Along with The B-52's, Athens Georgia had a second classic debut to foist onto the world in the 80's. "Murmur" delivered a fully formed R.E.M. sound to an unsuspecting public, heard by musical cossnoti and launching thousands of new bands in their wake. Propelled by the jangle-pop of "Radio Free Europe" and undeniable band chemistry, this is one of the top albums of that decade.

The qualities that defined the first half of R.E.M.'s career are already in full bloom on "Murmur." Peter Buck's jangley but muscular guitar propelled the sometimes bucolic sounds of the atmospheric songs. The rhythm section of Mike Mills and Bill Berry managed the odd variety of songs with the appropriate style. And on top if it all were Michael Stipe's mumbling, incoherent vocals muttering vague lyrics (with Berry adding flawless harmony). Often snatches of words would break free to your ears, but they were just as often indecipherable (like "Tape erase us" during "We Walk" or the plaintive chorus in "Talk About The Passion").

That willful obtuse/mysterious quality extended outside the grooves. The album art was almost folk-gothic; there were no printed lyrics and no band pictures. The complete atmosphere gives "Murmur" a timeless quality, rooted in folk but coming from art-punk like Stipe's idols Patti Smith and Television. It was a musical vocabulary that they'd continue refining through Reckoning and Fables of the Reconstruction, yet "Murmur" had the magic quality of sounding both perfect and unlike anything else around. As such, R.E.M. both captured and defined a moment of music.

R.E.M.'s Murmur marked the beginning of something new. A merging of 60s jangle pop with the '80s modern rock sensibilities of the time, these songs moved us because of their mysterious and evocative lyrics. A sense of hope permeates this album--and nearly all those that follow it--such that no one listening to this music would ever quite be the same.

"Radio Free Europe" begins it with a spirited, driving beat, "calling out, in transit...calling out, in transit...radio free Europe, radio free Europe." And "Pilgrimage" follows it with a stirring call to "take our turn, take our turn...take our fortune, take our fortune" before proclaiming the "pilgrim-ah-aaahge...has gained mo-ment-uuuuuuuuhm!" Soon follow moments of poignant beauty in "Talk about the Passion" and "Perfect Circle." The lyrics are often drawn out, so that at times they're hard to decipher, while other times they're indecipherable except for occasional words or phrases ("IIII...I can heeear" in "Sitting Still" or "conversation fear" in "9-9"); yet this gives the album its mysterious feel, plus a certain pull toward repeated listening. The frequent background choruses of "aaaah...aaaah" in different variations, along with the ghostly sounds throughout, give the album a cohesive and incredible sound--in a word: Ethereal.

Do not miss it.

REM is constantly one of the best Rock n Roll bands ever. Spanning over three decades (more to come) and releasing so many CDs that I have an entire row of my CD rack dedicated to them, this is one of my favorites. You can really see how they became superstars after listening to this one. There's nothing else I can say but BUY THIS CD AND LISTEN TO IT UNTIL YOU WEAR THROUGH IT AND NEED TO BUY ANOTHER ONE.

I have been in North Carolina in the heat of midsummer and stood in the overgrown valley where there used to be trains at midnight; whistle blasting behind the voodoo woman's red and white cottage. It is the incredibly sweet ache of nostalgia for a memory you can only retrieve in soft-focused fragments. Some piece of yourself that you lost that will never return. That is what this album has always been to me.

Murmur was the R.E.M.'s first full-length debut (Chronic Town was their first -- an EP, after many years of performing in small clubs) and the timing was perfect. This Athens, Georgia band was what music fans needed as far as something different in the pop/music culture was concerned.

Michael Stipe's vocals are superb. He also writes most of the lyrics, though Peter Buck does contribute a lot and their chemistry together is one that doesn't come around too often. Their music was refreshing because it dangled somewhere between pop rock/mainstream music and the underground alternative rock, which later paved the way for many up and coming underground alternative rock bands.

They had amazing song writing skills, which can be heard on songs like "Pilgrimage" with bassist Mike Mills' interesting atmospheric beats and "Laughing" and "Talk About Passion", because they display Michael Stipes' sweet and appealing vocals. He has a voice you can't hate even though at times it can be a little mumbled. They soon became a favorite of the college radio circuit with this release. This album is definitely recommended because of the band's chemistry and ability to write emotional, catch,y yet on the "alternative" side, perfect rock gems.