“In my mind I’m barely scratching the surface here, and not because of what my interpretation means or what inspired the actual lyric, but because there are so many possible interpretations and mine doesn’t really that much matter in the long run. So no, I don’t think I’ll regret sharing a few ‘secrets’ with those who really care about the songs.” (I finally talked to Michael Stipe, he touched me on my arm…) In honor of Matthew Perpetua of Fluxblog completing his recent R.E.M. side-project, Pop Songs ’07-08, Stipe drops by to answer your questions about the lyrics. [Part II, Part III.] Great score, Matt, and congrats on finishing up the R.E.M. oeuvre.
Tag: Matthew Perpetua
We are young despite the years.
“It’s almost impossible not to hear Accelerate as an attempt to win back old fans and regain the critical respect they’ve lost in the past ten years. That said, the music doesn’t sound desperate, forced, or designed for maximum commercial impact, as with U2’s last two records. If anything, they sound pissed-off and eager to brawl.” Matthew Perpetua of Fluxblog and Pop Songs previews R.E.M.’s Accelerate for Stereogum.
Tie Another One to your Back.
For the R.E.M. fans among us, Stereogum has compiled Drive XV, an Automatic for the People tribute album to commemorate that record‘s fifteenth anniversary. (The album’s site also contains thoughts on the songs by Mike Mills and, as a special treat, an essay, Sweetness Followed, by Matthew Perpetua of Fluxblog and Pop Songs ’07.) AftP came out the fall of my senior year in high school and, as I said in my top 50 REM songs post of a few years back, it hasn’t aged with me as well as I’d hoped. (In fact, I’d probably put both Monster and Up above it these days.) Still, while “Man on the Moon” and “Everybody Hurts” may be well beyond played out (and “Nightswimming” might be getting there), the mournful record also features “Drive” (still an amazing video), “Sweetness Follows,” and “Monty Got a Raw Deal,” all minor-key dirges which resonate now as they did then. In any case, I’m looking forward to seeing what the bands here came up with.
Point to the Legend.
By way of Quiddity, Matthew Perpetua of the always enticing (and mp3-stacked) Fluxblog has dedicated himself to writing on every R.E.M. song over at Pop Songs ’07. I’ll definitely be checking it out, even if I think he’s way off on “Saturn Return”…(it made #15 on my own list awhile back, and is still up there in my esteem.)