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Length: 3:57
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Is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed
I thought I'd pegged you an idiot's dream
Tunnel vision from the outsider's screen
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
I'd studied your cartoons, radio, music, TV, movies, magazines
Richard said, "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy."
A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
"What's the frequency, Kenneth?"
Is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
Butterfly decal, rear-view mirror, dogging the scene
You smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
I couldn't understand
You said that irony was the shackles of youth, uh-huh
I couldn't understand
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I couldn't understand
I never understood, don't fuck with me, uh-huh
I'm an old fart and I like it fine.
Farts do not come much older than me, and I give it a 9 :-)
My kids had a friend named Kenneth. They were all around 10 years old when this was released. Their friend was not amused.
If you're on the spot like Kenneth, you just have to ride the wave...
Dan Rather was assaulted near his apartment building in NYC (by two men, he originally stated), not on the White House lawn. Here's an interesting clip of him singing the tune with R.E.M.
You rock for posting the link to the video! Sadly, World Wide Pants exercised copyright control and had it taken down. BUT here's a different performance...
We have Dan and REM performing the song together, sometime apparently in 1995:
Dan is not a good singer. No. But a good sport!
I don't understand why people hate on this... this is up there with REM's best songs... Must be crusty old farts...
I'm an old fart and I like it fine.
I don't understand why people hate on this... this is up there with REM's best songs... Must be crusty old farts...
Well I'm a crusty old fart & I think it's great... maybe because I'm a tech named Kenneth and have answered this exact question more than once in the last 50 years (I'm 76). But I also like REM & others of their ilk. Been listening to RP since day one... it's how I keep current... thanks Bill!
Monster was a transition that I had to get through. They had kind of kept the same vibe, until this one. Well, much as I'd done when The Joshua Tree had shown me such a different band behind the genius effort, I simply played the hell out of it, until it crystallized like uric acid daggers precipitating out of the blood into the joint of your left big toe. By the end of that summer, I had all my friends hooked on it.
Vocal audio is swamped by the drums and guitar buzz. Not well mixed in my view. 4/10
They remixed the album for the 25th anniversary release in 2019. The vocals are much clearer.
Pour yourself a scotch. Relax into the album at loud volume It’s great. The whole album You have to be open to edgy rock
Pour yourself a scotch. Relax into the album at loud volume It’s great. The whole album You have to be open to edgy rock
I'm open to the scotch and the album, but you had me at the scotch...
I swear the version from my 1990's CD had the vocals much more prominent. I think something has been lost on this version.
You can actually hear the passive aggressiveness from the drummer and bass player, who just don't get whatever Stipe is trying to do.
Yup, only 15 albums.
Really?
Rather was attacked near his apartment building in NYC (by two men, he originally stated), not on the White House lawn. Here's an interesting clip of him singing the tune with R.E.M.
*rubs eyes*
*goes to get a drink*
The driving force of this song was Dan Rathers experience on the White House lawn, where a stark raving lunatic took him down and uttering the words; "what's the frequency Kenneth?" (And later going to prison for killing someone by the way).
They were just winging it. The quality of the song was secondary...
Dan Rather was assaulted near his apartment building in NYC (by two men, he originally stated), not on the White House lawn. Here's an interesting clip of him singing the tune with R.E.M.
The driving force of this song was Dan Rathers experience on the White House lawn, where a stark raving lunatic took him down and uttering the words; "what's the frequency Kenneth?" (And later going to prison for killing someone by the way).
They were just winging it. The quality of the song was secondary...
Now, it's one of my go-to albums for high-quality tunes through and through.
Once you start putting out shit like this, you are no longer relevant. Quit.
Time to follow your own advice.
____
I've never laughed harder at any retort to a comment on RP.
Once you start putting out shit like this, you are no longer relevant. Quit.
Time to follow your own advice.
Once you start putting out shit like this, you are no longer relevant. Quit.
Nice segue, Mr. G.
Hannio wrote:
He deserves it. What an asshat.
Similar experience for me. Liked them a lot for many years, but never got the chance to see them live until Rock Werchter 2008. Cold performance, horrible sound, bad mood. A ruined band, and memories destroyed beyond repair. Happend to be their last tour.
LOL!
Incognito?
My thoughts exactly!!! It makes me sad to think that the band was never able to achieve the great sound they had up to this point.
Hasn't aged well. 6
/Didn't say I was a nice person.
With your sparkling personality? Never would have guessed.
Kenneth loved it.
While my Romeo gently weeps!
I'd like to know, Romeo, what you cannot dance to.
Song you dislike - they exist?
Don't be always so lovable, good and positive!
Let me know what you cannot stand!
I love you, Stingray, even with your sharp wit! Maybe even because of that! I cannot dance to music composed by Josef Slavík!
I love this R.E.M. song!
if this is true, there´s something seriously wrong with the frequency ...
While my Romeo gently weeps!
I'd like to know, Romeo, what you cannot dance to.
Song you dislike - they exist?
Don't be always so lovable, good and positive!
Let me know what you cannot stand!
Back to my nap...
We be dancing in my motel room this morning... love this song...
What's happened, economy cause you to down grade from the hotel?
Met REM in Lubbock TX in 1983. They were driving in an old white van. I am surprised I remember that much
Just sayin: If you don't like this song, then we really shouldn't be friends...
Rock on!
If only it was Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity. I would buy tickets!!!
Yeah, that would show those intolerant bastards.
/Didn't say I was a nice person.
Well, at least you're honest with yourself.
(some one out there will laugh at that)
/Didn't say I was a nice person.
Comments like this sounds so idiotic to me. "Stop altogether doing what you love to do and do for a living because you're not as remarkable to me as you once were." Brilliant advice, man. And by the way, Bill Berry's decision to retire had little to do with REM's supposedly waning creativity. The guy was worried about dying on stage from another aneurysm.
They may not have been as great since this album, but there are some gems on the later ones that I'd miss had they never existed ("Bittersweet Me", "All the way to Reno", and God help me but I love everything on Up...)
REM jumped the shark with this one.
I don't understand why people hate on this... this is up there with REM's best songs... Must be crusty old farts...
I'm a crusty old fart, and I love this