Murmur - REM (1983)

I talk a lot about my favorite bands being more than the sum of their parts, but REM is maybe the starkest example of this. Each of the four members weren’t necessarily the most talented or virtuose at their parts, but from the very beginning they balanced each other out. There are very few (if any) REM tracks that sound like one member getting away with showing off and everyone else just letting them.

The first album is just one example of this, but it’s already there in the makeup of the band. Mike Mills’ basslines drive the tracks without dominating. Peter Buck doesn’t solo all over everything as many of his peers did. Michael Stipe’s voice is always even with or lower than the instruments in the mix, making him a participant but not a focus. And don’t get me started about the rock steady drumming of Bill Berry, never showing off and always serving the song in just the right way.

The musicians and their skills and ambitions would grow and change over 30 years, but the core link between the bandmembers would stay special.

Tracks I Liked

Talk About The Passion - an early glimpse into Stipe’s lyrical genius

Moral Kiosk - a great rocker

Perfect Circle - gorgeous ballad