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R.E.M. — Pretty Persuasion
Album: Reckoning
Avg rating:
7.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2273









Released: 1984
Length: 3:46
Plays (last 30 days): 1
It's what I want, hurry and buy
All has been tried, follow reason and buy

Cannot shuffle in this heat, it's all wrong
Try to put that on your sleeve it's all wrong, it's all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasion
God damn, pure confusion
She's got pretty persuasion

It's what I want, hurry and buy
All has been tried, follow reasoning

And I put that in this heat, it's all wrong
Try to wear that on my sleeve it's all wrong, all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasion
God damn, pure confusion
He's got pretty persuasion

In the light I saw quite a scene in there

It's what I want, hurry and buy
all has been tried, follow reason and buy

Try to put that in this heat it's all wrong
Cannot wear that on your sleeve it's all wrong, all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasion
God damn, pure confusion
She's got pretty persua...
Comments (268)add comment
 lily34 wrote:

forgot about this one!

one thing about R.E.M. in the earliest days...i could never decipher the lyrics. so, this was fun to see what they were actually saying. thank you.




the Only Band that Mutters
 TJOpootertoot wrote:

Translated:
IRS years - I was young and cool.
WB years - I became old and boring and jaded, unable to grow and adapt like my former artistic heroes.

They made plenty of amazing music released on WB, you just don't like it - which is fine.

But this "REM sold out!" thing is arguably the most boring, reductionist (and easily disproven) argument in all of recent pop culture.

The real differences is that during the IRS years Stipe didn't know how to to write a song (his own admission). He'd just string words together that sounded like they went with the music (my guess). I assume he had some vague idea he was trying to present, just not not any good at it. However, there was a real kind of magic going on wherein his almost nonsensical babble would mesh with the band's music and actually create the feeling and impressions he wanted to present.

Then Post-IRS he learned how to write pop tunes, some of which, IMHO are awful - Shiny Happy People? Really?.  After a couple of albums he found a groove that blended some of the old magic with his newly developed skills but it was hit and miss.
Intriguing masters of strong, continuous contrapuntal movement within... And, THEY FRICKIN' JAMMED!
I will never forget buying this record. 1984 Bellingham WA.

It changed my life. 
forgot about this one!

one thing about R.E.M. in the earliest days...i could never decipher the lyrics. so, this was fun to see what they were actually saying. thank you.
Had too much R.E.M. in my life. Skip.
GOOD TUNE!
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is, IMHO, their best. Love Automatic, but New Adventures is deeper, darker, broader range. BillG, pls play more from it, especially, Electrolyte
Takes me back to living in NoCal in the 80's, before "alternative" was a thing. R.E.M. was the best foot forward in that genre. Good memories.
Such a good band. Argue all you want about how good or bad they were or are now, but there’s no doubt this is good music.
 Steely_D wrote:


So the only real response to my comment, besides insults, is "they made plenty of amazing music."

No, not really. There were some songs that were good, but not to the caliber of their early records. It's not a reflection on me that they lost their mojo as time went on. Happens to a lot of bands.
 
Me thinks you need to go back and listen to "Automatic For The People." That might be their best album.
 TJOpootertoot wrote:

Translated:
IRS years - I was young and cool.
WB years - I became old and boring and jaded, unable to grow and adapt like my former artistic heroes.

They made plenty of amazing music released on WB, you just don't like it - which is fine.

But this "REM sold out!" thing is arguably the most boring, reductionist (and easily disproven) argument in all of recent pop culture.
 

So the only real response to my comment, besides insults, is "they made plenty of amazing music."

No, not really. There were some songs that were good, but not to the caliber of their early records. It's not a reflection on me that they lost their mojo as time went on. Happens to a lot of bands.
I sleep well with these guys...pardon the pun.
 Proclivities wrote:

I think Berry was still in the band for another 8 or 9 years after they moved to Warner Bros.

 
I definitely preferred the IRS years, but Automatic for the People  was quality.
 Sam_Hill wrote:


"Man in the Moon?" Awesome piece 
 

"Everybody Hurts"? "Nightswimming"? Also awesome.
Wow - this takes me back to Uni days camping in the South West of Australia.
Chronic town, Murmur and Reckoning cassette tapes all mandatory traveling companions.  My favourite song from Reckoning is the opening song "Harbor Coat".
 memoryboxer wrote:
I looked over and thought it said "Pretty Percussion" and I thought "oh, I've seen her around town".
 
Funny, thought he was singing "She's got a little sister..."  and I thought to myself... dude that's jailbait right there!
I looked over and thought it said "Pretty Percussion" and I thought "oh, I've seen her around town".
It's really hard to cover REM songs, they're too easy.
 percolator wrote:
Originally Posted by dungkath: Over rated, over played, quite mediocre musicians. Good thing their songs are usually shorter than 3 minutes.
Yes, I agree. They were over-rated by the hype-crazy press (not so much now, they've fallen out of favor it seems), many songs are overplayed by rotation-crazy radio (I really don't need to hear End of the World As We Know it again) and I think they would be the first to say they are not virtuoso musicians. That said, are they still one of the best and most influential bands in the last 20 years? Yup. Sorry, but yup. Them songs are three good minutes, and maybe even usually longer. Heehee! Bring it on.
 
How does one know if a band is influential until they reach a huge level of obvious influence like The Beatles or New Kids on the Block?
 NotShakespeare wrote:
Wait, I've been singing "god damn your confusion" for 25 years and no one told me I had it wrong? 
 
"four hands to drive"

 Typesbad wrote:
My view on REM:  Fantastic when fast, sorry when slow.  Little question where this song fits.
 

"Man in the Moon?" Awesome piece 
 Proclivities wrote:

I think Berry was still in the band for another 8 or 9 years after they moved to Warner Bros.

 

Then it would be timing of the label switch.
Some guitarists are great playing rhythm but not when they try lead.  I think the same about Mike Mills vocals.  He was the perfect backing vocalist to Michael Stipe, but the couple times he got to step up and take the lead it just didn't work.  The two voices together made the REM sound.
 Steely_D wrote:
IRS years: best band in America
WB years: what a waste of time

Of course, it might not have been the label, but the loss of Bill Berry 
 
I think Berry was still in the band for another 8 or 9 years after they moved to Warner Bros.

 mee to! its all wrong {#Think}
 
NotShakespeare wrote:
Wait, I've been singing "god damn your confusion" for 25 and no one told me I had it wrong? 
 
 
Wait, I've been singing "god damn your confusion" for 25 years and no one told me I had it wrong? 
 TJOpootertoot wrote:

Translated:
IRS years - I was young and cool.
WB years - I became old and boring and jaded, unable to grow and adapt like my former artistic heroes.

They made plenty of amazing music released on WB, you just don't like it - which is fine.

But this "REM sold out!" thing is arguably the most boring, reductionist (and easily disproven) argument in all of recent pop culture.
 
Dang! You said it. Bravo. I couldn't agree more. 
 Steely_D wrote:
IRS years: best band in America
WB years: what a waste of time

Of course, it might not have been the label, but the loss of Bill Berry 

 
Translated:
IRS years - I was young and cool.
WB years - I became old and boring and jaded, unable to grow and adapt like my former artistic heroes.

They made plenty of amazing music released on WB, you just don't like it - which is fine.

But this "REM sold out!" thing is arguably the most boring, reductionist (and easily disproven) argument in all of recent pop culture.
It's like, everything the BoDeans do sounds the same.
Such an awesome jangle intro. to this one by Mr. Buck perks me up INSTANTLY!
 Steely_D wrote:
IRS years: best band in America
WB years: what a waste of time

Of course, it might not have been the label, but the loss of Bill Berry 

 
Green, Out Of Time, and Automatic were still worthwhile. Berry didn't leave until several years later.
IRS years: best band in America
WB years: what a waste of time

Of course, it might not have been the label, but the loss of Bill Berry 
 markybx wrote:
Hey Bill, why not follow this with Pretty in Pink by the Psychedelic Furs?

 
Because that would be stupid...
Hey Bill, why not follow this with Pretty in Pink by the Psychedelic Furs?
 Proclivities wrote:

Their album covers were often kind of dull.

But their I.R.S.' years covers were still better than the Warners' years covers as a general rule, but yes, they had some stinkers:

 

Chronic Town cover—-Very good...anybody know where that gargoyle is from?

Murmur's cover was awesome—-probably the best album cover to go with the best album of the 80's.  Kudzu totally "represents" what's inside.

Fables' cover - not so good

Lifes Rich Pageant featured Bill Berry's unibrow on the cover...WHY?

The Dead Letter Office cover looks like something I could have drawn

Document's cover is kind of cool

and the Eponymous cover (the IRS compilation) is somewhat weak

 

Good thing I pretty much loved all the tunes inside.

 

 


 ashmj000 wrote:

I once had a romantic interlude with a woman whose daughter dated their road manager. True story.

 
What a coincidence!
I once read a post by someone who said that they once had a romantic interlude with a woman whose daughter dated REM's road manager.

I wouldn't lie about something like that...
 
 jrozzelle wrote:

And all the 50-somethings perk up.  Here's my REM story.  REM played at Davidson College and we invited the band over afterwards to a tiny off-campus house.  Michael Stipe came.  He and I chatted about MTV, which had just launched, and the idea of music videos as something other than just footage of the artists performing a song.  He told me that they'd shot a video, probably for a song on this album, but they didn't like how it turned out so it was never on MTV.



 
I once had a romantic interlude with a woman whose daughter dated their road manager. True story.
 treatment_bound wrote:
I liked everything about this album EXCEPT THE ALBUM COVER!

 
Yeah, great production during those years by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon.  Their album covers were often kind of dull; that one was a collaboration with the folk artist Howard Finster.
 expertTexpert wrote:
This whole IRS period was so f***ing fantastic.

 
Aye!
 treatment_bound wrote:
Hey Lazarus!!

TIME TO WAKE UP FROM YOUR LUNCHTIME SIESTA!!
 
I hear ya, man!  Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of homeless camps loves this song...  we be dancing buck ass naked all across the forests and fields and mountains and beaches from sea to shining sea like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners...

hope life be grand for you right now, treatment_bound...

And all the 50-somethings perk up.  Here's my REM story.  REM played at Davidson College and we invited the band over afterwards to a tiny off-campus house.  Michael Stipe came.  He and I chatted about MTV, which had just launched, and the idea of music videos as something other than just footage of the artists performing a song.  He told me that they'd shot a video, probably for a song on this album, but they didn't like how it turned out so it was never on MTV.


Really
Excellent
Music 
Hey Lazarus!!

TIME TO WAKE UP FROM YOUR LUNCHTIME SIESTA!!
I liked everything about this album EXCEPT THE ALBUM COVER!
This whole IRS period was so f***ing fantastic. I was so lucky to have had them as the soundtrack to the end of college.

And I saw them on tour, first album, in San Francisco.
Now I need some Motrin from patting myself on the back so hard. 
 wbeaver wrote:
9 -> 10.  What was this "Child of the 80's" thinking?

  Absoposolutely!  This song kicks it!  I saw R.E.M. four times live, and the first concert was in this era. 


 wbeaver wrote:
9 -> 10.  What was this "Child of the 80's" thinking?
 
Right. I under-rated 8->9. I reserve 10 for very very special tunes. 
These guys are so good. 
Yay!!!  I am dancing in my kitchen by myself!!!  
9 -> 10.  What was this "Child of the 80's" thinking?
 
Lazarus wrote:

love this song soooo much...  this whole album is marvelous...

 

I agree!

love this song soooo much...  this whole album is marvelous...
Easily one of my fav REM songs. They *rock* instead of roll over some abstract (and way overplayed, and overpraised) notion of twister or religion. 
Inner sense of hipness: "You should like this song."
The rest of me: "Right on!"
Ah....memories of my 20s!


Everybody in my church loves this song...

 
The 12-string riff in this song is straight out of the Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing" on the album "Revolver".  Interesting that Bill follows it with "I'm only Sleeping", the song just before "Bird" on that album.
Memories of driving my '73 Buick with this cranked up on the long trip to Texas in early 1985. Cassette in the car with Reckoning on one side and Murmur on the other.  Good times.
I remember getting turned on to this and Murmur in late '84 early '85. It was so different from everything else on the radio (except College radio of course). It was nice to have this band as sorta' your own in a way because they were quite obscure until the latter part of the '80s. It brings back fond memories.
Lovely song.
Two 10's in a row!  It's gonna be a great day! {#Sunny}
 R7-12 wrote:
Great song from their second full album! The third and final album done with Mitch Easter.
 
Love the Mitch.

Very Brydsy!
Look Through Any Window
Sure is a good day to be listening to RP!

Can't rate any R.E.M. song lower than an 8! {#Yes}
Great song from their second full album! The third and final album done with Mitch Easter.
kinda timeless innit?
 Cynaera wrote:
Just bumped this from 8 to 9 - perhaps in light of their recent disbanding, but more likely because I just love the hell out of this song.  {#Dancingbanana}
 
Yeah...It's good.

Just bumped this from 8 to 9 - perhaps in light of their recent disbanding, but more likely because I just love the hell out of this song.  {#Dancingbanana}
Love the beat
This is when they were the bomb. good stuff

My view on REM:  Fantastic when fast, sorry when slow.  Little question where this song fits.
One thing I've learned in Radio Paradise is hearing R.E.M. many many times a day without complaint (at least, not so much)...
just upgraded from an 8 to a 9.  These guys were great up until the early 90's.  After that... meh.
9>10 in memory of a dear friend and times spent with REM.
I love it when this song comes up on rotation, so I can read all the hateful comments Papernapkin writes, and the rebuttals. I love this song - and I'm with romeotuma - we be dancin'...{#Dancingbanana}
There is only one thing that comes to mind when i hear this song:

A.D.D.

It's freaking me out!

 JamesB wrote:
When I first heard this song on what was then my favorite alternative radio station, WNCW in Spindale, NC, my ears pricked up.  What is THAT?  Michael & Peter and the boys endure and still sound fresh.
 
I listen to RP because I can't pick up WNCW here.  I do listen on the monthly drive to Charlotte to visit my younger son, and wonder what would get the FCC to up their power to 100 billion gigawatts.

"WNCW is a broadcast service of Isothermal Community College."  How could you go wrong with a name like that?


 WonderLizard wrote:
{in response to a less-than-complimentary comment by Papernapkin}
Aren't paper napkins disposable—y'know, use 'em once and trash 'em? Just asking.
 
chuckle, chuckle ...
Takes me right back to a mighty fine time ... {#Sunny}
 romeotuma wrote:
perfect...
 
{#High-five} Pretty persuasive ain't it!

Always been nutsy for this song.  Crazy good.
 ick wrote:
This is the song that personifies R.E.M. for me.  This is the song that made me like them, made me buy the next record in the hope that they'd do it over again.  Well... this and So. Central Rain.

 
Same here! Great album beginning to end.

 Papernapkin wrote:
Why does R.E.M suck so much?
 
Why are you such a troll?

{#Think}


 Papernapkin wrote:
Why does R.E.M suck so much?
 
Aren't paper napkins disposable—y'know, use 'em once and trash 'em? Just asking.

 ick wrote:
This is the song that personifies R.E.M. for me.  This is the song that made me like them, made me buy the next record in the hope that they'd do it over again.  Well... this and So. Central Rain.
 
Agreed.  This was the one...and "Can't Get There From Here."  I've liked them ever since.
This is the song that personifies R.E.M. for me.  This is the song that made me like them, made me buy the next record in the hope that they'd do it over again.  Well... this and So. Central Rain.

 Papernapkin wrote:
Why does R.E.M suck so much?
 
Well, they actually don't. They are an diversely creative original band. So sorry that you aren't able to appreciate them and the many many other bands that you trash in this forum.
Wish they'd remaster this.  It suffers under the mp3 treatment.
 Papernapkin wrote:
Why does R.E.M suck so much?
 
Why do you? {#Moon}

IMHO REM was the best American band going in the 80's and early 90's.  If you listen to their first 4 albums you hear where Uncle Tupelo got their inspiration - Gram Parsons not withstanding.
Why does R.E.M suck so much?
There's something about a "Pete Buck Jangle" that perks me up on an otherwise crappy Thursday...
Ahhh.....Old School R.E.M......some of my favorite Music from college....love the memories! Thanks RP!
{#Devil_pimp}
 romeotuma wrote:
This really is a fantastic song...  we be dancing...  love it...
 
Dancing yes! And this is also a  great song to run to!

 romeotuma wrote:


love it...

 
 
ME TOO! {#Wave}
 romeotuma wrote:


love it...

 
 

LOVE IT 2
 Fables85 wrote:


I've decided not to bother rating anything below a 6 (it saves me the energy I'd spend in, say, rating every Coldplay song at 0)... But to rate only 10s? And so many of them? I'm not that generous with my 10's...
 

Me neither, the only groups that just by definition have a lot of 10's are Led Zepplin and The Beatles. The rest of the 10s are reserved for certain songs that I must really love. I feel to offer too many 10s is to cheapen it.{#Yes}

I remember rocking out to this in my dorm room in 1984 with a  beautiful girl named Grace with long perfect black hair. Memories.

The middle section and the repeat of the intro guitar riff just after kick an amazing song to the godlike level.

Needed this to pick-me-up this afternoon {#Sunny}
When I first heard this song on what was then my favorite alternative radio station, WNCW in Spindale, NC, my ears pricked up.  What is THAT?  Michael & Peter and the boys endure and still sound fresh.
 sub-arctic wrote:

Now that's what I call devotion! And may I say that our dear romeotuma is a positive force - only 10s so far (well over 3000 ratings and counting...). {#Clap}
 

I've decided not to bother rating anything below a 6 (it saves me the energy I'd spend in, say, rating every Coldplay song at 0)... But to rate only 10s? And so many of them? I'm not that generous with my 10's...
Snore.
 Shimmer wrote:
This song is soooooo good for romeotuma's ears.
 

Mine too!

 WonderLizard wrote:
I remember reading about this great band and their great album...then I got the album. On vinyl. Still have it. Amazing. Then, it was WHFS in Bethesda. Now it's RP.
 

I miss WHFS.
This song is soooooo good for romeotuma's ears.

(Edit: Damn, he beat me again {#Smile})
I remember reading about this great band and their great album...then I got the album. On vinyl. Still have it. Amazing. Then, it was WHFS in Bethesda. Now it's RP.
Love it.

Great backing vocals. Shimmering jangle-guitar.
 romeotuma wrote:


This song is soooo gooood...
 
OK, how do you do that? You have some sort of bot running?

 dmax wrote:
MAN I miss these guys.
 

Indeed, but those days are long past.{#Meditate}
Great album from these guys.
 lmic wrote:

I wish I could give it a 30.{#Smile}
 
I'd give the whole damn album an 11. -30-

 romeotuma wrote:

I listen to Radio Paradise even when I sleep...

 
Now that's what I call devotion! And may I say that our dear romeotuma is a positive force - only 10s so far (well over 3000 ratings and counting...). {#Clap}
Hey, another great set this morning (not for you on the other side of the planet). Thanks!
 romeotuma wrote:


This song be soooo gooood...
 

Do you ever not comment on this song when it comes on?
For me, easily the best song on this album - a '10'. Still love it as much now as I did when I first discovered and began the process of 'getting' it.

REM did an acoustic version of this song in concert in 1986 in Memphis at the Mud Island Amphitheater.  It was amazing....Just one of the greatest bands of the last 25 years.
 lmic wrote:
If I haven't already said it:

10
10
10
 
I wish I could give it a 30.{#Smile}
This song is pretty persuasive evidence that R.E.M is (or was) an amazing band. {#Wink}
 copymonkey wrote:


It would appear that it is YOU who lack a discerning ear (or in this case eye). If you had noticed the original post you'd see that I was taking a pot shot at an artist from pushkinjim's homeland. But at least you were polite in your cluelessness.
 

To those that might not be familiar with the reference, your original post could also be read as an affirmation and not a pot shot, you tool. Oops! There goes that politeness.