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Yeah, we're tough critics. This contest has made me realize REM ain't much of a singles band anyway (well, I kinda knew that), and that a half dozen of one = 6 of another, for the most part.
Sorry about the bad "Nightswimming" link. I suck at teh interweb.
iTunes is a superior sampler to amazon, so go that way if you can.
The Amazon link to "These Days" plays Hyena, so to get to "These Days" click "Hyena" and vice-versa. I like Hyena by the way. Had a live recording where they did it long before LRP came out, and when I saw it listed by track on the day LRP came out, nearly soiled my BVDs. Then I was a little disappointed with the recording: I'd remembered it better.
Before I vote thanks for the clean links and to WP for the thievery tips. Listened to the collection several times already and like it:
"Will the Wolf Survive?" vs. "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)"
--I’ll give a slight edge to the Lobos here, only because CoS basically repeats the same verse twice while Lobos have more pressing concerns in mind, I think, about immigrants or wolves or something. “Lower Wolves” woulda been a better Chronic Town matchup here.
"Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)" vs. "Driver 8"
--REM. I'm telling yas: Train songs are almost unbeatable.
"The Neighborhood" vs. "Exhuming McCarthy"
--Tie. McCarthy’s not my favorite REM song, though I like the key change at the “enemy sighted, enemy met,” part. I just don’t have a great taste for slow blues numbers, though Lobos does their part well here.
"Down on the Riverbed" vs. "It’s the End of the World as We Know It"
--REM
"One Time One Night" vs. "Life and How to Live It"
--REM Thanks to gwreck for reminding me of this one. Puzzles me how the band professes to hate “Fables” which still stands up IMO as a solid outing all the way through.
"Angel Dance" vs. "Nightswimming"
--REM
"When the Circus Comes" vs. "Pilgrimage"
--Like ‘em both, only one can win. REM
"Tears of God" vs. "Radio Free Europe"
--REM
"I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" vs. "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)"
--I’ll give this one to the Lobos. Like that Mexican thing happening.
"Come on, Let's Go" vs. "These Days"
--LaBamba was not a good movie, but the song performances were all good and the musicians were well-cast: Brian Setzer doing Eddie Cochrane doing “Summertime Blues,” and Marshall Crenshaw playing Buddy Holly as a bit of an arrogant asshole and performing “Crying Waiting Hoping.” OK, edge to Lobos.
REM 6.5, Los Lobos 3.5
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