I am trying to remember if I've ever heard anyone cover an REM song and not sound like a total poser? For a band that has such good songs (disclaimer: especially released before 1990), why can't anyone cover them with integrity (or at least style). Most times they just come out sounding like a Pioneer Square or American Idol-ish band.

I'm sure somewhere Don Henley is smiling knowing that someone is standing up to protect the integrity of "Boys of Summer".

I personally think the Nimoy/Shatner version of "If I Had a Hammer" is pure genius.

But yeah, the Lemonheads cover of "Mrs. Robinson" is a war crime, especially when they decided to re-release It's a Shame About Ray with that tacked on the end, ruining a nearly perfect album.

I don't know... Dashboard covered a few songs, and they sounded pretty good... especially Nightswimming (granted, Automatic For The People came out in 1992, but it's still a decent album).

Also, Michael Stipe joined in for the song Hands Down, maybe it's just me, but I laugh when I hear him sing "Your legs are smooth as they graze mine, we're doing fine."

Wow -- it is good to know that you're loving the REM heritage! Good thing... since, if you take my offer of digitizing my cassette tape bootleg library, you'll get to listen, song mark and burn to cd hundreds of hours of REM shows! You'll especially love their cover of California Dreaming from a 1983 Boston show.

Does anyone think it is worth burning my Wolfgang Press bootlegs to cd?

Ok, I was (fine, still am) crazy about the movie 'Satisfaction'. Sure, Justine Bateman was just about the worst choice for the lead role — not only for the fact that she can't sing, not at all, not one little bit, but also for the total lack of chemistry between her and Liam Neeson — but come on, the volleyball scenes crack me the shit up, and Britta Phillips as drugged-out Billy, who thinks the dog Hamlet's name is Omelet, is such a scene-stealer, even from mega-star-to-be Julia Roberts. I seriously wanted to be Britta when I was nine, and again when she voiced my favorite truly outrageous doll Jem around the same era, and now here I am, almost 20 years later, still loving every move Britta makes. Dean Wareham, you're a lucky man.
If you haven't seen 'Satisfaction' (or need a refresher), Netflix it now — just be ready for some Justine Bateman-induced ear bleeding.