U Talkin’ U2 To Me? - R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: ME? - Automatic for the People

Episode Date: May 2, 2018

Adam Scott Aukerman rejoin to discuss R.E.M.’s seminal eighth studio album Automatic for the People. We’ll get the scoop on where to find the best pizza slices, how Adam ended up as an extra in an R.E.M. music video, and where the boys found themselves upon the 1992 album’s release before they dive into Automatic for the People. Plus, Adam talks about a film he saw on a new episode of “I Love Films.”  This episode is sponsored by Leesa (www.leesa.com/REM).

From chronic to collapse, town and into now, respectively, that is. This is Are You Talkin' R.E.M. Remake. The comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things. And I mean all things. Every single thing. R.E.M. This is good. Rock and roll music. Welcome back.

It is good to be back, Scott. It's so good to be back. It's been so long since our last episode, and I am loving it being here across from you. It feels like eight days. Were you going to say sex? No. No. I was going to say it feels like eight days, but it's actually been seven.

It's been seven days, which is what I call a wake. A wake? Wake. A wake. It's been a wake since I've seen you, and I've missed you. It's been a wake. It's been a wake. And it's been a wake since...

Is that like you're saying it's been a week, but you're getting to the very top stair of a long staircase? It's been a week. Something like that. I feel like I'm at the top of a... Wait, is this an episode of It's Been a Week? I think it might be. Hey everyone, welcome to It's Been a Whig. I'm Scott.

This is Scott. And we're talking about Whigs. Yeah, and Scott, I'll just put it right out there. Put it out there. We don't have time to waste. At most, this show is two minutes long. We don't have time to waste. I mean, it's been a week. And unfortunately, it's going to be another week until we speak again because this show's almost over.

I think you're right. This one's done. And goodbye. Goodbye. Hi. Hi. Hi. You're awake and I'm asleep and we are so complete.

Good app. Yeah. Welcome to the show. Hi. What? Hi. Hi. Hi.

Hi. Have you ever been a singer? Yeah. Yeah. Where, opera? No, I had a singing class in acting school. We talked about it last episode. No, we didn't.

Nope. acting school. We talked about it last episode. No, we didn't. Nope. And I had to sing a song from Luck Be a Lady, I believe. Really? From Guys and Dolls? Guys and Dolls. Mm-hmm. And you had to sing it. Well, that was my assigned

song. But you could have ostensibly shown up to the class and said, I'm not going to sing this. And what could they have done? Would they have arrested you? They could have given me a bad grade, I'm not going to sing this. And what could they have done? Would they have arrested you? They could have given me a bad grade, which is not really what you want when you're in school studying. Sure, but it's like a bad acting grade? Do you get grades, by the way, for every episode of television that you make?

Yes. All of my teachers from the academy still send me a report card. Well, they send it to my parents. And then I have to get it signed they send it to my parents. Oh, okay. And then I have to get it signed and bring it to work the next day and give it to Paul Lieberstein before I'm allowed to work. When a show gets canceled, do you get an incomplete? You've never been on a show that's been canceled, though.

No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Hey, tell me about, by the way. Sure. This, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, That's true. How are you going to finish this thing if you don't start? Well, everyone's got to get ready. What does that entail? Well, I have to finish my thing. I'm sure everyone's finishing something else. How do you prepare?

When you say everyone's got to get ready for a thing, how do you prepare? You just grow whatever it is, a mustache or a beard or whatever? Well, it depends. It depends on the Karak that I'm going after. Wait, you're playing a different Karak, this? Yeah. I'm not playing the same character as season one. I'm playing someone else.

That seminal character by the name of? Well, you never saw it. So I could say Joshua right now, and you'd be fine with that. I know it's not Joshua. Well, then how would you know? Test me. Test me. And I will tell you exactly who it is when you say it.

What? Give you a name? Give me a bunch of names, and I'll tell you the one when I. Greg? Definitely not. Definitely not Greg. Todd? It would never be Todd.

Okay. Shem? S-H-E-M? Yeah. So it's like Shemp without the P, like one of the three stooges? Well, sure. Shem S-H-E-M Yeah So it's like Shemp Without the P Like one of the three stooges Well sure

Yeah Shem Is Shemp without the P I guess I'm gonna say no Ed Ed Like the television show

Tom Cavanagh's Ed Yes E-D Yes Like Toot Stands for erectile dysfunction Is it short for that?

It could be. I'm going to say no. Toots. Toots. Yeah, like toots in the Maytals. Sure, but not pronounced toots? No. Just toots?

Toots. So, like, almost like more than one fart? Yeah, several toots. You called it toots in the Maytals? Well, I mean, normally when you see that word, you say toots. Like, hey, toots, get over here. But it is toots in the Maytals. Really?

Like that that you say all the time? Yeah. You know. Hey, come here, toots. Get over here. Bring your getaway sticks over here, toots. I'm going to say no. Okay, not toots.

What about borge? You know what your tell is? What? When you say the real one, you say, what about? Yeah, it's Borge. Borge. Yep. I knew it.

Yeah, so I have to get Borge ready for... What's your actor's secret for that character? Everybody needs a secret. Everybody. What's the thing you're not telling the other actors? What are you not telling the other cracks? Well, if I tell you,

then it wouldn't be much of a secret now, would it? Well, sure, but I mean, you can tell me. I'm your best friend. You're right. Well, every day on set, before we start,

before I even go to work, before I even wake up in the morning. Before you wake up, okay. I write a phrase on my forearm that I keep under the sleeve of my shirt. And it's something that I know that no one else knows. You're talking about a secret, basically. A secret, yeah. Wow, this is crazy. So your secret is that you write down like a secret on your arm.

Well, yeah, that is a secret in and of itself. But the thing I wrote down is also a phrase which I need to keep a secret because otherwise it would be humiliating. Is it the phrase that pays? Or is like a radio station going to call you and ask you for the phrase that pays? And if you don't know it, then you... Sometimes it depends on the day. Sometimes it's a phrase that pays.

They sometimes, you know, give you... They buy your groceries for a week? Yes. Are there any Kleenex? Yeah, of course there are. They're right in front of us, my dear boy. Here you go. I'm going to toss these to you. Here you go.

No, no, no. Fuck off. Do the old Korg gag with Kleenexes. For some reason, that tickled your nose. It tickled your fancy. No, I started laughing and just snot came out of my nose. Yeah, that's what I mean by that. Okay, okay.

Anyway, Big Little Lies 2, when's it come out? Do we have a premiere date? I don't know. Who gives a shit? Hey, oh, pizza! What's the best pizza you've ever had? Best pizza I've ever had. Best pizza I've ever had?

Let's see. Well, of course, it's gotta be in New York City, because that's where I am. Of course! Are we talking any of the five boroughs? Oh, yeah, it's gotta be in one York City because that's where we are. Of course. Are we talking any of the five boroughs? Oh, yeah. It's got to be

in one of the boroughs. One of the boroughs. I love those boroughs. You go, you just order a slice. Like, what's on a good pizza to you? You got to get

your sauce. Right. Sauce. Anything else? You put some cheese on there. Like a little bit or a lot?

Well, it depends what you're into, like what you like. But that's what I'm asking you. What are you into? A lot of cheese. Lots? So like a base layer of sauce. Then on top of that, you put cheese.

What's on top of that? Eight pounds of cheese. Wow. So like a huge just block. I like a big, fat, cheesy piece of pizza. Do you shred it or do you just like- Just a block of cheese. Just a block of cheese.

Put it on- Put it on some sauce. And the sauce, just one drop. New York pizza. New York pizza, nothing else on it. That's all you need. What else do you need? Some of that New York water though. Get some water. Just put it under the faucet.

That's why it's so good is because you pour water on it after it's cooked. God, that sounds delicious. And get maybe some pepperoni. Yeah, what do you do with that? Just take one of those big pepperoni logs that you get at the grocery. Yeah, right, the ones that we all get every single week. And you just put it right on top of that block of cheese.

On top of that block of cheese. That's pizza. Pizza, New York City pizza. What about you? What's the best pizza pizza, Scott, you've ever had? Well, I was probably six years old, and I was in art class, and we mixed up some newspaper with sort of a milky paste water, and I took a bite of that, and I was like, this is the best fucking pizza I've ever had.

Oh, get the fuck out of here. It was great. I loved it. Was, sorry. It was called. Was this an episode of It Was Great, I Loved It? Is this an episode? I think loved it. Is this an episode? I think it is.

Is this an... Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Because we've done episodes of shows. Yeah. I'm worried that we're doing episodes of shows when it's not an episode of those shows. But is this, like this here... Are you asking me is this an episode?

Wait. Are we doing an episode of is this an episode? This is definitely an episode me is this an episode wait are we doing an episode of is this an episode this is definitely an episode of is this an episode hey everyone this is scott and this is scott and we're here with is this an episode we're trying to figure out is this a fucking episode yeah i is this an episode or is this an episode how would we know wait hold on um wait a second let me i'm just gonna you got your pen out yeah i've got a scribble down some quick calculations here this is like 448 um and then what do you do this goodwill hunting shit look at this guy. That X minus.

Oh, my God. That's an algorithm. What is he doing? How does he know how to do this? What is this? You know what? I can't. There's.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. That's how we. It's weird because after all these calculations I see and the answer is, is this an episode? Oh, we're never going to find out. I mean, obviously, this is an episode of Is This an Episode? But that's what we're saying.

This is an episode. But again, though, I just keep going because I keep looking at this calculation of mine, and I keep going back to the central question, which is, is this an episode? Is this an episode? I don't, I mean, what would be the signs if this were an episode? Wait a second. Is this an episode of, wait a second, I think this might be an episode? Definitely not.

It's definitely not an episode of that. Okay. So then is this an episode? I don't, I don't, I don't know. But what I'm wondering is, but wait a second, is this an episode? Of what? Of is this an episode?

Yeah. Yeah, obviously. We're in the middle of an episode. Okay, so this is an episode of is this an episode? Yeah, but is this an episode? I don't know. This is fucking freaking me out.

I know. I don't know what to do. Shit. Okay, let's make a call. Yeah, let's. Can we make a call here? Do you have someone that we can get on the. Hello?

Yeah, hi. Who am I speaking to? Yeah, this is Jack. Sorry, what was that? Jack. Jack. Jack. Jack. Jack. Jack. Jackoff? Sorry, what was that? Jackoff? Jackup? Jackoff?

Jacka? Jackoff? Jackoff? What? Hey, fuck you, buddy. Oh, okay. All right. Well, Scott, who did you call?

Who was that? I called my friend Jackoff. Oh, so I wasn't mistaken. Why do you get so offended when I said it? He gets offended when it, I don't know what his deal is. Like, his name is Jackoff. Why do you get so offended when I said... He gets offended when... I don't know what his deal is. Like, his name is Jackoff. He changed it, too. Okay.

Did he have information about whether this is an episode? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell you what, call him back. Be real nice about it. All right. Okay? Okay? Here we go.

Hello? Sorry, Jackoff. I think before I... Hey, fuck you, buddy! All right. Whoa. Okay. Scott.

This is a weird dial tone. I think... I don't know what to do. I feel like we're no closer to finding out... He was no help. At all. And he's the guy with the info. He's the guy who knows it all.

I don't know what to do other than just wrap this up. This episode. I think we probably should. All right, let's wrap this one up and we'll knows it all. I don't know what to do other than just wrap this up of this episode. I think we probably should. All right, let's wrap this one up and we'll figure it out. Yep. That was,

that was gripping. It was really interesting. We're, we're talking today, Adam. Yeah. You have to agree with me on this. Sure. We're talking today, Adam. Yeah. You have to agree with me on this. Sure.

We're talking today about, uh, and we're exclusively talking about the Banaharian. And, um, we're talking about the seminal record. Yeah. Hotomatic for the people. Yeah. This is, uh, Abbey Road as far as I'm concerned. This is the big one. No, no, no, Abbey Road is the Beatles.

Right. Sorry. And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. How many people have that quote in their Twitter profile? In their Twitter profiles? Kind of long for it. And in the end, the love you... Or just the love you take is equal to the love you make. Hasn't that been in Twitter?

I feel like I've seen that in a bunch of Twitter profiles. I feel like, yeah, I've seen it like right next to like a cartoon green frog. Yeah. In a mega hat? It's perfect for them. Automatic for the people is the show.

What if albums were shows? You know, it's funny you say that, Scott, because in a way they kind of are, if you know what I mean. In a way, isn't the best record, like, better than the best television show? Oh, yeah.

Well, because you're doing half the work because of your imagination. Would you agree that the best record of all time is better than the worst television show you've ever seen? Yeah. Yes, I would. I mean— That's not a tough one to agree with, I'm going to be honest. But doesn't that prove the case that albums are better than television? It doesn't at all, but I will go along with you if you need me to.

Isn't like your favorite record you've ever heard better than like if an artist were to like diarrhea splatter on a canvas? Absolutely. See? Well, I don't know if that gets us any closer to the point you kind of my point my point my dear boy is that album my point boy yeah even worse is that someone called me your boy by the way in a review of this i know adam scott and his boy his boy scott augerman like so condescending but but albums are better than anything yeah in the world any other arts they it pales in comparison and i'm saying pale as if that's a bad thing but you know i mean i'm pale so sure me too i haven't been out in the sun for six years really how do you get around like

the caverns underneath the city i yeah i travel by mule underneath the city in the sun for six years. Really? How do you get around? Like the caverns underneath the city? Yeah, I travel by mule underneath the city in the sewers. Why is that? Are you allergic to the sun or are you a vampire? I love the sun. I love it. I love being out in the sun. Actually, there's nothing I like more. Then what is the reason for not?

Don't worry about it. Well, I'll tell you. I'm not worried about it. I'm merely curious. It seems like you're worried about it. I'm not. I mean, I couldn't give two shits about this. It's'll tell you. I'm not worried about it. I'm merely curious. It seems like you're worried about it. I'm not. I mean, I couldn't give two shits about this. It's not worth worrying.

I'm not worried. It's not worth it. So great. Stop worrying so much. I'm simply asking you a question. Cut it out. I like to travel on muleback under the city in the sewers because it's – have you ever been to Winnipeg? Of course I've been to Winnipeg.

Okay. Case in point, Winnipeg. They have an entire – a duplicate city under the city because it gets so cold there in the winter. That's true. They hibernate during the winter in the duplicate city. You need to – if you need to get around town, if you need to walk, say, down to Henderson Street. Yeah, I need to go to the CVS in Winnipeg.

You can go from H Street down to Henderson Street just by – and I'm just making those names. Those are arbitrary. Sure, yeah. Don't go looking for the CVS on H Street and Henderson Street. We all know H Street and Henderson don't cross. And Winnipeg, don't write me letters. All right? I don't want to hear from your attorneys.

I mean, I'd love to get some mail, though. It's nice. You know what? Snail mail, they call it. Sure. Quote, unquote, snail mail. Yeah, I mean, it gets there pretty fucking fast. Hey, listen.

Those are our tax dollars at work. And can you believe that you can write something onto a postcard, pop it in a box, a magic box, and then a mere three to five weeks later, a friend will get it. Receives it in the mail. They're like, look at that. They're like, look, I just opened up this box. There was nothing in it yesterday. Now there's something in it. What's wrong with Scott is what they say when they see the postcard.

Exactly. Why did he write me? Yeah. This is strange. This is odd. So automatic for the people. Automatic for the people. This is a huge –

Let's get some facts. Yeah. I already spotted a few errors fact-wise in this Wikipedia thing. What are the errors? Okay. It says it's released October 5th, 1992. Yes. And then it has a citation.

So as far as I'm concerned, it's backed up by a citation. I think that's true. I'm not out there looking for – Oh, no. I remember when it came out, it was a big deal. I was just looking at – Were you thinking, oh, my God, it's 26 days until Halloween? Them saying they recorded demos for Drive, Try Not to Breathe, and Night Swimming at Paisley Park.

I don't think that's – I know Night Swimming was – they were working on it during Out of Time. But Drive and Try Not to Breathe, I don't think they were demoing it. You're getting very specific. We're just talking about the album as a – Yeah, you're right. Let's just talk about it as a thing. I'm just saying the errors in the Wikipedia. Okay, so Wikipedia, you're on notice.

Yeah. I'm going to keep my eye on you. Why don't you – here's something. Go clean it up on Wikipedia. You know what? I just might. I bet you will. I bet by the time this episode comes out.

It'll be corrected. It'll be corrected with multiple citations. All right, so 1992, October 5th. Yeah. You probably just paid the rent. Maybe this is the last day that it's still on time, like you can be five days late. I remember when this came out, I was still up in Santa Cruz. I hadn't come down to Los Angeles for my second year.

I can't remember. Yeah, I was in between years at acting school and i and i uh was about to leave to come back and uh so wait you you would graduate because in the last one out of time you were a senior senior in high school and that was 1991 91 went to acting school fall of 91 spring of 92 i had the summer break went back to s to Santa Cruz to work delivering pizzas. Where were you delivering these pizzas? Place called Pizza My Heart in Santa Cruz. Why did you work there?

Was it the pizza, like the place that you went to all the time? It was hiring. It was the place where you could buy a slice of pizza in Santa Cruz. Is it still there? Yeah. Actually, it just had a slice at the San Jose airport. They have a little cut out there. What were you doing at the San Jose airport?

I was catching a flight the other day. That's one reason to go to the airport. I also – well, you never know. I go to the airport sometimes just to hang. For pizza as well. So you were delivering pizzas in the summer. I was delivering pizzas. You hadn't gone back to school yet.

Right. So my school year, the second year of this particular acting school, I think it starts mid-October because the first-year students come in. And they need to get acclimated, and then you guys need to come in and beat them all up. We're the kings. I act better than you by one year. I've been here exactly nine months longer than you, so I'm better. So, and do you want to say the name of that school?

The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. It's here now. It was in Pasadena at the time. Anyway, I feel like we've talked about this. Sure, but I don't remember anything you ever said. Listening today to our first episode, I noticed that we talked about the Drive Shaft, the band from Lost. Yes, I know. It keeps coming up because I think it's in your head any time.

It is. But every time we bring it up, we're both like, is that the name of the band? Yeah. Wait, did we call it Crankshaft, that cartoon? You know that newspaper strip cartoon, Crankshaft? No, no, no. About the old man. But is the Lost band Crankshaft? No, no, no. About the old man. But is the lost band Crankshaft?

No, it's Driveshaft. It's Driveshaft. But I think one of us called it Crankshaft. Okay. So, 92, you're about to go into acting school. When you're in acting school, suddenly you're in college. Since the last records come out, you're in college now. Do you have just as much time to go listen to music, go hang out

at record stores? Yeah. Yes. Even more time. Essentially, all I would do is that. I mean, okay. So maybe later when we're talking about the record, we talk about it. But the fall and the late summer of 92 is when my friends and I up in Santa Cruz, we hear on the radio them announcing an REM video that's going to be shooting soon. Oh, that's right. And if you want to be a part of this video, call this number. And if you call at a certain time, you might get one. Was it 1-800-EAT-SHIT? Yeah.

So we all called 1-800-EAT-SHIT, and we got a special number, and we all got chosen to come be extras in an REM video. Unpaid extras? Yes. So it's not like you're being chosen. You're basically there looking for free. Sure, but for us, it was like we were winning the sweepstakes. Oh, yeah. This is like the phrasestakes. Oh, yeah. But it was, we were all so into them.

And then getting this opportunity to come down. So we all drove down here. Which month is this? August, probably. And it was so fun. I think it was like four or five friends and I. And this is, by the way, they play, when you shoot a video, they play the song over and over and over again, right?

Did they do that this time? Yeah, and we hadn't heard any of the new music yet. And what song is it? Drive. Drive. So it's the video where Michael Stipe is being hoisted around like crowd surfing for the whole video. And so it's like 200 people there, I guess. And for I think two or three nights, we were out there all night shooting this thing.

So this was like 18 dozen people. Yes, 18 dozen. It was a good baker's 18 dozen. Okay. But, you know, it was pretty amazing. It was like getting to go and be in a shoot with the Beatles. Like, it was crazy. And they were at the height.

I mean, this is pre-Automatic for the People. Out of Time was huge, like we were saying in the last episode. And the guys in the band would, like, just kind of stand there, and you could walk up to them and ask them questions. Right. Do you remember asking them questions? Oh, yeah. I remember asking Mike Mills, like, walking up and just, like, I can't believe it's him. He's just standing there.

And then realizing I had nothing to say. But I do remember. But everything to say as well. I remember hearing that John Paul Jones was going to, was working on the album. From Led Zeppelin, the bassist of Led Zeppelin. But at the time, being 19, I thought, my group of friends and I thought like all that classic rock shit that was all old

garbage like it has to be new everything old is stupid so I had thrown out all my Zeppelin no

yeah I just you know it was just a dumb thing I was like if it's not Sonic Youth if it's not the Beastie Boys REM if it's not new

it's meaningless that's the old guard. So I asked him. I remember just being like, so what's up with John Paul Jones? Like genius. Probably one of the – probably out of the four guys in Led Zeppelin, maybe the most musically advanced guy. I mean a brilliant, brilliant person. And probably a year later, I went and repurchased all of my Led Zeppelin records.

Yes. I remember doing that with all of my Huey Lewis and the News records. Even some Cure records. I remember like Disintegration. I was like, eh, they sold out. I don't want to. I remember getting rid of all Eric Clapton. Just everything that was like classic rock.

Yeah. And then rebuying them all. I remember the Cars. and I love the Cars. Heartbeat City, I love that record. It was like got rid of them all. I'm like, no, this is played on Top 40. Forget it. The Cars are incredible.

Yeah. They deserve a podcast. So anyway, I asked him that thinking like, oh, yes, Mike Mills is going to dish on John Paul Jones with me. You think Mike Mills is going to be like, I'm so glad that you said that. Yeah, yeah. Can I talk to you, dirty 19-year-old about – He's such a bummer to be around.

Yeah. He was like, oh, he's a nice guy. He helped us out, you know. And then I was like, oh, okay, well, I'm not getting much there. I said, so what's the new stuff like? And he said, more of the same, lots of keyboards and, so what's the new stuff like? And he said, more of the same. Lots of keyboards and guitars and stuff.

That was the extent of the conversation. Great questions. I would love to have him on this show so you can ask him those questions again. See how he reacts. See how he reacts. What if he reacted in exactly the same way? He's like, I don't know. It was like keyboards and guitars and stuff.

Lots of keyboards. But it was an incredible experience, especially for, you know, we're young and we were so into this band. So we would stand out there in a crowd of a couple hundred people. Michael Stipe would get up on a ladder and the camera's on a crane up above him. He would get on a ladder. That's so evocative. You're really painting the picture. This is amazing.

They would play the song. He would get out onto the crowd and we would just carry him around as he lip synced into the camera. And we did that for like two whole nights. And then- Two nights of this? Yeah. And then you would go, I remember at one point I was standing in a small crowd surrounding Peter Buck. And he's standing- Like at the bartender or something like that? Or what was he doing? No, he's standing there just with a guitar and they started spraying us with a fire hose.

Like, did they tell you they were gonna do this? Yeah. And so it was freezing cold and it was in the middle of the night. And then I remember they started spraying us with a hose while we were carrying Michael Stipe around too. It's just a small section of the song and they show a little of the night. And then I remember they started spraying us with a hose while we were carrying Michael Stipe around too. It's just a small section of the song and they show a little of this footage. But I remember at one point when we all started being sprayed with the hose,

people started freaking out a little bit. And it was a crowd of a couple hundred people. And I remember I had to like crouch down and kind of shield my face from the water because there was so much water, I felt like I was going to drown. I mean, you're not a merman. I'm not a merman. I don't have gills, Scott. It's like there's only so much water that can be sprayed on you before you're like, human being here. I need a little oxygen.

How about a little AIR, if you know what I mean? A little O. Like take out the two particles of hydrogen and just give me the O. Yeah. You know? But it was really cool. And one night I remember while everyone was eating, they played a bunch of songs from the record.

Like on a stereo? On a sound system. So we got to, I remember hearing Man on the Moon and just being like, what the fuck is this? What is the moon? Yeah, what is a man?

What is that? And they played Monty Got a Raw Deal, I think. They played a few, Find the River maybe. Are you visible in the video? If people were to watch this video. When it came out back then, I went through it frame by frame on a VHS cassette.

Right. And there are times when I think it's me. I haven't gone through it since then. So any of our sharp-eyed listeners, usually you say sharp-eared when people are listening. But if you're listening and you have sharp eyes. Sure. Or sharpies. Many of them do, I'm sure.

Go through that video and try to pick out – what are you wearing? Do you remember in it? I do not. Something kind of tight or – Maybe. Maybe a T-shirt. I don't know. Did you show up wearing an REM T-shirt?

I did not. Okay. Too bad. So this is exciting for you. And are you talking to all of your friends? Are you saying like, hey, I'm in the video? too bad so this is exciting for you you're you're and are you talking to all of your friends are you saying like hey i'm in the video i mean it was beyond exciting we were all beside ourselves uh and um i'm trying to think of other stuff that oh i remember river phoenix was there to just like

hang out with michael st. They were friends, yeah. What else? They did a little – I remember seeing them – it was at the dam in – the Sepulveda Dam over in the valley. And they did a little – I remember seeing them get to – because we were all just out in the open in this giant like quarry. And so we could see like half a mile away they're getting their picture taken. If you want the rock, you got to go to the quarry. And so we could see like half a mile away, they're getting their picture taken. If you want the rock, you got to go to the quarry. And there's still,

you see publicity photos from that particular ship. Didn't I read a story about Michael Stipe saying that someone came and got into an argument with River Phoenix there? Like, I'm trying to remember who it was. Oh, I don't know. Someone, like some other famous person. Yeah, I don't know. Someone, like some other famous person. Yeah, I don't know. I may not have seen him there

or maybe I heard later he was there, but for whatever reason, I remember someone saying River Phoenix was there. But it was really fun and it was just incredible to see them, to be there in the middle of them

making a video. It was unbelievable. And is this your first true foray into the film business? This is the first time I was ever on camera. On camera, wow. Sure. So 1992, that's exciting for you.

Do you remember picking up the record? I do. I remember October 5th, going and getting it and coming back and listening to it. Okay, all right. As you would. But it was also, you know, Drive is a really dark, spare song, and after, like we were talking about with Out of Time,

after a kind of light, sort of airy album with a couple bouncy, sort of jokey songs. Some Beach Boys pastiches. Yeah, I wasn't sure, like, was Drive going to be another kind of, is the video going to be there? Is it going to be like Stand again? Yeah, so hearing this song when we were out there, it was like, whoa, this is different.

And I remember at some points he would sit on the ladder while we're waiting for camera or whatever, and he grabbed a bullhorn and would just start answering questions from the audience. Really? Yeah. And what types of questions were like, so what's up with this John Paul Jones guy? Yeah.

I remember someone saying, what do you think about Howard Stern? Oh, Jesus Christ. And this was back when Howard Stern was – Pre-Private Parts where he gained some sort of like semblance of like respect. Yeah. He was like gathering his... It was right before Fartman happened. Right, yeah.

But I remember Michael Stipe just being like, I don't like Howard Stern at all. Really? Whoa! But this was like... I wonder if he's been on it since. Probably. Wow, interesting. I mean, I think at the time I thought...

It was like the height of PC. But I remember my friend Michael was like, how's the new 10,000 Maniacs album? Oh, Jesus. That's even worse than the Howard Stern question. Than the Howard Stern question. You know, like, here's something that you're going to appreciate. Yeah. Here's a question that you will like.

Oh, 100%. That's all we were all trying to do is say things that would make us seem cool. I cannot stand any time anyone asks a question at a talkback or something like that. And I've had to moderate several of them. There's something about when people get in front of that,

in that situation, they just want to seem smart or they want to seem cool. And that times a thousand was me in any of those situations. I saw one that Steve Martin did in Vancouver and it was just – and he talked for like 10 minutes and then just took questions and they were the worst questions I'd ever heard. Well, people – it's hard when you're – I mean I can think back to this and think, I mean how would I ever come up with something intelligent to say these are like the people

who I thought were the coolest people in the world? It's not like you're a music theorist who could be like, why did you use the drop tuning for? Exactly, yeah. And they were putting out what ended up being a masterpiece. So I was really,

it was really cool to be there for it. 1992, I was,, it was really cool to be there for it. 1992, I was in October of 1992. What was going on with Scott Aukerman? I was in Sacramento, California. I had moved to Sacramento. Why? I was doing a show at the Sacramento Theater Company. Doing a lot of theater in the early 90s.

I was doing a Christmas Carol at Sacramento Theater Company. Who were you playing? I was Fred, his nephew, Scrooge's nephew, and then I was also young Scrooge when it went into the past.

Yeah. Did you have to change pants between characters? I unfortunately did, I believe. Yeah, it was a terrible

situation for me. I hate changing pants. So I was in Sacramento. Just generally, you do not like changing pants. I don't like it, no. Sure. I hate changing pants. So I was in Sacramento. Just generally, you do not like changing pants. I don't like it, no. Sure. I was living in an apartment on 14th and N Street over by the Compton's Liquor.

And when it would get dark, I was advised not to walk around Sacramento, downtown Sacramento, as it was too dangerous. And I have a lot of sort of memories wrapped up in that apartment. Weirdly, I was only there for three months.

I did the show for three months. It was an intense experience. So it really. The, the actually made a mark because I, I had to move. I stayed with a nice, like older couple for,

they put me up for a little while. Basically the theater was in charge of where you stayed. So they put me up with a nice older couple. And I remember that that was in more suburban Sacramento. And this is right before the election. Yeah. So actually in October, I'm staying there probably because I remember like watching Saturday Night Live,

the Dana Carvey doing Perot and Bush in that house. I remember voting for Clinton in that house. I remember all of that. And Sacramento is the state capitol. So there was – I walked right by the state capitol during this time. It was really exciting when Bill Clinton was running and stuff. It was very exciting. And then I moved to this apartment and I just – I have so many memories tied up in that apartment of – but my one REM memory from this period is in that apartment.

I would host like poker games over there for the cast. And I remember my friend coming over. I think her name was Michelle. I can't remember her name. But she came over and she saw that basically I traveled around with a steamer trunk full of CDs. Instead of leaving them at my parents' house or whatever. Well, you had to have your music with you. I had to have my music. So I traveled around with them.

So heavy. I actually threw out my back trying to pick these up when I was moving. It was incredibly heavy. Yeah. So she saw all of these CDs and she's like, wow, you're really into music. What type of music are you into? I'm like, I'm into alternative, you know. If you look at me, you could probably tell I'm into pre-alternative.

I'm dressed as Fred Scrooge. These jodhpurs aren't here for nothing. And she's like, oh, you know what band? I just got their record, and I really like it, and its alternative is R.E.M. I got Automatic for the People. Do you like R.E.M.? And I kind of like haughtily sniffed. I said, I used to like R.E.M.

Like, why aren't I just being cool with her and be like, oh, yeah, they're great. Instead, I'm like. So it didn't even occur to you that maybe you could at some point have sexual intercourse with this person? We were just friends. But I mean, I guess I could have sexual intercourse with any human being that I see. Of course. But I'm just thinking as a young man. I could have sex with you right now if I wanted to.

Of course you could. As a young man in your early 20s and striking up a conversation about alternative music. I think that there was an age difference between me and her, I think. Not that that's a bad thing. I mean, my wife right now is 10 years younger than me. Oh, she was younger than you? No, I think she was 10 years older than me. Oh, okay, okay.

But, you know, when you're in a play with people, it's just you have friends of, you know, I had like 50-year-old friends who would come over. Actually, there's this one, the Tiny Tim part was played by two different girls. One was five and one was four and a half because they couldn't both be at every, one couldn't be at every performance.

But I remember this very clearly. I was thinking about this last night when I was thinking about this time period. There was one, the five-year-old was like bright and cheery and a good actress and everyone loved her and was like so happy to be around her. And then the four and a half-year-old was like mean and sullen and like kind of a pill to be around. And I remember at one point I was talking to her backstage and I was like just trying to talk to a four and a half-year-old

girl and she said something really mean to me. I can't remember what it was. She said something so mean to me, and I went, oh, all right, and I walked away. And then cut to a couple hours later, rehearsal ends, and she comes up with her mom, and she's crying because her mom had seen this. And she says, I want to apologize to you. My father left my mother a few years ago and it's really messed me up and I'm going to therapy for this. She's four and a half. She's like, I'm going to therapy, but it's very hard for me. She's four and a half? Are you sure she

wasn't like eight and a half? I mean, I know the difference between four and a half and eight and a half. No, no, no. It was the most advanced. And it just like melted my heart. I was like, oh. Poor baby. So I actually was like, that's where I saw, oh, wow, she's just acting out all the time because of this. So I had very limited money. I think I was getting paid $165 a week to be in this show.

But if I ever had like $5 extra, I would get like a sticker book or, you know. Anyway, but I was thinking about this because this is 1992. Yeah. She would be now- In her 30s. In her 30s. Like, where are you?

I don't remember her name. 1992, so it was 20- 26 years ago. So yeah, she'd be, right? Is it 26? She'd be 30. Yeah, she'd be 30 right now. 30 years old. Isn't that crazy? be right. Is it 20? She'd be 30. Yeah. She'd be 30, right? 30 years old. Isn't that crazy? I wonder who it is. I wonder who it is. Cause I know a dude from that show is in comedy now. He's one of the sketch fest guys, one of the four, you know,

Janet, uh, Cole, uh, and he had a podcast, uh, and, and about three years into comedy we were both talking about sacramento and we both realized both of us were in the show and we knew each other back then remember this little girl uh he doesn't remember her no but like he was 14 i think at the time and i was uh 22 at the time so you know that you you like getting her little presents and stuff. Like that stuff, that's really valuable. Like that really makes a difference for her. That's so nice. I would spend like $5 a week on this.

I want my money back. Yeah. Well, she's 30 now. Chances are she can afford it. She probably has a job. I hope she's not living off the government. You know what? She's probably super rich.

Let's find her. And get that. Like, how much total do you think she owes you? Probably like $25, but with interest. I mean, this is $25 in 1992 money. So with interest, it's like $18,000. It's probably that much. I want my money.

Anyway. Scott deserves his money. I deserve it. Look, we need to take a break all right yeah when we come back we're gonna go through automatic for the people song by song song by song that is our promise to you if we were in New York song by song song by song all right we're gonna come right back we will be right back with more. Are you talking REM, Remy?

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That is L-E-E-S-A dot com slash REM. Welcome back. We're talking about Automatic for the People, 1992, right before the election. The second record that they put out right before the election? Well, I mean, I know the green that we were just here to get up from was literally the day of the election. Yeah. In the U.S. at least.

And this one's right before Slick Willie is elected. Exactly four years later, almost to the day, bro. Automatic for the People. Let's talk about it. This is their – you were saying you believe it's their masterpiece. I would say that in terms of music critics, many would agree. Yeah, I feel like it's – I mean it was kind of met with acclaim and it was – yeah, it seems like – and since it's kind of seen as a peak of theirs, certainly by now it feels like the members of the band even are now acknowledging it. That this is the zenith of artistic achievement or just being in a band or – I think artistic achievement.

They had the anniversary of the 25th anniversary recently and Mike Mills said something about, like, our confidence was at an all-time high because we just had this big success with Out of Time, and it kind of felt like we could do anything. We could, you know, move in a particular direction, and people would listen to it so we could take some more kind of creative risks and stretch ourselves a little bit. You know what's interesting? In doing some research about the record as we've spoken about on previous episodes from here on in I've not heard

any of the records in total. I've heard the singles but this is my first time listening to it. And I did some research about after I listened to it I went and looked up

some things and what's interesting to me is they thought this would not be popular. Right. They thought this was going to be not a failure but there's a quote where they're like well i don't know maybe it only sells two million but fuck it that's okay two million two millions okay i mean obviously no one's gonna like it more than than the last one right because it's because because the material is darker because the material is darker i don't think they had like one of those big poppy singles that they had on the past two records.

So I think they were just sort of hedging their bets of like, proud of it, but people aren't going to like this. And when it came out, Mike Mills and Peter Buck did all the press. Michael Stipe didn't promote it at all. Michael Stipe is just totally AWOL. Yeah. What does AWOL stand for? Is that like Robert Wall from Arliss? Yeah, it's all Robert Wall references.

I mean, I will say the thing that we didn't talk about last time with Out of Time is that for the first time, they really made a – took a step up towards popular – like Michael Stipe was lip syncing in the videos for the first time ever. He had never done that before. They started making these artistic videos. The videos for this one, I mean you got to see this. There's this one they filmed up in Santa Cruz where Michael Stipe is being like lifted up by a bunch of like dirty like emo kids. Yeah. It's a really good video. That was shot in Los Angeles. It was in Los kids. Yeah. It's a really good video. That was shot in Los Angeles.

It was in Los Angeles? Yeah. Why didn't you ever say that? I said we all drove down to Los Angeles from Santa Cruz. Oh, I was tuning out. Anyway, so for Out of Time, for the first time, he was lip syncing in the videos. He was doing a lot of press and really stepping up as the front man

and as a pop star. And I remember when Out of Time was a big deal, they were on the cover of Rolling Stone for like the second time in a year. And I remember on the cover, it said, Michael Stipe, the Rolling Stone interview. And it was just weird to see that and recognize that this person is now a big pop star and everyone knows who it is. So he really stepped – so I think this, not doing press for this, was kind of stepping back a little bit, maybe being a little freaked out about that. He's – these guys, from what people say about them, they're pretty much just normal dudes who like to play music. But suddenly when you one of you know in one of the most famous bands in the world it gets to be a lot uh several of them talk about like it all it really they haven't changed there's this one hilarious uh michael

stripe um michael stripe uh interview where he's like uh kurt loder is interviewing him and uh kurt's like oh so yeah what happened to kurt loader by the way i love still around yeah he still writes and stuff he's like but he's like uh so what's changed you know with all of your fame and your money and he's like and michael stripe goes uh nothing's changed i mean i'm not like eating something different for breakfast which like when you get more money yeah you probably do eat something different for breakfast. Like you eat something different for breakfast than you did when you were broke, right? What are you eating?

Bowl of cereal. Okay. Okay, but listen. If I'm staying at a hotel or something, it's like, oh, I'm at a hotel and I'm eating a fancy breakfast. I would never be able to do that. I guess what I'm saying is like, yeah, I now eat egg whites or, you know. Sure. You know what I mean?

Sure. But he's saying like nothing's different except for now people come up to me all the time and it just goes, which isn't good. Yeah. So anyway, they're at the peak of their popularity, and they put out this record, and let's get to the songs. What do you say? All right, so this is the first song.

This is on side one. This is the drive side. We got the drive side, ride side. Sort of like Rage Side, Page Side. I didn't even realize that they did that for this album. Because you got it on CD, and it's just one thing. I guess by this time, there were just not really sides anymore. Except for they did put out records, and they did that for this album because you got it on cd and i guess by this time there were just not really sides anymore except for they did put out records and they did have sides okay so this is and tapes this is meaningless what i just said this is drive this is the first

single and the first song on the record they're counting it off i love that. to the racks, baby. Hey, kids, rock and roll. Nobody tells you where to go, baby. What if I ride? What if you walk? What if you walk? What if you rock around the clock? Tick tock, tock tock

Tick tock, tock tock What if you did? What if you walk? What if you tried to get off the game? Try to get off me Hey kid, where are you? Nobody tells you what to do, baby Hey kid, shake a leg I kind of don't want tock, tick, tock Maybe I ride, maybe you walk

Maybe I try to get off, baby There it is. Pretty rad. He played that with a quarter, I think, like Brian May did. Use a quarter as a pick. With inflation these days, you'd have to use a Bitcoin. Oh, man. Or at least a silver dollar, right?

Okay, so... So as a first single, this is a pretty gutsy, weird song to put out. Pretty weird song. So me, my reaction to it... I mean, do you remember it from back then, this song? Not really. It wasn't like a big single, so... It was more of a, this is what we're up to now. We'll release the hits.

Yeah, I wasn't really checking in. The first time I became aware of any song on this record was, I remember seeing the videos to Everybody Hurts and also Man on the Moon. Those are the only two songs I knew on this. Yeah, yeah. So, but as a reaction to the previous record, you know, when it starts off with the acoustic guitars, I'm like, oh, we're back into the coffee house kind of acoustic guitar slow song. Yeah. I found it very thrilling when suddenly all the strings come up. And then when that electric guitar hit, I was like, oh, he's back.

Yeah. He's back doing the guitar. Yeah. I mean, just listening to it now, I'm like, this is weird music. This is a weird song. Like, what is this? It's not that weird. It's like rock and roll.

Like, you know. Have you ever heard a guitar being played on a song before? It's weird. I admit I haven't. So what did you think of it, though? You thought it was thrilling, that it felt different, darker, maybe a little less. Well, we talked about the last record, how it's kind of patchy to me of like, if I'm a fan of Michael Stipe, like this girl who came over is like, you know what alternative act I like is R.E.M.

I'm expecting a certain type of album, and this fits in with what I think, and spoiler alert of what I think of the whole record, the whole record is like that. The whole record is like what I thought out of time would be. Right. Does that make sense?

It's an R.E.M. record. A bit heavier subject matter. And an artistic statement in full. You know what I thought out of time would be. Right. Does that make sense? Like, it's an R.E.M. record. A bit heavier subject matter. And an artistic statement in full. You know what I mean? It feels like all of one piece. Yes.

So I, and not only that though, like the last one which I kind of felt like, okay, they're all playing different instruments, which they do on this record

I read, but they all get bored. They got bored with that traditional sound they did, so they all start picking up different instruments. On the last record, I thought some of the playing was maybe slightly rudimentary.

And so it's just when I heard that guitar solo and the musicianship come in of everything, I was like, oh, okay, they're back. They're no longer just kind of fiddling around with what else could we do. Now they're perfecting it. Yeah, I think I hadn't really thought about it like that before until we recorded the Out of Time one,

but I think Out of Time very much is a transitional record. It's them taking this, like, testing the waters before they really jump in. Yeah, I mean, you've been to, like, the beach before. Yeah, yeah. You don't want to just jump into the water. No, no, no, no, no. Because it could be boiling hot. Yeah.

You got to test that water. You could burn your skin off in the seawater. It happens all the time. It happens all the time to people on vacation. So I thought, while I wouldn't say it's like, wow, this is my favorite R.E.M. song of all time, the production on it is exceptional. Yeah, those are the John Paul Jones strings there. Yes. He arranged the strings for like four songs.

And I'm excited to hear more of the record when I hear that. All right, let's go to track two. This is Try Not to Breathe. Sounds a little like shout I will try not to breathe I can hold my head still With my hands at my knees These eyes are the eyes Of the old

Shivering in gold These eyes are the eyes of the old, shivering and bold. I will try not to breathe, this decision is mine, I have lived a full life. These are the eyes that I want you to remember I need something to fly over my grave I need something to breathe I will try not to burn I can hold these inside If people are interested in hearing this song in full, they can go to a great podcast that we both listen to.

The Song Exploder podcast actually breaks this song down and takes out parts of it and shows you all of the different parts in it. That's a great podcast hosted by a great dude Rishikesh Hirway. I know I'm butchering his name. Rishikesh Hirway?

I just hear him say it all the time on his West Wing podcast. Rishikesh Hirway. Right? Who's a cool dude. He on his West Wing podcast. Rishi K. Herway. Who's a cool dude. He does the West Wing podcast as well. It's a waltz. It's like a sea shanty.

Yeah, a little bit. It's about Michael is talking about his grandmother who's going to pass away. Both of these songs are sort of about death. That's a recurring theme for the album is death. And it's about someone who is about to pass on and try not to breathe. Yeah.

Making a choice about whether to continue or not. Yeah. I think it's about like I'm ready to go is sort of what they're saying and saying goodbye to their loved ones. Which I – a lot of times when we have restaurant reservations, to cool up, I'm like I'm ready to go and she's still putting on – Yeah. Or if I have to leave to go to work and I'm saying goodbye to my family for the day, I say try not to breathe. Try not to breathe while I'm gone. I was saying it sounds like shout,

that little, like when they're playing the triangle. Shout, shout. Let's hear it one more time and I'll see if what I'm saying is, shout, shout.

A little faster than shout though, isn't it? Yeah, but anyway. I don't know how you feel about this song. I like it. Yeah. Yeah, and again, the production... I was going to mention about Drive.

You know what it reminds me of? It reminds me of the first song on Elliot Smith's XO, which was after putting out three records of pretty sparse acoustic ballads, he did the Good Will Hunting soundtrack, which had a little bit of a fuller sound, but still was very quiet songs. And then he put out XO, and I remember putting it on, and the first song is like a pretty sparse acoustic song, and suddenly huge loud drums and guitars come in, you know? And it was like, oh, you're

doing something different. That's what Drive reminds me of. The production of this sounds a lot like that of like, oh, wow, you guys have, it sounds expensive. I know that's like, you know. No, you're right. I mean, they were like New York, Miami. They went all, they traveled around making this album.

You can, I mean, it is a, it's a song. When I was just listening to it, it was like these guys were at the peak of their powers. Like, this is a deep, rich sounding song. Do they have superpowers? They do. I think that's my favorite R.E.M. song. That's your favorite R.E.M. song, Try Not to Breathe. What makes it your favorite? Is it the lyrics?

Yeah, I think it's a culmination of all of it. The lyrics, I think, are perfect. They are spare and direct. There isn't a wasted word. Like a lot of times you'll be listening to a song and someone will throw in like, you know, hippopotamus just out of nowhere. You don't need that word. Just take it out. Cross it out.

Every third word, you can take them out. Editing. Yeah. So there's that. And then also just musically. Sometimes you'll be listening to a podcast and the guys will be going on and on and on and on and droning on about like, you know, whatever. Their favorite song.

Whatever dumb shit they're talking about. And you're like, guys, editing. Stop it. Stop it. There are a lot of sounds on that song that were new to REM. Like if we played a little further in the song, Bill Barry's backing vocals that are kind of distorted and then Mike Mills' backing vocals that go really high.

It's these new kind of confluence of sounds. On the Song Exploder, if you really want to get into it, listen to the Song Exploder. At one point, Mike Mills talks about how, and this is how much money they had to fuck around in the studio.

They didn't know what he was going to do for the backups. Like, it's basically like just a couple of lines he's singing backups and he's like, I told everyone to go home.

I'm like, dude, these studios are really expensive. You just told everyone to go home while you fucked around with Scott Litt in the studio? Yep. And he was just like trying shit out all night.

And then at some point he hits on the da-da-da-da. Something to fly. And then the bridge. You said, that sounded beautiful. Yeah. I think it's my favorite bridge in their catalog as well. It's so big and it ends with this perfectly timed feedback. And in 1992, like, it was

right after kind of Nirvana hit, a year after Nirvana hit, and that sound, it was them kind of acknowledging the time and the place and, I don't know. Grunge. Grunge. But also Drive, the power of Drive to him saying,

hey kids. At the time, they were like the most popular band with people in their late teens, early 20s. So him, and it was the tail end of Reagan Bush. So him saying, hey, kids. And he mentions Bushwhacked. Yeah, it was really powerful. It genuinely was. But Try Not to Breathe, yeah.

I think it may be my favorite of their songs. Do you relate to it on any sort of level of loved ones? Yeah. And I also, in acting school, at the kind of dance movement class we had to take. We had to come up with our own project, and I did a video slash dance thing and turned it into like a multimedia thing, and it was to try not to breathe. It was probably, looking back, it was probably really stupid. You sound cool.

Oh, my God. I'm going to stop talking about that part of it right now. All right. This is track three, and this is a song that I've read in interviews. They say it doesn't fit on the album, but I got to say, after those first two kind of somber ones, I really enjoy hearing this one. This is track three, The Sidewinder sleeps tonight. Weird keyboards are like the lead instrument on this. This here is the place where I will be staying.

There isn't a number You can call the paper Let it ring A long, long, long, long time If I don't pick up Hang up, call back Let it ring some more Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh If I don't pick up, pick up the sideline

Sleep, sleep, sleep's in a corner Call me when you try to wake up Really good. Yeah, so I'm curious. I love this song, but Stand and Shiny Happy People really annoy you. What is it about this one that feels okay? really annoy you. What is it about this one that feels okay? There's something

that's not as simple about it to me. Like, Stan, the lyrics are so dumb. And he admits they're dumb. Yep. Shiny Happy People, I just, I don't know.

The title annoys me. Is it like they were trying too hard to be funny and stupid with Shiny Happy People? Like, acknowledging it too much? The whole idea Is it like they were trying too hard to be funny and stupid with shiny, happy people? Like acknowledging it too much? The whole idea of just shiny, happy people and we're doing a song, I don't know.

It just really rubbed me the wrong way. But this, already the title is better, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. I mean, it doesn't hurt that it's based upon a song that I loved growing up yeah the lion sleeps tonight um yeah they give songwriting credit uh-huh um to the people who stole that song originally yes they give songwriting credit to them really it's like an old it's like an old african well not even old it's like from from the 1930s there's a really fascinating article about it on rolling stone the history of that song and who had to sue who to get credit for it. But I used to, when I was a kid, I used to like

walk around singing like a-wee-ma-wit, a-wee-ma-wit, a-wee-ma-wit, a-wee, I thought it was a-wee-ma-wit. So I'd go a-wee-ma-wit, a-wee-ma-wit.

Did you find the REM version of it? The B-side? Yes, we're going to play that a little later. But I don't know. I just, I know it's a little, the lyrics are a little

humorous or whatever and he's laughing during one of the, when he mentions Dr. Seuss. But I don't know. I just – I think it's not as obvious if that makes sense. Well, it's a very weird song. Just musically, it's bizarre. Like I was saying, like it's basically – it's like a keyboard song almost.

Right, yeah. Like organs and – A little acoustic guitar in the back. But it also, it's what Radiohead kind of talked about when Tom York was saying, like, he really just likes Nigel Godrich to do their albums because he's like, I remember them talking about, it was either talking about that or the Beck album he did, but they kind of finished all the basic tracking. They were like, well, what else is there to do? And they're like, you know, all the bleeps and bloops that make people interested in listening. You know what I mean? Like, it can't be too simple, and that's what this whole record is like. It's, like, got a lot of different sounds that kind of make – songs can be kind of basic because they're repetitive.

You know what I mean? So when you're – suddenly strings swell up, and whoa, the organ, you know, it's, like, constantly tricking the ear. well up and whoa the organ you know it's like constantly tricking the ear

that's another thing is they one of the songs they had John Paul Jones do a string arrangement for is Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight

and it adds a real texture to this kind of bouncy potentially dumb pop song and it just

makes it interesting and the lyrics are very weird and take some time to figure out and what he's singing about

is not altogether discernible, what exactly he's getting at, but it's interesting and fun. Gotta say, they might be giants. Beat him to the punch, though, with doing a Lion Sleeps Tonight-inspired song by about five months or so. In March, they put out Apollo 18, and that had a song based on the Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Not quite as popular, though, was it? Well, popular in my house by a mile. Who cares? Okay, this is the next song. Everyone knows this song. This is Everybody Hurts. Everybody Hurts.

When your day is long And the night I almost feel like we don't even need to really, I mean, everyone knows this song. But in listening to it, I have to say I've never heard it in the context of the sequencing of this record. And it's definitely different hearing it But in listening to, I have to say, I've never heard it in the context of the sequencing of this record. Yeah. And it's definitely different hearing it after the first three songs.

Yeah. It's like it's a nice welcome respite in a way from the previous bouncy thing. It's like it's, sequencing in records to me is about variety. It's all about like not having a consistent sound for too long. Yeah. And this is really nice after the big bouncy fun one to do this kind of almost, I guess, 50s-inspired soul type. Yeah, it's like an old Stax record or Otis Redding or something. Have you ever listened to a Stax record? Or are you just saying that because someone else has said that?

No, I got really into like probably from like an interview withding or something. Have you ever listened to his tax record? Or are you just saying that because someone else has said that? No, I got really into like probably from like an interview with them or something. But I did – when I was a teenager, I got really into this one best of Otis Redding. Oh, yeah, me too. Compilation and just loved all that stuff. Because of Pretty in Pink to me because he sings Trial of Tenderness. So I picked up the best of Otis Redding and I would listen to that all the time. That may have been what inspired me as well. That's so funny.

But also Sam and Dave and all that but this really sounds like an old like Otis Redding arrangement yeah like a classic song

apparently Bill Barry Bill Barry wrote the three chords he says yeah interesting anyway that's a classic so far

four songs I'm into it pretty great I mean everybody hurts it's interesting because it wasn't a single until like almost a year after the album came out.

Yeah, it was somewhere in, they have it right here. In 93, right? It was a single? Yeah, April 15. So we're talking, yeah. Okay, like six months later. Yeah, yeah. So for a while, it was just one of the songs on the album,

and it's a huge song. It's maybe one of the most recognizable R.E.M. songs ever. Yeah. But as an album track, it was like, wow, this is really powerful and everything. But then it comes out as a single in that video and it's just everywhere.

Also played on, played as like a joke song a lot of times. Because I think it was played maybe on the real world when people were depressed and it became a cliche a little bit maybe i know how mtv had the had license to use whatever they could use any song they wanted on any of their shows i think it was used on some of those shows so much it became a cliche and so it it's one of those things where if you're filming a comedy video and someone gets upset if this this song plays, people go, ha, ha, ha. It's like a punchline. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. And it was also in a Puff Daddy video. Wasn't someone singing it at a prom or something? Oh, I don't know. Like, I feel like it's been a punchline a few times. Interesting. Because it's so earnest and hard on its sleeve, which is really commendable. But, you know, it kind of gets out there.

But it is incredible. Like this song, End of the World As We Know It, there are these songs that are so ingrained in culture still. But it was great to listen to it with fresh ears and in the context of I'm listening to a sequence of 12 songs and this is number four. And so what did you think of the song as a song? I think it's great.

I mean, I'm not burnt out on it. Like because I haven't listened to this album over and over, like some U2 records, you know, like we talk about Joshua Tree, those first four songs I've heard so many times in my life that I'm like they're not even songs to me anymore. They're experiences or I mean they're pieces of content. Yeah. All right, this is track five, New Orleans, instrumental number one.

Second time they've counted on this record. Yeah, but the drive one's barely audible. This one's a little more audible, you're right. Audible.com. This was in Baby Driver. Did you notice that in Baby Driver? It's in Baby Driver? Yeah.

It's not on the soundtrack. It's not. It's weird that it popped up in the movie and I was like, whoa. Whoa, bro. My favorite actor, Kevin Spacey? Yep. It's funny.

He didn't become your favorite actor until just recently, which I thought was weird. This is a really cool instrumental. We can kind of talk over it. But it, to me, like, I will say that this is sort of what I thought out of time was reaching for that it didn't achieve because of the inconsistency of it, where they could just put on an instrumental

and be like, oh, wow, this is a cool break. Yeah, but to get to this, you have to kind of color outside the lines a little bit on Out of Time. Don't you think, though? Like, Endgame, they're trying... Turn up the music so I can't hear him anymore. No, but the instrumental on Out of Time

Alright, I'll pause it. You can talk. that kind of rubbed you the wrong way for trying a little too hard is kind of what you have to go through in order to get something effortless and cool like that, right? What? Fuck off. You

goddamn son of a bitch. Alright, this is the last song on the side before we take a break. This is Sweetness Follows. Sweetness Follows. Readying to bury your father and your mother What did you think when you lost another? I used to wonder why did you bother Distance from one to the other

Listen here my sister and my brother What would you care if you lost the other? I always wonder why did we bother Distance from one to the other world Oh, oh, oh Super small rules It's these little things They just don't matter All right.

So I would say not my favorite song on the record, but interesting and definitely has enough weird sounds in it to make me go, okay, yes, yeah. What do you think? I think it's a beautiful song. What's it about, would you say? I think it's family and a death in the family and kind of picking up and carrying on.

Sweetness follows. What does that mean to you? Sweetness is death and it follows. Sweetness follows. What does that mean to you? Sweetness is death, and it follows. You think death is sweetness? Or maybe. Sweetness follows death. What do you think? It's about dessert.

Right? So it's about. So you eat a nice steak. And then. Well done, of course. Well done steak. And then jarred to a crisp. And then dessert is something sweet, and it has poison in it, and it kills you.

But this is great. I mean, this whole orchestral feedback section here is pretty amazing. This is really new sounds again. They're really finding new stuff. Like just finding instruments that were left in the studio. No, finding new stuff, just stuff on that were left in the studio like no finding new stuff just stuff on the floor and then like treasure yeah like treasure chests filled with the musical ideas i did notice in the 25th anniversary and a lot of the reviews critics were really pointing to this as one that kind of surprised them that they had forgotten about and how good this song is. It's like a grower, I think.

It's definitely, I will listen to this more. Yeah. And at this point, as of this recording, I've only heard this record twice now. I listened to it twice before we listened to it because I was, I myself was out of time. But this is funny, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It was good, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah right yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah sure okay so tell you what we need to take a break uh when we come back we will have uh we'll talk about side to the ride side we'll be right back after this um so i have a couple of guys here with me, and I wanted to bring them in because I wanted to talk about, fittingly, their own show. It's the boys, baby.

Hi, Pimp. Yep. This is Hayes. This is Sean, the host. I am one of the boys. Hey, Pimp. Hosts of Hollywood Handbook, and they are saying hey, Pimp, to me or the listeners?

To each other. To each other. Oh, so you guys consider yourselves to be pimps. I always greet Hayes by honoring him, by saying, hi, pimp. The honorable pimp. Yeah, and it didn't seem like anyone else was going to greet us. I was certainly not,

no. And no one else was going to say hi, pimp? I did introduce you. I wasn't going to say hi, pimp, though. Okay, exactly. And so that's why we feel like, okay, I guess we're going to do it. Alright, covering your bases. I gotta cook my own meals on this one. Do you guys want to talk about your show? No.

Okay, let me. You ever wonder what it's like to be in showbiz? Not really. Is this what they say about us? Hollywood Handbook is your insider's guide to kicking butt and dropping names. That's funny. We came up with that a long time ago. In the red carpet lined back hallways of this industry we call showbiz.

You guys actually wrote this copy? Well, we said that. We say that on the show every episode. Thanks for being a fan. It's like the very beginning of the show. But this feels like a Chef Kevin copy to me. Yeah. Can we get confirmation on that?

Yeah, let's look to our, you're right and my left. He's nodding his head up and down. He's nervous about talking on one of the sky. Yeah, no, I don't, you're right and my left. He's nodding his head up and down. He's nervous about talking on one of the, on a sky hat. Yeah, no, I don't like the engineers to get on mic. It's a podcast, right? That much is certain? Yes, that definitely we're learning is what it is. Okay, it's a podcast right here at Earwolf,

so you can check it out on your podcast app, anywhere you get podcasts, right? Yeah. And every week you guys have a great premise for the show that you definitely spend a lot of time on and you don't figure out right before the recording, right? Yeah. Is that true? We got to make some stuff up to make this show fun.

Yeah. Sell people on this show. It's a good show. Hollywood Handbook. Yes. Like really sell some people. Yeah. Okay.

You got a huge audience right now listening to this ad. Teach you how to fly a plane. Listen to the show, you have a pilot's license. Oh, yeah. You become a master hacker. Yeah. The master code breaker. The black hat. Yes, black hat.

Okay. And you get to join Anonymous. Look, I don't know that you guys did it, but I like it. I like your show. It's so accessible that it only really takes about 15 episodes to really understand your sensibility. Yeah, that is what we were finding. And it has to be a particular 15 episodes.

Yeah, it can't just be 15 in a row. You've got to really cherry pick. But don't do the most recent ones and definitely don't do the old ones. But it's different for each person. You have to kind of jump around. So you have to submit a personality test. Yeah. And then someone will pick the 15 episodes for you.

Yeah, not for free. No, certainly. But hey, if you like good guests, you have guests like Claudio Doherty and Tawny Newsome and Nick Weiger. Yeah, but they did not like doing this show. We've got so many bigger guests than Nick Weiger is number three. We had Donald Glover. Holy shit.

Weiger. Weiger. Would you say Donald Glover is one of the 15 people to listen to? For some people. That episode?

Maybe, yeah. For sure. It's definitely one people would be excited to try out. I don't know if they'll like what they hear but that's our show.

It's behind a paywall. Here's the Hollywood handbook promise. Listen to it once. If you don't like it, listen to it again. If you don't know if they'll like what they hear, but that's our show. It's behind a paywall. Here's the Hollywood Handbook promise. Listen to it once. If you don't like it, listen to it again. If you don't like it, listen to it again. If you don't like it, listen to it again. Repeat over and over.

Go online. Ask what's wrong. What am I not getting? What am I not getting? Yeah. Does anyone recommend any episodes? Then go, yeah, I tried that one. Yeah, no, I still don't get it.

After about 15 times, if you still don't get it, that's it. That's the experience. It's okay, time to move on. No, but that's the Hollywood Handbook experience. Yeah, we got what we needed out of you. Well, and at a certain point, I think a lot of people go, well, now I've put so much time in, I might as well say I like it. I'm just going to hate listen to this.

Check out Hollywood Handbook and subscribe in your favorite podcast app. It's so good, like Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You got to check this out. Otherwise, the show may go away, right? Well, yeah, it might go away. I mean, it's not totally up to us, right? I mean, no one's forcing you to do the show. No, but I don't have anything else to do.

So we are going to keep doing it until something better comes up. Right. I promise you if you like Are You Talking REM to me, you – I can't promise anything. I don't know if you'll like this or not, but I like it, so go listen to it. Hollywood Handbook with Hayes and Sean. That's actually really nice. Yeah. That's super sweet.

I like you guys. That was, like, really nice. Hey, Pimp. Yeah. And I'm talking to you this time, Scott. Yeah. Yeah, that's super sweet. I like you guys. That was, like, really nice. Hey, Pimp. Yeah. And I'm talking to you this time, Scott. Yeah, yeah, Pimp. Hey, I like you too, man. All right, all right.

Thanks, Pimp. All right, you're welcome, Pimp. Hollywood Handbook, check it out. Welcome back. This is Monty Got a Raw Deal, the first song on the right side, side two of Automatic for the People. Monty, this seems strange to me The movie's had that movie thing

But nonsense has a welcome ring and heroes don't come easy now nonsense isn't new to me I know my head I know my feet but mischief knocked

me in the knees so just let go just let go. Just let go. I saw the ocean. Yeah. This is a song about Montgomery Clift. Yeah.

Who's a famous actor who was in the closet. who's a famous actor who was in the closet. And some say Michael is singing about him getting a raw deal in life, sort of. Yeah, he got pretty fucked over, I think, didn't he? He got in a car accident, kind of messed up his face a little bit, and his career never quite recovered. He was closeted and miserable and drank himself to death, I think. But other than that... Fine. Fine. Had a fine life. He was an incredible

actor. And there's some wordplay there. Obviously, the host of Let's Make a Deal was Monty Hall. So you can... Oh, that's interesting. I never... Oh, you never thought about that? I don't think so. Whoa! The student is teaching the master! Oh! I love it.

Pizza, pasta, ravioli. Buffongu. That's a cool song. I like it. It's one of my favorites from the record. From the record, but not of all time. One of them. I would say in the live.

You have too many favorites of all time. I know, but the live version, they only played it once. They only played it once. It's on the. On the anniversary edition. Yeah. It's this one concert, the Greenpeace concert they had at the 40 Watt Club. And it's the one live date they did for Automatic for the people.

They did not tour for this record again, much like the previous record. Yeah. And I had a bootleg of this that I just listened to constantly. And the version of Monty Got a Raw Deal is really cool. Bill Barry really changes it up. Doing what? Just different drumming. He's like hitting on different things.

He's like, I'm not going to hit on these drums. I'm going to hit on this one over here. Yeah, or let me hit on the band member's heads. The face of this person. You know, the band members' heads. The face of this person. Track two on side two, or track eight of the victims of the us feeding is Licking up things, virtuous and true

The undermining social democratic down hell slide Into abysmal dust man of the precipice Into the trickle-down rock pool They hypnotized the summer 1979 Marched into the capital Pretty duplicitous We can't anymore

Be near any heartless And they're simply Yeah. Yeah. Apparently the band does not like the mix. They never played it live. They ended up playing it on the Accelerate Tour in 2008. So my first reaction when I heard it was like, ooh, a nice boost to energy here. I'm listening to it in sequence as a 12-song thing. And I was like, oh, wow, this is like a little muscle

that I didn't know they had. I really like the keyboard that's playing. It actually reminds me a lot of the keyboard sound in Led Zeppelin songs where it's like... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I was like, oh, wow, I like this. And then I read that they weren't satisfied with the mix. And then I have to admit, the second time I listened to the record,

I kind of hear what they're talking about. The vocals are mixed in a way that is kind of of the time. Does that make sense? It feels separate from the rest of the song to me. It feels like... From the rest of the album, yeah. No, the vocals feel separate from the rest of the time. Does that make sense? It feels separate from the rest of the song to me. It feels like... From the rest of the album, yeah. No, the vocals feel separate from the rest of the song. It doesn't feel of one.

They have more reverb. Our old friend Todd Glass talks about reverb a lot. I think he'd turn it up on this one. It sounds a little more like an 80s reverb-y song to me. Yeah, it feels like if it was a tight little get-up, like recorded in a get-up sort of way maybe. It was never a favorite of mine. I always thought it didn't really fit with the record.

It's more like document. Yeah, but I also always felt it was a little overproduced for the kind of song it is. Like it doesn't need all that stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All that and, you know, a bag of chips. Yeah. I mean, you know, a bag of chips. Yeah. I mean, you know, listen, I'm not complaining.

I love chips. I wouldn't kick a bag of chips out of bed for eating some crackers. No. But then when they – so I was never a real fan of it, but then when they played it on the Accelerate Tour, it sounded great. Now I kind of like it. Like I appreciate it for what it is. I definitely like it.

I think – I get what they're saying about it, but I like it, and I think this album is such a kind of somber record. It doesn't hurt to have a big rocker in the middle of it. Coming up next, we have Starmie Kitten, a.k.a. Fuck Me Kitten. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Fuck. Please come free for the rest of me. And nothing's been guaranteed For a lifetime's use They've changed the lives And you can have one You

You know the reality To me, kind of like a perfect track after the previous one. Palette Cleanser? Yeah, it's experimental. The organ is sort of blending into these backing vocals of people going, aww, sort of like the organ. Definitely an experimental song, but one that I think as a track nine on a record is great. It's really pretty.

And it's, again, new sounds, really weird and cool. I really like it. Those backing vocals are really cool. It's like wearing their, you know, kind of showing that Beach Boys influence, but not quite as on the sleeve as Near Wild Heaven or something. Yeah, it's a little more subtle, yeah. The next song is one of the other, the two classics,

maybe one of the songs that people most associate with R.E.M. This is Man on the Moon. Man on the Moon We almost don't need to play it. It's such a classic. Again, another song that wasn't a single for a while, so it was just this song on the new album. It was just apparent. You liked it when you first heard it.

Yeah, I remember they played it that night when we were shooting the video and everyone just being like, oh, wow, okay. Did you know who Andy Kaufman was? Yeah, yeah, for sure. I loved Andy Kaufman. What did you think of Taxi? I had never heard of Taxi.

Or even Taxis? I was just a big Hirsch fan. You were a Hirsch head. I was a Hirsch head, but I had never heard of Taxi. Never heard of Taxi. I was just a big fan of Dear John. Right. And, uh, running on empty. Yeah. Running with river Phoenix, bringing it all back. Oh, maybe that's what he was said. That's what they were getting into a fight about running on river. Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar for. Yeah, that's right. Come on. Um, weirdly enough, Andy Kaufman, one of the reasons I started doing comedy because I happened to see – I didn't really – I knew him from Taxi, but I didn't really know him as a comedian. Yeah. And so the week I started doing comedy, I saw two things which got me into comedy, which was an NBC special about – a documentary about him.

Yeah. And I was like blown away by all the weird shit he did. Yeah. And then also I saw a and david uh live show in la and i was like oh oh cool i bet i could do something sort of like a combo between these those are two very you know solid influences i would say so but weirdly enough i did not know this was about andy i'd heard the song on the radio but i didn't know it was about andy kaufman for a year until after i got into comedy and then someone was like oh that song's about andy kaufman yeah oh yeah i guess it

is even the movie called man on the moon well this is previous to that there's a number of years you're right in between you never what if the movie came out and you never really connected i was like what the fuck um i love the melody of that song it It still is great. It's a great song. I mean, and it's interesting that they had the song finished, but just no vocals on it, and they were mixing the album, and it was just a couple days before they had to deliver, and they all loved it, but it just had no lyrics, no melody, and they gave Michael Stipe the tape of it.

They're like, you have to just do something with this. He went for, I mean, according to legend, went for a walk, came back, and recorded it in just a couple takes. Whoa, I did not know that. That is wild stuff. Yes, sir. That is wacky, wild stuff. Let's go to the next track. This is second to last song.

This is Night Swimming. Night Swimming deserves a quiet night The photograph on the dashboard Taken years ago Turned around backwards So the windshield shows Every street light Reveals a picture in reverse Still it's so much clearer I forgot my shirt at the water's edge

The moon is low tonight So a pretty simple piano song, but then the string arrangement is incredible. Amazing. All about swimming in the nude. And yeah, it's kind of like Me and Honey in that it's just sort of the same refrain. You swim in that mood. It's the same refrain over and over again, right? Right, yeah, yeah. But, again, they trick you with so many interesting sounds.

It's about as pretty as an R.E.M. song gets. Chris Martin said the best song ever written. Weirdly enough, I did not hear the REM version first. I heard the cover by the band Gene, which is a Brit pop band whose first couple of records, I think, they were very Smiths influenced. I think their first couple of records. I honestly like their first couple of records almost as think, they were very Smiths-influenced. I think their first couple of records, I honestly like their first couple of records

almost as much as anything by the Smiths. They were really good. They did it for a B-side. And I was like, oh, that's a cool song. And then I read the credits, and it was like, oh, that's an R.E.M. song? And so I went back, and once I picked up this record, I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, interesting.

It's a great... I guess the piano they recorded it on was the piano that they recorded Layla on, the kind of coda in Layla. Layla! Oh, from... Goodfellas. Wait, is this an episode of I Love Films? I think it is.

Hey, everyone. This is Scott. And this is Scott. And this is Scott. And welcome to I Love Films. We're talking about films here. Talking about Martin Scorsese. Yes. Great filmmaker.

And this is a real filmmaker. This is a real... I mean, maybe you've heard of The Aviator? Yeah. I've heard of it, Scott. Really? Yeah. Meaning you saw it.

Yeah, I saw it. You can say I saw it. How about we just say I saw it? Well, Yeah, I saw it. You can say I saw it. How about we just say I saw it? Well, yeah, I saw it too. I don't get what you're getting at. But I saw it, okay? Yeah, sure. I don't want to say in the flesh, but I saw it in the flesh.

Yeah, the human being starred. They all have flesh. I was there. I was there too. I saw it opening night. Yeah, no, but I was, okay. It is okay. I don there, too. I saw it opening night. Yeah, no, but I was there, and okay. It is okay. No, I don't know if I'm okay.

It was all right. I was okay. It was all right. I'm okay. I agree. I'm okay. You're all right? Okay.

Is everything okay with you? Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. I love films. Good ep. It was a great ep. All right, we've come to the last song. Okay, so Night Swimming, you love Night Swimming. I think it's great, yeah. Yeah, this, I mean, let's go to the last track. This is Find the River. Hey now little speedy head

The meat on the speed meter says You have to go to task in the city Where people drown and people serve Don't be shy, you just deserve It's only just like years ago Me, my thoughts are flowers true Oceans don, way very low. I have got to leap and find my way.

Watch the road and memorize the slide that passed before my eyes. Nothing is going my way The ocean is a river's water So kind of what's interesting to me, I'm just putting this together a little bit. Drive and this have very similar feels, but Drive is in a minor key and this is in a major key, but it still sounds kind of wistful.

It's almost like, to me, the record is bookended by these two similar songs that starts off kind of depressing and it's talking about death, but then I don't know, Find the River, too, the title. I don't know, it seems to be ending the album on an optimistic note. I think you're right. I think it's about death, but it's about death, but then, I don't know, Find the River, too, the title. I don't know. It seems to be ending the album on an optimistic note. I think you're right.

I think it's about death, but it's about death in a kind of death as a beautiful release sort of thing. Which is not how I feel about death. Me neither. I do not want to die. No, thank you. Leave that to the suckers. I think this is a perfect song.

Even that part? Yeah. What about this is a perfect song. Even that part? Yeah. What about this part? Only that part. I would put this with Try Not To Breathe as my two favorites from the record and among my favorite R.E.M. songs. We got to get to your – in one of our last episodes, we'll do – Like top ten favorites. Top ten favorite songs and all that.

Let's breeze through some of these B-sides because we're almost out of time. But wait, what do you think of Find the River? Oh, great. Yeah, I like it. Yeah, I just told you before you started talking. Sort of. But I find it – I mean, I think the songwriting – it's almost like, again, what they were getting at with Out of Time

but now are actually achieving both songwriting and production. They're relaxing into it and they kind of found what it is they were getting at on Out of Time. This to me seems like the promise of Losing My Religion. This would be the album that if I were to buy – if I were to be like, oh, I like Losing My Religion, and I bought this album, this would be like, yeah, this is great. This is what I expected. That's interesting. Losing My Religion could totally fit on this record.

Yeah. It's just, you know, people would talk about this record, and they would all say, oh, yeah, it's a classic, it's a classic, or whatever, and I would kind of go, yeah, I know those two songs, Everybody Hurts, Man on the Moon, whatever. I would kind of go, yeah, I know those two songs, Everybody Hurts, Man on the Moon, whatever.

But not being that interested in kind of the most popular period of R.E.M., I was always like, yeah, but is it really that good? I mean, is it better than the early records? And listening to it today a couple of times, I'm like, oh, wow, this is just like well produced yeah wonderfully written yeah uh consistent all the way through good songwriting yeah this is like a a chunk of wax that will live in infamy yeah that's that what's confusing but really perfect um okay besides besides this is mandolin strum by the way not all Okay, B-sides. B-sides.

This is Mandolin's drum. By the way, not all of the B-sides are included on the complete Warner Brothers B-sides. Oh, is that right? Yeah, so I had to look up a few online. Do you have Arms of Love? I do have Arms of Love. Let's get to that. Mandolin's drum is whatever.

Arms of Love is a Robin Hitchcock. This is great. Oh, my God. This is so good. This was on Man on the Moon. Night swimming. This was a mixt. This is great. Oh, my God. This is so good. This was on Man on the Moon. Night swimming. This was a mixtape staple for me. Oh, man.

Because, again, it's a song that people didn't really know. Right. Like, where'd you get this? But it has love in the title, so it's like... Oh, yeah. You know what I'm talking about. Yeah, you're an old softie. But this is...

This is... Great. But this is great. Really good. Yeah. I like it. Simple. Just like simple, clean food. Just like a plate of just scrubbed clean food. Just like broccoli without any kind of salt, no pepper.

A potato, raw, clean as a whistle. Or a whistle. A whistle. As clean clean as a whistle. Or a whistle. A whistle. As clean as a different whistle. With salt and pepper on it, and you eat it. This is the aforementioned Lion Sleeps Tonight. In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. The song they were interpolating for Sidewinder.

This is a B-side, too. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. Sidewinder. This is a B-side too. That song. As part of the deal they struck with the publisher, they got to also record it as a B-side. Yeah. And this is like the classic arrangement that I grew up with. Yes. Great song. Yes. Great song.

Yes. A lot of good memories for me. This is, we were talking about this on a previous record. This is the song he did with Natalie Merchant, which I think started as a demo for this record called Photograph. This is on a compilation. Born to Choose. But now it's on, it was on that 25th anniversary that just came out too.

But with Natalie Merchant or just the demo version? Yeah. Oh. This is a really good song, but I'm glad it didn't end up on the record. It's kind of boring, I think. It's fine. I loved it at the time. Really? Loved it.

And it is good. It's good. All right, we are running out of time. I can't get to the other three that I found on YouTube. What are they? You got New Orleans Instrumental 2. Yeah. Then you have Fruity Organ. Oh, you have Fruity Organ. Oh, yeah.

Fruity Organ. And then Organ Song. Listen to Fruity Organ. That is so insane. It's like Fruity Organ. Shiny happy people.

They didn't even include it on the B-Sides collection. I had to find it on YouTube. I think it was on Man on the Moon. Can you imagine if they turned this into a song? This is actually my favorite R.E.M. song. I mean, obviously it doesn't fit in with... Oh my God.

It kind of reminds me of their earlier stuff. Yeah. Wait, I like this part. Like, I could totally see this being turned into a song that Scott Aukerman would hate. Everybody has to dance. With ants in their pants. Yeah, I think this was on Man on the Moon with Arms of Love. It was like those two.

Probably was. Let's hear a little bit of organ song. We promised we'd do every B-side. Let's just hear three songs This is an organ song. Oh, yeah. I remember this. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to get through this thing called life.

An electric word, life. And I want to tell you, it's been a long time. There's something else. The afterworld. When you call up that drink down in Beverly Hills, you know the one. Dr. Everything is alright.

This world, you're on your own! Not that. Good shit. This must have been a thrilling time to be an R.E.M. fan. It was because the band that you're into more than anything puts out this incredible record and also that the biggest band in the world at the time

are these guys with acoustic guitars playing essentially Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb songs. at the time are these guys with acoustic guitars playing, like, essentially Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb songs. Like, it was a cool time in music for that to be the big band. And as for me, I definitely like it better than Out of Time. I will not reveal where it is in my ranking of R.E.M. records. Yeah, because you love, like, Life's Rich Pageant and all the early records. Does this? It's definitely different.

Yeah, it's so different. But to me, it's a lot like I've mentioned before. I sometimes like it when a band changes their sound, like Radiohead. I love Kid A. It's probably my favorite Radiohead record. But I think I would have, if this had come after Green, I think I would have been a fan forever and gotten all, but something about Green, the one-two punch of Stand and Shiny Happy,

people knocked me out and I didn't get it. So I was out. But as far as their modern sound and not their early sound this is uh this is the best that i've heard so far yeah all right that's gonna do it for us uh who knows what's next for us but uh this has been a an exciting time for us going through automatic for the people and it's been my pleasure to do it next to this man right here. You too, buddy boy. We'll see you next time on... No, that's Jimmy Pardo's catchphrase. We'll see you next time, and until then,

we hope that you have found what you're looking for! Bye! Bye! When your day is long Hollywood Hamburg When your day is long And break the news to everyone that the show you were just listening to is unfortunately broken. Yeah, it's really just one of those things. Every once in a while, a podcast fully breaks, and you can't listen to it for a while. While it's under construction, sort of when they shut down the roads and there's detour signs so that you can still get where you're going, even though it's not the way that you wanted to go. You can detour over to Hollywood Handbook, listen to our podcast instead, just until

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