Why I Love R.E.M.: Reason #73

Their brave steps to come out of the closet:




Thank you, cousin Jamey!

While we're in startling announcement mode: There may not be a mix tape ready when you get up in the a.m. Favorite Boy outdid himself with the birthday festivities, and I'm still a bit too swoony to focus on putting the post together. I may get it up by tomorrow evening ... if I don't get too swirled with Swirly Girl, that is.

Don't forget: Accelerate comes out Tuesday, so make plans to line up at your neighborhood record shop early.

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Mix Tape Friday: Happy Stipey Day!

Today is Michael Stipe’s 48th birthday. My love for him is pure and everlasting, a love affair that hasn’t disappointed during the quarter century of my devotion (well, maybe on a couple of Aftermath tracks, but every great love is allowed a stumble or two). He’s cool, he’s funny, he’s smart, he’s weird — and, damn, he has an amazing voice and gorgeous eyes. Michael is everything I want from the rock star love of my life.

No doubt Michael’s off somewhere glamorous today, celebrating and hobnobbing with the pretty people. We here at the Cup don’t want to let this auspicious occasion slip by, so we’re honoring my beloved’s birthday with 48 Stipey songs — one song for each glorious year of his life — guest appearances, soundtrack solos, R.E.M. rarities, great party favors. These tracks run the gamut — alternative and rock, punk and rap (yes, rap!), techno and jazz. A few are a bit ridiculous, but most are as fabulous as he is. Now you glamorous, pretty people can hobnob aurally and blogally.

Michael Stipe feat. Chris Martin :: In the Sun

Placebo feat. Michael Stipe :: Broken Promise

Dashboard Confessional feat. Michael Stipe :: Hands Down (live)

Golden Palominos feat. Michael Stipe :: Omaha

Automatic Baby :: One

Radiohead feat. Michael Stipe :: Leave (live)

Annie Ross & The Low Note Quintet feat. Michael Stipe :: Full Moon

Michael Stipe, KRS-One + Harmony :: Civilization vs. Technology

Warren Zevon feat. Michael Stipe (and Buck/Berry/Mills) :: Bad Karma

New York Dolls feat. Michael Stipe :: Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano

Patti Smith feat. Michael Stipe :: Glitter in Their Eyes

Michael Stipe + Eddie Vedder :: Begin the Begin (live)

R.E.M. :: Voice of Harold

Jason & The Scorchers feat. Michael Stipe :: Hot Nights in Georgia

Billy Bragg feat. Michael Stipe :: You Woke up My Neighbourhood

Mandy Moore + Michael Stipe :: God Only Knows (Beach Boys cover)

Spacehog feat. Michael Stipe :: Almond Kisses

10,000 Maniacs feat. Michael Stipe :: To Sir with Love (live 1992)

Michael Stipe + Vic Chesnutt :: Injured Bird

R.E.M. :: Texarkana (outtake with Michael Stipe on vocals)

Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians feat. M. Stipe :: Dark Green Energy

Michael Stipe + Bruce Springsteen :: Because the Night (live 2004)

Kristin Hersh feat. Michael Stipe :: Your Ghost

Indigo Girls feat. Michael Stipe :: Kid Fears

R.E.M. :: Hey! Hey! Nadine (live at Tyrone’s, 1981)

Stephane Pompougnac feat. Michael Stipe :: Clumsy

Utah Saints feat. Michael Stipe :: Wiggedy Wack

Tanzplagen :: Peter Pan

Michael Stipe :: L’hotel (Serge Gainsbourg cover)

Miguel Bose feat. Michael Stipe :: Lo Que Hay Es Lo Que Ves

Michael Stipe + Asha Bhosle :: The Way You Dream

Faultline feat. Michael Stipe :: Greenfields

Michael Stipe + Mike Mills :: Galveston (live)

Coldplay feat. Michael Stipe :: Nightswimming (Austin City Limits)

Michael Stipe + Natalie Merchant :: Little April Showers

Neneh Cherry feat. Michael Stipe :: Trout

Michael Stipe :: We’re Not so Bad

Michael Stipe + Rain Phoenix :: Happiness

R.E.M. :: Funtime (live Iggy Pop cover, 1992)

Golden Palominos feat. Michael Stipe :: Clustering Train

Michael Stipe + Everyone :: People Have the Power (live 2004)

R.E.M. :: Where’s Captain Kirk? (Spizz cover)

Hugo Largo feat. Michael Stipe :: Eureka

Syd Straw feat. Michael Stipe :: Future 40's (Sting of Pearls)

Little Jimmy Scott + Michael Stipe :: Ill Wind

Michael Stipe :: Hope (live solo)

Michael Stipe + Thom Yorke :: Be Mine (live)

R.E.M. :: Tired of Singing Trouble

Is there a lovelier, more heart-stopping song than Michael’s cover of Joseph Arthur’s “In the Sun”? If I play it, I must listen to it at least six times straight. It’s a swoon in song.

One of my favorite bootleg tracks is the cover of “Funtime” included here (read this good post about that show). Michael's patter is good … then at 2:17, Mike’s bass begins teasing us ... until at 2:38, when Bill bangs in the best g*ddamn live payoff you can get at an R.E.M. show. I’ve played this track eleven times tonight, dancing and spinning so hard up and down my hall that the balls of my feet are now throbbing. But who cares? This is exactly how an R.E.M. club (not arena) show sounded. Soak up that energy as you dance and spin your birthday wishes.

I coulda, I shoulda been at this 40 Watt Club show. I’d returned from the U.K. the day before, and a friend called to invite me thirty minutes before the show began — just enough time for me to NOT get there in time. Damn him. Damn no e-mail in 1992. At least I have a good recording of the show.

“Voice of Harold” is my favorite R.E.M. B-side ever (and my boys have recorded many a fantastic B-side). Using the music track for “Seven Chinese Brothers” (a favorite fable as a child, and a damn good song), Stipe reads the liner notes from a gospel album (The Revelaires’ The Joy of Knowing Jesus) — and it’s brilliant. Simeon and I have spent way too many hours arguing over who first discovered this great track — but since it was on my 12-inch, I win.

Bonus Tracks!

What’s a Stipey tape without R.E.M. tunes? I pulled one song off each studio album — the ones with some of my favorite Stipe vocals, trying to give you a track you don’t hear as often as you should.

Chronic Town (1982) :: Gardening at Night

Murmur (1983) :: Pilgrimage

Reckoning (1984) :: Letter Never Sent

Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) :: Green Grow the Rushes

Life’s Rich Pageant (1986) :: Cuyahoga

Document (1987) :: King of Birds

Green (1988) :: Turn You Inside-Out

Out of Time (1991) :: Me in Honey

Automatic for the People (1992) :: Find the River

Monster (1994) :: Crush with Eyeliner

New Adventures in Hi-fi (1996) :: The Wake-up Bomb

Up (1998) :: Lotus

Man on the Moon OST (1999) :: The Great Beyond

Reveal (2001) :: I’ve Been High

Around the Sun (2004) :: Leaving New York

Accelerate (coming 4.01.08) :: Accelerate (live in Dublin, 2007)

Show of hands for those excited about the April Fools’ release of Accelerate?

Show of hands for the fellow Stipe nerds who noticed that 4.01.08 is Michael’s birthday sideways?

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I’m Somebody Now!

I was the major source for an important news story at Grant Miller Media (probably the source for information in today’s blogcentric world).

Other important news stories to report:

My birthday is Sunday. Celebrate appropriately, with beers hoisted and praises shouted. For information on where to ship baubles and tulips, contact me at the e-mail address to your right.

Work hell ends Monday. Blogging to resume by Wednesday. Seriously. I have four posts in the works.

Happy birthday to me!

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The Most Fabulous Post of the Week

Dating Rules for Sitcoms rocks!

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May God’s love be with you always

Once every year or two, a song comes out that strikes a chord deep in my soul. The kind of song that makes me stop, shut out everything and just listen. The kind of song that must be listened to for an hour straight. The kind of song that’s best heard while driving alone on a rainy night.

This year, that song is Michael Stipe’s cover of Joseph Arthur’s “In the Sun.”

Now, you know I’m biased about anything from R.E.M., together or separately, but this tune deserves special recognition. Not only is it a great song, but all proceeds going to Gulf Coast relief. You can buy it only through iTunes, and I recommend the entire EP. Your radio station isn’t cool enough to play “In the Sun”? You can sample the track here. Great music for a great cause; is there a better way to spend $4.95?

Michael’s voice is perfect for this song, especially when it’s just him and that piano by the Fountains of Wayne guy. It’s all my soul needs. I get a little irritated when Chris Martin joins in; Coldplay bores me these days.

BTW, Joseph Arthur is a great songwriter and artist. I have a couple of his albums, including the one with his original “In the Sun." Be sure to check him out.

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