U Talkin’ U2 To Me? - R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: ME? - Monster with April Richardson

Episode Date: May 16, 2018

Comedian April Richardson joins Adam Scott Aukerman to discuss R.E.M.’s ninth studio album Monster. They’ll talk about when April first heard the band, meeting Mike Mills by going to his house, and her Top 10 R.E.M. songs. Plus, Scott and Scott talk about their Rocky Horror Picture Show phases, Rivers Cuomo’s R.E.M. cover, and U2 & R.E.M. teaming up to play “One.”

Hey everyone, thanks for listening to RU Talkin' REM, RE-ME, and before we do, I want to talk to Adam over here about Lisa. Lisa! Not Lisa Simpson, by the way. Your eyes got really big. We're not talking about Lisa Simpson, we're talking about Lisa the Mattress Company. L-E-E-S-A. Now they got even bigger. They really did. Those are as huge as your actual head. Lisa is an innovative, direct-to-consumer online mattress brand that is also socially conscious, a lot like the band R.E.M. Yeah. Yeah.

In fact, for every 10 mattresses Lisa sells, they donate one to a shelter through their 110 program. Not to mention, Adam, and I know that you are dying to mention this, but I'm going to mention it before you can. They have a patented universal adaptive feel. That's right. Leesa has this. It's designed for all types of sleepers, which I would imagine light, heavy, medium. Yeah. Everything on the spectrum of sleepers. So many different ones. And now Leesa has expanded its offerings to include the Leesa pillow, blanket, foundation, expanded its offerings to include the Lisa pillow, blanket, foundation, and frame. Try a Lisa mattress in your own home or someone else's, they don't care, for 100 nights risk-free. No risks.

No risks. Not one. Not a single one. If you like the game Risk, you're allowed to play it. You can play it on the mattress. On the mattress. It's available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Germany online with free shipping. This 100% American-made mattress ships compressed in a box right to your door.

Or, hey, try it at the Lisa Dream Gallery in Soho, NYC, and Virginia Beach and over 80 West Elm stores nationwide. Get $125 off and get a free pillow. That's probably like a $20 value or something. Yeah. Wow. When you go to Lisa.com slash REM, that's L-E-E-S-A dot com slash REM. From Chronic to Collapse,

Town and Into Now, respectively, that is, this is Are You Talking R.E.M. Raimi? The comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things R.E.M., this is Good Rock and Roll of Music. Yeah, yeah, Y-Q-Y, yes, queen, yes, we're back. Welcome back to the show. As I said, this is the only podcast you will need if you want to know everything about rem uh from band member names to song titles sometimes we cover that like what's like we don't just play the song sometimes we say we're like particularly what they are. Favorite colors? Favorite colors of not only ourselves, but of people in the world.

Do you mean – sorry to interrupt. Hey, man, I haven't introduced you yet. Okay. Okay. Should we start over? Yeah, I think we should. All right, here we go. From Chronic to Collapse, Town and Into into now respectively, that is, this is RU talking R.E.M.

Remy, the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things R.E.M., including favorite colors. This is good rock and roll music. Welcome back to the show. Welcome back to the show. Welcome back. We're going to be talking about all sorts of things, REM. But before we do, first of all, I want to introduce myself. My name is Scott Aukerman. Favorite colors?

Sorry. You interrupted me again. Sorry, sorry. This is so frustrating to me. Because how many episodes have we done together? I don't even know. Hundreds, if not thousands. Okay.

And this is how you treat me? I apologize. Because you know you're wrong when you're doing it, don't you? Well, yeah. I mean, I know I messed up. You just want to be Adam Scott, the Hollywood bad boy, don't you? I don't. I don't.

I messed up. You think it's cool to act that way? I don't. I don't. Because, you know, what it does is it actually hurts my feelings. I can tell, and I'm sorry. Should we start over? We need to start over, yeah, definitely. I'm sorry. Take three. From chronic to collapse, down and into now, respectively, this is...

Are you talking to R.E.M. or me, the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things R.E.M.? This is Good Rock and Roll of Music.M. Remy, the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things R.E.M. This is good rock and roll music. Okay, welcome back to the show. We're going to be talking about R.E.M. today. And my name is Scott Aukerman, and I'm one of the hosts of the show. I'm Adam Scott. God fucking damn it! Sorry, I thought we were introducing each other.

Or introducing ourselves. Go ahead, just say what you want to say. What do you want to say? I'm sorry, I Go ahead. Say what you want to say. What do you want to say? I'm sorry. I guess I – What do you want to say? You're Adam Scott. I don't.

You have a successful television and movie career. You're so much better than me. Is that what this is about? Not at all, Scott. I didn't – I wasn't even thinking of saying anything like that. What were you going to say? Tell me what you were going to say. Like verbatim.

I thought you were about to start the introductions and usually you introduce me and I always feel bad so I thought maybe I'd do that for you so you'd have more time to talk about

the stuff you care about rather than talk about me. Like what do you think I care about? What are you presuming that I need so much time to care about? I've been thinking about it

since we've been off the air now for a couple weeks like this. What's Scott into? What's important to Scott? And I thought if i introduced myself like you would have more time oh my god is that really true that's what i was i mean that's what i thought it's actually i i have to say i i've been hard on you in the past but that's actually kind of sweet i i appreciate that but i also i want to just formally uh apologize on behalf of me and my family and just my friends.

Can you please tell your family and friends I forgive, but I never forget? God. Tell your family that, that I'm not going to forget. I will. Okay. Text them that. Let me – okay, hold on. Let me text them.

Wait, is this an episode of text mixed i believe so hey everyone welcome to text mixed this is scott and this is scott and we're just talking about texts and mixed well here's the thing there's text mext, which is texting while eating delicious Mexican food. Of course. And then there's text mext, which is Texas style. Style, yes. The best combination of Texas and Mexico, which is where they get the name. It's sort of a portmanteau of texts.

Like normally you would say ass after. Yeah, Tex ass. Tex ass. And then you'd say Mex and then it wouldn't be very much longer. You would say Ico. Or Ican. Ican. Ican. Mexican. Mex Ican. Ican.

Yes, Ican. I, uh, and you know, Queso? Have you ever read Queso? I love it. I can't get enough of it. Go down to Austin, Texas. I don't say queso. No, I say queso. Yes. What?

Nothing. I didn't say anything. No. Repeat what you said, Scott. You know what you said. I don't want to say it. Say it. I'm embarrassed.

Say it now. I say queso. Yes, not queso. No. Got it. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Good ep. Yeah. A little contentious at the end. A little bit, but that's fun. That makes for good radio. Oh, yeah. Speaking of good radio, we're talking about REM on this show, and my co-host is the wonderful, he's not just an interpreter of words. He takes the words and he puts them in just like a jumbled brain stew up there in his old noggin,

and they come out all kind of discombobulated and weird, and that's what we love about them. It doesn't make any sense. Why do we like it? I don't get it. Adam Scott is here. Hi, Scott. That was a terrific introduction. You know, I do sometimes feel that I'm a cipher, an emotional translator.

An enigma, in a way. An enigma of stories. Sometimes the words don't matter. Emotional stories. What are you communicating? You know, I've always thought the words don't matter. It's all about, like, you know how you can tell if a movie's good or if a performance is good? Turn the volume.

Turn it way, way down. Up. Turn it way up. All the way up. All the way up so that they're shouting painfully loud. Painfully loud. And if you are getting it, you know, if you're understanding the story even while your neighbors are, you know, rapping on your walls. Turn that down.

Hey, shut the fuck up over there. Stop it. Then you get it. Then you've achieved the impossible. Which one of your films is great, super, super loud? The loudest. All the way up to 11, Spinal Tap reference. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's a really great comedy. It had to do with their amplifiers. Uh-huh. Famous scene, Rob Reiner, who is playing the documentarian. Marty. Also, he directed the movie. I did not know that, but that's great trivia. Yeah.

And then also Christopher Guest in that scene. I don't know if you knew that, but he was in Spinal Tap. Yeah. The director of Waiting for Guffman. Yeah, he was in Spinal Tap. He was one of the actors. There weren't actors in Spinal Tap. There were musicians.

Well, I think what you're thinking is that you saw a documentary when you saw Spinal Tap. It's actually a mock documentary popularized later. There must be a better way to say that. A mocking documentary? No, a mock documentary. A documentary that's mocking the very ideas of documentaries themselves? It's a genre that was created by Spinal Tap or by, you can, some people credit Albert Brooks' real life with creating that sub-genre.

I feel like this might be an episode of I Love Films. I think it might be. Hey, everyone. Welcome to I Love Films. This is Scott. And this is Scott. And we're talking about films today. We're talking about the greats. We're talking about sub-genres as well. A subgenre, which is a genre. Take a genre and then, you know, kind of – Lop off –

Create another category within that genre, if you know what I mean. So name a great film. Let's say – It shouldn't be this hard for the co-host of I Love Films to name a great film. What are you doing? Scott, here's what's going on. There are so many films that I love that it's hard for me just to throw a grab bag at this guy. Let me name a year.

Let me name a year. Okay. 1941. Yeah, great film. Great film. Love it. Exactly. Yeah, Spielberg's best.

Okay, so that's a comedy. What would be a subgenre of that particular comedy, Scott? So a subgenre of film that's comedy? Yeah. You have The Little Tramp. I like where you're headed. You have Lady and the Tramp. Lady and the Tramp, yeah, sure.

It's kind of funny. I wouldn't call it a comedy. I'd call it more of a charming animated classic. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Eyes wide shut. Great. Look at their tiny penises. Great.

It's funny. Yep. All right, we'll see you next time thanks bye good app yeah good app good app good app good app good app good app good remember that henry mancini another great musician we're talking about. Terrific musician and very creative person. Very creative. It's almost like, what's going on up there? It's like random things that he's doing together.

The stuff that comes out of that guy's head. It's like, wait, what is that? I don't even get how you would put those things together. We love it when he does it. I don't know what he's doing, but whatever it is, keep doing it. Hey, Henry. Keep going, please. Hey, Henry, I don't know what you're smoking, but can I have some?

Can I have just a little bit of what you're smoking? Just a little bit. Just give me some of the- The tiniest bit of ecstasy or hash oil or whatever it is. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Take it easy. This isn't are you talking drugs, Remy, okay? I'm sorry, but-

We're here to talk about music. We're here to talk about music. Drugs are not a part of our lives. Or the lives of any musician. Any musician that we like. Nope. Has never taken drugs. We are here, Adam, to talk about the album Munster,

and we're going to be talking about that coming up soon. And our guest, April Richardson, who's a very funny comedian. Big REM fan. Huge REM fan, and when we started doing the show, we knew that we had to get her on to talk about her experience. She's got some really interesting experiences with the band as well um but before we get to that there's a couple a couple things i want to first of all how are you i feel like i don't ask you that enough like i just drive the show like how are you doing i appreciate that i'm

doing quite well well that was boring okay scott how are you doing these days? What's going on? I'm okay, but let's get to what I want to get to. Now you're wearing sunglasses. Oh, yeah. Yeah, jazz. Cool. Doing a good podcast is like doing jazz, isn't it? You know, I love talking about jazz.

Is this an ep of talking about jazz? I think so. Is this an ep of Talking About Jazz? I think so. Hey everyone, welcome to Talking About Jazz. This is Scott. And this is Scott. And today we're just talking about jazz as much as we can possibly do it.

What do you like about jazz, Scott? You know, Scott, I'm going to drop the persona for a second and just talk about jazz. Just talk about jazz without all the flim flam and goobity goo. I just want to say two things about jazz. One, I love listening to it. And two, I love the way it feels.

Yeah. I only have two things to say as well about jazz. And that is the bird. Yeah. Yeah. Jazz. And that is the bird. Yeah. Yeah. Bird. Great saxophone player.

Uh-huh. The bird. The bird. The bird. The bird. I don't know if you knew, if you listen to old recordings of the bird,

as they call him. Do you know this one? Bloop-dee-bloop-dee-bloop-dee-bloop-dee-bloop-dee. Yeah, that's a, that was from a terrific album of the same name. Terrific album.

If you listen to live recordings, you can hear people in the audience going, The Bird. And then sometimes going, Caw-caw! Caw-caw! That's your nickname! Yeah, constantly. It's unpleasant. As much as you hear it on the records,

they had to cut, like like half of them out. They cut so much out. They were just like, that used to be half of his performances. He would come out and he would just like, before he would even play a note, he would say, let me have it. The bird.

Caw, caw, caw, caw. That's you. The bird. And hours would go by. That's your nickname. And he would go, I's your nickname and he would go I deserve it that was his final album

it was called I deserve it alright thanks bye good ep yeah okay so there's some things I want to get to

sure there's a nice person who sent us you know I love when the fans make songs. Yeah. We played in one of our previous episodes the How Does It Feel To Be In R.E.M. Can we play that again right now just for enjoyment's sake? Where is it?

Where did I put it? Did I send it to you somewhere? I bet I did, yes. So let me see where it is. It makes us, yes, here it is uh it makes us yes here it is it makes us laugh uh very hard um so let's hear a little bit of how does it feel to be in rem how does this is a song that means a huge amount to me because i wrote it when i came out of a very bad a very dark period how does it feel when you're in REL? Feels good!

How does it feel when you're in REL? Feels good! Feels good How does it feel When you're in R.E.M. Feels good Feels good To Feels good. To be in R.E.M. How does it feel when you're in R.E.M.?

Feels good. I'm having fucking stunk. So good. I wish I knew who made it. I don't think I've been able to properly credit them, but it's on SoundCloud. It just says Troubles Afoot. Okay, so then it may be the same person.

I don't know, but sent us a new possible theme song. Oh, okay. For the show. I don't think it's going uh, possible theme song. Oh, okay. Uh, for the, for the show. I don't think it's going to be our theme song, but,

uh, I thought, you know, why not play it? So, uh, this is Kenny Beaumont. Whoops.

Are you talking bands when everyone around you doesn't understand? It's not just for super fans Are you talking a reality? Said Scott Yockerman Hey this is the rock and roll of music Said the other man. And Adam Scott is the other man. That's awesome.

Ah, that was good. I'm getting a note that says, thank you, Kenny Beaumont. I'm getting a note that says, the other one, how does it feel to be an REM, is Jordan Cooper. Jordan Cooper. Man, those are both phenomenal. Those are great. Those are great. note that says uh the other one how does it feel to be an rem is jordan cooper jordan cooper man those are both those are great those are great thanks to we honestly if they're that quality we'll play them that's incredible send them to us uh that was uh that was really fun um i got a tweet uh the other day from a guy named tim gonsalves. Wait, is this an episode of Sweet Tweets? I believe so.

Hey everyone, welcome to Sweet Tweets. This is Scott. And this is Scott. And we're just talking the sweetest of tweetists. I got a tweet the other day that was so sweet. Oh, fucking sweet. Fucking sweet, bro. fucking sweet. Fucking sweet, bro. Fucking sweet.

Fucking sweet. Fucking sweet tweet, bro. Sweet tweet, bro. Fucking sweet. Trey. Tim Gonsalves. At the Tim Gonsalves. I don't know if I'm saying that right.

He made a really good point. Hey, guys, just wondering why you've never discussed pepperoni pizza on your podcast. Not a complaint, just seems like a weird oversight. First of all, can we say it's kind of like a complaint? Oh, for sure. 100%. A passive aggressive one at that. He is trying to take us down.

So fuck you, the real whoever the fuck you are. Yeah. Tim Gonsalves, if you can hear me. I hope you can. Yeah. I hope your ears work. Let me see if I can get it. I hope you're listening to this and your ears work.

Oh, yeah. Take a look at him. Look at this. This is a real prick. Oh, my God. What's he next to? A plant? Who knows? I don't even know what this dude is up prick. Oh my God. What's he next to? A plant? Who knows?

I don't even know what this dude is up to. But yeah. But great point. But great point. What? I guess I have a little. I guess I have a little. It was the thing I was going to play next, but it sounded like I have a soundboard or

something with drops I'm playing. Great point. So pepperoni pizza, we'll get to it at some point. I don't know when. I don't know when. I mean, at some point. Duly noted. It can be kind of like an Easter egg, too.

Yeah, sure. Like, listen very closely. Or maybe find a part of the show that you really like and play it backwards. Maybe we'll talk about pepperoni pizza. Maybe, but yeah. I mean, just keep close-eared listeners. Is that a thing? What do they say?

Close-eyed? Keep your nose to the grindstone. Keep your ears peeled because at some point during one of these episodes, you're going to hear it in the background maybe. We don't know how it will be, but we'll talk about what we think of pepperoni pizza. We will, right? I like pepperoni pizza. So, yeah, we'll do it at some point.

At some point. So just keep your ears peeled. All right, this is the thing I was going to play that I wanted to play to you. Apparently, Rivers Cuomo played an R.E.M. song the other day in concert. Oh, yeah. Do you want to hear a little bit of it?

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. It's bigger, it's bigger than you You are not me The lengths that I will go to The distance in your eyes Oh no, I've said too much I've said it all. That's me in the corner. What do we think?

I like it. It's good. Right? Yeah. Always interesting when a musician of note who is of a certain stature, who has a very recognizable voice, as a plain simple cover of the, uh, of another, uh,

band. I like it. And plus I love Rivers Cuomo for, uh, saying on the Weezer Twitter that, uh, people should, uh,

just, uh, relax and sit back and watch comedy bang bang episodes. Did he? Yes. That's awesome. So very nice. Uh,

keep it up Rivers. I like in that same show, I believe he played, uh, a really great version of there's a weezer song i'm forgetting the name of but oh you so you watched the entire show good life he played life oh cool awesome version you weren't there but you watched the yeah the whole thing is on youtube if you want to see the full yeah because he did a few songs from the nine like covers of

90 songs and then he just smashing pumpkins oasisasis some other things but yeah so you can find that we found it on Stereogum probably maybe you did too I believe that's where but that's out there it's on YouTube

I really enjoyed that and do you have anything for me I know let's let's jump in here

bro yeah we're gonna get to to Monster. I think after the break we're going to have April Richardson will be here with us. But a couple of things I want to bring up before then because the last episode we did was automatic for the people, and we didn't get to some of the topics we were going to bring up.

That's right. We didn't get to – by the way, I got to end this episode of Sweet Tweets. So we'll see you next time. Thanks. Bye. Bye, guys. That was a long one. It was a longer ep of Sweet Tweets.

It didn't seem like they were really focusing on tweets towards the end of that. No, but, you know, they don't have, it's not like a rule. It may be an unwritten rule. An unwritten rule definitely, yeah. Yeah, they can talk about whatever they want to talk about. On the Automatic episode, did we talk about the Greenpeace show they did? We did not. Go ahead.

Well, the one show they did for Automatic for the people, you know, it kind of segues into Monster as well, is that Out of Time and Automatic for the People are by far their biggest records and still are they those two records made them the biggest band in the world and they did not tour for either of them so by the time monster came around they were essentially touring for three giant albums yes so it's almost like touring was their bad luck charm in a way like their two

biggest albums they didn't tour. It's like if I were them, I'd be like, hey, band meeting. Hey, let's stay off the road. People hate us when we play or something. Yeah. But they didn't. So – but whenever they toured, it was successful. So is Greenpeace just like a one-off show they did?

They just did a one-off show in Athens just a few weeks after Automatic for the People came out and it was long bootlegged and I got it just like six months

after it happened I found a bootleg of it and Where'd you find this? At a record shop in Pasadena where I lived and it was

So you didn't have to drive very far so this is like real good luck for you I don't think I had a working car at the time why not

but I think I did bring a stack I saw it there that went home got a stack of CDs that you sold sold so I could buy the

poor thing outrageously expensive bootleg wow it was like probably a $40 bootleg yes they're usually

about $39.95 for a fucking 11 song. For just a shittily recorded, yeah. Sounded like shit. But it was a great show, and it's the only place where you could hear like, Monty got a raw deal live. You could hear Everybody Hurts was a brand new song

and not even a single yet. And that really like fast version of drive that was kind of yeah um and they also did it uh at the mtv awards that year they did everybody hurts and then it goes straight into drive um and i was actually there i went to the universal uh amphi did we talk about that on the i don't think so and you keep bringing things up like, I was actually there. Yeah, you had nothing else to do when you were an R.E.M. superfan. Of course you were. Well, yeah, but going to the MTV Awards was not something that was – I happened to have a friend that got a ticket.

You did surprise me with the I was in the drive video. Yeah. But at this point, like, this show? I was there. I was like, I'm just going to assume you were there at all. I pretty much found a way to get in. This was an MTV movie. What year was this?

This was probably 94, 93? 93, probably. 93. Right, right, right. Not the movie awards. It was the video awards. It was the video awards. Okay.

So it was September of 93, probably. Yeah, in between Automatic and Monster. And they came and did the awards. And so they did Everybody Hurts Into Drive and I remember like Peter Buck

got on stage with the old Peter Dollar Bill and Self I think anyway it was awesome

and so that bootleg just came out with the 25th anniversary of Automatic for the People and it's a great recording of it

so it's worth checking out. Oh, yeah, I do. Our friends, we talked about them before, who sent us the Automatic for the People box set. That's on there. That's great. Okay, I'll take a listen to that. I haven't heard that live one.

This is something we wanted to talk about we didn't talk about. This is, and I think this might be actually an episode of you talking you too to me oh okay from boy to breaking wave every last one of them that is this is you talking you too to me

the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things U2. This is good rock and roll music. Welcome back. We're back with another rep. This is Scott. I want to say hi to my co-host, Scott. Hey. It's been a while.

It's been a while. Is this an episode of Stained Glass? I think it might be. It's been a while It's been a while It's been a while Is this an episode of Stained Glass? I think it might be It's been a while It's been a while It's been a while Welcome back to Stained Glass We don't have one of our co-hosts here

I know I don't know if we can do We'll have to end this episode prematurely Yeah It's been a while We'll see you later It's been a while It's been a while

So We wanted to talk about prematurely. Yeah. It's been a while. We'll see you later. It's been a while. It's been a while. So, we want to talk about a U2 happening that happened in, whoo, there we go. 1992. 1992.

We didn't talk about this in our live. But it's also an REM happening. Wait a minute, is this an episode of Are You Talking REM? I think it might be. From chronic to collapse, down and into now that is, this is Are You Talking R.E.M. ReMe,

the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things R.E.M. This is good rock and roll music. I want to welcome Scott here. Adam Scott is with me. We're talking about R.E.M. And we're talking about the time when R.E.M. for the inauguration of Bill Clinton to celebrate it. Not inauguration. Yes, inauguration.

So it was early 93. Yes. January of 93? Yeah. So you wanted to correct me. Well, I was thinking was it election night? And then I was thinking, no, it was inauguration night. But your first instinct is always to correct me. Well, you see, in America, Scott, where were you born?

I don't tell anyone this. Yeah. I was born in Kenya. Kenya. Yeah. In America, our elections happen November usually. Don't America explain to me when elections happen. I know when elections happen. I know when elections happen.

I know you do. I just figured you didn't know exactly when the president became the president. It's like around the end of the year sometime. It's like October. It's actually at the dawn of the new year. December. It's December 31st. December.

The New Year's Eve party. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, 4, 3, 2, 1, vote! Your president. That's what happens every year when we get a new president every year. Every year. Oh, I love it. Yeah. We can just see Santa's butthole as he's flying away.

Bye, Santa. Bye, Santa. Time for a president. And hello, new president. Hello. Hopefully it'll be Donald Trump every year from now on so in 93 for the inauguration R.E.M. teamed up with

their contemporaries the only band that was as big as them this is huge and I can't believe this isn't just an entire episode

just for this we even entertained the idea of centering just one episode on this one song so let's play a little bit of it.

Well, let's say, should we say what it is? I don't know. I'm not really sure what to do. This is half of REM and half of U2 teaming up to sing One, the U2 song. The U2 song. Whoops. Video's going to play after this ad. Sounds good.

It sounds great. This is an ad for Coachella T-Mobile. What do you think about that? Oh, and Dennis Miller introduced it. Did he really? Hey, cha-cha. Here's you too.

And I'm a... Oswald on the prison transfer. Looking back at me like Kitty Kelly, cha-cha. So this is Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Larry... Larry Miller. Larry Mullen Sr.'s son, and Adam Clay, 2,000 pounds. Where's Peter Dollar Bill at this point?

Not in. Protesting? Did he know about Monica? This was another thing that was bootlegged, and you had to scrape it up somewhere, and I had a shitty coffee for years. -♪ One love in twenty-nine One love you just share Leaves you, baby, don't care Uh-huh -♪

So when this happened, my brain shot out of my ears. Like, I couldn't believe this was happening. Were you watching it live? No, I didn't have cable. But I heard about it later and then got the bootleg of it. Do you ever, like, sit around and, like, turn on cable and go, I didn't used to have that. Life is good.

I, yeah, some very generous producers I work for are the ones that bought me cable for once when I did a pilot. Aw. Because they figured out how much I was into TV and movies and stuff and then found out I didn't have cable. Oh, that's so sweet. Yeah, it was very nice. Who are these people? Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. They're the best.

Wow. They work with Kroll now. Oh, cool. On, what's his show, Boss Baby? Yeah. They work on Boss Baby with Kroll. Cool. Okay, you're talking to me again.

All right, I'll turn it down. They're called Automatic Baby. This was the one and only performance of Automatic Baby. Because, why? The two records that were out at the time? Boss Baby? That's right, Boss Baby. Boss and Baby.

So what do you think of this? Do you think this is, like, good? Like, what do you think? I like it. I think it's good. Where's the Bonobos? I don't know. Probably interested in the front row going,

God damn it, why didn't they invite me? I'm Bonobos. I'm right here. Probably sitting in the front row going, God damn it, why didn't they invite me? I'm Bonobos. I'm right here. Hello. Hello. Multi-platinum singer here. Multi-platinum singer.

This is good. I like it. Yeah, it's awesome. And sort of the dawn of a hopeful new era in politics. Doug Herzog, I believe, the guy that was running MTV at the time, has a story that Don Henley was closing the show that night. Why?

Look, it was the age of innocence. I've talked about it before. I don't want to talk about the fucking Eagles on this show. All right? We're not talking about the Eagles, bro. But Don Henley has Eagles proximity. I don't want to fucking talk about it.

Okay. I will not bring up the Eagles. All right. I promise. Okay, go. But Don Henley was closing the show, and at the last second, these guys wanted to play a song, and they were like, hey, can we go out and play?

We're going to play one. And he was like, yes, that'll close the show. It'll be a magical ending to the night. And he goes backstage to Don Henley. And Don Henley's like, no, fuck that. And he gets his stuff together to leave. What does he get together? Like his dirty laundry?

He just gathers it all up in a sack. A bag of dirty laundry. He's like, I was going to pour this out at the end of my song. I'm trying to think of other Don Henley things he could pick up, but I don't know enough Don Henley songs other than dirty laundry. That would be fucking awesome. If he had backup dancers who were all carrying burlap sacks. Of dirty laundry.

And then they just poured them out in unison and everyone was just like i guess we're supposed to apply okay isn't it weird that don henley was the big closer for that show that was weird especially 93 ish yeah a little strange here's another one before we take a break one last thing i wanted to bring up uh in our catch as catch can uh section of the show uh sharp-eyed listener sharp-eared listener sent this to me uh this is a news piece in the late 70s about the movie rocky horror that michael stipe dressed as one of the characters in rocky horror is interviewed for this news piece before he's famous at all. So I just want to play a little of the audio.

You've got to look it up on YouTube. It's a Rocky Horror picture show, you know, instant love affair. This is an excellent movie. It really is. It's a cult film. We're all quite normal, really. If you had to prove that, how would you go about doing that? I mean, in the spur of the moment.

He's wearing a corset and a leather jacket over his makeup. Tomorrow afternoon, dressed in our little KC pig shirts and our blue jeans. That'd be normal. That'd be normal. I guess for the normal St. Louis KC fan, yes it would. When they enter the theater, you know they... A lot of people had to go through their Rocky Horror Picture Show phase. I did.

Did you? I went once to the midnight show. Yeah. And you were like, eh, that's good enough for me. I wasn't my favorite. You weren't sitting there with a giant boner the entire time? Well, yeah, but it wasn't my favorite. I used to sneak out of the—

Did you go a lot all the time? I was not allowed to. I brought it up to my parents of like, hey, there's this midnight movie I want to go see. My friends go all the time. There was – honestly, when I was 15, there was this girl that I was like super into that kept sort of – I don't want to say she was stringing me along. But sometimes I felt like she was stringing me along a little bit like in the sense of she would like – she knew how I felt. She would give me enough to keep me like going, maybe there's a chance, you know, I don't know.

So, but anyway, so she and my group of two other friends, my best friend was in love with her best friend as well. Same, similar situation. They used to go all the time. It was like, God, if I go to this thing that she likes. Yeah. You know? So I brought it up to my parents and they were like, no way.

That movie is a sinful Satan movie. So I had to sneak out of the house. My brother taught me how to pop the screen out from my window and then sneak out of the house and then like put the screen back up with just the corners sticking out. I was always paranoid that my dad would see the corners sticking out until the next day I would go back and jam it into the window. But yeah, so I went several times with them and learned all the – To try and like – Learn all the stuff.

Dr. Scott, suck my cock, all that kind of stuff. God, I don't remember. The reason I didn't have a good time, it was a first date, a double date that I wasn't like super into going on

and it was extremely, terribly uncomfortable atmosphere to be on. For a first date? Oh, yeah. Awful. Who was,

did you have a second date? No, I did not. Uh-huh. You got so disinterested in your story you start just getting something out of your backpack i was i honestly i was shook by it because i i'm like obviously the story has so many more levels that you're oh great there's a lot more to it oh so you're getting out one of your bars that you're going to chew on. By the way, this is another constant criticism of the show is if you like hearing people eating during a podcast. Oh, do we have any other reviews to read this week?

Oh, I haven't checked them out, but we read some the other week. It was very fun. All right, we need to take a break. When we come back, we're going to be talking exclusively about Munster and april richardson will be here this is exciting we will be right back with more r.e.m. after this hello Life for a century Hello... Fresh? Hello, Fresh. We want to talk about him.

This is a great company, Adam. Hello, Fresh. If you haven't heard about it, Adam, I'm going to give you a little tutorial here. Fill me in. Yep. Let me bullet point it for you. Let me elevator pitch this thing for you, okay? Here we go.

Okay, we just pressed. I pressed the fourth floor. Okay. And I pressed roof and erased my fourth floor button push. I have a negative button pushing ability. So now I have to sit here with you for seven minutes. Okay, here we go. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and even delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients.

So all you have to do, Adam, is you just cook, then you eat, and then you enjoy. Actually, you probably would enjoy while you do the first two things. No, wait. I have to cook it? Oh, okay. What is this bullshit? Okay. Adam, you're probably not the target market for this

a guy with his own personalized celebrity chef um but for the rest of you out there yeah we all this is a great service we all love to cook you're or do you mean that naomi cooks all the food i can't tell where you're you're either like a celeb a-hole or you're a sexist guy who thinks that his wife should do all the cooking. Both. Okay, why did I say either? I think we have one of these. It's a different one, but it's terrific to get it all kind of portioned out for you. Yes, they have sent it to me.

HelloFresh has sent it to me this week. And let me tell you. It's great. It's really, really good. There's three plans you can choose from. Classic, veggie, and family. And I always choose family because I like to pretend that I have children. And I like to feed the little dollies that I arrange around the table.

Each box delivered right to your door in recyclable, insulated packaging. And it's made up of fresh, responsibly obtained ingredients from carefully selected farms and high-rated, trusted sources. Plus, with the simple recipes outlined in pictured step-by-step instruction cards, you can feel confident in your cooking. How are you a popular actor? How are you a popular actor? There are even lots of one-pot recipes that require minimal cleanup. I would imagine cleaning up one pot. And the silverware. Dump it all in one pot?

Yeah, one pot recipes. And just slurp it up with your gross mouth? No, you gotta pour it into bowls. Yeah, bowls. So you can spend less time meal planning and grocery shopping each week and get that time back doing more of what you love. What do you love

to spend your time on, Adam? Cooking. It's really good. They've been sending it, Adam? Cooking. It's really good. They've been sending it to me this week. It's really delicious. That's great. You know what I really enjoyed? The apricot chicken.

Hmm. I don't believe you. You don't believe me? No. Do you want me to rub my tummy? Yeah. Here we go. Oh, wow.

You did enjoy it. I really did. For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com slash REM30 and enter the code REM30. That's HelloFresh.com REM30, offer code REM30, and the 30 stands for $30 off your first week of HelloFresh. Good deal. It is incredible. You got to get it. HelloFresh.com

slash REM30. Welcome back. Dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt. Sit down, sit down, sit down. They should have named that song Dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt. Sit down, sit down, sit down. They should have named that song Dirt. Dirt. What if they just came out with a song that was like, look, this is what it sounds like.

We're just using onomatopoeia for our songs now. Just like splort, splish, blanks. Right. We're naming every song on our new album. Look, we're back. First of all, we've reformed. Okay, enough about that. Enough about that. Okay, I know you're excited.

But this is what we're doing. This is what we're doing. We're naming every song after an onomatopoeic sound of what it sounds like. What's onomatopoeic? It's like ping or bang sounds that words that are the sound they make. Oh, got it. But these are onomatopoeic words of what it sounds like when all of us band members come.

And so what is that sound? It's like splooch. Splooch. Flabloosh. And it's just like, this is what we're doing. This is what we're doing. This is who we are now, guys. This is who we are now.

Welcome back. This is exciting. Another episode of Are You This is who we are now. Welcome back. This is exciting. Another episode of Are You Talking R.E.M. Remy. And this one's very special because – so our friend April Richardson, an avowed R.E.M. super fan, and everyone knows she is. And the minute that we came out and said, hey, we're doing this podcast on the band R.E.M. M? M, yeah. The minute we came out and said we were doing it on R.E.M.,

people were like, when's April going to be on the show? When's April going to be on the show? And even assuming she would, like, oh, let me know when April's coming on the show. I'm supposed to give people messages now? Her agent? I mean, I'd like to be., like I'm supposed to like give people messages now. Her agent. I mean, I'd like to be,

honestly, I'm starting a little boot. I'm starting a boutique agency and I would like for her and you to be my first clients. Is that what this is all about? Honestly, dude, we've done what?

Like almost like 40 episodes of this thing. And I've just been waiting for you to bring it up. I'd love to represent you. You have something that is not being harvested right now. I did not bring it up. Just FYI. You bring it up. I'd love to represent you. You have something that is not being harvested right now. I did not bring it up. Just FYI, you brought it up. I mean, quite honestly, it seemed like you brought it up.

I don't remember ever talking about it. That's not being quite honest. But enough about me. I would just love to, I feel like there's so many parts of your career that people aren't really maximizing right now. Now that you mention that, I feel like you're the only one

that really sees that i really do like i would love to just have a show where you're just talking about rem well you know with a cool guy next to you you know like just a tv show like a two-hander probably you know like so turn this into a tv show it doesn't have to be this sure i mean like maybe a cool guy like i could do it if there's no one else you know but it sounds to be this? Sure. I mean, like maybe a cool guy. Like I could do it if there's no one else, you know. Sounds to me like you just want to do it. I would really love to be in this show. So you would want to be the other hand of a two-hander with me on television. Represent me. So take 10% of my salary.

You can be whatever hand you want. Like which hand do you jerk off with? I don't use hands. What do you use? Salad tongs. I forgot that you are a germaphobe. I'm a tonger. On your donger?

I'm a tonger. I'm a donger. Okay, anyway, I'll be whatever hand you want. Great, let's do it. All right, let's do it. All right, so this is very exciting to have her on she's been very patient listening to us uh blather on um but anything else you want to bring up before we have her on not at all okay uh she's a great comedian you can see her touring the

country uh tours a lot with chris hardwick am i right to say that yes Yes. And her name is April Richardson. Hello, April. Hi. April. April, April, April. April, April, April. I'm so psyched to be here in general. I did sign the petition to get this created. Ah, that's right. I did.

There was a petition out there. I participated in that, and I like that I was brought on after Tonger on my donger. Yep. Classic. Tonger on my donger. I didn't know there was a petition. Classic. Tonger on my donger. I didn't know there was a petition. Yeah,

on Twitter, people kept tweeting at me to, and I'm like, yes, of course, any chance to hear, I just wanted this

to be created. So legally, we had to create this. that's how democracy works. Yeah, if enough people signed it, we had to do it. Well,

I'm glad we did. I don't want to be here. No, me neither. No, but we have to. Have you guys even ever heard any REM songs? Quite honestly?

Yeah. The minute we start playing them on this show, It's a nice surprise. I take off my headphones, and I make a thumbs down, and I go, boo, boo, and they turn off my mic.

And I've had to create this whole narrative of me knowing everything about REM. Being into them for years. And correcting people anytime they say something yep I love it this whole persona

I want any excuse to talk about them so I'm very excited to be here me too I love them so much hashtag me too that's what it's all about

that's a movement April you're we've been friends for a long time we actually got to know each other through music more. I mean, you knew who I was.

Yes. This is my impression of how we got to know each other. Yes. I would see you at certain shows. Yes. And you came up to me because you knew, I forget where you knew me from. You're very famous. You're very famous.

I don't know whether it was Mr. Show. No, it was totally Mr. Show. Or something like that but you introduced yourself to me and i uh you were not a comedian then am i right about that yeah and you were a fan and was it at a morrissey show i want to say that's like morrissey is the one that i really remember but i but i i know it's the second time i saw you because i was like oh there's that person again right and you uh i saw you at Morrissey at Jimmy Kimmel. Yes.

And you saw me on the street, flagged me down. It was me and Colop. You flagged me down. Adam is yawning the biggest fucking yawn I have ever seen in my life. You gave me your zine. Sure. As I did today. You gave me another zine today.

I'm almost 40 years old. That's how I approach people. You gave me your zine. Having a zine is so, so's how I approach people. You gave me a scene. Having a scene is so, so cool. I'm so happy to have this. Oh, thank you. Just trying to get involved in the conversation somehow. And I was very, uh, shut the fuck up. I was very, uh,

uh, weirded out by you. Sure. Uh, hand in hand with impressed by you. And, uh. All of this sounds accurate to every story of meeting anyone much like my friend I was talking to Robin Von Swank the other day great photographer who I've worked with for a long

time and similar situation where I told her I was like remember the first time we met and I took her through it and I was like did you realize I had to meet you in a public place the very first time that I ever met you because I thought you were a weird stalker? Oh, totally. So hand in hand with that, I was like, I don't know what her deal is.

And then we just became friends and I would see you at several shows. And then you started doing comedy, which is great. Yeah, that's pretty much the story of how I met everybody in my life. I just march up to people and I'm like, I think we should be friends. Yeah. And then it works out. Which is great. I haven't been wrong that many times.

I wish I could be more like you. No, you shouldn't because – I honestly do because I think that's such – there are people in my life that I go – someone asked me this of like, who out there is famous that you wish you were friends with? And I say, well, I met so many people on the show. There's a couple people out there that I was like, I actually thought we got along really good, but I didn't have – I didn't want to bother them or I didn't want to be like, hey, what if we hung out or what? It sounds, you know, weird.

Yeah. So, you know, just I let the moment pass and now I have zero friends. Oh, that's, you have one. I have a work friend. You have one. Oh, well then two. No, that's nice of you to say. That segues into a story I can tell my first REM story.

And this leads me to my first question. Okay. When did you first hear of REM? I first, I grew up in Georgia. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, which is only like 45 minutes from here. Born in Georgia. Born and raised. No, I was.

Oh, you were? Yeah, it's conversational narcissism. I want to bring it back to me. Oh, sure, sure, sure. Where in Georgia were you born? Savannah. Oh, that's where all of my extended family lives. Did you live there a long time?

That's conversational narcissism. You brought it back to you. That's right. Let's have a conversational narcissism off. Did you spend any time there? Six weeks or so. I shot a movie in Atlanta. Shut up.

Which one? One of those Marvel movies? Are you Ant-Man too? Yep. You Ant-Man and the Wasp? Yep. Damn, I got to see that now, boy. I'm both. Damn, boy adam scott is adam scott and adam scott um so you were born in georgia sorry the most of this

is going to be me silently laughing to myself um yeah i was born in georgia oh thanks for the silence i'm trying to not be obnoxious and cackle into the mic. Yeah, when my mom married my stepdad, I briefly had two stepbrothers. How does that make you feel? It's not great, to be honest. Not psyched. Tell us about it. No, that's boring. It's boring? Or is it the real stuff? Sounds like it might be sad. Is it the real stuff that we don't often get to on this show? It's real boring. But I was five, and he had two – Fists. My stepbrothers were like – Two fists?

Is that what you said? He just played speed bag with my face as a five-year-old. Funny. He had two – I had two stepbrothers very briefly, and one of them went to the University of Georgia. Oh, cool. And so this was like totally where he could still see them play in real small venues. And that's when I think I first heard them when he would come home and like blast them in his room.

Which, do you remember which album? I just know that the first cassette tape I bought with my own allowance was Green. So I, but I couldn't tell you like the very first song I heard, but I just remember hearing it. R.E.M. was the first band that got me into real music and out of New Kids on the Block. Okay, so what year are we talking about? I mean, it was when I was— Because New Kids, as I recall, was like 87, 88. Yeah, I was probably like 10.

10, 11, 12 is the time where I start getting into actual music. You don't like to talk about your age corresponding to a year. Am I getting that? Yeah, so it was like 88, 89. Okay, so it was when green came out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you were born in what year? I was born in 79.

Which makes you— I will be 39 in three weeks. You did say you were almost 40, so that's okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't care about that. Okay, so you're in the 10-ish range. Yes. 10-ish anyone?

That's really funny. Thanks. I do it just to make you laugh, man. I know that stuff makes you laugh. That's great. I love jokes like that. Yep. So you're sort of 10-ish

and you like commercial top 40-ish music. Yeah. I mean, I'm- Debbie Gibson? Yes, but... Tiffany? At that time,

my parents are super Southern, so I had... I was into, like, the Oak Ridge Boys. Elvira! Yes! A giddy-up... I tell you,

I watched a video of them singing Elvira the other day. It's creepy. The one dude was like, Father Time! Oh, my God. It's so creepy. It's so normcore.

They're just so... They're out there, they're out there and then the only time that a bass singing guy ever gets. It's the guy who looks like he owns a yacht. Right.

But he gets applause when he starts singing. It's like one of the only songs, like four part harmony songs in the world where the bass part is the star part. Right.

Because when he starts going, giddy up home, bop boom, bop ba mao mao, people go fucking nuts. That's what that's from? That's what that's from. That's the Oak Ridge Boys.

When I was a kid, that fucked me up because I saw them on the CMT Awards or something, and you always assume the Father Time guy is the bass. Right. And then the guy who looks like a yacht captain steps forward, and he's the bass, and you're like, nothing makes sense. And then I don't remember this, but I do remember the oom-bop-a-mow-mow thing. Mow-mow, yeah. And then he goes, oom-bop-a-mow. And then he goes real, oom-bop-a-mow-mow thing. Mow-mow, yeah. And then he goes real oom-bop-a-mow-mow.

And people just go. Really? Yeah. And what song is that? Elvira. Elvira. My heart's on fire. Let's do a three-part harmony, okay?

I'm right here. My heart. You're up here. My heart. You're up here. My heart. All right. How about I take the low? Ready? i take the low two okay you take the low

ready one two three my heart great perfect we got it great let's move on are we recording this yeah we're recording we're doing it in steps let's move on so as a kid i had like 45s of just whatever the country song was my parents were blasting that I could tolerate the most. John Denver? No, that's too early. No, it would have been like Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, things like that. And then, yeah, whatever was on like top 40, like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany and stuff.

And then so when I got green, that was my first like, oh, this is the real shit. And you got it because your brother listened to it so much that you thought it was cool or why did you actually pick it up I think it was that also honestly

it was that coupled with the fact that Stan was the theme to Get a Life oh so you're interested in comedy at the time yes

like already just you know TV was my babysitter kind of thing so here's an example we talked about this in the green episode of Stan turning off a lot of listeners.

Yeah, but I'm a little kid, so I'm like, I love this dumb song. Right, right, right. It's a bubblegum-y type. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Great, great. Interesting. And get a lot.

For me, it was Chris Elliott and R.E.M. coming together. Yes. Coming together. Totally. Literally coming together. Making Blarf or whatever that German-sounding word was. Sporf?

Yeah. Yeah, so that, yeah. And I, because keep in mind, like I did not, my parents. Flabouche. My parents were not cool parents, so I'd never heard like the Beatles or whatever. So this was like the first. Truly.

My mom and dad don't care about any of that kind of stuff. So this is the first like rock band i heard sergeant pepper's lonely hearts club band probably one of the best albums with an apostrophe in it that i can think of yeah i love i love albums with apostrophes in them and i can know but that's why life's rich badger doesn't have one because... Right. Yeah. All right. I guess I make you a joke that every single person in the fucking world tweeted us that we forgot Sgt. Pepper's... Anyway, go ahead.

Oh, I didn't realize people were tweeting that. They were really bummed that we did not mention it. I was trying to help you with your joke, but... Instead. I think I had the wrong idea of what your lame joke was. You wouldn't be the first. Okay, so you didn't know the Beatles. So yeah, they were like my gateway to real music.

And so what did you think of that album? I loved it. Yeah. I loved it. I mean, it's hard to, I mean, I was still a child, but it was. When do you think you'd turn into an adult? Is it 16? I'm waiting.

I'm waiting, guys. 17, I mean, the age of consent is so different in various states it's hard and various cultures it's hard to go back and be like describing how it made me feel at 11 but it was it was your brain isn't fully formed at that point you're like a sponge you're just soaking it in yeah and i just knew i was like oh i'm into music now do you know what i mean like i want yes. I want to get more into music now. Yes. If this is how good it is.

I had a very similar experience with Hat Full of Hollow. Oh, totally. Where I was really into Huey Lewis and the News, which is great music. Yeah, I'm still very into them, but yes. By the way, playing outside lands. Are you serious? Yes, Huey Lewis and the News. I'll be there.

So, but I heard Hat Full of Hollow and I was like, oh, I like real music now. Yes, 100%. Same with me with Document and Green. Those were the ones I was like, oh, yeah. And it was the same as like Huey Lewis and the News and Michael Jackson and stuff. Right. Which, great artists. I sold their records when I was like, I like real music.

Right. And then you bought them all back because they're great totally oh I was absolutely obsessed with sports and stuff too but I kind of still I couldn't let go of it and also music

yeah I couldn't let go I just met Huey Lewis like a couple months ago and like super freaked out really how did you take it like I hugged him

like seven times and he's like okay like he was not it didn't work like it did with you. He wasn't like, yeah, you're a creep, but we'll be friends. Well, you have such a great sort of way of approaching artists that you like and becoming friends with them. I mean, you just became friends with Sparks. Yeah, that was wild.

Because you wrote about them on Twitter. They watched at midnight. And they said, like, come to our show. And she, you wrote about them on Twitter. They watched at midnight. And they said, like, come to our show. And she went backstage and met them. Yeah, that was insane. Yeah. And so, and I want to get to this. You also met the band, R.E.M.

R.E.M. You met these guys. You sent me some really funny photos. Do you want to talk about that? Like, how do you go from being a, you know, a little girl who wants to be a big girl? Child fan. You know, just you're like, oh gosh, you know,

I look at beautiful women out there, you know, the Kathleen Turners of the world. I'm like, I want to get there, but I'm still, I know I'm still young. Right. You know, like I'm experimenting with makeup and, you know, I don't know, if I put too much on, it's too heavy, it doesn't look right because I'm a child. Like, you know, I don't know, if I put too much on, it's too heavy, it doesn't look right because I'm a child.

Like, you know, you're in that mindset. Sure. How do you get from there to being an adult who then meets the band members of Aria? Well, I— And how long is it after the initial green purchase at 10 years old? Yeah. I was immediately—well, because I learned that they were old. I was immediately, well, because I learned that they were from where I was from.

The most mind-blowing thing was that they were from Georgia to me because the more I got into real music now, everyone was from New York or England, like these exotic places. So when it was like, oh, these are dudes from you know right down the street I'm like

what? but they're so cool I don't understand how they grew up in the same place and so that was they were a gateway like because of them

I found out who the B-52s were and who like Pylon was and I'm like an obsessive if I like something I have to find out

everything about it I have to find out all the side projects all the people did everyone they ever liked everyone they were influenced by what book they read that made them write this song the Indigo Girls album I like something, I have to find out everything about it. I have to find out all the side projects all the people did. Everyone they ever liked. Yes. Everyone they were influenced by. Yeah, what book they read that made them write this song.

Everyone got the Indigo Girls album because he sang on it. Totally. We never talked about that either. No, we didn't. I found out so many things, like not just loving R.E.M., but I, you know, hearing Strange, I found out who Wire was. I went and bought Pink Flag. And then like hearing them cover stuff on Dead Letter Office is the first time I heard

of Velvet Underground and you know pre-internet like that's how you had to find out about things so they I loved them pre-internet

you had to listen to a band sing about something right you know before Wikipedia it was like you know what I don't know

what myxomycosis is like you know you'd have to hear Radiohead sing about it and go yeah I think I got a handle on this. Totally. And if you wanted to send an email, you would have to go to a nearby university or someone that had a giant computer that took up an entire room and someone that knew what email was. And they would have to contact a band who then would have to sing a song about an email that you wanted to send.

But no one was singing about email back then. Yeah, they didn't even know what it was. Email the letter? No. Okay. Is that a play on Ebo the letter? Yeah, I was trying. Okay.

It's good. I was trying to keep up with you guys. It's good now. Better than what we were doing. Honestly, you're the star of this episode. Officially. So I got into them, then I got just super obsessed with music, discovered the Smiths.

Just became – You're a Smiths super fan. Totally. And that just became all I did in high school was – Then I started making zines, and I had pen pals that would trade mixtapes. And so, yeah, that's my whole life. Everything I did, I almost didn't graduate high school because all I did was write zines and read them and never did homework and followed bands around. That's awesome.

So when they finally – I was too young to see the Green Tour. So when they finally toured for Monster, I went to as many shows. This is now six years later. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you're a full-fledged teenager by now. Yes. And I can drive. So I'm driving to –

Good pun on the REM song Drive, by the way. I got to give it up for you for that. Thank you. Thank you. So how many times did you see the Monster Tour? The Monster Tour, I want to say it was like six or seven. Wow. They played three in Atlanta, and then there was like, whatever was nearby, I want to say

it was like Birmingham or whatever the southern, southeastern ones I went to. So, and I remember the three in Atlanta were the final shows of the tour. Wow. And they were amazing. And then the last, the last night, no one wanted to, it was at the Omni.

I think it was when it was still called the Omni and not Phillips Arena or whatever it's called now. They finished the green tour at the Omni too. Yeah. I think that was always like the homecoming thing. And then the last night of the three monster shows, they turned on, they played everything.

They played the encore and like no one wanted to leave. And they just turned on all the lights and they were were just kind of standing there like no one's leaving, and they just started playing Wild Thing. They just covered Wild Thing while everybody had the lights on and were standing there like, yeah, we don't want to leave. Yeah. The theme to Major League? Yes.

The very same. But during that tour. Sheen's theme song. Wild Sheen. That would have been better. Oh, yeah. When I was in high school and making zines,

I tried... It's funny that you talked about us meeting that way because I guess I've been that way since birth because I'm like, I want to be friends with these guys. I don't see why that can't happen. As soon as I knew that they had a fan club, I was in it as well.

It was $10 a year. And it was the best. Pretty reasonable, I've got to say. Because you get a single at Christmas. You get seven inches. You get calendars. I still have all of that shit. Me too.

I saved all of it. Totally. I mean, compared to like the $85 that Andy Daly had to pay for U2s, and all he gets is the opportunity to buy tickets. Yeah, the U2 fan club is expensive. It was $85? Yeah. Andy Daly was out

$85. We're going to try to do something. $85 per year? Per annum. That is wild. Yeah, okay, so. Okay, so.

Just $10 a year for the REM fan. So you're in the REM club. P.O. Bucks, 8032. That's right. That's right. Okay, well.

So when do you start crafting your scam and scheming your sort of grift? Okay, I would write to them. Wait, did you hear about that Greenpeace show for Automatic? Yeah, I had to be like, well, there was a record store right next to the 40 watt called Low Yo or something. If any REM book, they credit this guy named todd ploharski who's like an rem historian and he used to run that record store so when i went to the c shows at the 40 watt i would go next door and be like hi tell me everything oh like sit at his feet like grandpa style like tell me about the good old days of rem and he also had like every boot like ever

so um yeah like a hundred percent of my money went to all of this. Yeah, yeah. So when I started making my zine, when I did the one in high school, it was more music. It would be like show reviews and stuff. And obviously it's a shitty photocopied teenage girl made it. But I tried to act like, I'm like, I'm a journalist. I need to have press passes. That's cool.

And so I would write and I eventually started calling the lady that ran the fan club was named Michelle, I want to say. And they would answer, right? It got to a point. Didn't you call all the time? Yes! I called so much

and tried so many scams to be like, I need a press pass, I need a photo pass, whatever. There was one time I called and Michelle was like, April, we know who you are.

Like, stop calling us. And so I tried to do that for the Monster Tour to get like really good seats or to get a press pass or whatever but then for my 15th birthday i had yet i hadn't been to athens yet and so my mom was like what do you want for your birthday and i was like i can't drive yet so will you drive me to athens so i can do like the pilgrimage another pun nice um so I did my mom drove me and two friends to Athens we went to Weaver D's

to eat like we had the list of places like the church they played their first show Weaver D's like 40 watt whatever

so we go there to eat the record store yeah Wux Street yeah totally Wux Street by the way is the record store Peter Buck worked at

after he was famous no no it was no he would like I was in reading the book they were like no they famous no no it was no he would like I was in reading the book they were like no they had albums out and he would he would come by and go hey I want to work here for three months and people would come just wanting to talk to him about REM yeah to the point where he's like hey man I just want to help you with like finding a record I

still go there whenever I go to Athens and it's kind of infuriating because they have old flyers on the walls. And there was a flyer for when REM and XTC played the 40 watt for $5. And I just get retroactively furious. But it's also where he was working before he was famous, where Michael Stipe came in and that's where they met. Yeah. And that record store is still there. It's a great record store. Yeah, it's awesome. So how did you?

So the first time we go, we go to Weaver D's. We're eating. I didn't realize the guy waiting on us was Weaver himself. So again, I'm 15. I'm like, hey, where do they live? And he's like, oh, you just take a look. Like fully tells us. Weaver, you're giving it up.

I don't mean to dime you out. I shouldn't say any of this on a podcast because I should be retroactively arrested because I'm like, okay, cool. We're going to go to their houses. I would love to see the post-style movie about this journalist. No, this is – I mean, I – so we fully go. We go to Mike Mills' house first. Me and my mom knock on his door. Again, no one do this.

No one do this ever. I should have been arrested. Don't do it to Adam and I. This is crazy. Don't do it. I wonder how often this used to happen to them. Well, that's, the funny thing is, is he was very nice. I have a picture of 15.

He answered the door? Answered the door, came and talked to us. Are you comfortable sharing the picture on the website and everything? Can people look at it? Oh, sure, yeah. So Mike Mills answered the door and talked to you guys. That is so nice. Was super nice about it.

And then, like 20 years later, I was, he played a show with Billy – he did this whole tour with Billy Bragg, who I knew at that point. So I was like backstage or whatever. And one day I went, hey, I know this is super weird. I want to apologize for when I was 15 and I knocked on – like now I'm an adult. I know how insane and I should have never done that. And he interrupted me and was like, you have no idea how much that happened. He was like, it's not a big deal at all. That used to happen all the time.

Like, I genuinely don't care. At a certain point, if you're living in your hometown and people know your address and everyone's cool with it, you got to expect it and maybe be cool with it. I mean, I don't know. Obviously, no one should ever do that. I should have never done it. Well, when you're at a level of, like, the friends, you know, you got Roos and Chicky Chan and Sham Sham. You know, like

they need security at all their houses. Look how psyched you are. I was freaking out. That's so sweet. I've seen it. I don't need to see it again. But yeah, so and then I went and I but also if it's a 14. I have a photographic memory, so if I see a picture, I'm locked.

You can just access it? I access it, yeah, in my mind palace. If it's a 14, 15-year-old girl and her mom, it's not like you're going to be addicted to that. Sure, sure. Yeah. What's your mom's point of view? This is what's interesting to me.

She had a great sense of humor about it. My mom doesn't care. She, I think, didn't realize, because, again, this is where they're the biggest band in the world and i don't think my mom knew that she i think thought like she thought they were just like a normal like a local totally these are a bunch of oakridge boys contemporaries yeah yeah like i don't think that she knew i just remember her knocking on the door and being like look dude it's my kid's birthday this This is what I, like, she was sort of like, I don't know who you are, but she's real psyched about it.

And he just was laughing like, okay. That's so funny. That's so nice. Yeah, she had a great sense of humor about it. On your mom's end, like my mom would have been like, don't bother the person, you know, like regardless of the level of fame, embarrassed to be there.

And then on his end, I mean, just how nice is that? Yeah. Yeah, he was incredibly nice about it. I mean, I've hung out with Adam at like U2 shows and stuff like that. And he's such a fucking asshole to people who are like, hey, can I get a picture of you? And he's like shuts them down. He like breaks their cameras and stuff. Yeah, yeah.

Real dickhead. Like he, like they'll have just like, he'll break any electronics that are on them. Even if they're not asking me for a photo. Yeah. Right. Because he's just super paranoid about that. Did you find any other houses of the band members? Yeah, we did after that go knock on Michael Stipe's door,

and he was not home. And this is, I'm... The Stipe man. This is so psychotic. I can't believe I'm about to say it on a permanent record. But his house, he had a thing, a call box type of of thing where you press it and it like rings the doorbell. But then if he didn't answer – One deterrent level.

Yeah, but they both – they live in the most normal – Right. There's like zero fence around it or anything like that. Like in my weird defense, I wasn't – it's a normal street where you can just walk up to the door. I didn't do any like tunneling or dancing through security lasers or anything. At least. But his call box. Catherine Zeta-Jones style.

Yeah, at least I didn't do it. Inching your butt under a laser. Yeah. But you press the thing, and if somebody doesn't answer, his answering machine came on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it was connected to his phone. I left a message. I was like, hi.

I acted like I was his friend. I was like, what's up? It's April. I came by to hang out, but you weren't here. Oh, God. Like fully acted like it wasn't insane what I was doing. I wonder if you ever kept any of those. Like it would be so funny to hear a collection of all the crazy messages. Well, it was definitely a known thing,

and I think still is. I think they still have those houses. But then, so that was when I was 15 and I couldn't drive, but then when I could drive, tons of bands, other bands that I like, played at the 40 Watt, so I would go all the time. So the first time I met Michael Stipe, I think I was 20 or 21. It was at a Bright Eyes show at the

40 Watt, and he was at the bar and my friend Millie was there, and she went to get a drink, and he was right next to her, and she ran back like, dude, you are not ready. Your dude's here. You're not ready. You're not ready for what's about to happen. You should have been prepping this for weeks. And I did.

I went up to talk to him and I was like trying not to cry. Yeah. And he was super nice to me. He gave me a hug and he just was like, it's nice to meet you. Like, have a nice, you know, in a super deep, intense way. Did you ask for seven hugs? It's nice to meet you. Well, he was the one person where I like wept the whole drive home.

Yeah. Wow. Because I just, he's my one person where I like wept the whole drive home. Yeah, wow. Because I just, he's my number one dude. Yeah. Above Morrissey, above, he was like the first, my first crush. No, I felt that way with Gilbert Gottfried. Yeah. When he was on Bang Bang?

It's pretty amazing. But yeah, they, I mean, they're just the one band that's been a constant in my life since I was a child. And there was, again, that hometown – like the hometown pride of being like their Georgia dudes. And I think they were a great – I don't – it's hard to explain because in some cases I do like Artifice and I do like a lot of posturing and I think it fits with some things. But the thing with them is they were so cool but like not trying at all right other than that Elvis suit that he wore

in the monster period oh and I wanted to say when you yeah the nudie suits when you I also have the VHS tape still of when they played that

on the video music awards and Michael Sy painted his eyebrows blue because I did that oh yeah I did that the next day at school yeah good shit

yeah and that was a normal thing for a girl to do and I super didn't get made fun of and then painted his eyebrows blue because I did that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I did that the next day at school. You did that when you saw her. Yeah, yeah, good shit. Yeah, and that was a normal thing for a girl to do and I super didn't get made fun of. And then for Monster, I remember I still have the VHS tape of when

they were on Saturday Night Live because they got to play three songs. Yeah, three songs. And that was like a huge deal. And very few bands get to do that.

What's the Frequency, Kenneth? I Don't Sleep, I Dream, and Bang and Blame. That's right. They played Happy Birthday three times. They played huge royalties for that. Quite weird selections, by the way. Now, like, looking at their whole catalog, What's Frequency, Kenneth?

Of course. Of course. I Don't Sleep, I Dream? I Don't Sleep, I Dream, because I remember being a bit scandalized because I was like, I think I had only just realized, found out what Giving Head was. Right. Because I was like a teenager I had only just realized found out what giving head was

right because I was like a teenager can I ask you a question what is it yeah Scott see Scott still doesn't how do you I didn't

how do you give head I know it's a when a man loves a man very much how do you give head I hear about it all the time I think it sounds so cool

I want to do it I want to give someone my head but like from that album I would have had or I mean I hear about it all the time. I think it sounds so cool. I want to do it. I want to give someone my head. But from that album, I would have had, or I mean, we're about to talk about it. We're about to talk about it. I took your name or Circus Envy or something. Well, you should have. I know. I should have said something.

Look, we need to take a break. This is great. April, you've proven your bona fides, but we do need to take a break. When we come back, we're going to talk about Monster. You ready to do this? I'm so ready. All right. We're going to be right back with more Are You Talking?

REM Re-Me. Adam's going to chew on a little something something. And I'm not sure why this isn't playing. Oh, here we go. And we'll see you next time. No, we'll see you after this break. In like three minutes. Yeah.

Enjoy it. Hey, Adam. Yeah? There's a brand new podcast I want to talk to you about. Thank God. Yep. The world needs more of them.

John Levenstein's Retirement Party, out now on Stitcher Premium. You know John, right? I do. I love John a lot. Great guy.

Hosted by writer, actor, and producer John Levenstein, who's written for some hilarious shows that you've probably seen. Have you ever seen Arrested Development? No. Okay. What else? Silicon Valley? Never heard of it.

Boy. This is going to be rough then. Oh, okay. If you don't know two of the best comedies of the past 150 years of television, then I don't know what to tell you. I love those shows. I was just kidding. Funny joke. Yep.

In celebration of John's long career in show business, he will share personal stories from the writer's room, offer advice, rehash old decisions, settle feuds, and tell friends that he loves them. John and his co-host, actress and writer Mary Kobayashi talk with people from all different facets of the entertainment industry, like Karen Kilgariff, who you know from My Favorite Murder, Nick Kroll, who you know from Friendship and Kroll Show, Jill Soloway from Transparent, and David Harbour from Stranger Things and the upcoming Hellboy. Listen to John Levenstein's retirement party out now on Stitcher Premium.

Go to stitcherpremium.com slash levenstein and use promo code REM for a free month of listening. Sidewinder sleeps tonight. From the previous record, Automatic for the Poopole. We're here. We're going to be talking about the Poopole. Did you say Automatic for the Poopole? I don't know what I said.

So let's get to it. By the way, April, you are the person when we were up in portland we talked about this in a previous episode watching uh the three members of rem uh reunite and sing uh with various singers uh i was like oh i should take pictures of this and send it to april i i don't know why i hadn't thought about it i don't know why i haven't like asked if you wanted to come or whatever but i was like oh i should send this to April, and you were freaking out. I was legit freaking out. Our text chain was like, what are you doing?

Where are you? I'm at the improv, but I'll be there in five minutes. Yeah, because I was doing a show. I was about to be like, I'm just going to skip out on the stage time and go immediately wherever you are. Yeah. Yeah. It was great.

It was great. Okay, so let's talk about, and I got to say this is scary. Monster? I know, it's a scary title for an album. Scary, it's frightening to me. I almost didn't want to do this episode, quite frankly. Because you were so scared? I'm so fucking scared of this, but here it is.

Okay, so it's Monster. Sorry, Scott. Album comes out September 27, 1994, a scant two years after their previous record, Automatic for the People, which was, at this point, they were putting out records every single year, but it's a pretty quick turnaround

because they didn't tour. Out of Time and Automatic for the People were one-two punch, one right after the other, and they were huge. Huge. But also both pretty mellow acoustic-based records. Acoustic-y albums.

So what are they going to do? Let me ask you both. What were you doing in September of 1994? What were you up to? April. I was in 10th grade. Mm-hmm. Right?

Yeah. Okay. I was in 10th grade. So what courses were you taking? I'm in my bedroom listening to REM all the time and never doing any coursework. Right. That's what I'm doing. So excited for Monster coming out. So excited. Especially because I knew they were going to tour. So I was like, oh my God, finally, I'm going to be able to see these dudes. And you loved Automatic for the people. Loved it. And so you're excited for Monster. Adam, what are you doing? You don't have cable.

I don't have cable. I'm living in the middle of scorching hot Hollywood without air conditioning. Are you comfortable saying where? I'm on the street from Gelson's on Franklin. Oh, really? Directly across the street. Oh, okay. In the movie Swingers.

In the Scientology Celebrity Center? Well, the building adjacent to that. A little east of that. Just gray apartment building in the movie Swingers. You can see a bed sheet

in my window as my, was my, You had a bed sheet in your window for your curtains and they actually film it and it's in the movie Swingers?

Well, an establishing shot of the building. Oh, that's amazing. You can see my green bed sheet in my window. Was that in honor of the album Green?

Yes. So, the new album green bed sheet in my window. Was that in honor of the album Green? Yes. So the new album coming out was a huge deal for me and for my group of friends. We were just waiting for it to come out and tried everything we could to get an advanced

copy of it. Called Warner Brothers. Totally. Pretended we were press people. We gotta get a copy of this and eventually we did get an advanced cassette of Monster how much did it make before it came out by saying that you were

a music industry person no I think it ended up being my friend Steve Hall had a friend of a friend that worked at Warner Brothers or something and someone was able to get a critics cassette that they would pass out

to media. When you would be in a used record store and you would be I would always be looking through the no matter if I had all their records or whatever I would look at my favorite bands and be like is there anything new here? And if you ever saw like the great gold stamp on something, promotional copy, not for sale,

and it was like two weeks early, like, oh, the new record. It would be so exciting. And there was a point where on eBay, people would get them and sell them. And I would buy like the new Depeche Mode two weeks early, you know, and just have it early. It's so exciting. Actually, before it came out, they were recording at Ocean Way, which used to be down on Sunset. I don't know if it's still there. And my friends and I, my friend Steve worked at a coffee shop on Sunset.

So we did this a few times. We snuck into the Spirit Awards like this once. We just put on the green aprons from the coffee shop, made a bunch of coffees, put them in the drink holders, and would just show up places and say, we're here to deliver the coffee. Oh, so good. And we just walked right in the Spirit Awards down the red carpet and went and sat up in the balcony and watched the Spirit Awards once when we were like 20 years old.

Did you ever think like, wow, in a few years, I'm going to be nominated for a spirit award. Yeah, that's exactly what I thought. Were you nominated for a spirit award? I was. Which one? Uh, the,

the best actor award. You? That's right. For what movie? Vicious Kind. I didn't even see that. I got to check it out. Would you say that's your best acting?

I, I, no. Did you guys cover, by the way, in the, in the green episode, forgive me if you did, but did it blow your mind too when you got it and you tilted it a certain way and the R's became fours? I don't know, but yes, it did. It blew my mind.

It freaked me. I don't know what you're talking about. The cover of green, the R for green and REM, if you hold it in the light a certain way, you see a translucent four over the R's. That's why on the track list on this other side where track four is track R. Right, right. And I remember when we were shooting the drive video, I was an extra in the drive video. That's crazy.

And he was up on a ladder with a bullhorn just answering questions when they were setting up different shots. And someone said, what does the R and the four mean on green? What does that mean? And he goes, it means fuck you. No! I read later that it meant, like, when he was typing the lyrics, like the 4 and the R keys were broken on his typewriter or something. Oh, right, right.

They're right next to each other, too. But also could mean fuck you. No, I mean, I think he was just shutting the person down. But that was the coolest thing to discover. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But wait, we brought coffees to Ocean Way while they were recording, and there was a door open on the side of the studio, and I remember standing there with coffee, peeking in,

and I could see them at a mixing board kind of standing around, and you couldn't totally see anyone, but I could tell, like, it was Mike Mills and then Scott Litt, and they were playing backing tracks from what ended up being What's the Frequency, Kenneth, because I remember hearing the Tremolo guitar, and I was like, what is this music? Because it didn't sound anything like what they've been doing lately.

It sounded fast and hard to get. And you were like, this is not good. I'm no longer a fan. No, not me. And Microwave came out and he was super nice to us. He's like, oh, coffee. I don't think we ordered this. Thanks.

But we couldn't really get it. That is such a pro move, though. I love that. That's good. Wow. I was in Azusa, California. I had moved back from Milwaukee. I think we talked about it on one of our previous episodes. So. I was in Azusa, California. I had moved back from Milwaukee. I think we talked about it on one of our previous episodes.

So you were still in school? No. I graduated. I had moved out to Milwaukee to live with a girlfriend who I was there on Halloween. And November 1st, she said, I'm not in love with you anymore. Please leave. That's fine. So at the end of 93, I was back by Christmas.

And so then I worked for six months at the Olive Garden in Orange County where such good memories of learning Kurt Cobain died there and O.J. Simpson driving his Jeep or whatever it was right by it. Crazy time. Jeep or whatever it was right by it. And me listening to the chase, the Bronco chase in the walk-in refrigerator because they were piping in the radio coverage of it. But then after six months, and I was taking the bus. I didn't have a car, similar to you. So I had to take the bus there.

I had to take three buses to get to work. And then, weirdly, I won a bunch of money in Vegas and bought a car. Really? Playing blackjack. And I used to be good at blackjack. And so I would like sometimes come back with like, you know, 2,500 bucks or something.

Whoa. So I bought a car and then my friend said to me like, hey, if you're looking to move out of your – because I was living with my parents. like, hey, if you're looking to move out of your because I was living with my parents. If you're looking to move, my buddy has a condo in Azusa that's like super cheap and it's good and Azusa is a little far away, but

it's super cheap. So I'm like, all right, buddy, let's be roommates. So Azusa, for those of you listening who don't know where it is, it's very east of Hollywood. It's like 35 minutes. It was a 35 minute drive so i got a job at uh uh chinchin in north hollywood and i would drive 35 minutes to and from jesus and let me tell you the kitchen the sink didn't work and the dishwasher didn't work so i had to eat out every

meal which is expensive which is expensive every meal i'm is expensive. Which is expensive. Every meal I'm going, I'm getting a pizza or I'm getting, you know, Carl's Jr. or something like that. And it's, I found out later, it's not even cheap. Like, once I started pricing rent out,

it was like $250 for my room, you know, at the time, you know, and then I ended up just moving into the Valley for, you know, $310, you know what I mean? So your friend

was providing you with nothing. Pretty much, although he's a good guy. But it was, and anyway. Sounds like a scammer to me. Yeah. So I'm out there in the middle of Azusa, and I have very vivid memories of, I would watch MTV all day, every day. I watched the third season of The Real World was out, and that's how I got into the real,

very into the real world. And I just watched MTV all day, every day, MTV News, you know, at the 50. MTV was it. Yeah, absolutely. The 55 minute mark every single hour or whatever and they played What's the Frequency, Kenneth, a lot and so I had not listened to Automatic for the People,

had given up on REM and I'm like, oh, this is kind of a good song. Yeah. And did not like the Elvis outfits. That was my main takeaway. I was like, what's going on with this fucking Elvis outfit? I just imagined like- It was Graham Parsons outfits.

Those are nudie suits. Yeah. I just imagined like, band meeting, guys. Look at what I'm wearing. I'm into them. I made three of these. Me too. I'm into them.

It's not Elvis. It's Graham Parsons. I know. Nudie suits. I know. of these. Me too. It's not Elvis. It's Graham Parsons nudie suits. I know. But wait, when did you check out, like you didn't like

Automag for the People? No, I didn't buy it. Oh, okay. You checked out like around Document. I checked out after Green. Oh, okay. I checked out after Green.

Okay. I did not buy another R.E.M. album. Okay. Until this podcast. Okay. Until yesterday when I bought Monster. I'm hearing these

for the first time. So I have listened to Monster a good dozen times since our last episode. So I'm ready to talk about it. So you guys ready to talk about it? Yeah. All right. This is the first track off of Monster. This is the aforementioned What Is That Frequency?

Canon. First single. What's a frequency cat at the shop in South Train? I was framed and locked out, no, not up to speak I thought I picked you, it even strained Tied of action from me, a silent scream I never understood, nothing could save a love All right. What's the frequency, Kenneth? This is also when Michael Stipe started wearing star T-shirts exclusively.

Yes, and shaved his head. Yes. This was the beginning of him shaving his head. Which, by the way, you know what else we didn't talk about for Automatic for the People? Is the whole kind of rumor Michael Stipe has AIDS, which is out there. Which was a terrible thing. Because they weren't touring and because he shaved his head because he hadn't shaved his head until monster right but he was like losing his

yeah he was like balding closely cropped yeah and he was very skinny he still is very skinny yeah the rumor got out there of oh michael stipe is dying also the other reason was freddie mercury had just died of AIDS. Yeah. And Automatic for the People was about death. About death. Yes. So it all combined, and I read that it was one journalist in England who kind of like wrote an article saying like,

well, maybe this is the case or something like that. And the rumor just kind of picked up steam. And I thought that he had a great kind of response to it because he didn't come out and go like, no, I don't have AIDS. I'm, you know, he just was like, my sexuality is my business. Yeah. There's that clip in the MTV documentary about like whether I suck dick or whether I suck pussy. Yeah. Well, the monster is kind of the first time we even started talking about any of that,

about being gay and stuff. Like, he never really said anything. And then finally a monster, he's like, yeah, I'm queer. What's up? Yeah. Yeah. So. And in 1994, that was a big deal.

Totally. That was before people were really doing that. What's weird, though, is I remember because of the Freddie Mercury thing, he held it so close to the vest until like the day before he died. You thought it might've been a bigger deal, but at the same time, maybe because it was music or something, I think everyone just kind of went like,

oh, okay. Yeah. I don't remember any backlash. It was really weird that he was so closeted. And I think Michael Stipe's thing also was, I don't want to stigmatize those who do have AIDS. Yes. That's exactly what it is. It was such don't want to stigmatize those who do have AIDS that's exactly what it is

it was such a classy response to it where it was like oh that's perfect you're not coming out and saying like denying it because AIDS is weird or bad or people who do it it was great so this song coming out after these two kind of acoustic based folky

records and this video especially being the first time a lot of us see or hear the song, it's so expertly done because it's after Octoon Baby, it's a band really taking a sharp left turn, and the way that the video is directed and shot, it's so perfect because you don't see any of their faces at first. They're out of focus. Yeah, you don't even see. It's just from the The first, like, until the chorus. They're out of focus. Yeah, you don't even see.

It's just from, like, the neck down. Yeah, and then you see the back of his head. It's like, who has a shaved head? And then the chorus happens. It explodes. You see him in his full, like, new, and all of them, he had the star T-shirt. They all had. Were they wearing sunglasses or something?

He wasn't, but I think Mike Mills was. They all had their, like like costumes for the Monster album and tour that they wore and everything. It was like a more glam approach. Yeah. The album artwork,

by the way, is some of their best artwork, I think. Yeah, Chris Bellheimer. Chris Bellheimer did a great job with that. This is like,

in my mind, this is the start of sort of modern later period R.E.M. with this type of artwork and their look and all this kind of stuff, you know, and their sound. They're certainly changing it up and remaking their image in a bit. Well, like a pitcher in a baseball game.

It's like, you know what? I could throw a strike, strike, strike, strike, fastball, fastball, fastball. Knuckleball. Let's change it up. Let's throw a knuckleball. When this song came out, I had just, like, I had a button machine and I had. What does that mean? I've made one-inch buttons.

Please explain that. I got a machine that makes buttons. made one inch buttons please explain that like I thought you meant a machine that had a button on it that did something interesting I just press it and then but no I made one inch buttons and I was like way into my DIY like I'm gonna make everything and I learned how to silkscreen ah and like I was in that period for a while with my friend's band that got me into U2 they were called called The Innocents. And I was going to learn how to silkscreen and I was going to make their official t-shirts. They played four gigs.

But I was going to be their guy. I taught myself how to do that and so the first thing that I made is I got a t-shirt that was really bright green and I just silkscreened the words violent green on it. And just wore it to school and people would be like, what does that mean? And I'd be like, you don't know, whatever. It was like

my coolness test of how do you not know? That's a great way to meet friends. You don't know that you suck. Don't talk to me. So what's the frequency, Kenneth? Also based on what the person who assaulted Ted Koppel. Dan Rather.

Sorry, Dan Rather. Same thing. Same guy. Who the fuck cares? They're all going to be dead soon anyway. Jesus. We all are. Like, who cares? Adam Scott, Scott Augerby, who cares about our names?

So Dan Rather gets mugged in Central Park. Gets mugged by a crazy person, or I don't mean to stigmatize the mentally ill, but someone who's having some problems and this person is asking him what's the frequency, Kenneth? As they beat the shit out of him. As they beat the shit out of him. Which was,

there's a previous song that mentions what's the frequency, Kenneth. Isn't there? Before this? This isn't the first time in a song it's been mentioned. Oh, I don't know. I heard one the other day

that I was like, oh, this predated what's the frequency, Kenneth? Anyway, but that was what it, and so it's almost like a U2 doing Octoon Baby kind of like, hey, we're flirting with irony and pop culture. Yeah. And not, our last album was so sincere. And like intersected. This is us like kind of like doing rock in quotes.

This is us kind of doing rock, in quotes. Yeah, I think sincerity is kind of key, and Everybody Hurts being this really earnest, kind of hard-on-your-sleeve thing. Hard-on. Harden sleeve. Hard-on-on-your-sleeve. They decided to go in an ironic direction. So what do you think of this song?

This is one of my favorite of their singles. This is a great classic R.E.M. This is one of the songs I knew. I've always liked it. I liked it when it came out, not enough to get the album, but I was like, oh, this is interesting, and I liked the tremolo effect and all that. Yeah, it's incredibly catchy.

By the way, people don't know what a tremolo effect, Kevin, Chef Kevin, what turns us up and down here? Like all our mics here? Like this one? Okay, so a tremolo, what turns us up and down here? Like all our mics here. Like this one? Okay, so a tremolo, what it basically is. Oh, I called it tremolo earlier. It may be. I've always said tremolo, but I don't know.

I could be wrong. Either of us could be wrong. Whoever wants to say this word in here. But what it is is it's a setting on an amplifier basically that turns the sound up and down rapidly. So I'm just going to do a note at one level, and I'll show what it sounds like. It's like, ah. Yeah, it sounds just like that.

It's great. So that's what it is. That's amazing. So, April, what do you think about this? I love it. It's not my favorite single from the album, but I definitely. Ooh, that's a tease. Can't wait. But I do love it, and I remember like you describing the video was such a visceral like i've

distinctly remember being like oh my god this is a video i watched a lot because it was always on mtv and i was always watching that or the oj trial yeah yeah did you watch it recently no but i just remember it it's fun to to watch that recently not my favorite video from this photographic memory i told you that's right um and and as we know videos are approximately 25.97 photographs per second so that's true yeah all right uh this is track two trick of the human eye uh and i a human want to get to track two this is by the way the head side of the human eye. And I, a human, want to get to track two. This is, by the way, the head side of the record. Side one, track two.

This is Crush With Eyeliner. I know you I know you've seen her She's a sad tomato She's three miles up that road Walking down the street Will I never meet her? She's a real woman's child Oh, my kiss, breath, and time All right. Crushed with Eyeliner.

That's my favorite. That is. Yeah. Two words that are... That was my guess. Yeah, it's the best. Two words that are kind of poppy and glammy, like Crushed Velvet in a way with eyeliner. I call this one, oh, you're sticking with the tremolo effect?

Rust velvet in a way with eyeliner. I call this one, oh, you're sticking with the tremolo effect? Yeah, they sure kind of open up with it and then keep opening up with it. They're like, hey, guess what we have for this song? Guess what new pedal I have, says Peter Buck. It reminds me of my friend had an amplifier with that effect on it. He was my roommate. And I would borrow his amp and play. He had he was my roommate and i would borrow his amp and play he had a guitar too and i would borrow his guitar and amp and once i discovered that effect i was like oh this is a lot like um this is a lot like fuck the smiths uh uh i'm human

and oh how soon is now how soon is now god why am i blanking on this because i'm in rem yeah but i was like oh this is like how so so I would just play How Soon Is Now or these chords over and over to a point where he was like, can you fucking cut it out? Or learn another song. Yeah, and I sort of feel like him. I like that it's the,

he picks the chord and he keeps the tremolo or. Let's say both each time. Tremolo, tremolo. Tremolo, tremolo. Tremolo, tremolo going through the entire song. I love it. I love this song too. I actually do like this song.

I like it a lot. I was surprised that it sounds, it's produced exactly the same. Yeah. And they didn't like put something in between them or something? No, keep that train rolling. I got the seven inch of this and it was on pink vinyl and it came with a calendar.

Whoa, what year? The future? 90. What if it was like time travelers? 2017. I used it last year. But a good song I like the melody

and that's Thurston Moore at the chorus kind of saying the real thing along with them he's Thurston yeah I love

and the video the Spike Jones video is great I remember I recorded it on VHS and played it for whoever would come over

oh I did the same thing did people like you? and like forced me neither I will say the one thing I would come over. Oh, I did the same thing constantly and like forced. Me neither. I will say the one thing I didn't like about it is I did read at the time that the rumor was it was about Courtney Love and I hated Courtney Love. I remember. So I was real mad about that.

Interesting. Now, one thing... Three miles of bad road. Yeah. One thing we should bring up about this record is in between the previous record and this record, Michael Stipe was friends with both Kurt Cobain and River Phoenix and they both passed away prior to this record. And so some of the things are dedicated to them both. Yeah, that was because I would go into the school library and read like Rolling Stone and Spin and stuff. And this is when I remember reading

Go to a liquor store and just read it there. Go to a liquor there aren't any liquor stores around. That's where I would read my magazines. Yeah.

I read them at Gelson's across the street from my apartment. Yeah I remember reading It was not Gelson's it was the Mayfair Market. It was Mayfair Market. I remember reading

in more than one thing that Nirvana that Kurt Cobain his favorite band was R.E.M rem that he was like super into them they developed a friendship as i read it michael stipend was um very uh appreciative that someone like kirk cobain who is kind of ushering in a new genre of music was so

complimentary to him and they they struck up a friendship because of it but then i as a 15 year old then also read that thing you know the rumor which I guess is now true because I saw a picture of it in the documentary where Courtney Love made a list of like how to get famous. And on the list was befriend Michael Seip. Yeah, yeah. And I just remember being like, I have that on my list. Yeah, is it that much? I can't make it happen. Is it that much different than what you were doing?

I'm like, why can't I be friends with this guy? Yeah. So I was just jealous. When this album came out, Kurt Cobain had only died like five months early. It's different than what you were doing. I'm like, why can't I be friends with this guy? Yeah. So I was just jealous. When this album came out, Kurt Cobain had only died like five months earlier. That's the thing is he died previously in 1994. I was at the Olive Garden. In April, yeah, yeah.

And, you know, yeah, everyone's just shook by this. And, yeah, the album's dedicated to River Phoenix, but then, of course, there's the song about Kurt Cobain. Which one is that, by the way? Let Me In. Let Me In. All right, bring it up when it comes up. All right, this is track three. This is King of Comedy. By the way, a great film.

Yeah. Wonderful film. No, it's not. All right, here we go. King of Comedy. Make your money with a student's eye. Make your money with true denial. Here we go. King of comedy. The power fly. Make your money with the power fly. Make it fly. As long as you need it.

I'm not kidding. I'm ready. At least I never get to scream. All right. Have we not mentioned, by the way, it kind of bums me out, that there has to be some sort of Guinness record for most sold back. Go to any used CD store and it's just a sea of orange. You could pave the streets of entire cities with copies of

Monster. They shipped so many units of it thinking it was going to be huge and then so many people sold it back. I mean, it was huge. It sold huge, but then people sold them back a year later or whatever. That one sounds to me, what do you guys think of it?

What do you think before I talk about it? It's it's the diciest uh song on the album i will say it's very much very much of the time andrew dice clay is yes um hickory dickory dickory dock for me the the it's a little too directly addressing like fame and all that stuff which I find not the most interesting subject matter at the time though that's all you wanted yeah that's all I wanted and you were like what it's gonna be bad I don't know

maybe I shouldn't act in that movie what was it that you got nominated for Vicious Kind yeah I don't know what do you think I don't dislike it as much as you guys do how do you Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. What do you think? I don't dislike it as much as you guys do. How do you know I dislike it? I didn't say anything.

I could tell by your face. I think it sounds a little dated to me. Yeah. It's the only thing that sounds dated. A, it sounds, it actually sounds, and it's pre-garbage, but it sounds like a Garbage or Republica song a little bit. And then you have those like Zoo Station. It seems to have a Butch Vig touch.

It sounds a little like, hey, we're being you two. I don't know. And then the bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, b. But you like it. Yeah, I mean, it's not my favorite, but I don't. Yeah, you guys are blowing my mind a little bit because it's not my least favorite on the. Oh, it's not. It's not my least favorite either. Okay. I think that when I went back and was listening to Monster a few weeks ago. Oh, my God.

Sorry. I'm sorry. I keep saying that word. God. I didn't dislike it because I was like, ooh, King of Comedy. I haven't listened to King of Comedy in a few years and braced myself. And I didn't think it was as kind of dated as I thought it was going to be. But I think it's the diciest of the record for me.

Okay. This is track four. April was talking about it. They played it on Saturday Night Live this is I Don't Sleep comma

I Dream I Don't Sleep I'm looking for an interruption Do you believe? You look into my dreams Be prepared for anything You come into my little scene Hooray, hooray, hooray, hooray

There's one thing I can guarantee You won't have to do To dig to your deep self Leave me in the lake Touch me deep I don't sleep at night I set up for a cup of coffee All right. You know, it's so funny how you have such,

like when I hear that now, I remember having to jump up to press record. I didn't know they were going to get to play a third song. And I was like, what? And I had to jump up to press record on the VCR. And he was wearing those silver pants. And I was like, oh, my God. I can't believe I get to see a third song.

And it was that. I think that song rules. I love it. It kind of sounds like The Great Beyond in a way when it first starts. Yeah, totally. It's like sort of predates The Great Beyond. And I Don't Sleep, I Dream is a lyric from Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. Oh, yeah.

I like the melody of it a lot. Yeah, I like the song, too. I don't sleep, I dream. I like how minimal it is, how kind of Velvet Underground-y. It never goes, it never gets huge production-wise. They're not overdoing it on the... The tremolo? Tremolo, tremolo.

That doesn't bother, the tremolo in the first two songs doesn't really bother me. At this point, I'm surprised by it. Like, okay, you're doing this, but I'm not bothered by it yet. Yeah, I like that song. It's not my favorite, but I've always liked that song. By the way, should we mention he's doing a lot of these songs in character? He's sort of playing characters, almost like McFisto in a way. That's something he would lie on his back on a couch during the recording and sort of ad-lib and figure out the melodies.

And a lot of the lyrics are not as himself supposedly, but they're sort of as characters. He kind of said that for every album. Yeah, that's true. He's a liar. All right. This is track five, star 69. What you did is ignorant and swan of greed When I get high, you don't have up to me And all there's to be is a friend, I was there telling you that

Extortion, arson, bad and larsen me This is a fun... This is fun. I mean, it's unfortunate when your song's named after a thing that kind of, like, doesn't exist anymore, that no one ever does anymore. But I thought, I mean, to me... Like the phonograph song? Yeah, yeah, exactly.

I love this song. I do, too. But I will say, as hardcore as a fan as I am, it's definitely one of the songs where I can't pretend like I know the lyrics. Like, I'm like... I know you called... I know the three people have my number and the other two are with me. Yeah, I know that part't pretend like I know the lyrics. Like I'm like, I know you called. I know the three people have my number and the other two are with me. Yeah, I know that part too.

I know that line. But other than that, I just fake it every time. It's a hard one to know the lyrics to. I feel like it's the song that could have, the album could have been better if they did more songs like it. Does that make sense? Sure. Like I feel like it's a fun little trifle. Like it's a fun, catchy rock song. Yeah, the production style isn't like it was back that make sense? Sure. Like, I feel like it's a fun little trifle. Like, it's a fun, catchy rock song.

Yeah, the production style isn't like it was back in the Mitch Easter days. Yeah, yeah. You know, they're not doing the jangle stuff. But it sounds like it's live. It sounds fun.

It's like, oh, wow, this would be fun to see it in concert. You know, so when I hear it, I'm like, you know, I don't think it's my favorite song I've ever heard, but... Yeah, I like that song.

You know, that would be the Batman theme song. Uh-huh. Sure. Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na if you missed a call and you're like, oh, fuck, I didn't get to the phone in time, you pressed star, then six, nine on your phone, and it would call back whoever just called you, or if someone weird called you. Yeah, I was not a fan of it,

because you couldn't prank people anymore. No pranking. But there was a thing you could do to disable star 67. Star 67. Is that what it was? I thought it was star 70. Because that still works now. You can do it with cell phones. So star 69 is a thing still?

I don't know if that is, but star 67 is. Oh, it is. It'll make it say private number when you call somebody. But I just liked he had put 69 in there, man. Yeah. Because he's talking about fucking. We know what he's really talking about. And I'm just like, I'd like to fucking star 69.

Let's do this. That was many years away for me at this point. This is the. 69-ing specifically? Yes. Oh, I was fucking all the time the 69ing constantly

this is the last song on side one this is Strange Currencies I don't know why you mean to me When I call on the telephone I don't know what you mean to me

But I want to turn you on Turn you up, figure you out And I want to take you on These words You will be mine These words You will be mine All the time

The fool might be mine All right, what do we think about this? I have to say that's my least favorite song on it. Really? Isn't that crazy? Because for me, and it's wild because I think it's this album's like country feedback

and country feedback I love. But this one is too stream, like I don't know, there's something about it where I just remember always fast forwarding it after I listened to it. Strange Currencies?

Yeah, isn't that weird? Wow. You'd fast forward and not skip? Well, I had the tape. Wow. I had the tape. This is before I started, yeah, before I started buying CDs.

This is my favorite song on the record Me Too really I was hashtag Me Too we finally agree on something I thought you were gonna make fun of this

I will say the first time I heard it I we had just done the Automatic for the People record and I think that was fresh on my mind and I was like

oh this is Everybody Hurts right cause it's in 6-8 time right same as Everybody Hurts right because it's in 6-8 time right same as Everybody Hurts that ding ding ding ding ding ding ding and I've listened to the record a dozen times now

and every time I hear this one I'm glad I'm hearing it and it is the one that seems most sincere in a way it is like it's the one where the lyrics are seem like they're coming right from see that's kind of why i don't uh this part of the body the the the lungs the lungs yeah yeah he's like got enough air air and breath

support pancreas yeah no i don't know i just strangely enough not the first time i heard it the first time i heard the record i was kind of like maybe had a different favorite but now that i listened to it a dozen times this is my favorite see that's funny you described why i think it doesn't fit in like to me this record was all artifice it times, this is my favorite on record. See, that's funny. You described why I think it doesn't fit in. Like, to me, this record was all artifice. It was like, this is going to be our slick, shiny rock record, and that didn't fit into me. I have an issue with that, I think, is maybe why I like this song better. Oh, okay.

I feel like if they mixed it up a bit and had a couple other super hard on the sleeve songs, maybe that would coalesce the record a little more. But this has always been, I think this is one of their best choruses. Would you put this on mixtapes? Yeah, the melody is incredible. It's amazing. It's almost like an old soul song with him pleading at the end.

Yeah, it's a torch song. And at the end yeah it's a torch song and at the end here here yeah i do love that kind of stuff where people leave in their voice cracking yeah i like that he's pleading it's just like plaintive uh almost like the plaintive wail of that dog at the O.J. Simpson house. Yeah. Bringing it back to 1994. This video, too, is a fun one to watch because you watch it and you're like, oh, these guys were fucking huge. Like you watch this video, the way they're photographed, it's like, oh, they're like giants of rock in 1995.

Interesting. Interesting. Interesting reaction. First of all, most interesting that Adam and I agree on something, but also interesting that you don't like something that I like. Yeah. Yeah, interesting. Okay, well, look, we need to take another break. Let's go extra long on this because I want to finish this record with you.

Okay. So let's take another break. We'll be right back with more Are You Talking R.E.M. Remix. This is track one of side two, the tail side, or track seven on the CD. This is Tongue on Monster.

Call my name Here I come Empty to nothing Watch me run You call I'm ashamed To see ugly girls with a heart Anybody can get left

In a room with a fire escape can get love you want to run with fire skin I want to tell you how much I hate this don't leave a star all

over me it pains me These Just being here I should Toss everything Okay, tongues. I love it.

At the time, I remember him singing in falsetto was really like, whoa, this is crazy. Yeah. Yeah, I like this song too. I think they released this as a single eventually. Yeah, they did. I also have a seven-inch of this. It's like orange vinyl.

Yeah. I was just looking at the release schedule for the singles. What's Frequency, Kenneth? was September 5th, 1994. Bang and Blame was January 10th, 1995. Strange Currencies, April 18th, 1995. Crush with Eyeliner, August 15th. Tongue, October 30th.

They were so big, they were leaving like five months in between singles. I like this song a between singles. Yeah. I like this song a lot too. Yeah, it's good. The whole singing in falsetto thing. The one thing I sometimes think about this album is it's the first time R.E.M. is maybe like reacting to things. Like you two had done, you know, Zoropa,

Nocturne Baby, where, you know, singing in falsetto now exclusively instead of belting it out and some of the sounds and,

like, Nirvana was so popular, let's do a rock album. So the singing in falsetto is cool, but yeah, I think this is a great song. But you think it was a reaction

to Bono doing it? The whole artifice and irony and singing in falsetto and trying to do rock in quotes music seems a little like, hey, maybe we better do what you two did. I don't know if that's the thought process to me, but coming so soon after those when you two had to do that to save their career. I don't think you're wrong. I think that is part of it for sure. I think it's probably a combination of that and a combination of having those chill couple of albums in a row.

And music changed so much after Automatic for the people. I mean, it's Pearl Jam, Nirvana. Yes. Like these are the hugest bands in the world. Almost every big band had to suddenly do a reaction to that. Like heavy metal bands were doing this. But even from Out of Time to Automatic for the People, it was Pearl Jam and Nirvana. And you could hear the feedback come in on Try Not to Breathe.

And I remember hearing that being like, oh, shit, these guys are listening to Nirvana. But they were still doing their sound. They were still doing their thing. Right. I think you're right. I think U2, Nir shit, these guys are listening to Nirvana. But they were still doing their sounds. They were still doing their thing. Right. I think you're right. I think U2, Nirvana, it's all influenced

this album for sure and culture becoming this ironic, you know. Yeah, Letterman moved to CBS. Yeah, it was a whole irony

and enriched culture. Yeah, I think they were playing, I think it was a caricature, you know, he started wearing eyeliner and these silver pants and the nudie suits. And he became a superstar. We're doing was a caricature. He started wearing eyeliner and these silver pants

and the nudie suits. We're doing rock music. We're like, I'm a rock star now. Ha ha ha ha ha. But also they became the biggest band in the world sitting on stools playing folk songs. Right.

I kind of feel like people turned off of this album because it's like, no, no, no. That's not what we want. Not that it was inauthentic because i think their image and everything maybe other than the all the suits let's be honest where it was it's that authentic inauthenticity where it's like we know we're being opposing but i think i don't know that that's what people liked about our we talked about on the out of time record how I can only imagine I'd never listen to it, picking it up. The REM person who's like-

Oh, you didn't listen to it until the- Oh, okay. People loving Losing My Religion going, oh, I like this. I bet it's an whole album of this. And then it's so strange. Just real quick, how did you feel about it? I think some of it's great.

Of what? Out of Time, just having not listened to it until 2018. But Automag for the people, same thing. I was like, this is the R.E.M. album that people wanted. Yes. But the thing about Monster is it was a big album. They had huge hits. The tour was huge.

Sorry about scaring you there real quick. It's okay. Bang and Blame was a big hit. What's the Frequency, Kenneth, was a big hit. I think that when you saw the bins fill up with Monster, it wasn't until like a couple of years later. Sure. While this was happening, it was a big deal and people were into their irony thing. It was working for them.

As a person who was not invested in it, I sensed a backlash for it. Okay. I think eventually you're right. No, I think I sensed it when it came out of like, but I just watched. People did think What's the Frequency,

Kenneth, was the jam. Yeah. I just think they should, if they had followed it up with another Everybody Hurts or something, people would have been like,

yeah. But I just watched a monster show from like the middle of the tour on YouTube today and people were going crazy for like the middle of the tour on YouTube today and people were going crazy for like the album

tracks on this for like I took your name and stuff so I think people were into it I just don't think it lasted as long like I don't think that it was a little like you said like artifice and it was a little shallow on purpose and that doesn't last

let's talk about irony in general because i don't let's define it i don't know i don't think it's personally i'm not a fan you know if you're going to be in any art form an album podcasting you want to speak from the heart you don't want this fucking ironic detachment oh you're playing characters oh the host is a character of the podcast no no thanks no talk speak from the fucking heart or don't speak at all always alright glad I got that

off my vest um speaking of Bang and Blame this is uh the second single but track eight on the record

or two on side two tail side this is Bang and Blame do you know if motion waves what are you talking about are we still on yes i'm sorry Did you know if Ocean Waves... I think it is still operating. Is it? I think.

Oh, cool. Glad I got that off my vest. Of course. Okay, what do we think about this? This is, by the way, the only other song I knew on the record. Oh, really? Yes. How do you feel about it?

Because this is a big hit at this time. This is a pretty big hit, yeah. Do you like it? I do. I think the use of the tremolo is very inventive on this track because it's a slow song and it's doing it on the beat of as an effect. I think it really works in this of like oh it's not just an effect you're using to make it sound more rock it's like an

integral part of the um construction of the song and i've always thought this is the jam i think it's good yeah it's great i remember being slightly scandalized because it's the first overt like this album is when Michael Stipe's like overtly singing about sex and stuff like he had never been so yeah like the lyrics in this

of like the cock feels good when you touch it yeah that's like I was scandalized and the stuff about the veins and stuff

I was like wow it's like too much vein talk but I no I love it but I just remember being like okay you guys do it. Yeah.

They don't spell it out that much in any previous, you know what I mean? Yeah. In any previous song. I think this is my least favorite song on the album. Whoa, interesting. Why do you not like it? I just never loved the song. First of all, it's five and a half minutes.

I don't think it needs to be. Sure. It's only five and a half because they include that little bit at the end. Oh, yeah, that like funky breakdown part. Oh, you're right, you're right. Okay, I looked at the track listing here, and it sounded weird that it was five and a half minutes. It's probably five.

It's probably a good five. Something. It's a little long. It just always felt a little lazy or something. Like there's not a ton to it. Well, it's got an onomatopoeic song in it, It just always felt a little lazy or something. Like there's not a ton to it. Well, it's got an onomatopoeic song in it or word in it in the title. Bang.

Bang, yes. You know, which is scary sometimes because I hear it and it's like, what, monster? Don't shoot. It was just never one of my, like it sounded cool the first couple times, but then I feel it's like ankle deep. It's a little – I don't know. It's one I return to.

I like it. That's cool. I like it. I like it. Was it on there in time? Was it on that one best of thing? Probably. I don't think it was actually.

Maybe not. I think only What's the Frequency, Kenneth. Yeah. I don't think it was. By the way, speaking of What's the Frequency Kenneth Yeah I don't think it was By the way Speaking of What's the Frequency Kenneth Chef Kevin over here alerted to me

to the song that I was thinking of it's by the band Game Theory it's Kenneth What's the Frequency which is what

which is the more exact quote Got it and it was produced by Mitch Easter producer of all of the early R.E.M. albums. That's right. And the other thing we didn't talk about in What's the Frequency, Kenneth, is the beat at the end slightly slows down.

The band kind of slows down almost in that end of Losing Your Religion thing where it goes, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, and the band just naturally slows down. it goes dun dun dun dun dun and the band just naturally slows down uh-huh uh they were not supposed to do that but uh uh mike malz uh had a heart murmur or something happen while they were recording it and so the and he slowed down and the band naturally just followed his lead and slowed down and that's why it's that way on On What's the Frequency Cannon? Yes. Okay. Sorry, did I not say that? No, no, you did. I was just, that's interesting. Really? Why are you frowning and giving me the thumbs down?

We had already talked about that. So I was trying to make it sound like I was hearing it for the first time by saying that's interesting. I want to nominate you for an Independent Spirit Award for that performance. Talking about that in time thing, do you like that version of Leave that's on it as much as I do? That like super shut down version of Leave.

Is it about life less ordinary, right? Is it about making like a tree? I only have it. No one's listening to me anymore. They're just... The B-side collection. This is real fan to real fan. The one that's the second disc on that in time thing. I love it. They're just the B-side collection. This is real fan to real fan. The one that's the second disc

on that in time thing. I love it. I think that they recorded that or Michael Stipe recorded it for Life Less Ordinary. Oh, okay.

But it was on the soundtrack it's credited only to him but then they put it on the soundtrack. I like that movie.

I don't have that soundtrack. I like that movie a lot. Has Danny Boyle made a bad movie? I don't think so. I was watching even Sun what's the one about the sun? That's awesome. Solaris. Not Solaris. The sunrise Has Danny Boyle made a bad movie? I don't think so. I was watching, even,

what's the one about the sun? That's awesome. Solaris. Not Solaris. The sunrise or sunlight or whatever. I watched that for the first time the other day. Sunshine, yeah. And I was like, this dude is just,

I mean, it's not the greatest movie I've ever seen, but I was like, he's fucking, even his like, okay movies are really good. He's great. Oh,

I never got that. I love film. All right. This is, I love films. The next, is it I that soundtrack. I love film. All right. This is... I love films. The next... Is it I Love Film or I Love Films? It depends.

There's two different podcasts. This is track nine. This is I Took Your Name. It's back. In a big way. I bought a closure hotel I took your name And there is some confusion I'll lose tonight

I signed your living will I smiled your face I'm ready to close the book on NASA and outer space And solve the future I'm used to it I'm used to it All right, I took your name. Call me by your name. Scott, what do you think of this?

Me? No. Calling her by my name. I like it. I mean, I think it's King of Comedy Part 2, kind of. But, like, I like it. The sequel. That would have been great if they had made King of Comedy Part 2.

Wait, you think that this sounds like King of Comedy? I kind of do, like, lyrically the delivery and everything to me yes but i like it i you know it's so hard to be it's hard to be constructive because with rem i just want to be like i love everything yeah but also specifically with this album because it's totally when i learned to drive 100 this cassette tape was in my mom's honda accord yeah like i it's so hard to be like, I don't like that, when it's like I listened to that a thousand times. I listened to this without stopping for like a full year. Yes, exactly.

But I mean, it's kind of, I like it. It's not my favorite. I don't hate it. It's a good song. This is the point in the album where I kind of think with a tremolo, tremolo. I knew it was going to get to you. First time is great.

Second time is annoying. Third time is a spanking. But you liked, but you liked the third time. I know, I know, but this, I guess what I mean to say is,

is that expression. This is the part where I'm like, guys, put it away, put it away. And like, let's get back to the business of making the record. This is where it starts to grate on me a little. I get it.

But I didn't mind it, I think, because to them it was the opposite of a mandolin. Right. They were like, this gives the whole album a flavor. Is that? Is that Justin Lin's wife? I just feel like they were like, what's the exact opposite of out of time? Yes. And it'll be this pedal.

No, I just, I guess for me, it's like when you hear a rock album, I don't, it's not like, okay, here's the deal. Like when a musician says, hey, that's why you make albums is like, this is an artistic statement front to back. So when a musician like Lou Reed with a blue mask or something says says like this is my rock album and the albums are going to be produced similarly or whatever totally i don't know what it is about the effect of the tremolo tremolo where i'm like i just can't hear a record of this like but it ends up only being four songs on an album of 12 we got kenneth've got Kenneth, Crush With Eyeliner. Bang and Blame. Yeah.

Bang and Blame and I Took Your Name. I feel like some of the next ones do too. I don't know. I think it's something that binds the album together and gives it an overall flavor. I know. It's crazy because it's like saying to Pete Townsend, you know, like, hey, man, enough with the feedback. Right, right, right.

That's what I think. But I don't know what it man, enough with the feedback. Right, right, right. That's what I think. But I don't know what it is. Okay, so anyway. Wait, wait, wait. I think this is a great song. I think it's one of the better

on the album. There's a reason they opened shows with it not only on this tour but all the way until they finished. I think on Accelerate they opened a lot of

shows with I will say I've never heard it not in the context of this album sequenced and I'm tired of this sound by track nine. Yeah, I get that. So if maybe if it was re-sequenced or it was the only song I heard,

I'd be like, oh, I like this one. It's a great song live. And I love that song. I think it's terrific. All right. Let's go to track 10. Let Me In. Let Me In. The promises you seek We hold out our hands with our hands to catch them We eat them up, drink them up

Yeah Yeah Yeah Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey

Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey I'll never say I can't Let me in Who wants to start? When you were in the 90s, did you ever listen to that and smoke cigarettes and think about Kurt Cobain? Oh, you were too young. No, I was straight edge.

To think about Kurt Cobain. So I never smoked or drank or anything. Are you still straight edge? I still am. I still have never had alcohol. So you got the X on your. That's cool. Got the X on your.

I don't have that. But yeah, so I didn't do that. But I did. Yeah, I knew that it was about Kurt Cobain. What do you think alcohol is like? Well, when I see people in my family participate, it doesn't seem fun. So that's, it makes you mean. So, but I'm, I mean, when I.

You're cool. You're cool. Like I'm just cool. Yeah. I just see you and mean, when I drink it. You're cool. You're cool. I'm just cool. Yeah, I just see you and go, that looks cool. I got wine coolers. I'm trying on rubbers. I can't. Spuds McKenzie.

I texted Scott the other day from a previous episode talking about himself at 12 or 13. 15. 15. Drinking wine coolers alone in his room, trying on rubbers. He's like, that's all I can think about you at 15. I was like, yeah, pretty accurate. Listen to the episode. Oh, God.

Got to try them on to see if they work. Yeah, of course. What do we think, guys? I like this song a lot. I think it's really pretty and sad and everything. And they recorded it, I think, with his guitar, right? Didn't they record the song with Kurt Cobain's guitar? Did they steal it in like an Ocean's Eleven-style heist?

They stole all of his guitars. And they played it acoustically on the Accelerate Tour, which is really pretty as well. Yeah, I like this song a lot. Yeah, I think I liked it more. Than? Yeah, because I knew the meaning behind pretty as well. Yeah, I like this song a lot. Yeah, I think I liked it more. Than? Yeah, because I knew the meaning behind it as well. Like this one was, as far as it being heartfelt, I was like, well, I know for a fact

that you guys wrote this for him. So I knew, does that mean, I mean, I knew where it was coming from. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love the melody. I find it very difficult to listen to. Because it's all this wash of electric guitar. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love the melody. I find it very difficult to listen to. Because it's all

this wash of electric guitar. Yes, exactly. I would like to hear that acoustic version. Yeah. Because I think it's a beautiful melody and I,

look, I like the idea of it if like, again, Lou Reed were to do it or something like that. Let me ask you this. Yeah.

What if they put a tremolo on it? Then would you be into it? Oh, baby. I love it when the organ comes in. It kind of mixes up well you should look up the

acoustic I'd like to hear the acoustic version because I really do like the melody and I've tried so hard and again

because I'm listening to the album in sequence I'm not just popping in on let me in I'm just like I'm getting a

headache honestly at the end of this record I've listened to it like five times in the last

24 hours and I'm starting to get a headache listening to this record um i've listened to it like five times in the last 24 hours and i'm starting to get a headache listening to this record okay this is circus envy this is the next one you Here comes that old being again Welcome, you lovely animal Hold my breath To watch you sleep I'm at the back Fallen chain

I'm out of breath I'm messed up Messed up Messed up Messed up I've got my telescope Here in the deep sky I'm feeling tired Of your dark What is this reminding me of?

It reminds me of Bang-a-Gong. That riff. Like Bang-1-Gong? Yeah. Like T-Rex or something. I prefer the power station. I do, actually. Me too.

I love that song. I think it rules. It was my favorite for a long time. Totally. And it made me revisit when I got live at the Olympia and they played it. Oh, isn't that great? And I was like, remember how rad this song is? And then I would go listen to it on repeat. Me too. When they played that live at the Olympia,

I was like, fuck yeah. Yes. I knew Accelerate was going to be good because of the songs they picked for that. Oh, right. I was like, oh yeah. You knew it was going to rock. Dude, Accelerate is so good. So is Collapse in a Now? We'll talk about it. It went out on a high note. Those records are great. So great. What do you think, Scott scott i like it is it also like by this point in the record you're like this is how with the electric guitar this is how i feel with this record i feel like it's like you

know how when your friend calls you up and is like hey do you want to go on a hike and you're like oh that'd be fun it'd be fun to hang out with my friends and go on a hike and get a little exercise and they take you to runyon canyon and then they're like oh this is a cool way to go it's it's maybe a little bit harder than the than the normal way uh but you'll be fine and then it's like so fucking steep and you're exhausted you haven't hiked in like three months you just want to hang out with your friend and you're you're going you're like you didn't bring water and you're just like god damn it guys what are you doing that's how I feel but so you love it

oh yeah I'm totally energized I've lost weight at the end pulled away from this album as a song I probably would like it but again I've never heard it

not in the context of the album so I I would like to to listen to it surrounded by some other songs and go like, oh, wow, this is cool or whatever. So do you feel like, and I'm starting, this is the first time I've really thought about this album in this way,

which is it's such a reaction to what they had built up with Out of Time and Automatic. Too far of a course, correct. That if they had taken those two records and taken some flavors from those and mixed it with a few songs in this flavor, they would have come up with something really balanced and extraordinary. And it would have been a classic and everyone would have loved it. Like, oh, wow, they're a little rock on half the record. But don't you think that's what they did with New Adventures and High Pops?

It is. I don't know. It really is. I haven't heard that record. Oh. I think that's why I love this album because it's so weird and it freaked people out. Sure. Totally.

All right. So this is the last song. I think that's why I love this album because it's so weird and it freaked people out. Sure, totally. All right, so this is the last song. And if you, you know, I mean, you have two of these, it makes a W, but this is the song You. There's only one of them? You. Cynhyrchu'r ffwrdd o'r ffwrdd. Cynhyrchu'r ffwrdd o'r ffwrdd. Cynhyrchu'r ffwrdd o'r ffwrdd. Cynhyrchu'r ffwrdd o'r ffwrdd. Cynhyrchu'r ffwrdd o'r ffwrdd. Cynhyrchu'r ffwrdd o'r ffwrdd.

Cynhyrchu'r ffwrdd o'r ffwrdd. I'll beat through the clouds I'll pet your fist, you on the mouth You're my childhood toys that you must ignore Smile I'll let you know if your syrup close to mine And I want you honey, you wouldn't mind And I want you like movies that you can't find I love you crazy, just keep on I love you, Natalie, just keep on

You are my left shoe, turn me on My attention's on, turn to you All right. That is you. What do you think, April? I love it. I think it's a great way to end it because it's like the perfect combination of the ballads, slower songs on the album. Like I just thought it was a great way to go out. And also I do love, again, I have a weird thing of loving when people leave in flaws.

Like his voice kind of cracks and he's like struggling to make that note. And I like love that they left that in and didn't do another take or something. Yeah. I love the building nature of the chorus. Totally. It's really pretty and kind of epic sounding. It was never my favorite song on the album

but I do appreciate and like it. Right. I think it's a nice little bow to tie it all together. What do you think, Scott? The opposite of everything we just said no no i technically again it's good i feel like it's this it's a good last song because i don't think you can follow it because it's so fucking exhausting like i i just like i don't know i i honestly i've listened to this record so much over the last week. Today, after I listened, I had a long car trip and I listened to it three times in a row. Yeah.

I had to listen to other music to figure out if I liked music anymore. Because these last four songs just really are very hard for me just like as a whole as a whole i think i would like i think i would like that technically like if this was a double album with these songs uh accompanied by something a little different yeah that's all or if or if i was listening to it on random shuffle and i heard this pop up, I'd be like, this is fucking rules. It's interesting. I think it's also a product of the time as well, because in 1994,

you put out something like after nevermind came out, you put out something and you have this thing. And if you're, you know, if you have like rock and roll credibility, you're going to have just, you have to have distortion at this point. Yeah.

Yeah. You know, I mean, it's like when thing. You have to have distortion at this point. Yeah, yeah. You know, I mean, it's like when Blur decided they were pavement in a way. Yes, yeah. But I still think there, like that music at that time was so strange of like, yeah, there was grunge and Motley Crue and all the hair bands had to adjust or whatever,

but there was still stuff like the Spin Doctors and Ska coming up that I think if they had stuck to just being REM, but I think they did. I mean, this album is a reaction to a lot of what was going on at the time, but the music itself that ended up being on the album is unlike anything else that was around at the time. Yeah.

Like it's to their credit. They're not doing grunge. Right. You know what I mean? They're like, we need to do a rock album. It's glam influence,, it's weird. To their credit, they're not doing grunge. Right. You know what I mean? They're like, we need to do a rock album. It's glam influence, but it doesn't sound like,

hey, we're doing our glam album. It sounds like this is their, it's a unique sound and this is their sound. Like, what's the frequency, Kenneth, has that big guitar, but the drum beat

is just weird. There's, I noticed the drum beat is like faded in the mix a lot of times. It's really. Like on Star 69, it's like. Yeah, yeah,. I know. It's really – Like on Star 69, it's like –

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's bizarre. I'm back here. You can't hear me. I'm playing drums. I don't want to wake the monster. Yeah. I think that – That's where they got the title is he was saying that. To their credit, they were the biggest band in the world,

and they put something this weird out there. It's kind of cool. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. All right. So Monster as a whole, what do we think about it? April, obviously, you're so close to this. Yeah, I mean, I love it. When you're young, you know.

It's one of those things where it being the soundtrack to so many times in high school, it's difficult for me to not love it. Yes, difficult for you to disengage. But I acknowledge that my own feelings are tied into it. I mean, it's not my favorite R.E. it. Yes. Difficult for you to disengage. But I acknowledge that my own feelings are tied into it. I mean, it's not my favorite R.E.M. album. But look,

that's what music's about though. Your feelings should be tied into it and you should have good feelings when you listen to it. You know what I mean? When it comes to rank,

if I were to rank their albums, this would be in the middle, middle to lower. Okay. Great. All right. Speaking of ranking, oh, Adam,

do you want to say what you think of Monster? Somewhat similar. I have so much, so many memories. Thinking of that bed sheet? I had a really, the bed sheet in the window

was, I was listening to this record. Cum splattered bed sheet. Oh God, it was miserable. And it was, like, if it's 100 degrees outside,

it was 107 in my apartment. Oh God, yeah. It was the. I splattered. Like if it's 100 degrees outside, it was 107 in my apartment. Oh, God, yeah. It was the worst. So there's that, and a tragic thing happened to my friends and I when this was – like there's a lot of memories associated with this, and that it's like, Scott, what you're reacting to, it's this one really – this one sort of – the album is this one thing, which is an interesting thing about it. But within that one thing, they wrote some extraordinary songs and technically did some incredible things. So I think it's a huge technical achievement, and I love a lot of the songs. There's just Bang and Blame and King of Comedy for me are the ones that I'm not crazy about.

But everything else on it, I love. All right. Well, before we get to— Was that long enough of a— I like it. No, it was great. I like hearing what you think. Before we get to the ranking, I mentioned ranking.

You have ranked your top 10 R.E.M. songs. I'm sad here. I mentioned ranking. You have ranked your top 10 R.E.M. songs. I'm sat here. Before we get to it, they did not have any B-sides that were not just live versions of songs, which is very interesting. Yeah. They just put out the album, and that was it.

Other than, here's one song that they put out on Beat the Retreat, which is the Richard Thompson cover record. This is Wall of Death. I love this. This was maybe more around Adventures in Hi-Fi time. I feel like it came out this year. This was a B-side of Ippo the Letter. But I feel like I thought this tribute record came out this year, though. It was a B-side. Well, either way

this is a great cover let me ride on the wall of death but you know what they did release on the singles for this they released

three songs at a time that Greenpeace show oh yeah on the other side this is the news to me in a lie let me take my chances on the wall of death. Cool song.

I like it. I'm sorry if I messed up and it should be with the next one, but, you know, I don't know. I'm going by years in my iTunes. Who cares, bro? Who cares? All right, let's get to it. So let's talk about your favorite.

All right. Top ten. Top ten. And I'll try to play them. I'll try to find them and-all. Top 10. Top 10. And I'll try to play and I'll try to find them and play them. Starting with 10. Oh, counting up to number one.

Please don't go out of order. All right. Number 10, All the Best. Wait a minute, what's that? From Collapse into Now. Now, did you know

when you heard all of them? I didn't know when I heard it. I didn't. I did. You did? You were like, this has been telling us.

I even went on the message board and I was like, guys, are they breaking up? Because I didn't at the time. And then when I went back and listened to it, I'm like, guys, are they breaking up? Because I didn't at the time. And then when I went back and listened to it, I'm like, duh, you're telling us you're breaking up. Yeah. And it's a rad song. I couldn't find anyone that agreed with me.

People on the message boards didn't agree with you? No, they were like, no, stop it. Stop it, Adam Scott, famous actor. Because you, yeah, it spells it out so obviously. So obvious. What was your name on the message boards, by the way? I don't remember. I joined just to ask that question.

What was your pseudonym? I don't remember. Yeah, I felt really dumb after the fact when I went back and listened to it where I'm like, hi, this is explicitly. We're breaking up. I haven't heard the song yet. That's awesome. I love that there's a Collapse Into Now song on your top ten.

Oh, I love that album. I love it. Me too. I don't want to play it because I haven't heard that record yet, so we're not going to play it. Okay, that's ten. Nine is Electrolyte. I haven't heard that either, so. Oh, that's, I forgot.

Next record, yeah. Let's see. Eight is World Leader Pretend. Oh, I have heard that, but what's that from? It's. Green. Green. Oh, yeah, of course I've heard it.

Wait, let me play it. Let me find it and let me play it. World Leader Pretend. This is track eight or number eight. This is April's number eight favorite song. This is world leader. Good song. It's cool.

Isn't that good? It's great. All right. What's number seven? Seven is night swimming. Night swimming. No, seven is crush with Eyeliner. Oh.

Okay, we heard that at length. And then the next one is Night Swimming. So six is Night Swimming. You being a Britpop fan, what do you think of the Jean version? We talked about it. Oh, I actually like it. I do like it. That's the first version I heard.

Oh, really? I'd never heard that song. You didn't know that it was a cover. Did you like it? I knew it was a cover. I just was like, oh, here's an R.E.M. song from that last album. I like it. That's the first version I heard. Oh, really? I'd never heard that song. You didn't know that it was a cover. Did you like it? No, I knew it was a cover. I just was like, oh, here's an R.E.M. song from that last album. I like it. It's pretty straightforward.

Yeah, it's just an English dude singing it. Yeah, exactly. Night swimming. It's a little more like that. Night swimming. It's not night swimming. It's night swimming. I am English.

Okay, wait. That was six? Yeah. Okay, five is wolves lower. Okay, wait. That was six? Yeah. Okay, five is Wolves Lower. Oh, Wolves, lower. By the way, shout out to the Instagram of Wolves, lower, who was inspired by this show to post pictures on his Wolves, lower, Instagram of all of his REM memorabilia.

Great. You have lost interest, haven't you? This is an extra longE.M. memorabilia. Great. You have lost interest, haven't you? This is an extra long episode. Oh, sorry, guys. Sorry. No, it's not your fault. It's our fault.

I used to have the cover art of Chronic Town hanging up and then it scared me. Oh, yeah. Like it was too scary that I had to, in the dark. It's scary.

Look, R.E.M.'s a scary band. They're all monsters and gargoyles. I don't know why they're not played, you know, exclusively at Halloween. On Halloween. Next, number four is

Exhuming McCarthy. Yes. Exhuming McCarthy. Let me see if I What? That's on rules. Let me see if I kept it in my iPod.

That's the song I used to go put headphones on people at high school. I made my history teacher play it when we got to McCarthyism. Yeah. I made Coach Bibby

play it in front of the class. Coach Baby? Coach Bibby. Wait in front of the class. Coach Baby? Coach Bibby. Wait, is this Boss Baby? Yeah, Boss Baby again. Exhuming McCarthy. I did not keep it in my iPod. That has not made the cut. Number three is Life and How to Live It. What's that one?

Reckoning. Or no, Fables of the Reconstruction. Sorry I can't remember these titles. My brain is fucking fried. I thought you had a photographic memory. Monster fried your brain. Yeah. Okay.

Life and How to Live It. Life and How to Live It, the best. Two, South Central Rain. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Yeah. And then number one, Fall on Me. Oh, so good.

It's the greatest song of all time. That's a great list. Thank you. That's so much better than David Wayne's list because David Wayne's list was Fuck David Wayne. Can I just say something? from the first three albums.

That's bullshit, right? That would be my list though too. No. Yeah, but that's bullshit. But fuck David Wayne. Yeah. I don't, I'm with you.

That's, I get so annoyed when people are like, yeah, they're good until like Document. Sorry about it, but not true.

It's so not true. Well, I will say that I am getting an education here and i i gave it up for automatic for the people i uh i think it's a solid solid record oh i can't wait to listen to these later episodes where you just are like it's fascinating considering from context clues you haven't listened to any of the previous ones i doubt that'll happen yes i did okay we gotta go um this has been fun apr. April, you're a great guest.

This is like the funnest thing I've ever done in my life. Thank you for having me. Honestly, it's such a relief to talk to someone else. I'm glad I could be there for both of you. We got to go. Next up on the docket is, what is it? Is it automatic for the people? New Adventures in Hi-Fi.

New Adventures in Hi-Fi. That's right. Okay. So we'll be getting to that. But, uh, until then, we have to say that we certainly hope that you have found what you're looking for. Bye. Hey, Queeros. It's me, Cammie Esposito. And I'm here to tell you about my podcast, Queery.

You can sit in on hour-long conversations between me, Cameron Esposito, and some of the brightest luminaries in the LGBTQ family. Queery explores individual stories of identity, personality, and the shifting cultural matrix around gender, sexuality, and civil rights. Plus, it is fun. We have had some incredible guests. Emmy winner Lena Waithe? Yes, definitely. Congressman Mark Takano? You bet. L Word creator Eileen Shakin? Yes. President and CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis? We definitely have. We've got celebs. People like Trixie Mattel, Evan Rachel Wood, Tegan and Sarah, the band, and the people separately on two different episodes. We also have activists and change makers in our community.

I think it's a one-of-a-kind show full of chats you have never heard before. It's identity, it's community, it's query. You can find Query every Monday on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.