ALBUM: Jamboree (1986)
MVC Rating: 4.0
‘Fear of God’ off of their third album is the perfect song to show the uninitiated what one key element of the Athens, Ga., music scene sounded like, especially as that sound proceeded to emanate out of Southeastern university towns all through the 1980’s.
Athens, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill.
REM and the B-52’s were the most successful purveyors of the scene if not the sound. REM created a new sound with the jangly Byrdsian guitar cut through with the lead singer’s heartfelt mumbles. B-52’s had a frenetic pop-punk sound. Guadalcanal Diary featured both styles. ‘Cattle Prod’ is right out of the B-52’s playbook, which also crosses over with Atlanta’s Swimming Pool Q’s (anybody remember ‘Rat Bait?’)
Guadalcanal Diary’s members were mostly from the Atlanta area but made sure they were connected to the Athens scene.
Other bands in this arena — ‘Let’s Active,’ the dB’s, Pylon, Love Tractor, the Brains, Primitons. The ‘Athens’ influence is much bigger than that of course and remains a creative spot for cutting edge rock music, having spawned or adopted bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Widespread Panic and Drive-by Truckers, Of Montreal, among many others.
It’s hard sometimes to figure why some struck big and others didn’t.
But evidence from REM is perhaps as simple as its songs.
They have sold millions and here’s why: ‘Losing My Religion,’ ‘Fall on Me,’ ‘Orange Crush,’ ‘It’s the End of the World,’ ‘Man on the Moon,’ ‘E-bow the Letter,’ ‘Stand,’ ‘South Central Rain,’ ‘Leaving New York,’ ‘Radio Song,’ ‘Half a World Away,’ ‘The One I Love.’ I could go on (Imitation of Life, What’s the Frequency Kenneth). Many of those are songs that’ll be around a lot longer than the band members themselves.
If you want to look at it that way. And I do.
Personal favorites: Orange Crush. and E-Bow the Letter.