I "directed" this video for Michael and the band. Really he was in charge. The president of the label, said that it would be on MTV over his dead body and we were forced to recut it together with some crap video from a county fair or something. When the band released their "Succumbs" collection, much to my gratification, they included this original version. Saw Michael years later and he greeted me like an old friend. True artists. Arthur Pierson
The beauty of youtube is a post like this. For some reason, Radio Free Europe was in my head all day today. Glad I listened to it just now on the headphones. I have loved this song since the day it was released.
as a huge R.E.M. fan in the 80's, I wrote to Howard Finster (the folk artist whose "Paradise Gardens" in Summerville, Georgia the band filmed the video). I told him how wonderful it was that his art, which he quietly worked at for so many years, could one day inspire a rock band no less, which in turn could inspire a young man such as myself to pursue my own artistic goals (at the time photography and film. Now I paint). To my amazement he wrote me back a two page letter complete with white out corrections. I treasure that letter to this day. He was a very religious man, untrained in painting, but his do-it-yourself attitude was noble and something to behold, much like R.E.M.
I grew up in Summerville, Ga. Howard was like an granddaddy to me. My mother use to buy tomatoes from him back in the early 80s. We were so excited when REM filmed their video at Paradise Garden. We couldn't believe that our neighbor was on MTV !! I always followed REM after this, and they became one of my favorite bands, even after I grew up. Once as an adult, I could fully recognize their music as true talented musicians and not just a band who filmed their video at my childhood playground.
I grew up in Summerville, Ga. Howard was like an granddaddy to me. My mother use to buy tomatoes from him back in the early 80s. We were so excited when REM filmed their video at Paradise Garden. We couldn't believe that our neighbor was on MTV !! I always followed REM after this, and they became one of my favorite bands, even after I grew up. Once as an adult, I could fully recognize their music as true talented musicians and not just a band who filmed their video at my childhood playground.
Some of R.E.M's earlier albums can get overlooked, but not from me. Used to love this as a teenager growing up in Scotland, our music scene at the time was the pits.
Golden Era of Alternative...I feel truly fortunate being a teen and growing up to this. These guys were true rebels and artists. Did not care who liked their sound...and ironically became successful commercially because we did!
My friend played this song one Friday in his room in the fraternity in 1983, I spent the next 3 hours playing it over and over - it was mesmerizing. He had the patience of Job.
@@sexobscura post punk turned into new wave in the 1980's which changed into modern rock in the 1990's which evolved into alternative rock sometime after 2000.
@@sexobscura It actually started out as Psychedelic Rock in the mid & late 1960's. Alternative Rock bands like Cage The Elephant, Tame Impala, The Temples, The Charlatans & many others were clearly influenced by Psychedelic Rock.
Shout out to to Mike Jones of Georgia by way of Connecticut who introduced me to REM, in person in 1984. A big big thank you. blessings to you wishing you the best in what your life brings
My VERY first intro to R.E.M I found this 45 in a small record shop and bought it because the cover sleeve looked interesting. I was instantly hooked by this unique for it's time sound. Still holds up VERY well.
Played in a cover band in NorCal in the mid-80's. Lots of sorority parties and lots of club dance gigs. Always opened with this song. It was upbeat, easy to roll into if we hadn't been able to soundcheck and it got the girls onto the dance floor. No one dances anymore. Sigh.
This has always made me bounce and sing. arms out and feeling free and fun! yes I was a freshman in college when this swept me away and made me a fan for life....and it helped that they came to our campus for a concert. This song is on all of my playlists!
"Radio Free Europe" Decide yourself if radio's gonna stay Reason: it could polish up the gray Put that, put that, put that up your wall That this isn't Country at all Radio station: decide yourself Keep me out of Country and the word Wheel of fortune's leading us: absurd Push that, push that, push that to the floor That this isn't nothing at all Straight off the boat, where to go Calling out in transit Calling out in transit Radio Free Europe (radio) Decide: defy the media too fast Instead of pushing palaces to fall Put that, put that, put that up your wall That this isn't fortunate at all Radio station: decide yourself We're calling out in transit Calling out in transit Radio Free Europe (radio) Decide yourself: come in on a boat Media's too fast Keep me out of Country and the word Disappointment into us: absurd Straight off the boat, where to go? Calling out in transit Calling out in transit Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe Calling out in transit Calling out in transit Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe
When i first heard this 30 plus years ago i didnt even care that i couldnt understand a word that was said.what was important was the songs delivery.and ya know what.i still dont care what stipe is saying.im just glad hes saying it.
Loved this song when I was 5 or 6 years old. Just hearing it again for the first time in maybe a quarter century! Damned if I have a clue what the heck it's about, though. Still rocks!
Radio Free Europe is a radio station that broadcast news to Eastern Europe, Middle East etc where they don't get news or accurate news. It's in the Czech Republic
@@PaulGruendlerBeau Bands like REM weren't around in the late 60's and early 70's. From what I understand college radio back then focused on underground and the progressive era so instead of REM and U2 it would have been the Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa and King Crimson among many others.
Interesting debate...was college rock created in the early 80s or early 70s? I think they popularized college rock radio...now the 'Mats, Huskers,and most of SST could claim this too...let's blame the VU and Pistols if really being fair...which is the great punk rock creation debate.
Classic. The chorus is sheer musical heaven. Like most great bands they had it from the start. Masterful songwriters even from the earliest years. Although the video doesn't do the song justice it's a good glimpse of the band from the time.
Its great when you know how to use the pa system at the supermarket! You and about a dozen of your friends are already hammered and at the supermarket for munchies and more booze! Yes we all were dancing!🤣
With the friggin' coronavirus,the lyrics of this song make even more sense.Hope we can lick this bloddy thing.Thank you MicHeAL and other great artists,poets,poLiticians and all health and essentiaL services workers for being increDiBLy Brave and beinG on tHe 'FRont Lines..!
When a woman's high beams are on, we would often imitate tuning in the radio and then saying Radio free Europe. Even as pure and simple as REM and their music was, it's still better than anything the Millennials are doing now. What happened to music?
I got into them my Freshman year of college in 85. They came for a concert on my college campus....was the best...they are one of the tops on all my playlists
Hi R.E.M. & everybody - Have a nice week 💐💐💐 I love REM 💕💕💕 Hi R.E.M. & everybody - Have a nice week 💐💐💐 I love REM 💕💕💕 Hi R.E.M. & everybody - Have a nice week 💐💐💐 I love REM 💕💕💕 Hi R.E.M. & everybody - Have a nice week 💐💐💐 I love REM 💕💕💕
This was an amazing song. It was one of the first alternative rock songs to ever enter the mainstream. The only mainstream alternative rock band to predate them was U2.
I write many songs, and sometimes I getting nagging doubts that I have ripped one from somewhere else. I come hunting for the likely suspect, usually can't find it, leave the song in the 'sketchy proposition' box and forget about it for while. Dozens if not hundreds of ideas later, they can re-appear. Rinse and repeat cycle. I found this this morning, 20 years after I wrote such a song. The bars count differently, but the intervals for the verse are identical - no problems because they, REM, just lifted it from a pretty standard punk, post-punk, nu-wave, staccato perfect fifth...so far so good...but the hook in my chorus sounds just like when he says 'free' in the chorus, I say 'do' ..the tone is the same...damn it...one f$%&'n word!....but ...then I realized it was my tune..that I then just automatically added the rounded 'hump' as he bends it high, on the 'free'...then I do on the 'do'...so i discovered that it is really tricky because you use templates you have heard and then it is so easy to just add a 'design' of someone elses to it..it makes me think that knowledge is embodies and shared but there is a point where we say, it 'aint! That's mine...and that's yours...and that point is determined by what? Some biological thing, a cultural thing? Who cares? The court house cares. the court house! Ask George Harrison..RIP> We are beastly, us human. You mentioned alcohol? You are an alcoholic in denial! You bring this up? Something must be amiss...
Was it that the roasted albatross and 'adult ugly duckling' foix grax was "the last straw" for the chef? See "The Ugly Duckling," a fairy tale of unknown origin, unless it is Aesop. Grimm declined to be found in any woods with fairies.
Californians just dont know what Kudzu is. I had the pleasure of meeting Jefferson Holt when he was their manager, long ago, on IRS records, these men were so polite so sweet, and so young! Maybe I was, too? Pete Buck wrote to me: wendy, I am without words, marry me! Oh yeah, nothing happened but I wish....Sacramento, CA
