U Talkin’ U2 To Me? - R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: ME? - Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011

Episode Date: September 5, 2018

On the final (for now) episode of R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: Me, Adam Scott Aukerman discusses the band’s “Best Of” compilation and the final three songs they released as a group. They also rank R.E.M.’s albums and songs, and -- in the moment we’ve all been waiting for -- go through Adam’s wedding CD playlist.

Adam, new t-shirts. Okay. Fucking t-shirts in the store, bro. Finally. These are sort of like, remember those You Talking U2 to Me shirts with you holding the gun? What movie is that from? The one with me with a gun? Yeah.

Was that from a movie or is that just your own personal collection? Yes. I forget what it was. Oh, that's from Torque. I forget what it was. Oh, that's from Torque. Torque, of course. Yeah, yeah. Yes, Cinema's Torque.

Great film. We have new shirts in the store and at the shore. They're Are You Talking R.E.M. Remy shirts, and this is You Want a Jet Ski from Piranha 3D. That's right. Am I correct? That's right. You're going gonna want this as the sequel

to the first shirt that you bought or you're just gonna want it even without having bought that first shirt because the first shirt was such an incredible seller

much like Peter although I noticed there are no periods after the R E and the M well you know that keeps that keeps it out

of the copyright infringement. Although the picture from Piranha, totally okay. And not asking me if I mind being on a t-shirt. We sent it to you. Uh-huh. Okay. Is this really a bone of contention?

We sent it to you and said, is this okay? And you said yes. The fact, there you go. So what is the issue? Okay. there you go so what what is the issue okay they're in store right now podswag.com slash REM

is where you can get these you don't want to miss out because the first one sold out so quickly don't miss out did it really yes did it really

super quickly yes people love that you actually think people will buy the one with me on a jet ski yes it's awesome alright

podswag.com slash REM. Buy it. From chronic to collapse, town and into now, respectively, that is, this is Are You Talking? R.E.M. ReMe. The comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things R.E.M. And this is good rock and roll music. Welcome back. music.

Welcome back. Exciting episode today. Our final episode for a little while. For how long exactly do you think? I don't know. Whenever we get back together. Whenever we can find time. I mean, it's been a while

since we've recorded. I know. It's only been a week for our trusted listeners unless they are binge listening to these. But we haven't seen neither hide nor hair of each other. For a few weeks. I saw your hair. Yeah. I saw your hide as well.

But is this for tomorrow? Is this coming out tomorrow? Oh, wow. Yeah. So, uh, yeah, we're a last minute recording sesh knowing we had to get an app out. Um,

you were getting up out, getting up out. You were on vacation, I believe. Vacation. Well, vacation. Vacation.

Do you mind telling us where you were? I do. Okay. Uh, no, I was in, uh, the great state of california on uh vacation were you just hanging out at home

yep well then why couldn't we no i was uh up at lake arrowhead oh you've been up there i have been up there once that it's beautiful up there it's terrific in my memory and hey guess what what it's only what an hour and a half away? Is that real? A real hour and a half? Or is that? A solid hour and a half, you're standing beside a lake. Just, you're.

Hey, it's only been an hour and a half. Shitting on a duck. You're forcing a duck to. To foie gras itself. Yeah, I'm trying not to curse this episode. Why is that? Well, because since the last time we saw each other, I've taken a vow of silence as far as curses are concerned.

Okay. So anytime you're going to curse, then you go into your vow of silence? I go into a vow of silence. And how long does that last? As long as the curse would last? Exactly. I've timed out all of the curses. I wrote them down.

Okay. How many seconds do we have for each one? Let me curses. I wrote them down. Okay. How many seconds do we have for each one? Let me show you. I have them written down here. Okay. So this one, you can't say it, obviously, but this is poo-poo. And how many seconds is this one? Well,

if I were to put it in a sentence, hey, mommy, I need to go. That's exactly how long it would okay so how many seconds is that would you estimate or guesstimate?.3 .03 or just.30 .30

.30 .3 infinity O sounds like what I blew last night .3 infinity O is this an episode of.3 infinity O? I think it might be. Hey everyone, welcome to.3 Infinity-O. This is Scott. And this is Scott.

And we're talking about.31, what are we talking about?.3 Infinity-O. Infinity-O. It's the most popular number in this room right now. Oh my god, it's so many zeros. Well, the thing that's interesting about it is that you put the decimal point there. Sure. And then you put any number you want. Sure.

And the thing that people don't realize is the number following that number that you put right after the decimal. Is that your phone? I think that was my computer. I'm sorry. The thing that's... I gotta say, we work very hard recording

.3 Infinity O. Yeah. And for you to leave your computer noises on while we record is very rude. Yeah, it's rude. In fact, you're being fucking rude. Am I being rude?

You're being... Wait, how long was that? That is a point four. It's a little longer than... Oh, than poo-poo. Okay, I get it. Okay, so anyway, you were saying about... Look, this podcast...

I feel like this might be an episode of Great Bits. I feel like this might be an episode of Great Bits. Hey everyone, welcome to Great Bits. This is Scott. And this is Scott. And we're talking about Great Bits and we were just in the middle of one. Oh man, this whole like vow of silence thing, if we can just step outside of the Great Bits and examine it a little bit. When did you first come up with this vow of silence bit? I came up with it a couple of weeks ago. I was up in Lake Arrowhead.

Sure. What were you doing? I was out kayaking. I was in a kayak. Sure. And I was thinking, what are some new, I need to work up some new comedy bits. Kayak is a palindrome, is it not? Yeah.

It's the same word spelled backwards, forwards, and sideways. Mm. I love looking at that sideways. Mm. Nothing like a sideways kayak. I love to watch it leave. And again, another great bit. Another great bit right there. Yeah, you would talk to me

before we ever even started episode one of this, saying that you wanted to slip that in somewhere in the run. The kayak bit. Yeah, I'm glad that we finally got to it. It's a nice kayak chunk. It's a good chunk. And when you say chunk, you mean approximately 35 seconds.

Yes. All right, this is Great Bits. Bye. Bye. All right, this is.3 Infinity O. Bye. Bye. Bye.

So, yeah. Okay. So, any other curses on there? That's the only one you wrote down was poo-poo. That's right. That's as far as I've gotten. But that's the only curse I really use. Yeah.

So, you can say any of the other ones? Any of them. Oh, great. Okay. Including the C word? Which word is that? I'm not going to say it if you're not going to say it. No, I can say any word except...

Except poo-poo. Got it. That's right. All right. Good, good. This is a wonderful show today. This is our final episode for a bit of time. We are going to, a little later, we're going to be covering uh rem's best of record their final record they put

out as a group it is called part lies part heart part truth part garbage 1982 through 2011 and we're going to be going through track by track and also discussing the three new songs the last songs that rem ever put out so uh listen to that listen to the thing you're listening to um also a little later you and i are going to be ranking all of rem's albums in terms of how how much we like them yeah individually uh and then we are also going to give our top 10 list, top 10 R.E.M. songs from the IRS era, then the Warner Brothers era through Bill Barry's departure, and through the final albums without Bill Barry.

And then we will talk about our top 10 R.E.M. songs of all time. Yeah. So three phases of top 10 lists, and then our, like, what would you call the complete? Just the completest top 10. Yes. That's not the right word. Top 10 R.E.M. songs of all time.

Okay. So if anyone would argue that we are not completists, I would present this episode as Exhibit 1. Just shove this in someone's face. If anyone were to dare say that. I'm allowed to say but. Oh, good. Good. We also have an interesting surprise a little later in the show after that, hopefully, if we can get to it.

But there's a couple of things that I want to get to here before we go on. A couple of eps ago or one episode, no, it was last week, we got very excited seeing Mail.com was up for purchase. Yeah.

And we said, by the time the episode came out, and we had recorded the episode quite ahead of its release, at least a week, if not 10 days or so, ahead of the release. And we said,

no matter what the cost, we were going to get it. And by the time the episode was released, mail.com would be ours, and it would be all about Aria. M-A-L-E. M-A-L-E.com. Because we stumbled across it,

or Engineer Ryan over here claims he stumbled across it. And we found out that there was a little letter on it saying if you're interested, finally it's available, if you're interested, contact us about purchasing this domain name. Okay. We reached out.

Yeah. And heard nothing back. So we were stymied what could we do yeah what what what is a person supposed to do in a situation like that track them down somehow i mean you know we did what we could we reached out through the email i will say that not a not mere hours ago adam we received a response uh and uh i. And I can read it to you if you like. Hello. We will consider any six-figure offer. Thanks, William. Are you serious?

I'm serious. Is that an email? That's an email that we received. Any six-figure offer. Six-figure offer. So could be $999,999. Could be $100,000. Or it could be $0000001.

Yeah. That's what I was saying. Where's the decimal? Wow. Okay. So, I mean, I don't know what web. Done. Done.

Yeah. So are we going to go 50-50? Yeah. When I say that, I mean $50 me know what web done done yeah so what are we gonna go 50 50 yeah when I say that I mean $50 me and you the rest 90 999,990 you know if he's saying six figures let's just go seven let's just

go seven let's put this to bed yeah let's just put it to bed that way no one could ever argue that this is ours yeah otherwise there'd always be there'd always be like him like oh see Bed. Yeah. Let's just put it to bed. That way, no one could ever argue that this is ours. Yes. Otherwise, there'd always be hemming and hawing. There'd always be him like, oh, see, they only went six figures. And when you say seven figures, you mean 9,999,000. Absolutely.

99,000. You know what? Like as high as you... Eight. Eight figures. Eight figures. William, eight figures. Done.

Dunzo. $10 million. Nope, $99 million. $ 99 million dollars we're going for it um so until obviously we're going to do this so keep checking back in with mail.com every every single day and soon it will be up it will be ours when will they know that it's ours what what will change about the site i think i i really like the site the way it is, quite honestly. So let's just keep it the way it is. Yeah.

So when you check, by the time this comes out, we'll have it. We'll have paid the $99 million. We're just going to keep it the way it is, though. At a certain point, maybe we'll change it. That's up to our discretion. But until then, we're just going to keep it the way it is. And if you're interested in purchasing it from us, you can still email this guy at grandike at yahoo.com. This guy.

Do you have the dongle, by the way? Did we get that? This is a really cool website just the way it is. It is really good. I mean, there's not a lot in terms of the male anatomy or – I mean, it's a guy who runs it. Well, it's – A guy named William.

It's three sentences, and they're really cool sentences. They're constructed well. Yeah, what are the sentences? It says, now for the first time ever, mail.com is available, exclamation mark. You can stake your claim to this highly recognizable and easy-to-brand piece of internet real estate. Very easy-to-brand. Period. highly recognizable and easy to brand piece of internet very easy to print period this is a very rare opportunity to own this valuable four-letter we read this last week related to all things mail we did it's been like three weeks in our time so you don't remember but fascinating stuff

but we we will have bought it's worth reading again it really is but speaking of worth reading again. It really is. But speaking of worth reading for the first time, a fan by the name of Grant Prusey. Oh, yeah, Grant. Grant Prusey. Do you know Grant? Yeah, yeah. He sent us a song that he wrote. Via tweet, he says, thanks so much for doing the show. Brought him so much joy for the past few months.

And he wanted to thank us by recording a custom version of one of his new favorite songs he discovered thanks to the podcast. So you want to hear this? Yeah. All right. Here we go. Say goodbye to your family Say goodbye to your friends Say goodbye to your fans You're leaving, Scott

We wonder, wonder, wonder what's next Huey and the News or Nancy Travis Where will we go for the BAM and Bonets? Or how good it feels to have R.E.M. fame? That's what keeps us, that's what keeps us That's what keeps us right on You're leaving, leaving Leave us all behind.

That's so awesome. About 25 more seconds. That's great. That's great, Grant. Thank you so much. Yeah, man man holy cannoli a fitting uh

tribute to our our final episode here thank you so much Grant I'm sure you have other uh what am I trying to say other uh songs out there

somewhere on SoundCloud or something I bet so uh thanks so much to Grant for that um I have some other stuff that that sounded really good sounded good So thanks so much to Grant for that.

I have some other stuff that – That sounded really good. It sounded good. Like better than R.E.M. And also like that's a really good song. Yeah. Better than R.E.M.'s version. Oh, yeah. I mean because it's about us.

Yeah. Okay. Here's something else I wanted to bring up. Here's something else I wanted to bring up. Now, a few weeks ago, since our last recording, on Twitter – or no, sorry, on Instagram. You've been very busy on Instagram. About six pictures in the last couple of weeks. Yeah.

Yeah. We have – you tweeted a picture of, I guess, uh, uh, your laptop or something. You're watching stand by me. Oh yeah. And you write a lot going on in the world, but we can all take comfort in the fact that this movie holds up.

Yeah. Right. Okay. So then I wrote as a comment, who cares? I know I wrote who gives a shit. Okay.? I know. I wrote, who gives a shit? Okay, now, and then let's listen to some of these replies. Do people get mad at you?

Here's some of these replies here. Do people get mad at you? Wonderful Goof says, obviously you. And then, oh, no, Immaculate Trevor says, your mom does. And I'm, oh no, Immaculate Trevor says, your mom does. And let's spend the night together, Pod says, bro, are you cump? And Shaniqua Nanya Bidness says, why don't you go home and fuck your mother some more? Is this the kind of fan that you like to have on your Instagram?

Well, that's a line from the movie I hope you'll remember. Oh, it is? Yeah. Oh, okay. Well, that's all right then. But still, I mean, that's pretty harsh. Yeah, Creepy Dylan says you're being fucking rude. Someone says you're being fucking rude.

Someone says feels good. Anyway, a lot of hate coming my way. Didn't I favorite your comment who gives a shit yeah you did breezy b says hey everyone any comment is instantly funny and amazing if you have a blue check by your name duh this is oh wow this is the type of fan that you like to have yeah yeah it is um i would say i showed stand by me to my kids and it was cool watching it with them because it's a great movie and they were like this movie is awesome a lot of uh cursing right a lot of cursing and smoking and general you know misbehavior yeah a lot of lollygagging yeah well actually no no they know they get to business right away.

All business with those kids, I've noticed. They get right on the road. Really? There's one other thing that I wanted to mention, and gosh, I wish I could have found this before we started recording. But, okay, so since our last episode came out, sharp-eyed viewers, and they were sharp-eyed instead of listening because they tracked down your postings on the REM message board. What?

They tracked down your final posting on the REM message board. I only posted like once or twice, I think. Yeah. Okay. So let me find this. But you had... On murmurs.com? Probably.

I don't know which one it's from. But you had... I don't think I ever posted anywhere else. You had basically posted when Collapse Into Now came out, you had posted that you thought it was their final album. You thought it was them saying goodbye.

I believe so. Do they have that? Yes, they found all of this. How? Well, first of all, your screen name is pretty basic. What is it? I'm trying to find it right now, but it's basically like A. Scott. Oh, okay.

There you go. There you go. There you go. I think I created an account just to make that posting, so maybe I did it in a hurry. But the other funny part of it is there are quite a few responses and all of them saying like, I think you're reading way too much into this very snarky so is that

is that true that is true that's the way I remembered it but I couldn't be sure if I was poo pooed you were definitely poo pooed

and you know originally when you told me the story I was like this guy wasn't poo pooed but by the way you just said poo poo I don't know

what I'm going to do are you looking for it is that what know what I'm going to do. Are you looking for it? Is that what's happening? I'm currently looking for it. I thought it was a little more accessible, but I'm looking for it now. So wait, who found it? So some fans, and they sent it to our message board.

Oh, that's great. And so there were some people saying like, oh, no, you're reading too much into it. No, that's not really what's happening. And then when they broke up you then uh wrote another uh like a follow-up to it no way yes and you said and this is great i wish i could uh i can't find it actually but i'll tell you i i'll paraphrase it you said hey guys looks like i was right too bad bad. This is a bummer.

Anyway, watch Parks and Rec this week because there's a special reference to REM in it. I don't think that was me. Okay. Maybe. You don't think it was you? I don't. And then people underneath saying like, hey, you were right. Sorry I was so dismissive of you at first.

Okay. I definitely remember doing the first one. The second one, I don't remember, nor does it sound like me. I would do that, but it could be. It could be. I'm going to send it to you. I really want to see it because it's so weird. We're going to get the forensic on this.

I know it's on our message board somewhere, but I can't. Engineer Ryan will look for it. That's so interesting that they found it. I guess it doesn't sound like it was hard to find. I just didn't know those message boards even existed anymore. Yeah. I don't, I don't know how they found it. They just like put up a picture going, wow, look, look what we found.

He was right. I wonder if even one person was like, Hey, maybe it is them saying goodbye. I don't. Yeah. I wonder. I don't know. All I saw was a screen, uh, screen. Yeah.

So I didn't see people were like, people were like, calm down. Yeah. And then you, but then you got the apology on the backend of like, sorry, literally no one says this on the internet. They were like,

sorry, I was so dismissive. Right, right, right. I remember I was 100% sure. Yeah. That this was them saying goodbye.

And the fact that, that, uh, just Mike Mills and Michael Stipe were doing press. I was like, they're already done. They're donezo. They hate each other now. Well, you were right.

They were wrong. So congratulations to you. No, I think it was all very – Oh, I'm sure it was amicable. So we have one last thing to do before we go to break. A little housekeeping? A little, yeah. Do you mind tidying up?

Sure. Get some pillows? We have a very special surprise. And you texted me yesterday with this news, and I was over the moon, over the man on the moon. Ah. Yes, indeed. because we've been talking about this i need for the delay thing you need the dongle into your computer oh it's oh here you go so this is fuck off so this is something that we've been talking about since the early episodes

and you've been saying oh i gotta find it to find it. But you texted me yesterday. Oh, I can do it in my computer. Why not? I'm just going to narrate your entire fucking life for me. But I was so excited because you found your wedding CD playlist. Well, my friend Hunt Baldwin found it. Oh, I know Hunt. I used to play poker with him.

Yeah. And he, so he found the CD. Did you put out like an APB to all of your friends? No, he listens to the show

so he texted me. He's like, I think I might have your CD. Oh, nice. And he found it but it wouldn't play on any players

because it's so old and it was a shitty. And those only last like five years supposedly. Is that what happens? Yeah, well, burnable ones – the CDs in general last a long time because they put some sort of protective coating on it or whatever. But the ones that you used to burn for people are really only supposed to last for like a number of years. That's so shitty. Like why?

Tell me. But he couldn't get it to work anywhere, so he had his son try to fix their... How do you fix it? Their multi CD changer. Remember those things? Right, yeah, yeah. I had one of those. It was amazing. Yeah, we've talked a lot

about them. But you had one with like hundreds. Hundreds. Yeah, yeah. 300 and 300. He had like a 5 CD changer. Right, yeah. So he sent me a photo of their 5 CD changer taken apart on the floor of their living room because his son was trying to fix it because that was the one they were sure. Wait, the changer was the problem? Well, no, they were trying all different CD players. Oh, I see. But I think this was the last one that they hadn't tried yet, I think.

Got it. hadn't tried yet, I think. Got it. But what they did was he and his wife, Claire. Claire! They listened to it track by track. Claire Hoekstable. Could just sort of make out the song list. They were making out the playlist.

I'm making someone in the room laugh, if not the audience. So they could kind of make out the playlist of the songs. They did. on a computer? And then I was able to fill in the final. So, it's not as embarrassing as you had expected it to be? I had expected

there would be embarrassing. There are some embarrassing moments. The whole thing's kind of embarrassing. But I never printed the playlist out for everyone because I wanted them to just experience it.'s kind of embarrassing. But I never printed the playlist out for everyone because I wanted them to just experience it. So that's embarrassing. Right? Oh, I love it. And Hunt kept it. He's like

the 10% that kept it. We have one too, but I remember like a few years ago trying to play it and it wouldn't work. And it wouldn't work as well. Okay, but now you know what it is so you can play it in your iTunes or whatever. Now I've got it. Oh, man. I don't know why the playlist had disappeared as well. Okay, so but now you know what it is so you can play it in your iTunes or whatever. Now I've got it. Oh, man. I don't know why the playlist had disappeared as well.

Because you deleted it. But why would I have done that? Why would you do anything? Why do I get up in the morning? Okay, so this is a wedding. By the way, oh, this is the other thing.

Yeah. I was speaking with your lovely wife, Naomi, the other day. Yeah. And she, and this is the reason

why we got to get her in the studio. She dropped a bombshell about this wedding playlist. What? She told me that you were inspired to make it because Dave Navarro and what's her name? Carmen Electra made one for their

guests on their wedding reality show. What? And you said at the time, you were there in the room and you said, I don't remember that. And now you don't even remember her saying it a few weeks ago? It's certainly coming back to me now. But no, that's not true. She swears that is true. We did watch that show.

They had like a reality show about them getting married. But you remember that? Yes, I do. I did not watch it, nor was I inspired to make a wedding CD from it. You weren't inspired to do anything with your life from that television show? It had no impact on me whatsoever. I mean, making a mix CD for your wedding is not a revolutionary idea. Who is a more reliable witness?

Someone who doesn't remember something or someone who remembers something? That's ridiculous. I mean, that makes no sense. No, but I mean, you obviously, the brain is a funny thing. You just like forget things. Me? Yeah, or anyone's. Yeah.

You know, so, but if someone remembers something, I listen to them. I can see why she would think that that's where it came from. But she's crazy. No, but she also just usually goes to the most ridiculous explanation for right anything having to do with me and okay she also told me by the way that you've talked about the us festival which we've talked about on this show a lot with her yeah she won't i can't talk about it by the way a new new movie came out we should watch about it oh yeah yeah it's for 82 oh is that not the year you were there? You were there 83?

83. Okay, sorry about that. Anyway, let's go through this playlist. What do we have? The wedding was in Hawaii. It was on the island of Kauai. Sounds beautiful. Okay. That's where I honeymooned, by the way. Who cares? That explains the first song. Okay.

And this is 2005, so this song had not yet become a classic yet. As annoying as it is now. I want to fuck you like an animal. Oh my god, I so wish it was. Someone out there getting married,

by the way, put together a wedding CD. It's like in the gift in everyone's room. It has flowers and everything, and then when you put it on, the very first thing is, I want to fuck you like an animal,. It's like in the gift in everyone's room. It has flowers and everything. And then when you put it on, the very first thing is, I want to fuck you like an animal. And everyone's like, is this the right CD? It's I want to fuck you like an animal 11 times. Anyone does that?

Anyone. Anyone. We will come to your wedding. We will come to the wedding. Yes. No question. We'll come out and wave. We'll, I don't know, we'll wave.

We'll bring Todd Glass. He can bring a drummer. Yep. Yep. Oh, how great would that be? If we are for hire for weddings, we come, we wave, and Todd plays music with a drummer and lurks in the background. I'd do it.

I would do it, depending on where it is. Oh, I would for sure do it. I would do it anywhere. Anywhere in the continental United States. Wait, you're not going to go to Hawaii on this? No, I would do it, depending on where it is. I would for sure do it. I would do it anywhere. Anywhere in the continental United States. Wait, you're not going to go to Hawaii on this? No, I would go to Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Okay. But not Alaska.

Not Alaska. Anywhere but Alaska. No, I would go to Alaska. I'd go to Alaska. I've never been. I like Alaska. Yeah, let's go. I've been there a bunch of times.

We'll do it only in Alaska. If you're getting married in Alaska, we will get Todd Glass and we will be there. Yes, we will be there. If you make a mix CD that has I want to fuck you like an animal all the time. And you can't put the song list. You can't tip anyone off. You want them to experience it. You also cannot tell the person you're getting married to that that's happening.

You have to just put it in there. And we'll show up on our dime. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Hold on. Wait, they have to pay for it? Can we talk off mic for a second. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Oh, hold on. Wait, they have to pay for it? Can we talk off mic for a second? Okay, let's talk off mic.

Okay, you said on our dime. Does that mean we have to pay for it? I thought we would pay for it. Is that what on our dime means? That's what on our dime. Oh, okay. Oh, yeah. On our dime, yeah.

Okay, great. All right, what do we have on this? Okay, Wedding CD, track number one. Again, this is 2005. Got it. Not as wicked game. Wedding CD, track number one. Again, this is 2005. Got it. Not as- Wicked game. Embarrassing as it is now.

Remember, this is in Hawaii. Okay. Got it. And this is not as well known as it is now. Okay. Hawaii. Okay. Oh, this is the-

Yes. This is the dude. What's his name? Is he still with us? Israel. No, he passed away. A few years ago, right? Yes.

Now it's been in tons of ads. Sure, yes. And I think for a good portion of the people at the wedding, hearing it here may have been one of the first times they ever heard it. First time they ever heard it, yeah. But now, and it goes into What a Wonderful World. Yes, yes. I know the song very well. Okay, now it's a bit cliched. But now, and it goes into What a Wonderful World. Yes, yes. I know the song very well.

Okay, now it's a bit cliched. But it's a beautiful song. It is beautiful. Beautiful. Especially like driving on the coast of Kauai. Sure, I've never done that. I'm not as rich as you, but sure. You can't drive?

I can't afford a license, man. Oh my God. It's like $20. Yeah. Dude, you have an extra $20? I'll give you $20 if you need $20. Yes. Okay.

Track number two. I'm breathless with anticipation. Oh wait, Nick Drake? No. Okay. Okay. I don't think I know this. I'm sure you do.

It's nice. I don't know what it is. You must leave. But darling, be home soon. I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdle. Doddle? My darling, be home soon. Is this the doddler? Every song on this playlist has the word doddle in it. It's not just these few hours, but I've been waiting since I got here.

I don't know what this is. Is the chorus just about to hit us? Or is there no chorus? There kind of isn't a chorus, actually. Oh, interesting. What is it? It's Darling Be Home Soon by the Lovin' Spoonful. Oh, the Lovin' Spoonful.

Yeah. I used it as a funny comedy reference for a while, but I don't believe I've ever heard any of their songs. In what way would you refer to it? I would make fun of my old manager because he was so old and such a hippie. That was his favorite band. I'd say, I'm not interested in hearing about the Lovin' Spoonful. Just tell me about this deal. And then you fired him?

Yeah. Okay, song number three. Not as obscure. Here we go. Oh, wait. Here's the chorus. Well, kind of. Okay, here's the song.

I like it, though. It's cool. Yeah, it's a good song. Typical of the Lovin Well, kind of. Okay, here's the song. I like it, though. It's cool. Yeah, it's a good song. Typical of the Love and Spoonful. What was their giant hit? They had a giant hit. I don't even know. Okay, here's song number three.

Okay. Oh, classic. Love it. Reminds me of Boogie Nights. Is this on every wedding CD, you think, pretty much? Probably, although I think we did a different version. Who did we? It was on your wedding.

Yeah. Well, it was in our, we didn't put out a CD, but we had songs playing for people during the ceremony. I think, who did our version? It was a cover. I can't remember. Oh. You told me this.

Maybe. I can't recall. It's not the me this. Maybe. I can't recall. It's not the Elvis Cuff television. This is a podcast of two people telling the same story over and over. Get out the spanking paddle. Song number four. is van morrison yeah sweet thing van morrison i like van morrison i gotta get more into him because i i don't really really know much about him. You know what really sold me on Van Orp?

Not sold me, but got me really into him. That Letterman performance where he just rambled? No. What is that? I need to see that. He was just... I didn't really know who he was, and then he played one of his classic songs, and he just kind of was mumbling and gibberish almost.

I'll find it for you. Because you can get the best of with all the hit singles, which are terrific. I know what best ofs are. Yeah. Let me tell you about best of records. We're going to be talking about one in a second. You can get the best of, which is all the songs that no one's ever heard of. But what would you suggest?

Astral Weeks. Astral Weeks. I believe I have Astral Weeks at home. L lester bangs wrote this whole essay on astral weeks and so i went out and got it and that's the one that really kind of got me i like it this is great morrison song see it's not as it would be more interesting if this was more embarrassing there is some embarrassing stuff coming up yeah all right what do we got next? Song number five. Right? I don't know this either.

Oh, Wilco. California either. Oh, Wilco. California Stars. Oh, yes. Is this... Philly Dragon World. Yeah, this is from The Mermaid Smiled. Mermaid Avenue. Mermaid Avenue. What am I thinking?

Number one. The XTC song, Mermaid Smiled. Okay. All right. Song number six. Ah, love this one. Yeah. Big Star, 13.

I like the Elliot Smith version. Probably my favorite version. I like this version more. Well, fuck you. God damn it. This is one of my faves, bro. Now, this is about the age that you met Naomi, right? Yeah.

We've been together since we were 13 years old. Okay. So far, not bad, right? So far, yeah, good. I'm enjoying it. It airs on the side of tasteful. Yeah. So far, not bad. So far, yeah, good. I'm enjoying it. It airs on the side of tasteful. Yeah. Boring, maybe?

No, not even boring. I'm genuinely enjoying this playlist. Thing was, I... I'm like your target demo for this, by the way. And I poured over this for months leading up to the wedding, and it starts to fall apart in a couple songs. It starts to dismantle itself. Great, what's next? This is the seventh song.

Song seven on any wedding playlist. Play a song seven just before you get kissed. Adam is doing the air guitaring. I don't know this, but let me guess, the band? Close. Dylan? Yeah. But it's a...

a version that I had not heard until... I like it. Yeah. It's he and George Harrison doing this song together. That's George Harrison playing those. You brought this up on an earlier episode. Yeah. And what song is it?

If Not For You. If Not For You. If Not For You. Yeah. He talks to him. Yeah. That's fun. If not for you.

I like this song a lot. It's my favorite version of this song. You should make a wedding playlist of, I want to fuck you like an animal 11 times and then rainy day. Women. Once at the end. Yeah, at the very, very end. All right.

Now, next song. Is this where it starts to fall apart? No. Okay. Oh, beautiful. Electrolyte. Here we go. All right.

We all know this one. So, so far. So far, yeah, we're good. And then this is a nice, if odd, choice. Okay. Right after Electrolyte.

Okay, Weird Al? Okay, is this from the movie? Yeah. So it's Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River. Right. From Breakfast at Tiffany's. Yes. Henry Mancini, classic.

Yes. But Breakfast at Tiffany's is not a particularly... Meaningful song or movie to you? Or Naomi. Okay. Nor is this song. I do love this song. It's got a nice feel.

I love this song mostly because R.E.M. did a version of it. That's where I fell in love with the song. Arguably one of their least successful covers as well, other than the fan club stuff. Not that one. It's actually a live version that got me. Oh, okay. Bingo handjob version.

Oh, okay. I like this. Yeah, I like it too. I would have maybe made this the track one because it's produced so dissimilarly from everything. It's almost like an intro, you know? Yeah, but like it too. I would have maybe made this the track one because it's produced so dissimilarly from everything. It's almost like an intro, you know? Yeah, but I needed something. Not to quibble with your sequencing.

No, I needed something to cleanse the palate because it's different from here on out. Okay, what do we got next? Well, you're talking U2 to me here. Yeah. How is it different? How would you say it's different? I would say this falls within the same general like... Well, it's electric lead on it.

Yeah. Everything else is pretty acoustic up to this point. And then I also, I really wanted to include this next song. Okay. And that would, it would be too jarring without something like leading the way into it. It's just a different feel.

What is it? It's so much more produced. What is it next? I don't think this is something you will recognize. I'm jealous. Hmm. bing bong ding dong may I come in to your honeymoon suite

hello I'll skip you Willie Nelson yeah from which record not the Stardust record Teatro Teatro it's the Daniel Lanois oh okay Willie Nelson? Yeah. From which record? Not the Stardust record. Teatro. Teatro.

It's the Daniel Lanois. Oh, okay. Willie Nelson. I don't have this record, but it sounds good. It is good. And it came out right when we started dating, and so it was... Meaningful? Yeah.

Yeah, but like this and In a Little While. I don't know if I would put them on now. It's not embarrassing. It's just sort of like... and In a Little While. I don't know if I would put them on now. It's not embarrassing. It's just sort of like... They were a little... They were of the time, maybe. The others are classics. Oh, here we go.

This is great because Emmylou Harris is duetting with it. Yeah, yeah. It's good. You should be embarrassed by this. It is. It's a great song. It's just a little spacey and long. It's a little much.

Okay, got it. But wait, wait. You need to hear the Emmylou come in here. Oh, boy. You ever seen Willie Nelson live? No. I'd like to. Oh, cool.

It's nice. Yeah, it's nice. Okay. I like it. This Oh, cool. It's nice. Yeah, it's nice. Okay. Now, this is, looking back, this is where it should be. It's like something that would be on three Migos. Yeah. This is where it should end. Okay.

That would be the last song. This would be 11 songs. Great. Great. You're done. Yeah. Yeah. Just like, no, I want to fuck you like an animal 11 times.

I had to keep going. You gilded the lily. Yeah. And the rest is completely scattershot and makes no real sense. Okay.

So here's, I follow up this song with this one. Still, 11 songs is, it's probably a little short because people are usually going to be washing the dishes when they listen to this.

Washing the dishes? They're in Hawaii, like on vacation. You expected them to listen to it while they were there? Absolutely. It was a requirement. What is this? This sounds cool. Elvis?

Don Ho. Oh, it's Don Ho. It's beautiful Kauai, which is where everyone was. That's great. This should have been the lead-off track. Well, we had the guy. You got the guy. Okay.

I love this. Yeah, but I love Hawaiian music. I do, too. I like vintage Hawaiian music like this, but it's weird along with all this. Last time I was in Hawaii, we played the Elvis Blue Hawaii soundtrack over and over again. That's a great album. I love that era of 50s Kauai. I have a terrific vintage Hawaiian album I'll tell you about.

Nope, I'm not going to tell you about it. Here we go. What's next? Now this is like why. Love the song, but. And this is the song, if you're going to use it, you end the CD with this one. Because it's saying like, hey.

It's a farewell. Yeah. I mean, it was in the Rushmore. It was at the end of Rushmore. That's why it was meaningful to us, because it was in Rushmore. But there's no reason really to have it. Yeah. Wish I knew what I knew now.

It's a great song. It's great. But it is reflective upon, it's not like the beginning of something. It's almost a little like the end of something. Yeah. The end of a journey. Although some could say this is the end of your dating journey. It just doesn't, it's a sentimental like life song.

Yeah. It's not, it doesn't really belong on a wedding scene. I'm still, I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying it. I'll always enjoy this song. Yeah. All right, what's next? This it. I'll always enjoy this. Yeah. All right, what's next?

This is a bit of an odd choice. Okay. And I included it because, well, the reason is not totally relevant,

but here it is. The reason's not relevant. I want to hear this reason now. Being very dodgy. One, two, three, one. i love this song i love it too

hunt seemed to think this was out of uh a bit of like deeply embarrassing that this was included. Yeah. Hunt, though. Isn't Hunt... And by the way, I know he's listening. Like a real asshole? Is that what you were going to say? No. But isn't he more into, like, indie music and... Well, yeah, but I think he also appreciates and enjoys Bruce Springsteen. Right.

I think it's really of the type. Well, it is a very optimistic song. It is the right, but I think this song transcends. You do? Yeah. Okay, so you're not. No.

Okay. I like it. I would say sonically, everything is a little all over the place and maybe the sound levels or I would have maybe. Well, this hasn't been treated. Hasn't been equalized.

I equalized it. Okay, great, great, great. All right, what do we have next? I feel it's, with ooh-la-la and this, it's a little weird back-to-back. It's less intimate than the rest of the scene. Yes, I agree. I agree with that.

And I wouldn't have included these. Okay. What's next? Now, this is... I don't know why this is on here. Why do people listen to this is... I don't know why this is on here. Why do people listen to this show? I don't know. I'm just realizing.

This is crazy that people are... Are interested. Like driving around town or whatever, you know, working out, listening to this. But I'm genuinely enjoying your mix. This is the final song. Okay. And this is...

Is it the final countdown? It makes... By Europe? Like, why? Okay. Yeah. This is... It's bad.

It's not good. It's like, hey, guys, check out this cool song I discovered. By this band, The Beatles. I mean, it's... That's embarrassing that this would be on it. Yeah, I mean it's definitely not like your other ones which are a little more like cool. Check this out. Yeah, I mean

the Springsteen song isn't cool but it wasn't really a single so you can get... I feel like you can get away with it of like most people wouldn't have heard it. I mean, everyone loves this song but I think also everyone is sick of this song. Yeah, exactly. I'm sick of it.

Turn it off right now. Well, still not as bad as I would have thought. Okay. Okay. Why? What did you think it was going to be? More stupid. Yeah.

Just dumb. I thought, you know, maybe it would have had like dialogue from you surreptitiously recording some of your dates, you know, like sort of like the man on the moon soundtrack where it's got dialogue. Except it's from our dates and then from our year long breakup. Yeah. I think it's pretty good. I enjoy it. I would listen to it.

I would maybe end on Waiting on a Sunny Day and leave happy. I would have ended on either Beautiful Kawai or the Willie Nelson song. Okay. Still, some good stuff.

And maybe not include the U2 song. Yeah, maybe not. You should make one for, what, is it your 10th anniversary yet? Or did you already celebrate it?

We already did, but I'm not, I don't. Make a new one and pass it out to all your friends. Oh my God. My 10th anniversary is next week. You should make one for me. I'll hand it out for you.

Make me, here's my pledge to you, okay? My anniversary is literally a week from Friday, I believe. Okay. Make me a new playlist. Use some of these songs if you like. These ones. Some of them if you want. Okay.

You know what? Knowing, like they say in the song, you wish that you knew what you knew now. What is it? Wish that I knew what I know now. When I was younger. Yeah. So now you know how to make a better playlist. You know what?

I'm not going to wait on a sunny day. I'm just going to do this right now. Okay. Just do it right now. Okay. But if not for you, I'm not going to wait on a sunny day. I'm just going to do this right now. Okay, just do it right now. Okay. But if not for you, I wouldn't be doing this. God only knows.

If not for you. And, you know, make one of the songs about me as well. Oh, sweet. Thing is... Okay. Yeah, what is the thing? Nothing.

Okay, look, we have to take a break. That was good. I enjoyed that, Adam. Okay. We have to take a break. That was good. I enjoyed that, Adam. Okay. We have to take a break. When we come back, we're going to be going through all of their best of and talking about what we like about it, and we're also going to be talking about our top 10 R.E.M. songs.

We'll be right back with more Are You Talking R.E.M. Remy. We'll be back in a little while. Ooh,M. songs. We'll be right back with more. Are you talking R.E.M. Remy? We'll be back in a little while. Ooh, la la. Hey, Adam, do you know Andy Daly? I do. How do you know him? I know him. We were really, really tight in the 60s.

Oh, okay. Yeah, the Summer of Love? Yeah. Mm. Anything goes. Oh, man. You name it, we gave it a shot. Okay.

Let me see. Name it. Played Monopoly? Gave it a shot. Didn't work out. Didn't work out? What happened? He didn't understand the rules, and I didn't follow the rules.

Okay, you understood them, but you were dancing between the raindrops? That's right. Well, Andy has a new show that we want to tell everyone about. It's actually season two. It's an old show, but new episodes of an old show. Does that make sense? I don't get it so you're not following what i'm saying at all okay well uh he has an old show called the andy

daly podcast pilot project it was like four years ago big hit he did about six episodes eight episodes something like that and then abandoned it and as far as I'm concerned, abandoned his comedy career. Hmm. Okay. Just went into exile. Exile and retirement. I get it. He's back with season two of this show, and it is now coming out for free on Earwolf. Here's the premise. Andy and Matt Gourley.

Do you know Matt Gourley? Yeah. Yeah. Well, they are sent tapes of pilots for podcasts okay uh they're all in consideration to become earwolf podcasts um but really all of these quote pilots unquote are loosely scripted improv centered on one of andy's characters for instance episode one is cowboy poet dalton wilcox uh we also have don de mello ventriloquist Axe Gil and Gali, Health Teacher Joe Bongo,

Scottish Tour Guide Cameron McGonagall. So many great characters that Andy does. And Earwolf fans have been asking for more episodes for years. He is back now. Season two is out in podcast apps right now. It's an incredible, incredible achievement. I'm on one of them.

I don't know whether that entices you or... Not really, but... You can skip that one. Yeah, I'll skip that one. Will you listen to the others? Yeah. So you're really interested. Oh yeah, I can't wait. In things that I'm not on. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, alright. That's why I like Star Wars so much. Hey, I have something to tell you. What? I'm in episode nine. God damn it. I play Darth Vader Jr. Darth Vader's June. So listen to and subscribe to the Andy Daly Podcast Project in Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, or wherever the fuck you listen.

Welcome back. All right, Adam, Engineer Ryan here, our trusty friend who's done 90% of the episodes with us. He tracked down the message board. Oh, right on. So do you want me to say what your username is or no? Well, it's no longer... It's no longer...

Okay, it's AP Scott. Oh. Okay. And you write, pretty sure this song is the band saying goodbye to us, the fans, in regards to All the Best.

Is there a subject line? Yeah. All the Best to Goodbye? I remember goodbye i remember that yeah okay the first person really pretentious says the narrator should never be confused with the author mike said they'll meet in a couple of months and discuss future plans so everything and nothing is possible michael once wrote these lines i longed for this to take me. I longed for my release. I waited for the Colin to leave, leave, leave, leave, leave, and leave, and leave, and leave. And nearly 15 years down the line, they're still here. Yuck. Who wrote that?

I don't know who it is. It's registered. Oh, Knox. N-O-X. Do you remember the people on this message board i don't by the way you have 25 posts it says really so 25 over all time wow not bad i mean in terms of like you're not spending your entire day on the message gosh i don't remember i. Mac has 704 posts. Oh, boy. Okay. So then let me read one other guy what they say.

Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Okay. The next person says, surely then it should have been the last song on the record. Anyways, why do a lot of people seem to think they'll announce when they're to retire in a song? Press conference, anyone? It's not like Bill Barry told the lads he wants out and they said, fine, but could you hold on until Michael finds an obscure lyric to place in a verse on the next album well i will say that on october 3rd 2011 he quotes his

own message board posting and says how fucking wrong was i and condescending apologies oh wow that's nice and uh someone says i'm pissed off that ap sc Scott was right, all a bunch of stuff. And then very last post on this topic, AP Scott, January 8th, 2012, was I right or was I right? Couldn't be sadder that I was right. On Parks and Rec this week, Thursday at 8.30, there's an awesome REM reference, by the way. Wow. That's you, my man. I do not remember. I wonder what the reference was.

Do you remember? Someone should look up what the episode was. I think it may be because Mike and the writers would put an REM reference in it. I think they did it like twice. Right.

Once, maybe twice just because I think Mike was also like an rem fan but i think some of the writers thought it was funny yeah that was yeah um i think it was an episode where i'm like djing up an 80s part or no there's one reference when i dj an 80s party then there's another reference where it's supposed to be an 80s party at a roller rink, and I'm – I've stopped listening. So I'm going to send this to you, and you can – by the way, you can look up your entire post history just by clicking on your username, I'm sure. But I thought the website was no longer –

I don't know. I was able to access it via Ryan over here. So great. So congratulations. it via Ryan over here. So great. So congratulations. Thanks to Ryan for that. And congrats to you for being right. That's fun that you were right, right? Thank you, Ryan.

God, that's so weird. So weird to see something like that. I know, man. All right. So we've come to it. This is when we're going to go through. This is the very last record ever made by the band. This is, I mean, it's not their last official release because they put out a few things,

like archival releases since then. But this is their last record that they put out with new material. Yeah, when they broke up, they had this like ready to go. It came out like a month after they announced their breakup. Right. So it was – they had been planning it. And this is called Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, 1982 through 2011. And it's a best of record.

And the title refers to something that Peter Dollar Bill was talking about the band itself. And I guess what their music is like and what their whole ethos is like as a band. And he sort of riffed that. And so they used it as the title for this. And this is the first best of that used both their IRS songs and their Warner Brothers songs together, which, you know, if you wanted a best of of R.E.M., there were several out there, but, you know. Either or situation. Either or sitch. You know what I'm saying?

So this was the. Do you know what I mean when I say either or? I do. Okay. So this is a double disc retrospective released on November 11th, 2011. You're still reeling when this comes out, right? I mean, you're still reeling that you were so right? I just couldn't believe how right I was on the murmurs.com message.

But so when you heard about the bands, did we talk about this in a previous episode, how bummed you were about it? I remember your tweet about it and i don't think we i because i remember i was on the set of bachelorette uh this uh leslie headland movie right and i saw it i think i saw it on twitter my friend mac montandon i think uh texted me and you don't have to make up people by the way this sounds like a your Your friend in Canada. Yeah. I think he texted me and was like, dude, what's going on? And I saw that and I tweeted something.

But then I also went around to people on set and I was like, can you believe it? REM broke up. People on The Bachelorette. And almost – the reaction i got overwhelmingly was wait a second they're still together and it was so depressed or either that or huh oh well listen let's yeah and i was in this shot do you want to i felt very alone very alone and it was it was sad because it really was like a, this is your favorite band since 1987, and this is 2011.

I mean, this is 24 years of your life. Yeah. And in 2011, this is more than half your life. Yeah. And so I was genuinely bummed about it. You were, and you tweeted about it, I think, reaching out to try to get some sympathy from like-minded individuals. And there were none.

But I remember your tweet, sort of, it was like, so sad to see them go, the best American rock band of the last 25 years, something like that. That's what I said. And i said the best american rock and roll band ever in my opinion of all time right and i got some uh i got some some uh some shit for it but a lot of people i say like name a better one an american rock and roll band? Love and Spoonful? Right, exactly. The Doors? I mean, Beach Boys?

I think people, I don't know. Obviously, music is fun to talk about because we have done it on this show ad infinitum. Is that how you say it? Or infinitum? But the one thing about it, anytime you tweet about music, people get so snotty about it. Yeah. Don't they? Oh, totally.

Everything's just subjective. You know, like you don't got to make fun of a guy just for liking REM, you know? Right. Like, yeah, maybe people like pavement better or whatever. You know, who cares? Guided by voices, you know, whatever. You know, yeah, maybe REM is not really that good and they're, you know, it's kind of odd that you spend so much of your time thinking about them.

Yeah. All, all, all correct. But anyway, it was a sad day. And then they came out with this. Did you pick it up immediately? Yeah. You had to. Yeah.

And they had, there were what, three new songs? Three new songs. So when you, and did you hear about the new songs beforehand? Like there are going to be three new songs. Were you excited by it? I don't know how psyched I was about it just because it was the best of, but I did really want to hear those songs, so I'm sure I preordered it or whatever nerds do when they're excited about something.

Well, let's go through it. It's two discs, and the first disc starts off obviously with the irs stuff uh but then um it's not a full irs disc because uh about two-thirds of the way through it goes to the warner brother stuff oh wow it does doesn't it yeah so let's uh let's hear the tracks we're not gonna like listen to them all necessarily as much as talk about if we now here's here's my view of a best of like this, is that I think it should have every song that a casual fan should want. Okay. That it should have the famous songs, the ones that, you know, I am not necessarily interested in a best of that has like choice album tracks necessarily. As much as on something like this, I all of the famous rem songs yes i think it

should have every single one of the hits plus the cultural hits even if you don't like them as much i think they they need to be on there yes and they had a best of the in time best of the warner brothers years where they didn't include shiny happy people and they went around and they and they included some stuff that don't deserve to be on there. So I think on something like this, which is an archival like, hey, this is a best of not only of our newer stuff, but our old stuff. Yeah. I think it should just be

the hits. And for that purpose, I think they did a pretty good job. I think it's like 75%. There's a couple issues I have though. Okay, so let's start it off. This is the first track. This is Gardening at Night. And here we go. So Gardening at Night from Chronic Town.

This was the hit. This was on the eponymous best of so great choice from Chronic Town I think but this is the the version from Chronic Town right yeah

not the eponymous version which had a different vocal I actually prefer the different vocal yeah I like the Chronic Town version

this is the Chronic Town oh it is okay I like the eponymous one get your fucking story straight. If you were on the stand right now, I would tear you a new asshole.

It would be perjury. Yeah. This is a perjury trap, bro. Okay, but great choice from Chronic Town. Would you quibble at all? Would you put anything else on from Chronic Town? Yeah, I would have put boxcars. Boxcars?

Yeah. I think Gardening and I was a bigger hit. It's a bigger hit. So it's... Okay. Yeah. All right. Next up, Radio Free Europe, the hit version from Murmur.

Great. Obviously needs to be on here. Yeah. For sure. And a great, great version. So ticking all the boxes for me here needs to be on okay and then coming up from murmur track three we have yeah this has to be this has to be on here there's a hit though later in 87 when it was on eponymous rather than murmur but but it has to be on here uh and then uh rounding out our tracks from murmur we have

sitting still which is i would say not was never a radio hit yeah even though it was a single it was a single so i think deserves to be on here as one of their greatest songs i mean it's incredible i mean someone that's never really heard the band or someone that likes this show and doesn't know where to start this is a great this is a good best thing to get yeah yeah okay so then uh from reckoning we have two tracks from reckoning uh first off is and this has to be on here of course south central rain i'm sorry yeah has to be there uh then we go into don't go back to rockville another one that good choice great choice you can't do a best of without this because this was played all the time is there anything else from reckoning you would have put on there i would have i made up a different rei sequence different rem best um i would have put seven

chinese brothers was that a single though i don't know but it was a hit as far as i i mean everyone sang it when i was growing up okay okay i feel like it was what would you have put on i think these are for this sort of thing, I think these are the two songs. But if I was to add another, it probably would be Pretty Persuasion. Yeah. But I think this is a fine representation of that album.

Yeah. And Seven Chinese Brothers probably wasn't a hit. I don't know why everyone kind of knew it though when I grew up. Okay, so this is from fables we have driver eight yeah this is a hit gotta be on there i mean this is this is rem in a nutshell yeah in your nutshell in my this is rem in a nutsack what if that's how they marketed this that would be weird okay then i'm not sure what you're going to think of this choice.

The second song they used from Fables is Life and How to Live It. I think it's a great choice. It was a single. I love this song, but I don't know what else from Fables. You can't get there from here. Oh, yeah. That's nowhere to be found. That's the most serious omission at this

point bizarre they don't like it or something i don't know exactly what it's not one of my favorites but it's a big hit it was it was a hit for them at the time yeah yeah so a little odd that's bizarre they i would have included three from that album what else would you oh so you would have put in well yeah because it was a hit a college radio hit yeah um okay next up from life's rich pageant we have begin the begin it's nice hearing something else from life's rich pageant yeah because eponymous just had fall on me yeah so it's good to get two tracks off it this was not a single if i'm not mistaken was it but i don't what else was superman and fall superman but that's another quite frankly a

serious omission superman should have been on this yeah but it's a cover so i can see why no one really knows the original it should be on here it should be on here yeah but i can see why they would leave it off next up we have fall on me obviously it has to be on here yes all right then we go to the tracks from document and i think they picked the three from document that you have to put on here you have finest work song but not the horn mix absolutely not and we also have have that's great what if they put an a uh a best of together of their whole career and they did not include this song i mean remember the the uh the beastie boys anthology i believe they call it which was their two disc best of and they look even they had to put on fight for your right to party yeah and they in

the liner notes they were like we put this song on because it sucks haha yeah anyway yeah we're embarrassed by it but here it is like even if they hated it they would have to put on yeah all right and then of course rounding out the tracks from document you have so aside from superman and Can't Get There From Here... Yeah, great list. Good list from the IRS era. I would have, if they're only putting two songs from Life's Rich Pageant, I would take out Begin the Begin and put in Superman.

Superman, just because... Agreed. Even though Begin the Begin's a better song. Agreed, but Superman, everyone sang that summer. I would put three songs from that and Fables on there. Yeah, what the fuck? What are they doing? What are we saving space for?

Yeah, exactly. All right, so then we move into the... Again, just to remind you, people are listening to this show. Yes. This is something that people actually like. Okay, then we go into Green. We have four tracks from Green, which when you see the four, you can't really dispute. You have, of course, a song that I'm not incredibly into,

but you have to put it on. Is this the one that's not on In Time? Or no, it's Shiny Hat. I think they put this on. Yeah, you've got, I mean. You have to put Stand On. Yeah, giant hit. You also have to put on Pop Song 89.

Yeah, these are the four singles from that album. And then you also have Get Up. Okay, now Get Up is one. It was a single. It was a single, but I wouldn't say it was a hit, so you could take...

Neither was Pop Song 89, though. But Pop Song 89 being more of the... Oh, no, Orange Crush was. Orange Crush and Stand On were big hits. Yeah. But still, for completists. I'm glad they put those two on there. They're so fun.

Then you got Orange Crush. Okay. Then we move on to Out of Time. The massive selling out of time. And we have, of course, the lead single losing my religion i mean this is an unstoppable so far group of songs i mean this is crazy they're not they're not they're they're maybe played out to you and i but for the casual fan this is like this is one band one and one cd yeah okay so then here's here's one that i quibble with. Then you have country feedback. Well, it's a band favorite.

But see, this is my issue. This isn't... Like, so far, it's been a best of of these are the tracks. Yeah, but there are some non-singles on here so far. This is a non-single that is a fan and band favorite. But I guess my point is if you're going to put on Stand and the ones that maybe you don't like all that much anymore then you're saying like we're just putting out an archival

yeah but i mean from this album it the other single would have been radio song so yeah i know and you don't want to put that on although do you i don't know i don't but do you i like lots of that song but yeah i know it's maybe maybe wouldn't feel right on this. Country feedback, not sure. And then, of course, you have to put this on for Mouth Time. This is Shiny Happy People. Top ten hit. What are you not going to put it on?

Come on. So then the other weird thing about this disc one is it ends on a track from Automatic for the People. I would end it on stuff from out of time it's i don't have it as discs i just have one long okay this is the final track on disc one it's sidewinder sleeps tonight which is also not a track i would pick from automatic i guess because it was a single they picked. I would pick Drive rather than Sidewinder. Because they've got four songs from Automatic. And you would pick Drive instead of Sidewinder?

Yeah. It was a pretty... It was the first single. And it was a hit. Was it a hit? I mean, because it was the first single from an R.E.M. album. It was played everywhere. The video was on constantly.

I would maybe just not even... I would just pick three from it. Or Find find the river because that was a single as well find the river was a single yeah crazy i would just pick the the the first three tracks on disc two which starts off with everybody hurts which i don't know if i would lead off a cd with everybody hurts as much as i would put man on the moon but i think you might be the only person listening to this on CD. Now, but at the time, they sold it as a CD. And they sold it on

iTunes, sure. Okay, and then you go Man on the Moon, classic, and then you go Night Swimming. Of course. Yep. So, Automatic gets a nice representation we can sort of i mean they had so many singles from it and but those three were big hits okay i'm seeing some weird selections coming up here okay yeah so next up this is fine it's what's the frequency kenneth

this is fine absolutely but then that's the only one from Monster they put on. I think you got to put Bang and Blame on. Absolutely. Bang and Blame was a top 10 hit. Yeah. It's crazy. That is bonkers. Yeah.

Nuts. And that's the only thing from Monster. Okay. That's so weird. It's so very weird. Then you go to New Adventures in Hi-Fi, and you have New Test Leopard. Bizarre. I know it's a band favorite, but not a single.

It was not a single? No. Oh, interesting. I thought it was. Where's Bittersweet Me? Well, where's Ebo the Letter? Where's Ebo the Letter and Bittersweet Me? This is like, what's going on, REM?

You're losing the plot here. I mean, Ebo the Letter was incredible. Yeah, I mean, it's not one that I necessarily love, but it's one that I certainly heard at the time. Yeah. On MTV and everything. That is so weird. New Test Leopard.

New Test Leopard. And then you have Electrolyte, which is great. We've heard it. This is the second appearance on this episode. Yeah. Very weird. So then you go to Up, and this is is the weirdest thing to me the only song from up is at my most beautiful yeah no day sleeper no day sleep why would you not put day sleeper on

yeah crazy very weird um i don't know i mean this was a single but none of them were hits really maybe they're embarrassed by up at the time at the time when they put this out or something. I don't know. They probably just had limited space or something. But put Day Sleeper on here. Yeah. Weirdos? Agree.

All right, next up is the Great Beyond hit. You've got to put it on. And then the only track from Reveal, you have Imitation of Life, which wasn't a hit but was certainly a single and played on MTV Live. It was a hit everywhere in the world except here. Yeah. But then nothing else from Reveal,

which, you know, is a bummer. And then you have Bad Day, which I don't know about. That was definitely a single. It was a single, but it's such a end of the world

as we know it kind of rewrite. Yeah, but people love it. Okay. I can see why. I can i don't i don't mind it and then you have leaving new york from around the sun which is the only single really of note gotta put that on there we're okay then we go to accelerate we have two tracks from accelerate we have of course uh the first track from it living well is the best revenge great and, of course, the first track from it, Living Well is the Best Revenge. Great. And then, of course, it wasn't a single, so I would have put Supernatural Super Serious, definitely.

But then I would have put Hollow Man, since that was a single. Hollow Man was the single instead of Living Well? Yeah, I don't think... I think they were just two singles. I think Living Well was a single. Uh-uh. Can you look up the Wikipedia page for Accelerator?

Oh, I have it right here. Hollow Man, they had a video and everything. The four singles were Supernatural, Super Serious, Hollow Man, Man-Sized Wreath, and Until the Day is Done. Huh. But not your correct. I mean, it's a good representation of the others. I think it's a better song than the others, yeah. Okay, then three tracks from Collapse Into Now,

which is a little much. And none of them were... Oh, Uberlin was a... Well, there were no hits. There were no hits. That's why I think, like, if you're scrimping on up, why are you putting three songs from your recent... Because it was their...

They're proud of it, but... It's the album that came out the same year they put this together, so they were probably into it. And these are great songs. These are great. And three of the six that I like. Here's Oh My Heart. What would you have put from Collapse Into Now?

From Collapse Into Now... If you had to put... I just wouldn you have put from Collapse Into Now? From Collapse Into Now? If you had to put, I just wouldn't have put three on, on a representative best of. You'd put two? I'd put two, yeah. Which ones? Uberland, definitely. Probably Alligator?

I'm not sure. Alligator's next. I don't know that Oh My Heart Belongs on it. It was a single, I believe. I don't think so. I think it was the singles were i'll tell you what the singles were because i haven't right now oh no we talked about this last time oh my heart was a single on february 1 2011 okay so that that but the first single was what do you call it um it was uh mine smell like honey yeah mine smell yeah you're right where Where's that?

Mine Smell Like Honey probably should have been on here. Yeah, it's a really poppy, good song. Probably Mine Smell Like Honey and Uberlin maybe? Sure. Okay. Yeah. Good choices. All right, so that's it. That's where we're at for like, and then-

Boiled their career down to 37 songs. Yeah. So, but then we have three new ones. And I got to say, putting the new tracks on a best of, down to 37 songs. Yeah. So, but then we have three new ones and I gotta say putting the new tracks on a best of is,

it's a dicey proposition. Yeah. You know, because if they don't, I tell you who was the most successful at that was

Hall & Oates on their, what was it, Rhythm & Soul Part 1 or whatever. They put, they had two

new tracks on that. I believe it was Adult Education and another massive hit. And you can't argue with those. And then The Killers and their recent Best Of, they had Give Me a Shot at the Night, which is a great song. But then they put another one that didn't hit. It usually, if you put two new tracks on a Best Of, one is going to be maybe popular and one is going to be but or you too putting the revamped version of uh what do you call it sweetest thing yeah yeah that was a hit though that was a hit yeah once they put it out once they put it out but we have

three new uh we have three new rem songs and i think I would have just put one on and used the other two as B-sides. But Month of Saturdays doesn't make any sense. Listen to it. Okay, this is a Month of Saturdays. This is the first new track, and you've been waiting to hear this with anticipation. This is a Month of Saturdays. Five o'clock Friday, all my work is done. I mean, this sounds like one that our fans would make.

Like, listen to that. Maybe they are fans and they made it for us. I want to take all the Saturdays. I want to stay up late. Like, what are they doing? Okay, it's a demo. They didn't finish it. I hope it is.

But that's no excuse. It's garbage. It's the garbage in this title. I mean, I can't imagine. Maybe it's a joke. They're just putting on like... I think they just put up anything they have in the vaults. They have vaults filled with stuff.

Probably better stuff. I don't know what it is. But they must just be saving it for, I don't know, boxed sets. Like why not put another song on from Up and keep a month of Saturdays for. That's my point. Like it's really weird. Yeah, you're scrimping and scrounging on the earlier albums, and then you're putting, like, this garbage song on.

And knowing that people are going to be dissecting and pulling these three songs apart. This is a B-side at best. Sure. B-side, fine, or a fan club single. Yeah, yeah. So that's disappointing. Very weird.

So what was your reaction when you first heard it? I remember just being kind of flummoxed by it. Right. Being that's disappointing. Very weird. So what was your reaction when you first heard it? I remember just being kind of flummoxed by it. Right. Being like, whatever. Okay, so then the next one is a single. I would put this on as the very last track. Yeah, I love this song. This is We All Go Back to Where We Belong.

Let's hear a little bit of this. I trimmed what you were offering. Imagine lying next to me. Your shirt and your reputation tossed. I will write our story in my mind. Write about our dreams and triumphs. This might be my innocence. Lost.

I can taste the ocean. Kind of back in that reveal sort of sound with the strings and the jimmy whip chord progression. That is where it all begins. Oh, they hold the chorus there. They pulled it. Yeah, I think it's really pretty. It's really nice. That kind of Burt Bacharach. Yeah.

And really sad. It's really sad. Because it feels like it's about them breaking up. It also feels like it's about... Let's listen to the chorus. Here it is. I guess I don't have a point. No, you do. We belong. We all go back to where we belong. It's nice.

It is. Is this really what you want? So if that were the end i would love it but uh then you have hallelujah is their final song that they put on what do you think of this one adam um i don't think it's bad it's it's probably it feels like in the animal uh area where it's it feels like it's a work in progress a little something I believe it's a demo as well but it feels

it's a little it feels a little more done than the other demo but I think it is a demo I do like the chorus it's interesting honestly I haven't listened

to this a ton but I do remember thinking there were interesting things in it. It feels very much like the previous song in the sort of same general vicinity, but just not as good. So that's why it would be a B-side. It goes to an interesting place. Fades out? No, it gets super feedback-y and stuff from what I remember.

Here it comes. Here it comes. I like it I think it's a B-side though yeah I mean they're you know I gotta admit I would've loved to hear

or heard one last jangle song from them yeah you know but you know I feel like there were probably there's probably a lot of stuff

they're saving for other projects maybe and I don't know yeah I don't know but I love we all go back to where we belong yeah that's a good song I think that should have been

the only one yeah maybe you know if you're asking yes did I make my own 80 minutes per side best of yeah sure I did

alright let's hear it no no no we need to go to a break is it basically the same except the things we talked about the things we talked about? The things we talked about, yeah. But I fit in 80 minutes per side.

Wow. You did much more than I did. Well, yeah. You're the one who literally a half hour before this episode. I was like, what are we doing? What am I supposed to do? All right. We need to take a break.

When we come back, we're going to go. This is exciting. We're going to rank all of the albums in order of preference, we're gonna do our top 10 songs from each era we'll be right back with more are you talking rem reme five o'clock friday all my work is done. Oh, boy. I can hardly wait. Let's take the silver left slinging around. Let's make it taste so sweet. Okay, welcome back.

I mean, they're having fun, I guess. Welcome back. Are you talking R.E.. Are you talking? Are you me? And this is the moment we have all been waiting for. What do you want to do first? Do you want to do albums or do you want to do top 10 songs of each era? Let's do albums. I think that's a better kind of macro way of starting.

So as far as the albums go, I did obviously more work than you in this regard because— Oh, I've been working on all these lists for weeks. Okay. So I've been doing mine as we go along, but I said to myself a few days ago, I said, I don't have the perspective really that I need right now because so many—I was in the weeds. There's a lot of new albums for you. So, so what I did was

I listened to all of them in order. Whoa. Over two days. Starting with Chronic Town. Starting with Chronic Town, ending with Collapse. And if you're wondering, that will take you 12 hours,

42 minutes, and three seconds. Oh my God. I listened to them all in order. And I have to say there were some surprising things that I found that have affected my rankings. Interesting. I don't know what you mean by that. So now we are, what we've done is we have ranked all of their albums, including Chronic Town, which is an EP, and including Dead Letter Office.

Yes. So that will be 17 things. Am I right on that, Adam? Have you checked? Is it 17? Okay. So do you want to do it like we did on U2 where we go back and forth with what are 17 and then are 16 and so on? Okay.

We can do that. What would you rather do? That's the response from somebody who doesn't want to do it that way. No, no. Or we just go one at a time. I think we should just go one at a time. Go one at a time? Okay, great.

I think you should go first. Why do you think I should go first? Because you're going to – I'm afraid you're going to find it so enraging that I won't be able to carry on. No, I'll be fine. You'll be fine. Okay. Do you want to say what you think it's going to be? We're going from worst.

We're going from worst to best. Yeah. Yeah. I think you're going to put Around the Sun as your worst. All right. My worst, number 17, Monster. Oh, okay. I listened to all of them in order.

Yeah. And Monster, I got to say, sounds the shittiest just in terms of like all of them. I had the least amount of fun listening to that one. I like a few of the songs on it. I won't spoil which ones because they may show up. But it sounds the most dated to me. I was wishing for it to be over. And then when I listened to the one you said, Around the Sun, I liked it more. it sounds the most dated to me. I was wishing for it to be over. And then when I listened to the one you said, Around the Sun,

I liked it more. I don't know what to say. I just liked it more. There's great songs on it, just unfortunately put together. Yeah, I don't know. I just was not enjoying it. Okay.

So I don't know. I don't know what to say. Coming in at number 16, the aforementioned Around the Sun. Although I will say i liked it more than the first time that we listened to it it's grown on me a little bit i like about good songs or as a matter of fact i like the songs i just think as an album it's a little boring okay uh number 15 up yeah and i like again i like it more than when we first talked about it

revisiting grower not a grower, not a shower. It really is. A lot like the opposite of my penis. But a little long. But I was enjoying it. Okay. Number 14. Out of time.

Are you distracted by something? I'm just trying to place it where my list is. So this is 14 this is 14 the fourth on the forest yeah yeah out of time out of time okay that doesn't surprise me with you but no because i remember how you a person with problems well here's here's my thing i really like some of the songs on it yeah and i really dislike some of the other songs on it. Yeah. And I really dislike some of the other songs on it. And when you look at it, I like fewer of the songs

than I dislike. So, well, I don't know. I just really, like there's two songs in particular that I cannot stand. Shiny Happy People and Radio Song. And Radio Song.

Although I like parts of Radio Song. But, you know, so I just, I don't know, out of time. But just as a cultural artifact- I don't care about it. That was a number one album. All I'm listening to it as in these past two days- Okay, so you're not taking any cultural significance into account.

I'm not taking, I mean, maybe as we go along, but this is just my impression of, after doing this show for the past six months of now, just what do I think of the records? Okay. Next up, Collapse Into Now. Okay. Better than Out of Time, I think. Mm-hmm. Next up, Accelerate.

Okay. Those two are so similar to each other. I think I, like I like Six Songs a Piece and I think I dislike the other six on Accelerate more, or I dislike the other six on Collapse more than I dislike

the other six on Accelerate. Okay. Next up, Document. Okay. That's 11. Document.

I gotta say, listening to it, it sounds really dated. Huh. I, the minute it came on, I say, listening to it, it sounds really dated. Huh. The minute it came on, I'd been listening to all of the IRS period. The minute it came on, I was like, oh, wow, it sounds so different. And with sort of dated production. And it's definitely like more poppy.

You mean, and more than just Lightning Hopkins with the sax solo. Yeah, all of it. All of it sounds slightly dated to me interesting okay um next up reveal okay i like reveal better than than document and part of it is is those last reveal more than accelerate yeah wow because i like every song on reveal and i don't like every song on excel you like every song on Reveal, and I don't like every song on Accelerate. You like every song on Reveal. I do. You think She Just Wants To Be is a better song than, say, Mr. Richards.

Look, I don't want to talk about Mr. Richards. We don't want to get into this. Next up, Dead Letter Office. Surprising to me, lower than I thought it would be. And you mean lower as in? In my memory. In my memory, I was like, oh than I thought it would be. You mean lower as in? In my memory. In my memory, I was like, oh, I love Dead Letter Office. It's pretty slapdash.

At the time when I first heard it, it did not sound slapdash to me, and now it sounds slapdash to me. Okay, let's take a little break here and just acknowledge that Accelerate, when you talked about Accelerate, you were like these first four or five songs. Four. First four songs. Love them. Classics.

And then I like two of the others. So we're ranking these, but what we're talking about are all records that have some indisputably great music on them. You're just ranking them in the order. In the order of preference of listening to them. Even Up now, which I remember at the time I was kind of like, I don't think I ever need to hear these songs again. Listen to it again, I like them.

Okay, after Dead Letter Office, my number seven, Fables of the Reconstruction. All right. Surprisingly high, I think. Number six, New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Oh, wow, that's different than I thought you would because you thought it would be higher or lower lower I mean I thought you would like it less there's I I tell you remember at the time I had issues with the sequencing you did um and you

thought it was bloated there was it was bloated so here's here's what my new uh my new theory on it is. I think I fucked with it too much for your tastes. My new theory is just take off So Fast, So Numb and Low Desert and go straight from Zither to Electrolyte, and you have a great album. I think you're wrong, but that's fine. What were the ones you don't like on that? Because I don't love Undertow, but I would keep it on. I would just take off

So Fast, So Numb and Low Desert and you have a nice, you know, 50-minute album. I think So Fast, So Numb is a brilliant song, so I think that

that's insane. Yeah, but you think everything is, yeah. Okay. No, I don't. That doesn't surprise me. I mean, there's a lot of songs of theirs I don't care for.

Okay. Number five, Chronic Town. Okay. Lower than I thought it would be as well yeah but it's not i mean it's what four songs yeah but i love them so i know but it's not i know but it is it is number five so that's i think that's a fair ranking number four automatic for the people oh higher than i thought it would higher than i thought it would be as well but every song is

good it's indisputable it really is And even though it doesn't have the nostalgia for me, it just is a good record. But I think other people might put it higher because it has the nostalgia for them because they listened to it at the time. Okay. But for me, it's really solid. So that's a very high ranking considering you don't have that emotional attachment. I have never heard it. Yeah, exactly. The only emotional attachment I have for any of these is talking to you about them, which is not helping.

Okay. All right. Number three. And number three and number two were so close to me. I flip-flopped. I couldn't tell. Number three is reckoning. And number two is murmur.

Both of those could be either two or three to me. They're so close. Reckoning andmur. Both of those could be either two or three to me. They're so close. Reckoning and Murmur. You seem in disbelief. I seem in disbelief with what I think the remaining album is for number one. Number one, Life's Rich Pageant. Wait, you didn't include Green. Oh, did I skip it?

Sorry. It goes document, document then green then reveal you like reveal more better than green well look here's the here's the issue with green green has shitty songs on green has has highs and lows and the highs are really good but the lows are are bad to me and what are the lows just tell tell me what they are. Well, you got Stand. You have, I mean, I... I remember California. Yeah. Okay.

But what else? And whereas I like the pop songs on it, you know, I like, what am I talking about? I'm talking about Get Up and all that kind of stuff. Like I said at the time, they also, I've heard them so much, they're a little annoying to me now. And I just, maybe it's just me not having spent a lot of time with Reveal and not getting sick of it, but I just liked listening to Reveal more.

Okay. So, sorry, I did forget Green. I'm sorry, I skipped over it. So, wait, Green was in between. Green's in between Document and Reveal. I like Green more than Document, strangely enough. I thought it would have been the reverse. Okay, okay. Number one is Life's Rich Pageant to me. Yeah. And I don't, and maybe it's my nostalgia. That's the first one I ever heard. I love every song on it. I don't

know. I don't know if that, but I sing along to every single song. The gauge I was using a lot of times is, am I singing along to all these all these songs and but that one is the one that's most ingrained in you yeah i can't i can't get away from and what was number two again murmur murmur and number three is reckoning okay murmur and reckoning to me were both um so close okay that um reckoning starts so strong and then kind of doesn't fall apart i still love all the songs but it's not as quality at the end. Whereas Murmur is just consistent all the way through. Okay.

So sorry about the green thing that confused you so much. I'm so confused. But there you go. That's it. But I have to say, listening to them all, I gained new respect for a lot of them and I had a good time doing it. And so as a whole, and I'm speaking as a whole. When I say as a whole, I mean as an actual whole.

Sure. I am, of course, just a couple of holes with flesh attached. Looking at the macro view, second time I've used the word macro in this episode, and it's a total bummer. Looking at the body of work, what would you say? I would say, let's leave final thoughts of Ari for the end.

Okay, okay. I want to hear what you have. All right. All right. Okay, I think I knew Life Search Pageant was going to be number one for you, but I thought maybe it would be Murmur. Yeah. Murmur's great, though. Murmur's great. All right. Okay, I think I knew Life Search Pageant was going to be number one for you, but I thought maybe it would be Murmur. Yeah.

Murmur's great, though. Murmur's great. All right. Okay, so here's what I think your lowest is going to be around the sun, I'm pretty sure, just from what? Okay, are we starting my list? Yeah, we're starting your list. You know what?

It is, but I think that... I don't know where you're going to go with these, by the way. I knew Around the Sun because you seemed pretty dissatisfied with it. But now The Rest, I have no idea. Because you seem to love every single one of these records and every song on every one of these records with the passion of a million suns. I know.

And so it was difficult for me to rank them. And I think, I think. I'm going to say Document's going to be your number one, if I had to guess. Just because of how you felt about it at the time. Okay. I think that just understanding that I love all of this music. Yes. So this was difficult to rank.

But I think this is an accurate ranking. And I'm going not by how good the albums are. I'm going by how they make me feel. Okay, so we're not going with like cultural importance or anything like that. No, this is all very personal. This is just personal. Great. Oh, I love this.

And I'm being super honest. Okay, I love it. The ones that I listen to most that resonate with me the most. Who cares if they're good or not? Right. They all do resonate with me the most. Who cares if they're good or not? They all do resonate with me. Got it. Around the Sun is number 17.

Okay. I do love a lot of it, especially Boy in the Well and The Outsiders. There are some great songs on there, but it's just a little listless. All right. Let's pare down the commentary slightly. Wait a second. Wait a second. I'm just saying because of your needs to...

I know, but you... We don't have time for an argument. We can push that by 15, 20 minutes. Okay, good. You had a few words to say about each one. Okay, I agree. Okay, I agree. I know mine are going to be longer and less interesting,

but please, bear with me. Number 16, reveal. Okay, I get you don't really like that. But please, bear with me. Number 16, Reveal. Okay. I get you don't really like that. I do love the way it sounds and the way it feels. The songs to me aren't as – They're a little slow. Catchy and fun.

Although there are some incredible songs on there. They seem like they're having fun on it. I know I said that during the episode. I think they do too. But for me, I've listened to it thousands of times, and it's just, you you know it's number 16 number 15 is monster okay enough said it's hard to quibble with it being a feeling a little thin even though there are stone cold classics weird to me that they've, I know they wanted to rock more,

but wow, if they just would have put out another, you know, Automatic for the People Part II. Well, I think it was 100% a reaction to Automatic and Out of Time. And watching all of this big musical movement happen and go, wait, let's have a musical movement of our own. Bow movement. I mean, I feel like if, like you said, when we went through the album, if it was more

like New Adventures and it was kind of a mix of- A mix, yeah. That it would have been. But there, I don't even know if there's a song on it that I don't really like. Maybe King of Comedy. Right. But it's just, that's where it is. That's where it is, yep. Next up, number 14 is comedy. Right. But it's just – that's where it is. That's where it is.

Yep. Next up, number 14 is Up. Okay. So we're both similar other than Reveal at this point. But okay, Up. Okay. I love it. Love it. And at the time –

And yet it's down there. I swore it was their greatest album. Right. I remember that. And here it is at number 14. Yeah. And, you know, again, I love all this music, but that's their greatest album. Right. I remember that. And here it is at number 14. Yeah. And, you know, again, I love all this music, but that's where it is. Okay.

Number 13 is Chronic Town. Okay. Interesting. I mean, I get your point of it's an EP in slide or whatever, but. Less of an accomplishment. Yeah. And plus you don't have the emotional attachment to what I do of listening to it over and over again. I listen to it a lot at the, at the end of Dead Letter

Office. Right. That's, yeah, I listen, I have that just the record. Yeah. And I, and that, it's one of my most played, so. Yeah. Okay. But it's, you can't argue with it being 100% Stone Cold Classics. All four of those.

So, wow, it's 13 in a Stone Cold Classic. Yeah. Alright. Number 12, Reckoning of those. So, wow, it's 13 in a Stone Cold Classic. Yeah. All right. Number 12, Reckoning. Okay. Huh. Okay. Interesting.

I love Reckoning. Yep. I know. Okay. We don't have to say that anymore. It's down there for you. I just don't have the emotional attachment to it. Got it.

Such great melodies. Okay. Number 11 now. Is that what it is? Somewhere in there. Dead Letter Office. Dead Letter Office. Okay. I love now. Is that what it is? Somewhere in there. Dead Letter Office. Dead Letter Office. Okay.

I love it. Really? Above Reckoning? Well, I mean, it is what it is. You're happier when you listen to Dead Letter Office. Burning down ages of you. Burning. I love those songs.

Okay. Number 10, Collapse Into Now. Okay. Okay. So I put Collapse Into Now above Reckoning, which I know that's, you know, but it's... You were a big boy when you listened to Collapse Into Now. I certainly was. You know, you're a mature music connoisseur at the time, and sure.

Next, number nine, New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Okay. Hi-Fi. Hi-Fi. Number eight, Murmur. Ooh, very low for what many consider to be their best record. Yep. Okay, but it's just how it is.

That's how it is. But it's one of those things where, again, you sort of went backwards in time. Went backwards, discovered it late. Discovered it late, didn't really maybe give it the listens, the concentrated listens as the new stuff, whenever the new stuff came out for you. Until later. And love it very much. But I feel like they grew a lot from there.

Okay. The songs are great, but they moved on, and I feel better and better. You moved on as well. All right. Number seven is Out of Time. Okay. Did you think that would be closer to number one? Well, it is like prime just Adam as a teen, you know, hitting you in the gut material.

So I get it. I get why it would. But I'm not surprised that there are some caveats with it too. So I think it's – I get why it's where it is on your list. You mean as far from number one as it is? Yeah, but still higher than – yeah. Okay. I'm finding here that for both of us, there's – this is interesting only up to a point.

So I can only imagine what it's like for the listeners. Number six, fables of the reconstruction, which I thought would rank higher because I love it so much. But I think there are others. Number five, yeah, number five, document. Document, really? Okay. I thought it might have been number one but maybe you see

the flaws in it now or something I mean we're talking we're in top five territory sure so flaws are slight so take it easy

okay wow so what okay so we still have green to go we still have life's rich pageant we still have green to go. We still have life's rich pageant. We still have automatic. Automatic is going to be your number one. And we still have accelerate. And I know I'm missing one, but okay, let's continue.

So number four, life's rich pageant. Life's rich pageant. Okay. Number three. Accelerate, I bet. Accelerate. Accelerate. And then we go to. Number two is green. Is green. And then of course to number two is green is green and then of course number one automatic for the people there you go wow okay yeah i mean green i can

see that how old were you when green came out it was 88 so you must have been 15 15 yeah yeah i mean when you listen to something at 15 yeah you're never gonna like oh they wrote this for me for me and me alone, those are great rankings. Yeah, likewise. You know, there are no wrong answers as far as I'm concerned. Except for when we come to this because now we're going to do top 10 songs of each era. Okay.

Okay, now... And we're starting with... We're starting with the IRS era. Now, are yours in order? Yes, I did mine in order yeah okay so mine the only ones that are in order are my top 10 of all time because the other ones i just couldn't you can pick i get it i get it i did rank mine okay i think you'll find mine more interesting than mine well just in terms of like i don't even know how you were able to do this i don't know how you were

able to do it yeah okay so this what we've done is the eras, the first five albums, the middle five, and then the later five. Is that how it breaks down? Yes. Okay, so here are my top ten for the first five albums. But Dead Letter Office is part of the first five. Yes, yes. Okay. Here we go.

This is coming in at number ten. This is their first song ever. Here we go. This is coming in at number 10. This is their first song ever. This is Radio Free Europe on Are You Talking R.E.M. Remy. You know? Yeah. You got it.

I mean, come on. Too good. All right. Number nine. know yeah you got it i mean yeah come on too good all right number nine i believe from life's rich pageant my favorite uh album oh i love it love it all right and then number eight seven chinese brothers so good all right moving on to number seven no it would have been good if i

had that at seven for seven chinese brothers Man, I'm going to kick myself later. All right. Number seven. Sitting Still. God damn it. So good. Number six. Yeah.

Ages of You from Dead Letter Office. Incredible. Incredible. Incredible. B-side. In my top ten. All right. That's a cool choice. Then this is five, I believe.

Harbor Coat. Love it. This, by the way, when I just my top 10 and i would hadn't listened to the records yet this was not in there and then hearing it again when i listen all the records i was like this is not only got to be in there it's got to be top five it's unbelievable all right then we go to four i believe gardening at night from chronic town great great stuff number three Gardening at Night from Chronic Town. Great. Great stuff.

Number three. Talk About the Passion. Okay, and then these last two are personal for me. It's just where they're at. This is number two. Nice. That's great. Cuyahoga. I love this. Good at. This is number two. Nice. That's great. Cuyahoga.

I love this. Thank you, Daddy. Do you love me? I love you and I love your song choice. I love this song. It's hard to find

a bad song on this album. Yeah. I mean, maybe the goof-off song. Which one? You know, the instrumental, the camper van beat-em. And this is my number one song from the IRS era. Yeah.

Fall On Me. Yeah. You know? Yeah, yeah. So that's my top ten. Okay. You want to do yours now or do you? Sure.

Should I move on to? Okay, great. Here you go. Man, I just, I was making an adjustment because I had 11 songs in this and I. You found it hard to kick off that one. You know what my 11 was? Wolves, lower. Yeah.

It was in there for so long and and then Harborcoat came just charging in. I got rid of the final song as you were playing yours. So you weren't paying attention? Just as you ended. Okay. And now I'm regretting it. I don't know what to do about it. You can give it an honorable mention after you play these.

Okay. All right. So here we go. What's on yours? Here is Numero Tenno. So you've ranked them. Okay. Great. bowl mention after you play these okay all right so here we go what's on yours here is numero ten you've ranked them okay great yeah burning down this is a b-side as well yeah burning down from dead letter office love it this came on my ipod the other day and i just it made me happy yeah it's great and it's harbor coat right sort of yeah okay okay uh number nine so good by the way what is it name it again for people who don't know what it is. These Days from Life's Rich Pageant.

Did you notice nothing from Document on my top ten? Oh, wow. Sorry. Well, as an answer to that, number eight. Not sure how this sounds dated, but whatever you say. You know what it was? It was coming off of more indie production styles. It just sounded very clean.

Yeah, it is. It's very much like, arena, please. Excuse me. Excuse me. All right, what do we have next? What is next? Seven? Is that what we're talking here?

All right. We have got for numero seven. How can you not love this song? I love it. I just have played it too much, I think. Yeah. Yeah. But it's great.

Number six. Oh, I love this. That's so good. Name these, by way as you oh sorry harbor coat from reckoning uh number five oh yes i just love this name it so fun this is so fun. This is Pilgrimage from Murmur. This could have made it on my top ten easily. It's unbelievable. So good.

So is that number five? I don't know. Number four? Who cares? How many more do you have left? Let's see here. This is the next one. Exhuming McCarthy from Document.

The headphone special. It is the next one. Exhuming McCarthy from Document. Exhuming McCarthy, the headphone special. It's the one I- Have you ever heard music like this? A typewriter? Yes. Oh, I have three more. Okay, number three is... Oh. is Life and How to Live It from Fables. Beautiful.

Beautiful song. Unbelievable. And almost made, I think it was like number 12 on my top. Yeah. Yeah. It's great. Big surprise. Big surprise.

Adam thinks it's great. All right. So are we up to number one or number two number two okay here we go we had a lot of crossover here yeah we had some good stuff ages of ages of you and you can tell just how shittily recorded it is right It's a demo. Sounds so good. Great. Okay, number one. Number one. Okay, what is this? Oh, really? Yeah.

Wow. This is, I believe, a lot of good cross. I believe from Life's Rich Pageant. Hot cross buns. Hot cross. So this is your favorite of this era. That's wow.

I mean, it's just, it's too good. All right. Turn it down and then pass me the core. Okay. I'm just going to turn it off. I mean, it's just, it's too good. All right. Turn it down and then pass me the core. Okay. I'm just going to turn it off. Stop it.

Which is less interesting. People don't need professionalism. Ha! I got it. God damn it, you weren't even looking. That's a no-look grab

and you were trying to keep it from me. The old no-look grab. Okay, now we're moving on to the start of the Warner Brothers era. Yes. Meaning green through hi-fi when Bill Barry left the band.

Hi-fi. All right. Boy, I bet you have no idea what's going to be on my top ten. I don't. I really don't. Are you interested? Very. I feel like I'm like a little boy showing you a report card where I got all A's or something like this.

I just have no clue what you are going to do here. Here we go. This is number 10. This is Untitled from Green. Okay. Just the drumming. Peter Buck on drums. Yeah.

Love it. I love this choice. As you know, I'm a big fan of this song. Again, the highs on this record are high. All right. I like that something from Green is on here. Okay. Now, next up, number nine. Ah, cool choice. This is Be Mine from New Adventures.

I like this one a lot. I like it, yeah. That's a cool... Number eight. Yeah. Night Swimming. Pretty undeniable. I think a lot of people would put it higher, but...

But I like it. This is number eight for me. Yeah. Amazing. Number seven. New Test Leopard, which you don't seem to like all that much. I like it. I'm pleased that it's on your top ten.

This and, so it's two from Hi-Fi Two from Hi-Fi Wow you really love that Alright here we go This is I think number Six maybe From my least favorite record The one song that I think is a classic

You don't think What's the frequency Kenneth? Well I think it's great But I just have heard it way too much. Strange Currencies. I love this, too. I'll find myself singing this sometimes. Phone. Oh, yeah, that sounds good.

All right, this is, I think it's five, maybe. What's it going to be? Number five. It's What's It Going to Be? This is the Cricket Song. This is a song by the Crickets. This is You Are the Everything. It's pretty great.

It's pretty great. And, of course, we saw them singing it uh up in portland so uh some nice uh it was a very special time that you and i shared all right this is somewhere and this is maybe four or something yeah we got uh the song from your wedding cd lots of showings for Electro-Lite today. Yeah. Third time we've played it here. All right.

And then what is this, three or two? Two. I think two. It is... This is Tex Arcana from... No, this is three. Sorry. Cool choice.

Three. And then this is my top two. This song's unbelievable. This is an incredible song. Find the River. One I'd never heard before we did this record. So this has grown on you since we went through Automatic. Did I not like it on Automatic?

No, you were like, yeah, it's good. I think it's great. Yeah. The more times I hear it, the more I like it. Find the River. This is the peak of songwriting in general, I think. Just songwriting in general? Yes.

Okay. That makes no sense. All right, this is my number one, and this is one I sing all the time. Can I guess? Yeah. one um and this is one i sing all the time can i guess yeah man on the moon it's not man on the moon man on the moon's great it probably would be in my top 20 losing my religion no no uh i don't know oh yeah oh that's great i love this that's an awesome choice bittersweet me from new adventures in hi-fi i love this oh that's a cool choice i like it i walk around singing bittersweet me oh i love that i like that more

so that's my that's my top 10 that's a great top 10 the middle area let's see what you got oh i was trying to give it to you and you missed it no you weren't yes it was okay so this is green out of time automatic monster and new adventures adventures in hi-fi just uh just confirming i'm not missing anything you uh no i believe I believe, okay, if I had to guess, mine, no, no, Me and Honey is going to be... Number 10? I don't know. I was going to say up there, but okay, number 10. Oh, it's mine.

Strange Currencies. Wait, was this number 10 for you? No, no, this is number five-ish to me, or six. Great song. Okay, number nine. This one's for you, Scott. This is, what is it again? It's So Fast, So Numb from New Adventures.

This is a song you would take off of the album. Yeah, this sucks. No, listen to the chorus. No! Turn it down, not up! God damn it! I hate this! What do you like about this?

It's rock and roll with a wide-angle lens, Scott. You suck so bad. Here it comes. Oh. You suck so bad. Here it comes. You're air piano-ing. The least rocking part of this song. You switch to the drums. okay that is number nine i don't think it's terrible i know i know i would i would maybe take it off okay number eight okay frequency what's the. It's a Frequency cat. It's a classic.

I just think it's overplayed for me. I get it. Yeah. All right. Okay. Number seven. Number seven. You predicted right.

Oh, okay. It's on there. Me and Honey. Me and Honey. I knew you liked that song. This probably would... I don't know if it would be even top 20 for me, but top 30, definitely.

Big fan of it. Yeah. And it's made an appearance on a few top 10 lists so far with guests. Yeah, that's right. Okay, this is number five. Six, I think. Number six. Okay, Evo the Letter.

All right. Okay, number five. Half a World Away from Out of Time. Okay. Trying to remember how I feel about this one. Not bad. It became a favorite of mine later.

What happened? I learned English. Wait. What country did you come from? I was born and raised in the United States. Okay. I just never bothered

to learn English. Okay. All right, what's next? Number four. Cricket song. Cricket song song you are the everything great yeah i think it might have been number four for me too i think it may have been wow number three uh yes that's a lot of crossover yeah my number two. Okay, my number 10. Yeah, all right. And number one.

Man on the Moon? No. Or Drive Because You're in the Video? Something from this record, though. Yes. Night Swimming. Oh, it's Night Swimming. No.

Really? Night Swimming's not in your top 10? No. Oh, track two. Swimming. No. Really? Night Swimming's not in your top ten? No. Got it. Oh, track two. What is track two? Yeah. Right.

Yeah, this is called... Try Not to Breathe. Try Not to Breathe, yeah. And this is very personal to you. I just love it. Yeah, it's great. All right. Good top ten.

By the way, we each, because of a listener suggestion, we each have, someone suggested it would be great for us to put our top 30, meaning our top tens of each era, into one playlist and sequence it because we're so fond of sequencing. So we each have done that, and you can see those on at least my Twitter I'm not sure if well one of us has done that oh you have not done that and it's top 30 of all time well I think it was the top 10 of each era oh okay and where did you put it

oh I'm gonna put the list up oh you're just gonna put it up on Twitter so maybe you will when you get your shit together okay so this is the post-Bill Barry top 10. What do you think I'm going to pick? If you had to guess. For number 10? No, just for any of the songs.

Living Well is the Best Revenge. I don't know. All right, here we go. Oh, yeah. Great choice. Number 10 is I'll Take the Rain from Reveal. I'm not going to play it. Uh-oh.

It's a good choice. All right, number nine. Nice. Man-sized Reef from Accelerate. Number eight. Uberlin. Nice. Could be even higher.

I don't know. Uberlin's great. From, of course, Collapse. Number seven. You're not going to like this one. All right. You don't like this song that much, but I like it a lot. Sure.

So, fuck you! Number six. Nice choice. Hollow Man from Accelerate. I've been lost. Number five. That Someone Is You. Ah, yeah.

I walk around singing this all the time, too. I walk around just going, that someone is you. It's real catchy. And it's only a minute and something long. Yeah. All right, then we have

some songs. Great song. So good. Then we have Okay. Great Beyond, which I know you don't care for that much, but I think is one of their great songs of this era.

Then I believe I have two left, right? So, yes, this is my number two. Nice. Living Well is the Best Revenge from Accelerate. Nice. And number one. Ooh. Nice. And number one. Ooh. Okay.

That's going to be the favorite of all of them. Yeah. Okay. Look, I'm not going to squabble with a squibble. Sure.

If I can make up a new. I think on yours, Interesting. Nothing from Up, by the way, made my... Oh wow. Okay. Yeah.

I was, I was sort of in there with like, uh, the Oxford version of, uh, uh, it's a tough because it's kind of one thing. It's tough to kick from it and nothing from, uh, around the sun. Uh, you're right. Although, uh, you're playing something. How cool. Sorry. Um, okay. Although you're playing something. How cool. Sorry. Okay.

So you have a top 10. Let's do it. What is your top 10 from the era? All right. Let's see here. We will see here. Hearing your every swallow as you try to figure out. That is so gross and I apologize.

What are you doing? Just describe what you're doing. I was just making a last-minute adjustment. Here we are, number 10. Turn it up, bro. Turn that boy up. Here we go, number 10. Number 10.

Jesus Christ. I would dare you, but I know I don't need to. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do. mine smell like honey mine smell like honey collapsing to now number nine oh okay hope hope from up i like this song this is what what I would have made the first song. On that album. On that album, yeah. Yeah, me too. All right, number eight. Great. I picked it.

I cannot argue with this. Cannot argue with this. Okay, number seven. Number seven. I picked it too, you know? I cannot argue with this. Imitation of life. All right, number six.

Number six. Look, I mean, I picked it too. Cannot argue with this. Nope. Number five. That was Man-Sized Wreath, by the way. Try to call these out if you wouldn't mind. Oh, shut up.

This one is... This is Day Sleeper, isn't it? Day Sleeper from Up. There's a song this reminds me of. Oh, it reminds me of Sleepers' What Do I Do Now, by the way. I don't know that song. There's an Elvis Costello slow version that um this reminds me a lot of huh yeah the chord changes in the production of it number what is this number five

oh my heart oh my heart from collapsing to now yes indeed Yes, indeed. Great. Number four. Was this on yours? Yeah, this is on mine, yeah. This is great. Hollow Man. What number was this on yours? Who cares? Five-ish, I think.

Let me see. Six. Okay, this is number four on mine. Okay. So what, you're better? No. What if we argued about that? Number three. Oh yeah, what is this?

Discoverer. From Collapse into Now. Don't make it that noise. Discoverer! Discoverer! Discover it! Nothing short of a triumph. For me to poop on. Alright, we don't need to hear any more of it.

What's number two? Number two. Falls to Climb. Oh, Falls to Climb from to climb from up from up wow three up songs that's a little little much this is a great song no i like this song number one okay everybody supernatural supernatural super serious great uh first single off of um off of accelerate um i believe it was my number four could have been number two even yeah could have been number one i don't know hey who knows who knows i i switched the rankings on these a lot i think i've already switched the rankings since playing this like i don't think Falls to Climb would be number two.

So now let's talk about top ten of all time. Yeah. Okay, so I have something to admit. Yeah? You think you have eleven? No, you're not going to like it. Oh. My top ten of all time is

my first top ten. My IRS era top ten. What sorry wait you won't i like all those songs better than the top 10 of the other that's that's such a cop out i'm so i just it is what it is it's not a cop i just i tried just i started to try to rank them and i was like i just like all these songs better i I don't know what to say. Oh, that's ridiculous. I don't know. I mean, I get it because that's what you love.

Because those are the ones you grew up with. I grew up with, and I love those. So everything post-green? Look, I'm telling you, I really like the top 30. I like the top 30, and I like the playlist I made for the top 30. It goes back and forth from eras. I think that's a good representation of how I like REM now. Yeah.

So I don't even want to talk about my top 10. I want to hear your top 10 of all time. Okay. But I get it because everything post-green was brand new for you. Brand new for me, so I don't have the emotional. And green wasn't even that you weren't involved with that. Yeah. But I really like the top 30.

As a matter of fact, I like the other 20 a lot, and I like listening to the playlist of all of them mixed up a lot. So I may grow to like them. Sure. Give me another 20 years. Sure. Okay. Check back with me 20 years from now.

September 4th. Not talk until then. What year will that be? That'll be 2038. We'll get together and go through these top 10 lists. And we will only talk about that. No pleasantries. Nothing.

Nothing else. Okay. Here we go. All right. This is your top 10 of all time. Top 10. Shit. I keep turning this goddamn thing down. Well, yeah, that happens.

And then you, what happens when you turn it down? If you want to listen to something later, you have to turn it back up. You really do. Why? Oh my God. All right. Here we go. Here we go.

Top 10 of all time. Ah, crickets. Yes. You are the everything. This is going to not be particularly suspenseful since we already we already went through okay so that's number 10 okay of rem for all time oh shit you know what what this is 12 i i never whittled it down. All right. Okay, that's number... Blow through them. Here we go. Twelve.

Shit. Did you use... No, I meant to delete these while we were talking, and I didn't. That's all right. I meant to delete two. Okay. And I didn't, so... God damn it.

Okay, you know what? You're we're upset about this you know anyone listening although then again people may be very frustrated with this episode i wouldn't blame them here is number 11 now discover all right please play the next one What's track 10? Okay, number 10. Okay. I used to play this on the guitar, by the way. Is it difficult or super easy? No, super easy. Okay. Number nine.

Ah, Exhuming McCarthy. The old headphone special. Yes, indeed. Okay. I meant Discoverer would be in the top 10 somewhere i got pushed out because i added something interesting okay not interesting all right number nine now okay ebo the letter in your top 10 of all time okay that's right all right that's right all right moving on dot org uh this is number what is this who knows just press the button half a world away okay out of time okay okay number six of all time everybody number six of all time yeah i think because it was such a comeback yeah well that

was my issue with trying to rank the earlier stuff i would play this next to you know something like number 10 like your radio free europe and i would just go i just like radio free europe better even though this is great yeah yeah so i get that. That's why this, play this next to Radio Free Europe for me, I'm like, I just like this better. You're more excited by this. Okay. Number, I think we just said the exact same thing. We did, but the opposite.

Number five. Great song. This is number five for you. Number five. Did you think it would be higher? Maybe. Because it was, no, it was number four. It ended up being number four. So I guess it's higher than I thought it would be higher? Maybe. Because what it knows, it ended up being number four. So I guess it's higher than I thought it would be.

Okay. Who cares? Number four. Burning Down. In your... No, Ages of You. Ages of You, sorry. Or wait, is this and Burning Down the same song?

Yeah, those are the two that were sort of sort of the same yeah ages of you so you just like this song you put it in your top 10 twice well i put burning down in the and they just top 10 yeah that's what i mean uh okay number three Boom, boom. Boom, ta. Da-da-da. Untitled. Untitled.

Okay, this is three, so then number two. Two must be your number one of the 80s. No, no. What is it? What is number two? Okay, try it. Oh, okay, so this is your number one of the mid-period. Yeah, try not to breathe. So then your number one must be your number one from the 80s, right?

There we go. This is your number one song of all time. Wow. I think so. Tell us about it. What do you like about it? Well, it's, listen, Scott, I believe it is. I believe.

The quintessential R. The quintessential REM song. It sounds like having a beer in the sunlight on the 4th of July. I'd like to do that with you. Let's do it. You know what? We can do that on the 4th of what's the next month we're going to experience. Yeah, because we're already on the 4th of September. 4th of October.

Okay. If it's sunny out, we'll have a beer in the sunshine. Okay, great. So what are we talking? 5 a.m.? Yeah. 5 in the morning. Great. The minute the sun rises. Okay. If it's sunny out, we'll have a beer in the sunshine. Okay, great. So what are we talking, 5 a.m.? Yeah. 5 in the morning. Great. The minute the sun rises.

Yeah. I want to, I'm... Adam! What? What? Adam! What? Get the fuck out here!

Break a window, the alarm goes off. Drink, drink, drink, drink! Beer! Beer me, bro! Well, that was exhausting, but it was... I can't believe we actually... I thought there's no way we would get all this in one episode. We did it.

We did it. Can you believe it? This was fun. Yeah. This is our last episode for a while. I think we're going to do a few here and there as time permits, but this is it. And I will say from my end, as the novice to REM, I enjoyed this a lot.

I viewed each week that we would get a new record with a lot of anticipation and excitement, which I didn't think that I would. I sort of thought when we embarked upon this that I would view it more as thought when we embarked upon this that I would view it more as a chore than anything. Okay. Why? Because you weren't sure about... I thought I wouldn't enjoy the records all that much. Okay. So I found myself after really listening to them several times in the week that we had and getting into them and really trying to

figure them out that I found myself, even if I didn't particularly care for the majority of the previous album, I would find myself excited of like, oh boy, a new record. And it has turned me definitely into a fan of the later years. So I now, anytime I hear one of the songs on Shuffle or whatever, I have a certain amount of joy. Even, I would say, the ones that I grew annoyed with over the years, you know, maybe those ones I'm still not into, but I definitely have learned to appreciate the later years. And I have you to thank for that.

Um, and, uh, this, it's, it's been a real pleasure, uh, engaging with you and with the fans about these records.

And, and I've come out the other side now, a fan of REM. And what do you think looking at, uh, them the whole of their career, what do you see there when you just think of the entire thing they um 82 to 2011 thinking about what they left behind um they it's tough

because i i didn't you know i didn't see them live but that one time and i was forced to leave my seat by that one guy who pointed at me and just gestured for me to get the fuck out. So it's a little colored by that. I don't have the experience that you had of seeing them live all the time, so I'm a little bit from a distance. But you've got to give it up to anyone who is you know a 30 year career I mean musicians can barely get

one record out and to have a 30 year career and be you know on culturally relevant for that long is really something I will always love the early period the most

probably the most for me where those songs just put a smile on my face but now I have the early period. The most. Probably the most for me, where those songs just put a smile on my face. But now I have a lot of respect for the later ones, and I'm genuinely singing along to a lot of them as well, especially those ones in my top 30. So, yeah, as far as what I think about them, I wish they would get back together. I know it's probably not interesting to some of them or if not all of them to go out and do just a hits tour.

Yeah. But isn't it fun playing live? I don't know. I feel like it is. And I saw an interview with Michael Stipe that was only a few days old. He says he misses it. He does miss it, really. Well, look, I have the perfect antidote for that,

and it's called backyard barbecue. That's right, bro. This is what we want. We want a backyard of our choosing. You don't get to choose the backyard, REM. No, no, no. It's we're going to pick the backyard. That's right.

We're going to set up a tiny stage about one milk crate high with some planks on it. That's right. And we want you to play two sets of 90 minutes a piece. No doubling up. How about two sets of 30 minute or 30 songs?

30 songs. Okay, so 60 songs. 60 songs. Tell you what. First your 30, then my 30. So you can repeat the ones. Yeah, you have to repeat anything that's on both lists.

And you have to play them in the order of the playlist that we'll make absolutely um and if you if you um deviate at all at all even like even get a note wrong you get an electric shock that's right yeah and um administered by us and we'll be sitting there pointing at the button the entire time you'll be hooked up to electrodes yeah electrodes and i was about to say electriudes electriudes which i don't think is correct i don't i look who knows i'll look it up um and we're gonna be pointing at we're gonna be like holding up the button in your line of vision the entire time you play shouting don't fuck up to you

and rather than cheering we're gonna shout don't fuck up to you. Yep. And- Rather than cheering, we're going to shout don't fuck up. So it'll be like- Don't fuck up! That's right. Look, I think they should just do a summer tour. Yeah. You don't have to do like- But only in our backyard.

Yeah, of course. We want you every weekend. That's right. And we want to sell the tickets. We'll give you, I don't know, what's their cut? 4%. 4%. And that's being generous.

Yeah. Because we're providing so much of this. The backyards. Oh, yeah. The playlists. The planks. The electrodes. The planks.

The electrodes. What do you think, Adam? How did you view this experience? You must be infuriated with me. No, on the contrary. For all of the frustration of you moving songs around on classic albums, it was super fun. And it was fun to watch you kind of experience these songs

that are just like tattooed on my brain and watch someone kind of hear them for the first time gave me a new perspective on them um and uh and it was interesting revisiting albums and either loving them more than i thought i did or not liking them quite as much as i as i remember so it was all interesting. Interesting. But it was also terrific to hear from kind of our listeners. Yes. Hear from them about discovering this band. Yes, that means a lot.

Heard from a lot of them about, you know, they didn't know anything about them or they just heard a couple of the hits, Losing My Religion or whatever, and thought, eh. But, you know, look, I enjoy talking about music of any stripe. So, you know, it's fun to talk about music regardless of the band, I feel.

Agreed. This has been a good time. So, Adam, let's shake hands and part company and never speak to each other until 2036. Absolutely. See you then. Okay, that's going to do it for us for a little while at least. We may come back with a few special

episodes. But to play us out, we're going to play probably the best R.E.M. song ever written. It didn't show up on any of our top tens, though. I don't know why, but let's play it. We'll see you next time,

whenever that is. And until then, we hope that you have found what you're looking for. Bye. How does it feel when you're in REL? Feels good. Feels good. How does it feel when you're in REL? Feels good

Feels good To be in REL How does it feel when you're in REL? Feels good. I'm a big fucking stoked. 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,

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