[net.music] REM

clark@grdian.DEC (Dave Clark, 283-6322) (07/24/85)

>Their playing was very good, and the volume was not too loud, so you could
>really get into the music.  Don't expect to understand the vocals
>though--I don't think (lead singer ) Mike Stipe knows how to sing clearly!

Mike Stipe is deaf in one ear, which probably affects his intonation ....

Now a question - does anyone besides myself have a Shaggs album?  I have two,
which I bought mostly because I thought the album covers were hysterical.  I
would like to find out about the background of the Wiggins sisters ....

Dave Clark			"If I had a rocket launcher ...."

cv@linus.UUCP (Chris J. Valas) (07/26/85)

-=-

In article <3262@decwrl.UUCP> clark@grdian.DEC (Dave Clark, 283-6322) writes:
>>Their playing was very good, and the volume was not too loud, so you could
>>really get into the music.  Don't expect to understand the vocals
>>though--I don't think (lead singer ) Mike Stipe knows how to sing clearly!
>
>Mike Stipe is deaf in one ear, which probably affects his intonation ....
>
>Now a question - does anyone besides myself have a Shaggs album?  I have two,
>which I bought mostly because I thought the album covers were hysterical.  I
>would like to find out about the background of the Wiggins sisters ....
>

As it turns out, Stipe has been partially deaf since birth (according to
the story I heard) and the way he sings is actually the way he hears the
world.  This has an interesting analogue in impressionist painting: that the
deteriorating eyesight of artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, and Cezanne
toward the end of their lives led to changes in artistic expression.  Their
paintings began to change to reflect the changes in their visual perception
of the subject matter.  This would indicate a reinterpretation of the
traditionally held views concerning these artists:  Was Van Gogh's
gradual lapse into insanity solely responsible for his stylistic changes,
or was he just going blind from astigmatism?  

I doubt if Stipe's vocals will change very much, unless the sound levels
of amplified music contribute to a worsening of his condition.  Is this
one of the reasons REM plays at reasonable volume levels in concert?

-=-


Chris J. Valas         {decvax,utzoo,philabs,security,allegra,genrad}!linus!cv
-=-
Hey, Jimmy:

"She can dance to the East, dance to the West,
 Dancing with the boy that she loves the best....
 Oh, I, I, I, I know a girl from Baltimore!"