I mentioned that R.E.M. was my first band. You probably know how I am with things, obsessing about a topic until I’ve covered all the bases before I move on. So I didn’t really listen to any other artists until after I’d pretty much memorized everything they’d ever done.
During that phase of my life (1994-ish), this as my favorite ever song.
Really, all of Fables. Smiles linked Feeling Gravity’s Pull… oh, and Life and How to Live It, now that I notice. OK then. But, well. Pretty much everything on this.
I understand that it’s supposed to be the sort of “black sheep” album. The band members don’t like it because it’s too dark, and it’s one of their less popular ones… except for a minority of people who think it’s all of the bee’s knees.
Here’s a weird one.
I feel like Lightnin’ Hopkins could have been on Fables. I always misremember that it was. I once wanted to write a song similar to this for a Halloween level in a DOS game I was designing.
Same with Oddfellows Local 151. The Fables thing, I mean. I keep thinking it’s on that album, then having to look for it.