Supergrass vs REM

[Reasonable good Nick]

Supergrass made one very good album in their debut, and then quickly became dull and dad rock-y.

REM, for all their faults, made two or three great albums and quite a few good ones.

[Deleted]

What does "dad-rocky" even mean? It just seems this this slightly meaningless insult.

I think both bands were drawing from a guitar lineage, they're both "traditional" in that sense. REM have more of a template that they stick to and are, for me, more musically predictable. Supergrass come across as more eclectic with what they're drawing from.
I don't think REM have it in them to produce something like the track below. It's got a zippy pop sensibility that's a bit foreign to REM. The closest thing to this in their catalogue that I can think of is "superman", but that was a cover of course. The bit where the music suddenly drops into an instrumental section with trumpets and keyboards at about 2.00, you don't really get that kind of thing in REM, they'd have just had a guitar solo. Supergrass draw from much wider musical palates.

[Charlie O.]

Circa 1983-1986, REM were one of my very favorite bands. Had all the weird import singles, wore the t-shirts, the whole fanboy bit. But even by '86 it felt like they were in decline. I still enjoy those early records, and a couple of the later ones are okay, but my general feeling is that they hung around for far too long and put out too much lazy, uninspired dross.

Supergrass, on the other hand... I like/love pretty much everything they did. Their last album was their weakest, but even that I find myself wanting to hear occasionally, and enjoy when I do.

["BING E BONG"]

Their limitations are refreshing. Sometimes. To me.

REM are very business-like, buttoned-up. You're not going to hear bum notes, uneven tempos, rickety production (OK, maybe you could say that for Chronic Town, but....no, probably not. And anyway, they didn't WANT that). This is what I (and I think G) mean by 'classic rock'. They're striving for a polished sound with old-style values. It's a bit of a con trick, actually, because they didn't really put out a great number of yer actual TUNES. It just seems that way. They didn't have it in them to write melodies like the bands (Big Star, Beach Boys, Love, VU) they admired. They tried to transcend their limitations and it's obvious they couldn't. Supergrass revelled in theirs.

[Deleted]

Simply not so. This is as a melodic as anything in REM's catalogue and there are other examples.


Again it's got the surprising key changes and musical interludes that you just don't get in REM..

[Reactionary Rage]

Jul 11, 2019 14:40:00 GMT @madcyril1 said:

What does "dad-rocky" even mean? It just seems this this slightly meaningless insult.

I think both bands were drawing from a guitar lineage, they're both "traditional" in that sense. REM have more of a template that they stick to and are, for me, more musically predictable. Supergrass come across as more eclectic with what they're drawing from.
I don't think REM have it in them to produce something like the track below. It's got a zippy pop sensibility that's a bit foreign to REM. The closest thing to this in their catalogue that I can think of is "superman", but that was a cover of course. The bit where the music suddenly drops into an instrumental section with trumpets and keyboards at about 2.00, you don't really get that kind of thing in REM, they'd have just had a guitar solo. Supergrass draw from much wider musical palates.

You make a decent point. There was an effortlessness to Supergrass. I loved that record when it came out. It's one of those examples of a 90s band throwing some 60s psych touches into the mix and doing it really well but still sounding current. Great record. Maybe the best thing they ever did in fact. I lost interest after the first two mind - I'm certainly not alone in that I think - and bar the odd song I don't think they maintained that quality. The third seemed like quite a precipitous drop at the time I recall.

By the same token btw there's nothing that Supergrass did that is as moving as Perfect Circle or as lovely as Try Not To Breathe. Or as great, frankly, as Don't Go Back To Rockville (Mills shining moment). I love their sound in the early years. They had mystery (odd titles, all those indistinct words) and magic too and I prize those things. Murmur still doesn't sound quite like anybody else (yeah there are obvious influences but it was very REM) and you can't say that about Supergrass quite as much. Of course in later years the flaws emerged and you realised that Stipe didn't have that much to say. They're flawed but for a few years they really had something. What they had, ultimately, pushes more buttons for me.

Crucially as well, and this is a deal breaker, they had better voices. Mike Mills has such a lovely voice but Stipe could be great and touching too. Listen to the way they combine on the bonus track on Green. Son of a gun, that's beautiful. Nothing Supergrass ever did is as lovely.

[~ / % ? *]

This poster has exhausted his/her giving a shit about either of these bands. Direct payment will be needed from either band in order for poster to care to continue.

[Deleted]

REM officially apologizes for running your dogs over with their tour bus...Can you now give an accurate account of their work ?..

[rayge]

I've heard more Supergrass than REM. I thought the latter had a good guitarist but a mumbling buffoon for a vocalist. Never been able to listen to one of their albums all the wy through, and completely missed about a dozen of them. Sure Supergrass are limited, and a bit of a one-trick pony, but it's a reasonably entertaining trick and they got my vote.

["BING E BONG"]

So Supergrass have reformed for dates, right?

["BING E BONG"]

Ah yes.

Yes, they have.

[fearlessfreap]

Supergrass have better melodies, a senses of humor and a lack of Stipe.

["BING E BONG"]

Oh there's a new song (a cover)

Oh that's interesting John thanks

No, you're welcome

[npht]

Love both bands but I would take both eras of REM(document and before and after) over Supergrass. Just more interesting lyrics and music. I find Supergrass great but they have one sound which might be more complexed than REM but just not as good. Stipe might have an annoying voice but I find the tone and feeling to be better.

["BING E BONG"]

Supergrass are touring right now and they're playing Glasgow's FAMOUS Barrowlands tonight and tomorrow. Sold out ages ago.

I've asked about a ticket for tomorrow and I'm holding my breath.