One of the coolest reactions I've had to my book Automatic, a memoir about my dead best friend and my favorite R.E.M. album, was this: Mayim said that it inspired her to jump up and down on the family bed with her sons while listening to Monster.
My first reaction was: "Monster? Really?"
Because Monster is sort of cringe-worthy to R.E.M. fans. This loud, boisterous, rock-guitar followup to this beautifully whispered string-quartet album. But I actually really like Monster. (And I guess so does Mayim?) And then last week my mother came over, trying to unload all my boxes from high school, and one of them had my review of Monster.
I promise my music writing has gotten better. Please, trust me.
2 comments:
Wait, Monster is cringe-worthy to R.E.M. fans? How come I never got that memo? Then again, I still really like Around the Sun even though I've been told repeatedly my R.E.M. authorities (my older brother, specifically) that it's the worst thing in the history of ever...
Or it was at one time? I still haven't heard Around the Sun. Although I really liked the single. The truth is, since M. died I'm mostly afraid to listen to them. You'd think listening to "Nightswimming" 38 times in a row while writing Automatic would cure it, but no.
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