"Brokedown sexual chocolate". Even though I know it's coming, I still laugh.

"Brokedown sexual chocolate". Even though I know it's coming, I still laugh.

The Kinks and their Yankee Rutles acolytes the Young Fresh Fellows get no love I see. But very happy to see MES (need to add "Idiot Joy Showland" and "I am Damo Suzuki") and Kurt Wagner (need to  add "Your Fucking Sunny Day").

The Kinks and their Yankee Rutles acolytes the Young Fresh Fellows get no love I see. But very happy to see MES (need to add "Idiot Joy Showland" and "I am Damo Suzuki") and Kurt Wagner (need to  add "Your Fucking Sunny Day").

"Indiana Wants Me" - R. Dean Taylor
"Retrieval of You" - The Minus 5

"Indiana Wants Me" - R. Dean Taylor
"Retrieval of You" - The Minus 5

What a bummer. First Levon Helm and now this. I guess I had better be worried who's next.

Bombast does it for me.

On "Ballad", Paul is trying to play like Ringo. He's a much better drummer than that.

Watching the links, I thought I'd feel happy at least to have those great songs. But it's not there yet. Similar to Kurt Cobain's death, at some point in the future I will be able to celebrate Helm's life and appreciate all the good things he did while he was here. But right now it's just depressing.

I agree, except let's not forget what killed him. Sorry to be a Good Two-Shoes about it.

They would do a killer version of "Black Friday".

Donald Fagen? I didn't know that. I guess The Dan does get around.

Can't agree from where I sit. It's different; not as rootsy, but it's still great. What the Staples Singers lack in grit and interpretive ability (and they do lack, except for Pops IIRC), they make up for in technical chops.

Great Steve Earle cover on that one too. Good luck, Levon.

Trolling on internet message boards.

I've been listening to REM since 1983 and prefer side 2 by a nose. The only non-essential track IMHO is "Auctioneer". Drags? Ah well, I guess there's no hope for some.

And the reverb! I can see why IRS thought Hague made sense; I've always heard some Peter Hook in Mike Mills's bass playing and the vocals have a similar opaque quality. But if they really understood what REM was trying to do they would have thought again.

I am holding my comments for the article, but it's my favorite REM album by a good piece.

Trouser Press Record Guide and ordering LPs from NY sight unseen. That was my music source up until 1986 or so. One of the great things about REM was that you could actually find their records in your local store. Try that with Leaving Trains or Gravedigger V.