R.E.M 'Murmur- deluxe edition'

I have a feeling about albums that are labelled 'classics'. I may be alone in this, but I think, usually, you have to have been there at the time that they are released to appreciate them fully. Many, many times I have bought an album that is considered a classic, had massive expectations of how much I am going to love it and been disappointed to hear it is just another album. An example of this is 'Astral Weeks' by Van Morrison. There are of course exceptions but by and large I am wary of buying reissues of 'classic' albums that I didn't buy at the time or in the process of discovering an artist.

Just to make my buying this album look like an even poorer decision, I Ddon't love REM. I like some songs and 'Automatic For The People' is undeniably an excellent album but recently they seem to have been treading the same dull ground over and over. BUT, I had read so many good things and 'Murmur' and about the re-issue, that I thought I would take the chance.

First thing I felt on listening was surprise at how much it sounded like....REM. I honestly didn't think it would. I had the idea in my head that 'Murmur' and 'Document' would sound like another band entirely and I also thought I would hear loads of guitar and feedback and barely audible vocals, but not at all, it sounds like REM, just much much better.

The sound is so stripped down and simple, each instrument given space, especially Mike Mills' fantastically expressive bass playing. Included in this is Michael Stipe's voice, which he genuinely uses as an instrument throughout, to superb effect. Its great to hear him simply as part of a band, rather than being burdened by the pressures of Being Michael Stipe.

The songs are generally excellent. 'Radio Free Europe' is a terrifically spiky opener, 'Pilgrimage' flows beautifully under a mix of guitar and piano and 'Catapult' is pretty perfect indie pop. Best of all though are 'Talk About The Passion' where Stipe uses the lower reach of his vocal range to stunning effect on lines like "not everyone can carry the weight of the world" and "combien de temps?" and 'Perfect Circle' the very first REM ballad, with beauiful, swirling piano.

The record is a little front-loaded, as debut albums often are, but right at the end 'Shaking Through' gives a hint of REM's future country-pop direction.

The live performance from Toronto '83 on the second cd is a revelation too. With no overdubs or embelishments, the band sound raw and several songs sound even better.

'Murmur' is undeniably a very, very good album and its amazing to think it was released in 1983 because a) not much else of note was being released then and b) because the songs haven't aged at all. It has made me want to discover REM's back catalogue from this point on and discover how they went from making a tight, dense indie-rock record like this to recording 'Shiny Happy People' just eight years later...

8.0

['Murmur 2cd' is out now on Universal]