Listening Room: “Leaving New York” — R.E.M.
I don’t know how or why it happened, by R.E.M.’s “Leaving New York” entered my consciousness this weekend and wouldn’t let go. I listened to it four or five times today. There is a great disconnect with “Leaving New York” because I haven’t figured out how such a great song could wind up on what is easily the worst album of the band’s career. It deserved a much, much kinder fate.
I don’t consider myself as someone with the gift of prophecy, but maybe I know myself better than I think I do. Here are my initial thoughts on “Leaving New York,” written September 28, 2004:
This one is growing on me. It’s difficult to get a handle on this one. There is none of the fussiness of the past two albums. There are no annoying attempts to sound ‘different.’ Which means it sounds like an R.E.M. song. No bells. No whistles. I fluctuate… is the song pretty and subtle or unremarkable and boring? Michael’s vocal is really good, and the melody is not bad. I think I am tending towards the subtle/pretty. It is not going to bring R.E.M. any new fans, but fans of their mid-period work (think Document through Automatic-era) might like this one. I think I do, even if it’s nothing particularly special.
I remember also thinking – and I know I wrote it somewhere to 11 in an e-mail that I can’t find right now – that I couldn’t wait for the song to just be over, yet I couldn’t help but want to listen to it again at the start. It could have easily bored me – like most of Around the Sun — but I could tell there was something more bubbling below the surface. I stuck with it and it is now one of my favorite R.E.M. songs ever.
If you skipped Around the Sun, and you probably did, this one is worth revisiting. Save yourself $15. Download it at iTunes. If you’ve ever loved Michael Stipe’s vocals, this is the song you need to hear. It is the best vocal of his career. I know those are bold words, but five more listens today has re-established this truth in my mind.
Filed under: Tags: Listening Room, R.E.M.
Under your recommendation I just now listened again. It definitely isn’t the train wreck I remember the rest of the album to be, but I’m not convinced it is all that brilliant either.
I’ll try to give it some more listens later, just for you.
I really like this song…not their greatest piece of music but definitely worth listening to a few times. It did sound great live.
The rest of the album is a trainwreck, but “Leaving New York” is magic. It’s got some great lyrical imagery and the melody is pleasant, but it’s Stipe’s vocal that really drives it all home. It took me a couple listens to really process it all, but now I fuckin’ love it.
S.Rod… I’d forgotten the way to conjure you around here was to invoke R.E.M. How you feelin’, friend? You doin’ all right these days?
It’s only because I like “Leaving New York” so much that I’ve even kept Around the Sun. The album is a piece of dammit, but this song just gets under my skin and ministers. Spectacular.
Hi Josh,
I’m feeling ok, in a little pain…I’m still home. Next week I start working from home. Then if they give me clearance I can start driving and go back to work. At least I’m almost completely off the narcs they had me on…thanks for asking.
Anyway, I was disappointed when I first listened to this album. There were only a couple of songs that really held my attention. I do like Final Straw, “who died and lifted you up to perfection”. I love that line. And like I said before…Leaving New York. Maybe it’s because I miss living and working in NYC. Or its just a great song.
i’ll have to check this out again. i do remember getting the cd and found it so bland that i couldn’t make myself write anything about it.
the future looks bright though, because i’ve heard some of he upcoming REM material and it’s killin’ me!