Yeah, I know, every indie artist lists R.E.M. as an influence... but there is good reason. I was a late bloomer with R.E.M., although I did get in just before everyone in the world jumped on board with "Losing My Religion." I have to again give credit to my same ex-drummer and former best high school buddy who introduced me to The Who, Eric Lindberger. When he first played "It's The End of the World as We Know It" for me, I thought it sounded like a bunch of old, fat, country guys. Wasn't very impressed. But then I heard more from them and realized that they were nothing like the impression I got from my introduction (although one may argue that they are steadily moving toward that image now). I became an absolute R.E.M. fanatic. Just as I mentioned with The Who, I think it's best to start at the beginning with R.E.M.. Murmur, their first full-length release, is one of the best indie/alternative/whatever-they're-calling-it-these-days rock albums ever.

At the risk of sounding like every review of R.E.M. I've ever read - I am going to say that the combination of Peter Buck's Byrds-like guitar jangles, with folk, country, and punk elements is what makes the sound for early R.E.M.. Throw in a heaping spoonful of Michael Stipe's nasally, mumbled, passionate vocals and I was hooked. Murmur opens up rocking with "Radio Free Europe." Don't ask me what it means, or even what Stipe is saying, but this track rocks. Stipe's lyrics are just decipherable enough to keep you interested - and whatever he's saying, you know he means it. Possibly my favorite stretch of the album starts with "Talk About The Passion" - a jangly pop song that is uniquely R.E.M. R.E.M., at least in their early days, always have a couple radio-friendly pop songs on their discs that usually manage to maintain their originality and indie credibility while opening their music up to a large audience. "Passion" fits this category. The next track, "Moral Kiosk" is a driving tune with a solid beat provided by drummer Bill Berry. The chorus makes this song, with Stipe singing a choppy melody line on the upbeat that makes you want to sing along, even though it's next to impossible to match his phrasing. The melodies Stipe sings are rarely complex, but are definitely unique and complement R.E.M.'s music perfectly. Stipe is one of the greatest early influences on my writing style. I have a definite aversion to going with safe, obvious melody lines - and like to try to keep things creative throughout the song, changing up phrasing and patterns so that each verse and chorus is at least slightly unique (that's not to say I'm always successful!).

The capstone track on this album - and incidentally the song that R.E.M. claim convinced them they were a "real" band - is "Perfect Circle." It's a gorgeous, moody ballad (what a surprise that I'd like something like THAT! ;-)) that I listened to non-stop when I first heard it. Buck plays a mandolin on it, as he does on many of their best songs. Again, it's hard to figure out exactly what Stipe means with lyrics like "Who might leave you where I left off/A perfect circle of acquaintances and friends/drink another/coin a phrase." But his delivery hits you in the gut, and you don't need to analyze the words to feel the song.

"Perfect Circle" is only about halfway through the album and each track on the disc stands on its own merits. R.E.M. have always had a style all their own, and Murmur is their first defining statement. They introduce themselves as a band that's clever, passionate, and political, all while maintaining a sense of humor about themselves and their music. R.E.M. played a huge role in teaching me about originality in songwriting - especially the fact that if you write a song that genuinely moves you, that will come through above all else, and your audience will recognize it.

It was hard to pick an album to start with, so I tried to think of one of the first albums that really made me want to be a rock star. I was exposed to an eclectic mix of music all my life, largely through my step-dad's extensive record collection. Everything from the Beatles, to classical, to Taj Mahal, to J. Geils, The BeeGees... Throw in some Elvis, Little Richard, and Mickey Mouse Disco and you pretty much get the picture.

But it was in high school that my musical interests became more focused. My best friend was a great drummer, and we were in a band together. He was obsessed with - along with slasher flicks and ninja stars - The Who. The kid had the entire Who catalog documented and memorized - no small task. If you named a Who song, he could tell you what album it was on, what track number, who wrote it, AND who produced it. It was crazy. So, of course his fanaticism rubbed off on me, and I started buying Who CDs - just when CDs were coming out. My friend told me I had to start at the beginning, with The Who Sings My Generation.

My Generation (1965) is The Who's first studio album (if you want to know track listings and producers - look up Eric Lindberger) and it definitely represents their famed "Maximum R&B" slogan, even featuring a couple James Brown covers mixed in with Townshend's originals. You really get a feel for the origin of the band here, definitely talented, but not the polished, powerful rock band they were in the 70s. The record does showcase some of their signature songs. The title track really needs no introduction, and is just a great post-teen-angst rock song featuring all of The Who's talents from Keith Moon's spastic drumming to John Entwistle's finger-tip-ripping bass solos. Likewise, "The Kids Are Alright" is classic Who, albeit a little poppier than My Generation. But, it's the less popular tracks on the album that really make it worthwhile.

When you listen to this record, it doesn't seem so strange that The Who used to open for The Beatles in their early years. They are both exploring the same sonic space, with jangly guitars over a solid backbeat. "The Good's Gone" has singer Roger Daltrey taking a bluesy approach, singing "the good's gone out of our love" over a fairly basic chord progression and some rudimentary harmonies. "La La La Lies" was a song I completely loved when I first heard it. It's a head-bopper, with bouncy piano and unusually sparse tom fills from Keith Moon. With lyrics like "This girl with eyes like gems/and cool reactions to your lies... I've got my girl and together we're strong/to laugh at you and prove you wrong," it's equal parts sappy and sarcastic - which is one of writer/guitarist Pete Townshend's great talents. Most of the tracks on the record tip-toe the line between bouncy pop and the harder-edged rock that was emerging at the time. "The Ox" is an instrumental track that bursts in toward the end of the album with Moon pounding "Wipe-Out"-style on his drums. Later,on "Legal Matter," Pete Townshend sings lead - something that I always cherished as a Who fan. Daltrey has a great voice but there is a different energy when Townshend sings his own lyrics. The album ends with "Instant Party (Circles)," a driving blues-rock song with a key change toward the end that is so abrupt and jarring, that you have to love it.

As with most of the records I love, The Who Sings My Generation is not going to grab everyone. If you're a fan of The Who's hits, and want to get a feel for where they came from, you might really enjoy it. Or if you're a fan of The Beatles, and 60's rock and roll, it's definitely worth a listen. For me, it was a pure example of a rock band coming into its own. It wasn't so polished and perfect that you felt you could never achieve it, yet you could tell there was something great about the band.

I'm not sure what I'll review next. I might stick with early inspirations, or something that I've been listening to more recently. If you have a preference, let me know!