Murmur
The officially documented debut album provides a grounded introduction to the four-member band's early recording language.
Artist
REM
Why we feature this artist An introduction through R.E.M.'s documented recordings The shorter REM credit is not enough to identify the source or version of an otherwise unlabelled recording. R.E.M.'s own album archive does, however, provide a clear introductio…
Start with the music
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The artist, in context
The story of REM
Why we feature this artist
An introduction through R.E.M.'s documented recordings
The shorter REM credit is not enough to identify the source or version of an otherwise unlabelled recording. R.E.M.'s own album archive does, however, provide a clear introduction to the American band's work, beginning with records whose details remain unusually rewarding.
Murmur's original group and studio
Released in April 1983, Murmur credits Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills, with Mitch Easter and Don Dixon handling production and engineering at Reflections in Charlotte. The official sequence includes Radio Free Europe, Talk About the Passion and Perfect Circle.
The atmosphere inside the song
The record's appeal is in how ordinary band instruments can suggest more than the obvious outlines of a tune. Guitar figures, a moving bass part, vocal harmonies and Stipe's partly concealed phrasing keep changing which detail the listener follows. The melody remains approachable while the whole arrangement retains a little mystery. These are references to the band's verified studio catalogue; they do not assign a particular master or performance to an unidentified abbreviated credit.