articles
Discography • Tours • Athens, Georgia • Automatic Baby • College radio • Hindu Love Gods • The Baseball Project • Tired Pony • Athens Andover • "I Belong to You" • I.R.S. Records • Warner Bros. Records • Hib-Tone • Surprise Your Pig: A Tribute to R.E.M. • Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic for the People • "Homer the Moe"