Top 10 Debut Albums Of All Time
4. R.E.M. Murmur
It can be construed as something of a surprise entry, but R.E.M.s mysterious debut is not without its charm. Paving the way for so-called college rock, Murmur in turn took its inspiration from groups like the Byrds and their jangly, sweet melodies. However, all was not as it seemed. Underneath the at-times heavenly music were Stipes lyrics and vocals; at once surreal, hard to hear and enigmatic. A result of Stipes chronic shyness, his words became a source of obsession for some, with people like Elvis Costello fessing up that he had paused and rewound his cassette copy countless times in trying to decipher Stipes oblique references. Whilst that may be a distraction to some, the rest of R.E.M. covered their own tracks with their soon-to-be typical brand of rhythmic, propulsive and intricate musicianship. From the albums beginning, the energetic Radio Free Europe, it was obvious that R.E.M. already had the jump on their contemporaries. A number of moods permeate throughout the record. Pilgrimage and Talk About The Passion emote freely whilst Moral Kiosk and We Walk cover the erratic and jerky sense of humour that came to characterise some of their later output. All in all, a fine debut and humble beginnings for a band that went on to pen the largest record deal of all time. http://youtu.be/KA57Pafq_NU