| Identifier | 8404419 |
| Created At | Tue May 23 2023 23:54:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) |
| Media Type | FLAC |
| J-Card Comment | R.E.M. 7/20/85 Greek Theater Berkeley, CA 1st generation copy Recording hardware unknown 1st gen. cassette ---> WAV capture M-Audio ---> Adobe Audition ---> FLAC This recording is special because it's of the first R.E.M. gig I attended --- 23 years ago today. P.J. and I went, and during the the Three O'Clock set I spied a fellow with a microphone a row or two ahead. This, I remember thinking, is a very good omen. The fellow was a lawyer named Mike G., and he sent cassettes shortly afterward. In return, he asked me for a lead on landing the Talking Heads set from Heatwave in Toronto, 1980, and any Martha and the Muffins. Well, I tried, but nothing materialized, and we were never in touch after that. R.E.M., however, went on to become a musical and cultural fixture in my life. What stands out today is the enthusiasm and controlled chaos they displayed over a simple but rich sound. The third record, "Fables of the Reconstruction," may have been a muted affair, but on stage, the band really electrified the songs. The sound didn't have quite the heft the band would develop by decade's end (I'm still partial to the Green tour's superb revival of "Good Advices"), but it wasn't thin, either. How Peter Buck managed his arpeggiated picking while leaping about like a young Pete Townshend still mystifies me. Michael Stipe wore a long coat, if I recall correctly, and made for an intriguing presence, telling mini-stories but not being quite the "enigma" the press had made him out to be. Bill Berry and Mike Mills held the music together, as only they could. Set list wise, it's nothing unusual for 1985: the bulk of "Fables,"and selections from the first two LPs. Note the inclusion of "Hyena,"which they had begun performing the year before; and the spooky and cool "Theme From Two Steps Onward," which E rightfully calls for now. Sort of a lost number, that one (quite literally, right? Isn't that the one whose master recording had gone missing? The song does appear on one of their never- ending series of "Best of" compilations). Also, Stipe sings a bit of the Golden Palominos' "Boy (Go)" before a very nice version of "We Walk," which he reprises at song's end. But the five songs beginning with "Auctioneer" still sound particularly well-placed, and they formed the core of the show. So here's another clean and clear first generation recording. We sat on Peter's side, maybe 10 or 12 rows back, fairly close to the P.A. The Greek Theater always gave tapers a sonic premium: if you had good equipment, sat in a reasonably good place, and knew what you were doing, you would leave with a very good recording. This one is no exception. Playback in Adobe Audition indicated that equalization would have yielded little improvement, so I just normalized to 95 percent. Mike G., if you're reading, you know who you are. Hope you found the tapes you were seeking, and thank you for sharing your recording with no strings. 1) intro 2) Feeling Gravity's Pull 3) Moral Kiosk 4) Maps and Legends 5) Green Grow the Rushes 6) Hyena 7) Seven Chinese Brothers 8) Sitting Still 9) Driver 8 10) Good Advices 11) South Central Rain 12) Have You Ever Seen the Rain 13) Can't Get There From Here 14) Auctioneer 15) Old Man Kensey 16) Pretty Persuasion 17) Life and How to Live It 18) Little America 19) Radio Free Europe 20) Second Guessing 21) (Don't Go Back to) Rockville 22) Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) 23) Theme From Two Steps Onward 24) Harborcoat 25) Boy (Go) 26) We Walk 27) See No Evil |
| Trades Allowed | |
| Taper Name | Mike G |
Performance
| R.E.M. 1985-07-20 Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA | |
|---|---|
| Set 1 | Feeling Gravity's Pull Moral Kiosk Maps And Legends Green Grow The Rushes Hyena Seven Chinese Brothers Sitting Still Driver 8 Good Advices South Central Rain Have You Ever Seen The Rain? Can't Get There From Here Auctioneer Old Man Kensey Pretty Persuasion Life And How To Live It Little America Radio Free Europe Second Guessing (Don't Go Back To) Rockville Carnival Of Sorts Theme From Two Steps Onward Harborcoat Boy (Go) We Walk See No Evil |
| Set 2 | |
| Set 3 | |
| Comment | University Of California |