Special Sub-Topic: The R.E.M. Alphabet of Songs Click Here To Play: The R.E.M. Alphabet of Songs

Ok, to start with I shall use the one that begins with a number as opposed to a letter. "Take in one symphony now, we've just begun to battle"

7 Chinese Brothers. This is one of the songs from "Reckoning", a mostly overlooked album.

Letter A: "You're gonna be a star!"

All The Way to Reno. This is a cracking tune, the second single to be released from the "Reveal" album.

B: "She took the child, held tight, opened the window"

Belong. Track 7 from their second album for Warner, entitled "Out of Time". This was really their breakthrough album in the UK. The verses are spoken rather than sung.

C: "It's 9 o'clock, don't try to turn it off"

Catapult. One of their very early singles. Taken from the 1983 album "Murmur". This is an excellent track.

D: "Tie another one to the racks, baby"

Drive. Surely this was easy. The first UK single from the classic "Automatic for the People" album.

E: "Loyal to the Bank of America"

Exhuming McCarthy. One of the tracks from REM's final album for the IRS label, "Document".

F: "A fortune for the undertow"

Find the River. "Find the River" is the beautiful closing track of "Automatic for the People". "The river to the ocean goes, a fortune for the undertow. None of this is going my way". This is probably my favourite REM song.

G: "Sleep, sleep, sleepy head"

Get Up. "Get Up" is to be found on "Green", the band's first album after the move to Warner.

H: "Watch the decline from a hazy distance"

How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us. This is the opening track of the "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" album. If you know it then you will be familiar with the strange, almost jazz-like piano solo in the middle. I'm amazed that even with that the song still sounds great. Should have been a single.

I: "Like a Friday fashion show teenager"

Imitation of Life. The first single from the excellent "Reveal" album. This tune is rather pop-like, bringing back images of "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite".

J: "Carla read it in the news"

Just a Touch. Taken from "Life's Rich Pageant".

K: "I'm not your magazine"

King of Comedy. This song is nothing special, one of the "Monster" fillers really.

L: "I've been laughing fast and slow"

Low. "Low" is a fine track taken from the "Out of Time" album. The song is driven by the bass initially but the guitar builds up and it becomes a very good song.

M: "See you in Heaven if you make the list"

Man On The Moon. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah". No excuses for getting that one wrong. A classic REM track and no mistake.

N: "I am not an animal"

New Test Leper. This is a fabulous tune from "New Adventures in Hi-Fi". If you don't know this tune then hurry up and check it out.

O: "Spread your conscience overseas"

Orange Crush. Orange Crush was a single from "Green". Along with "Stand" it laid the groundwork for REM to build on with the following album and particularly "Losing My Religion".

P: "Try to put that on your sleeve"

Pretty Persuasion. "Pretty Persuasion" was an early single taken from "Reckoning".

R: "Look into my eyes, listen!"

Radio Song. The opening track from "Out of Time". A new style for REM with the rapper and such, but it all worked out pretty well in the end.

S: "I'm not bound to follow suit"

So. Central Rain. "So. Central Rain" is a fabulous song. One of the singles from the "Reckoning" album. This song and "Rockville" are true REM classics, yet neither get the full attention they deserve.

T: "Ugly girls know their fate"

Tongue. A lovely single from "Monster". Michael really pushes his voice to its limits on this track.

U: "I am in the place where I should be"

Undertow. Undertow was recorded live during the "Monster" tour and touched up in the studio to be put on "New Adventures in Hi-Fi". It still has that live feel to it, though.

V: "The pure tenor quality of the voice"

Voice of Harold. This was an outtake from the "Reckoning" sessions. It became available on "Dead Letter Office". It is also the only REM song I could find that begins with the letter V.

W: "Contradiction only makes it harder"

Walk Unafraid. Easily my favourite song from the "Up" album, both lyrically and musically.

Y: "Eviscerate your memory"

You Are The Everything. "You are the Everything" is a beautiful Mandolin track from "Green". If you don't know this song then go listen to it now, it's very much worth it.

Z: OK, no lyrics, name the instrumental from the "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" album.

Zither. Ok, I hope you enjoyed this quiz and I hope it brought to your attention some classic REM tunes that you had forgotten about or were unaware of. Thanks for playing.