Murmur (album)

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Murmur is the first full-length album released by Athens, Georgia alternative rock band R.E.M..

Released in April 1983, Murmur was preceded by the Chronic Town EP the previous year. Murmur's sound characterized the quieter, introverted side of the first wave of alternative rock in the U.S.A.. The sound was new at the time, though not stepping beyond the constructs of traditional rock music. The guitars have a bright ring like chimes that brought on comparisons to The Byrds, and the bass guitar has the bright punchy sound of the Rickenbacker favored by Mike Mills. As the most experienced musician in the group, Mills carries much of the melodic element of the music on the bass, contributing to the moody sound of early R.E.M. albums. Also contributing to this sound is the distant singing of Michael Stipe whose obscure lyrics lend to the mystery and depth of the music. Although more conventional, Murmur also owes a debt to the post-punk movement, with one or two tracks like 9-9 discernibly influenced by Gang of Four. Though Murmur is a much-respected 1980s album, and remains a fan favorite, little about it would foreshadow the huge popularity that would eventually find R.E.M.

The atmospheric and stylistic success of Murmur owes much to the mix, with prominent bass and vocals diminished into the mix, similar to that favored by post-punk band The Psychedelic Furs on their first two recordings. The album was produced and engineered by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, recorded in Charlotte, North Carolina, and released on indie I.R.S. Records. The cover art features sepia-toned photos of a trestle and kudzu vines covering the ground and nearby trees. The song titles are written over the brown tones in blue, rendering them almost unreadable, particularly with "Moral Kiosk" cutting vertically through the titles.

The trestle featured on the album's cover, originally part of the Georgia Railroad line into downtown Athens, has become something of a local landmark. Plans to demolish the trestle, now commonly referred to as the "Murmur Trestle", met with public outcry. On October 2, 2000, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission voted to save the trestle.[link]

Initially reaching #36 upon its release in the U.S., Murmur was certified gold in 1991. In 2002, Murmur was listed as number 197 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and in 2003 the TV network VH1 named Murmur the 92nd greatest album of all time.

Track listing

All songs by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

"Radio Free Europe" – 4:06
"Pilgrimage" – 4:30
"Laughing" – 3:57
"Talk About the Passion" – 3:23
"Moral Kiosk" – 3:31
"Perfect Circle" – 3:29
"Catapult" – 3:55
"Sitting Still" – 3:17
"9-9" – 3:03
"Shaking Through" - 4:30
*Includes a brief untitled instrumental after the song's conclusion
"We Walk" – 3:02
"West of the Fields" – 3:17

Published in 1983 by Night Garden Music and administered throughout the Universe by Unichappell Music, Inc.

Personnel

Don Dixon – producer, engineer, bass (on "Perfect Circle")
Peter Buck – guitar
Mitch Easter – producer, engineer, mixing
Mike Mills – bass, drums, piano, vocals
Michael Stipe – vocals
Bill Berry – bass, percussion, drums, piano, vocals
Carl Grasso – album art

R.E.M.
Peter Buck - Mike Mills - Michael Stipe
Bill Berry
Other musicians: Nathan December - Buren Fowler - Peter Holsapple - Barrett Martin - Scott McCaughey - Bill Rieflin - Ken Stringfellow - Joey Waronker
Management and producers: Joe Boyd - Don Dixon - Bertis Downs, IV - Mitch Easter - Don Gehman - Jefferson Holt - Scott Litt - Pat McCarthy
Discography
Albums: Chronic Town (EP) - Murmur - Reckoning - Fables of the Reconstruction - Lifes Rich Pageant - Document - Green - Out of Time - Automatic for the People - Monster - New Adventures in Hi-Fi - Up - Reveal - Around the Sun
Compilations: Dead Letter Office - Eponymous - - The Best of R.E.M. - In the Attic - In Time
Soundtracks: ''Man on the Moon
Videos: Succumbs - Pop Screen - Tourfilm - This Film Is On - Parallel - Road Movie - Perfect Square - In View

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