R.E.M. - Murmur

R.E.M. released their debut album Murmur in 1983 on I.R.S. Records. The classic record features such anthems as "Radio Free Europe" and "Talk About The Passion".

Leaving behind the garage pop of their first recordings, R.E.M. developed a strangely subdued variation of their trademark sound for their full-length debut album, Murmur. Heightening the enigmatic tendencies of their Chronic Town EP by de-emphasizing the backbeat and accentuating the ambience of the ringing guitar, R.E.M. created a distinctive sound for the album.

Most of Murmur seems like a folk album that came from a parallel world. Then again, R.E.M. were always adventurous rock geeks, determined to have it their own quirky way. A stellar effort, R.E.M never tried to duplicate what they had produced with this album. They were smart enough to know they couldn’t. Murmur is a brilliant osmosis of all their influences fitting together perfectly.

Heavyweight vinyl produced by A&M Records in 2009. Remastered by Ray Janos at Sterling Sound.