The Big Mates discuss record collecting, Andy Kaufman, the Monty Hall Problem, and Automatic for the People by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by continuing their analysis of the band's eighth studio album, released in 1992. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They pick up their discussion part way through the album, and they continue their track-by-track analysis, breaking down the inspirations, technicalities, and contexts of each song. They grapple with the mood of the album and search for its place in rock history.

What is the quintessential R.E.M. song? How troubling was Peter Buck's relationship with his mandolin? Do we believe they put a man on the moon? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday July 22nd and will continue our analysis of Automatic for the People.

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The Big Mates discuss straws, Uncle Tupelo, Frasier, and Automatic for the People by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their analysis of the band's eighth studio album, released in 1992. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They discuss the expectations that come with albums that are labelled "the greatest of all time," and touch on how the album was conceived in the writing and recording sessions. They also look at the musical landscape the album was released into in the early Nineties.

They also talk about the artwork, the title, the tone of the album, and get started on their track-by-track analysis!

How has the album aged? Is it a rock album? Have you ever seen a group of people look more like a 90s alternative rock band? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday July 15th and will continue our analysis of Automatic for the People.

Join the conversation on:
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E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

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The Big Mates provide gentle and celebratory audio commentary for R.E.M.'s performance on MTV Unplugged in1991.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the performance as originally broadcast on MTV.

Dig out those official DVDs to watch along...
Or don't - the episode works fine either way!

Our next episode comes out Monday July 8th and will begin our deep-dive into Automatic for the People!

Join the conversation on:
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Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

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The Big Mates discuss greetings, The Bear, spoken word, and Out of Time by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by wrapping up their analysis of the band's seventh studio album, released in 1991. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They finish up their track-by-track examination and come to some kind of conclusion about how they think and feel about the album as a whole. They also look at how the album was recieved, the band's decision to not tour the album, and the legacy the record leaves behind.

What will the scores be? Is the second half stronger than the first? Which is better, sunrise or sunset? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday July 1st and will see us provide audio commentary for R.E.M.'s 1991 performance on MTV Unplugged.

Join the conversation on:
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E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

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The Big Mates discuss illicit apples, ribs, Pearl Jam, and Out of Time by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their analysis of the band's seventh studio album, released in 1991. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They pick up their discussion at one of the most omnipresent songs ever featured on the podcast, and they dig into the cultural context, personal relationship, and emotional weight of Losing My Religion. They talk about the aspects of the song that make it an unlikely hit and discuss how it fits into the overall album.

They also speak on the divsive nature of another big single, Shiny Happy People and try to get to grips with how this album slots in with the albums released by the band's contemporaries. 

Is Losing My Religion weird? What was everyone else up to in 1991? How far will they get this time? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday June 24th and will continue and conclude our analysis of Out of Time.

Join the conversation on:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

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The Big Mates discuss violins, harpsichords, flugelhorns, and Out of Time by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their analysis of the band's seventh studio album, released in 1991. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They talk about the expectations that come with a "blockbuster" album of this kind, the band's intention to create a chamber pop record, and the continued instrument swapping. They try to reconcile those expectations with what the album ultimately is, and start to figure out why this album became the huge international success that it is now known to be.

They also dig into the artwork and discover how politically important this album was, despite not featuring any overtly political songs, and try to assign some meaning to the album title.

Is radio worse than TikTok? Are R.E.M. a road? Is Billy Bragg left wing? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday June 17th and will continue our analysis of Out of Time.

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
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Adam sits down with author John Hunter to discuss his book, Maps and Legends: The Story of R.E.M..

Adam and John chat about all things R.E.M., and explore why he wrote the book, what the book encompasses, and the challenges in tackling such a wide-reaching story.

They also touch on the differences in fandom today, online music discourse, and John’s Top 10 R.E.M. songs!

Our next episode is out on Monday June 10th and will begin our deep-dive into Out of Time, the seventh album by R.E.M..

Maps and Legends: The Story of R.E.M. by John Hunter is available now in paperback in the US, and as an eBook in the rest of the world! 

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
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E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
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The Big Mates provide incendiary and probably life-changing audio commentary for Tourfilm, the first live video release by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the film as originally presented on VHS/Laserdisc compilation and also dig into how it was made, how R.E.M. have progressed as a live band, and explore the whole 1989 Green World Tour.

Dig out those official DVDs to watch along...
Or don't - the episode works fine either way!

Our next episode comes out Monday June 3rd!

Join the conversation on:
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E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
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Adam and Steve discuss the recent reissue of Lifeblood by Manic Street Preachers, a comprehensive set, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the album.

They are joined by music producer Greg Haver, who produced the original album and here looks back at the last 20 years of Lifeblood, how people's reaction to it has changed, and how he viewed that initial reaction to the record.

He also discusses how the album affected his career, changed his relationship with the band, and how he feels about the album now.

This interview is a bit longer if you join our Patreon!

Join the conversation on:
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E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

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The Big Mates discuss bass strings, 8 Mile, Amanda Lynne, and Green by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their analysis of the band's sixth studio album, released in 1988. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They wrap up the track-by-track, exploring each songs place on the album, the variety of styles covered, and the many things Stipe is writing about. They then sum up the album and give it some scores!

They also find time to explore how the album was received at the time it came out and look ahead to the band's world tour in the following year.

What do we make of the album? Do these songs affect you differently as a parent? Will you attend Bangfest? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday May 27th and will see us offering audio commentary for Tourfilm.

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: [email protected]

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

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Support the show