First, the Big East starts to break up. Now comes yesterday's news that R.E.M. is calling it quits after over 30 years together. I wonder what great institution from my past will be the next to fall?
R.E.M.'s output from the '80's and early '90's was their best. It kept me company on many of my walks to and from the Takoma Park Metro from 1989 - 1994 when I was doing government duty. In celebration of their great catalogue of music, here's my top 10 list of R.E.M. songs.
10. Near Wild Heaven. Mike Mills' harmony was a great complement to Michael Stipe throughout R.E.M.'s career. Here he sings lead. It doesn't hurt that the following song on the CD (Endgame) is the best instrumental ever. It can't make this list though.
9. I Am Superman. A great stalker song.
8. Talk About the Passion. Just love the guitar at the beginning.
7. Catapult. So simply constructed.
6. E-Bow the Letter. A lot of people don't like Patti Smith but she fits in perfectly in this song.
5. It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine). Overplayed (particularly by the guy who lived next to me at Kappa Sig junior year) but still a great song. A couple months ago, I even caught one of the kids (I think it was Jay) singing along when it came on Sirius First Wave.
4. Nightswimming. A beautiful song. Great piano line throughout.
3. Begin the Begin. Another flashback to Kappa Sig. The perfect song to hear after a couple hours playing pong in the basement before the real party started.
2. Fall on Me. OK, it's about acid rain but it works anyway.
1. Strange. Still want to jump around each time I hear it. Plus, it's got the best use of the lyrical refrain "Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-ooo" ever.
And, while it's not an official R.E.M. song, I've got to add one more: Hindu Love Gods cover of Prince's "Raspberry Beret." Hindu Love Gods wasn't officially R.E.M. but the combination of Mike Mills, Bill Berry, Peter Buck, and Warren Zevon was fun. Check it out, below.