What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Arctic Monkeys

Murmur (Pt. 1)

Nov 27, 2023

The podcast delves into the writing and recording process of R.E.M.'s debut album, 'Murmur,' and its place in the band's discography. They discuss how the band found their producers, their decision to sound different, and the legacy of Radio Free Europe. The hosts share their thoughts on the album as a whole, the first few tracks, and the evolution from their EP. They also touch on deciphering the album's mysterious lyrics and the impact of vinyl albums.

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Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Introduction and Recap

01:33 • 5min

Music Scene in the 90s and Tour Stories

07:00 • 19min

Album Length and Recording Process of 'In Rainbows'

26:14 • 2min

Deciphering the Mysterious Lyrics

28:30 • 17min

Discussing the impact of podcast format and promoting Patreon, and the album's timeless feel

45:35 • 3min

Initial Impressions of the Music

48:29 • 14min

Vinyl Albums and the Importance of Album Splits

01:02:31 • 7min

Re-recording the First Single

01:09:50 • 25min

Supporting the Show and Expressing Gratitude

01:34:44 • 1min

The Big Mates discuss small waveforms, portmanteaus, Muse, and Murmur by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their track-by-track analysis on the band's debut album, released in 1983. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They touch on how the band found their producers in Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, their decision to sound like a different band, how the band write their songs, and the legacy of Radio Free Europe.

They do this whilst also giving their thoughts and opinions on the album as a whole, the first couple of tracks, and how they see this fitting into the band's discography going forward.

How did the band evolve from their EP? How far into the album will we get? Can anyone make out the lyrics? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday December 4th and will continue our track-by-track analysis of Murmur.

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