1991
Tag: Michael Stipe
Falls To Climb ( song ) … REM
1998
What’s The Frequency Kenneth ( song ) … REM
1994
audio review : Daysleeper ( song ) … REM
I don’t think “daysleeper” is a real word. Michael Stipe uses it as a slang term for someone who works during the night and sleeps during the day. The protagonist, presented in first-person perspective, seems to work in an institution or warehouse. At 3-AM, the receiving department is empty. “Everywhere is calm,” except for his aching head, which wants nothing more than to go home and get a good night’s rest like most of the other workers.
It’s hard to sleep in the daytime, even with an ocean sound machine at your bedside, when you live in a city of noisy neighbors. You’re constantly being awakened and, once awake, it’s hard to go back to sleep. That’s a big part of the problem, so this “daysleeper” sighs, cries and sings a soothing lament for all unfortunare victims of the graveyard shift. What a dreamy little ballad it is. Listen for the cute “weoo” chants near the end.
my rating : 4 of 5
1998
audio review : Blue ( song ) … REM ( featuring Patti Smith )
It’s hard not to compare Blue to E-Bow The Letter; the only other REM song featuring Patti Smith; but if the comparison has to do with overall song quality, I choose Blue. E-Bow has more melodic verses. Michael Stipe, a definite poet, goes spoken-word here, but that doesn’t make them better. There’s something artistically rejuvenating about the ranty proclamations he presents. “I will not fold,” he says in a forceful whisper, “I don’t have much, but what I have is gold.”
He’d be rapping if more of the words rhymed and the lyrics went with the beat, but there are no real drums, just an array of background guitars, which create a dreamworld of airy ambience. A piano comes in at about the three-minute mark, which leads to the best part; Patti Smith singing a Cinderella ballad over the sound of a man’s voice saying “blue” over and over again. That’s “naked and blue”, not Electron Blue, and it stands out as one of the better REM songs.
my rating : 4 of 5
2011
audio review : It Happened Today ( song ) … REM
What happened? Michael Stipe is too ambiguous a poet to say, but concept isn’t what matters here. It’s about the music, which stomps along a bassy drum beat, guitars, and what sounds like an array of tambourines. It’s the kind of folky dance vibe you haven’t heard in an REM song for a long time.
What’s unusual is how traditional word-based vocals; lyrical verses and bridges; are abandoned before even the halfway point. “Huh-huh” murmurs take over from there for what serves as the chorus section. It’s a celebration chant of sorts, layered with harmonious melodies, and one of the band’s all-time best.
my rating : 5 of 5
2010
audio review : I’ll Take The Rain ( song ) … REM
“The rain came down,” Michael Stipe sings, thrice until he gets it right. Those first few bars are a preview of the subtle melody shifts to come. The song; a winter “love” song; doesn’t go full power ballad until the refrain, which soars high thru a backdrop of airy guitars.
my rating : 4 of 5
2001
audio review : Leaving New York ( song ) … REM
The best part comes near the end. “I told you I’d love you forever,” Michael Stipe reminds a special someone and when the chorus comes back, with a layer of windswept harmony, it soars as one of the band’s catchiest. Leaving New York is an ambiguous ballad, but it seems there are feelings of both affection and despondency in the air.
my rating : 4 of 5
2004
It’s The End Of The World As We Know It [ And I Feel Fine ] ( song ) … REM
1987
REM performing a song at The Point Theatre in Dublin : The Ascent Of Man
2005
REM performing a song at Rock Am Ring in Nürburg : Bad Day
2005
Michael Stipe
