R.E.M. - Accelerate

Accelerate - What a great new CD this is from a great band. I'm enjoying every minute of it - as I did, by the way, with Reveal and Around the Sun. I don't understand critics - I thought those 2 albums were great - their diversity was part of the greatness. Anyway...

R.E.M. again have some great things to say on Accelerate and some great ways to present their visions, ideas and experiences. The record is a continuation of their fine presentation of valuable insights.

Which makes me wonder about people saying that Accelerate is some sort of return to form for R.E.M. I never thought they lost form, and I re-e-e-ally don't think this record is anything like Life's Rich Pageant or Fables of the Reconstruction. Those two records were stunningly practical metaphysical treatises of sorts; some "Life & How to Live It" glimpses into the R.E.M. that would eventually get'round to Accelerate a couple decades later.

Accelerate continues the tradition of poignant, often pointed, generally tongue in cheek lyrical observations of what is and what obviously might be - well, obvious to some of us...

The musicianship is R.E.M., 2008. I'm grateful for that. That freakin' keyboard thing on Houston is bitchin' - and it's wonderfully interesting to note that they proceeded without the keyboard for the filming of the TakeAway Shows. Going forward it's nice to know that they don't have to shy away from Houston in situations where they don't have Mike's keyboard handy...

Someone please post chords for Sing for the Submarine, soon. :^) email them to me. I'm awful at figuring stuff out.

If you have not seen the TakeAway Shows done by Vincent Moon - go HERE
and download them, especially Sing for the Submarine.

Sing for the Submarine is my favorite -the backing vocals are priceless, as is Michael's percussive contribution.

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It's quite clear to me that R.E.M. is about having fun and being sincere about their music, but none too serious about themselves. I respect that. The world could use more of it.

I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world....

What a great CD - thanks fellas!


p.s. I'd have never guessed that Michael smoked cigarettes...