Murmur (album)
Murmur | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 12, 1983 | |||
Recorded | January 6 – February 23, 1983 | |||
Studio | Reflection, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:11 | |||
Label | I.R.S. | |||
Producer | ||||
R.E.M. chronology | ||||
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Singles from Murmur | ||||
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Murmur is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on April 12, 1983, by I.R.S. Records. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its unusual sound, defined by lead singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bass guitarist Mike Mills's melodic basslines.
Recording
R.E.M. started preparing for their 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.[6] 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.[7] Unsatisfied, the band members asked the label to let them record with Easter.[8] 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.[9]
On January 6, 1983, R.E.M. entered Reflection Studios in
Due to Peter Buck's Fender Twin Reverb being "dead", every song except 'Pilgrimage' featured Easter's Ampeg Gemini II. Mike Mills's Dan Armstrong bass guitar was set aside in favor of a Rickenbacker 4001, owned by Easter's girlfriend.[13]
Recording was completed on February 23, 1983.
In a rare instance of R.E.M. co-writing, Stipe asked friend Neil Bogan to contribute lyrics to "West of the Fields".[14]
Packaging
The front cover features an image of a large quantity of the noxious weed
Copies of the initial tape edition—catalogue number CS 70604—list The Velvet Underground cover "There She Goes Again" as the final track, but it is not present. This mistake was fixed with subsequent printings. The track was rumored to be intended for Murmur, but removed so that all the tracks would be original and the group would not have to take a royalty cut.[citation needed] The band later distanced itself from this rumor.[19] It was, however, re-recorded and included as a b-side to the IRS issue of "Radio Free Europe" instead.[20]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [21] |
Blender | [22] |
Chicago Tribune | [23] |
Entertainment Weekly | A[24] |
Pitchfork | 10/10[25] |
Q | [26] |
Rolling Stone | [27] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [28] |
Uncut | [29] |
The Village Voice | A−[30] |
Murmur was released in April 1983. The record reached number 36 on the Billboard album chart.[31] 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.[32] Murmur was eventually certified gold (500,000 units shipped) by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1991.[33]
The album drew substantial critical acclaim.
A 2023 listing of the best debut albums by Paste included Murmur at sixth place, stating that "the way Buck’s guitar and Mike Mills’ bass busily bounced around otherwise simple choruses created something entirely new".[36]
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.[37] In 2003, the TV network VH1 named Murmur the 92nd greatest album of all time.[citation needed] Some of the more prominent of these lists to feature Murmur are shown below. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[38]
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rolling Stone | US | Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years[39] | 1987 | #58 |
Spin | US | 100 Alternative Albums[40] | 1995 | #8 |
Pitchfork Media
|
US | Top 100 Albums of the 1980s[41] | 2002 | #5 |
Rolling Stone | US | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[42][43][44] | 2012 | #197 |
2020 | #165 | |||
Blender | US | 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die[45] | 2003 | |
Q | UK | The 40 Best Records of the 80s[citation needed] | 2006 | #6 |
Mojo | UK | The 100 Records That Changed the World[citation needed] | 2007 | #75 |
Slant Magazine | US | Best Albums of the 1980s[46] | 2012 | #13 |
Rolling Stone | US | The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time[47] | 2013 | #18 |
Track listing
All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, except where noted.
Side one
- "Radio Free Europe" – 4:06
- "Pilgrimage" – 4:30
- "Laughing" – 3:57
- "Talk About the Passion" – 3:23
- "Moral Kiosk" – 3:31
- "Perfect Circle" – 3:29
Side two
- "Catapult" – 3:55
- "Sitting Still" – 3:17
- "9–9" – 3:03
- "Shaking Through" – 4:30
- "We Walk" – 3:02
- "West of the Fields" (Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe, Neil Bogan) – 3:17
Personnel
R.E.M.
- Bill Berry – drums, backing vocals, percussion, bass guitar, piano
- Peter Buck – electric & acoustic guitars
- lead vocals
Production and additional musicians
- mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City, New York, United States
- Don Dixon – co-producer, additional acoustic guitars,[48] bass guitar on "Perfect Circle"
- Mitch Easter – co-producer, additional acoustic guitars, backwards guitar on "Perfect Circle"[48]
- Carl Grasso – art design
- Ann Kinney – art design
- Sandra Lee Phipps – photography and art design
Chart performance
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1983 | US Billboard 200 | 36[31] |
1994 | UK Albums Chart | 100[31] |
1996 | 111[31] | |
2009 | 199 (Deluxe Edition)[49] |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | "Radio Free Europe" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 25 |
1983 | "Radio Free Europe" | Billboard Pop Singles | 78 |
Certifications
Organization | Level | Date |
---|---|---|
RIAA – US | 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,
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.[51] 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.[52]
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 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 | August 29, 1983 | I.R.S. | LP | 70014 |
United States | 1983 | I.R.S./A&M | Compact Disc | 70014 |
The Netherlands | 1983 | Illegal | LP | 25433 |
South Africa | 1983 | I.R.S./CBS | LP | ASF-2886 |
Worldwide | 1990 | A&M | Compact Disc | 70014 |
Worldwide | 1991 | A&M | Compact Disc | 129 |
The Netherlands | July 31, 1992 | EMI | Compact Disc | 7 13158 2† |
The Netherlands | 1992 | I.R.S. | LP | 4653781 |
United States | 1995 | Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | LP | 231‡ |
Compact Disc | 642‡ | |||
Europe | 1999 | EMI | Compact Disc | 13158† |
Europe | 2000 | I.R.S. | Compact Disc | 7131582† |
Asia | 2007 | Toshiba/EMI | Compact Disc | 53571 |
United States | November 25, 2008 | I.R.S./Universal Music Group | Compact Disc | B0012251-02• |
†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
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 1995 | I.R.S./EMI | CD box set | 7243 8 35088 2 2 |
See also
References
- ^ "A Brief History of Jangle Pop". Masterclass.com. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ "R.E.M.'s legacy: 6 ways the band changed American music". The Week. September 22, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- Allmusic. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (December 6, 2001). "Automatic For The People : R.E.M. : Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
- ISBN 0-87930-653-X.
- ^ Buckley, p. 71
- ^ Black, p. 72
- ^ Buckley, p. 72
- ^ a b Buckley, p. 78
- ^ Buckley, p. 79
- ^ Buckley, p. 89
- ISBN 0-7119-4901-8.
- ^ Rod Brakes (2021-06-03). "Producer Mitch Easter shares the inside story of R.E.M.'s early recording sessions: "It was glorious. They rehearsed a lot just because they liked to play together"". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
- ^ R.E.M. (April 12, 1983). Murmur (liner notes). I.R.S. Records.
- ^ "Murmur Trestle Information". Archived from the original on February 21, 2001. Retrieved 2005-04-27., Athens-Clarke County Online. Retrieved August 17, 2006.
- ^ Thompson, Jim (July 9, 2016). "'Murmur' trestle likely to come down someday, commissioner says". Athens Online.
- ^ Thompson, Jim (August 18, 2016). "Transportation tax could fund work at 'Murmur' trestle in Athens". Athens Online.
- ^ Allen, Stephanie (July 9, 2021). "Athens' 'Murmur Trestle' being removed, replaced as part of Firefly Trail construction". Athens Online.
- ^ Satzberg, Steve (February 16, 2024). "Live Review: Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy Play REM's Murmur @ Black Cat — 2/10/24". Parklife DC.
- ISBN 0-7119-4901-8.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Murmur – R.E.M." AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ Dolan, Jon (March 2008). "R.E.M.". Blender. Vol. 7, no. 2. pp. 106–107.
- ^ Kot, Greg (March 24, 1991). "Traveling Through The Years With R.E.M." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ^ Browne, David (March 22, 1991). "An R.E.M. discography". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (November 24, 2008). "R.E.M.: Murmur [Deluxe Edition]". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ Lynskey, Dorian (February 2009). "R.E.M.: Murmur". Q. No. 271. p. 120.
- ^ a b Pond, Steve (May 26, 1983). "Murmur". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Mueller, Andrew (January 12, 2009). "Album review: R.E.M. – Murmur". Uncut. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (May 31, 1983). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Buckley, p. 357–358
- ^ Buckley, p. 95
- ^ Search for R.E.M.: Gold and Platinum data. RIAA.com. Retrieved on May 12, 2008.
- ^ Gregg, Jonathan (June 1983). "Murmur review". Record. 2 (8): 22.
- ^ Buckley, p. 77–78
- ISSN 1540-3106. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ "Rocklist.net Rolling Stone Lists - Main Page". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. 2002-10-17. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ISBN 978-0-7893-1371-3.
- ^ "Rolling Stone Top 100 Albums of the Last Twenty Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ "100 Alternative Albums". Spin. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All-Time". Rolling Stone. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
- ^ "500 CDs You Must Own: Alternative Rock at Blender.com". Blender. Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s". Slant Magazine. 5 March 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ "The Top 100 Debut Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
- ^ a b c REM: Perfect Circle, Tony Fletcher, Omnibus Press (p 85–86)
- ^ "Chart Log UK – Chart Coverage and Record Sales 2009 and Special Single-File Version". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ "Blair Packham: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1053". TorontoMike.com. 20 May 2022.
- ^ "R.E.M. Announce Murmur Deluxe Edition". Pitchfork. 16 October 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ "R.E.M.HQ: NEWS - Murmur Deluxe Edition". Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Further reading
- Sullivan, Denise, ed. (1998). R.E.M.: Talk about the Passion: an Oral History. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-80857-9.
- Platt, John A. (1999). Murmur: R.E.M. Classic rock albums. Schirmer Books. ISBN 978-0-02-865062-3.
- Buckley, David (2002). R.E.M.: Fiction: An Alternative Biography (Hardback) (1st ed.). Virgin. ISBN 1-85227-927-3.
- Black, Johnny (2004). Reveal: The Story of R.E.M. (Paperback) (1st ed.). Backbeat. ISBN 0-87930-776-5.
External links
- R.E.M. HQ on Murmur
- Murmur at AllMusic
- Murmur at MusicBrainz (I.R.S. Vintage Years edition)
- Murmur at MusicBrainz (Deluxe Edition)
- A detailed explanation of the lyrics from Consequence of Sound
- Memories of Murmur on its 40th anniversary