this week’s obsession: R.E.m. “What’s the frequency, kenneth?”
There should be a word to describe songs that are largely unintelligible except for a few words that spring up at random. (I’m looking at you, “Semi-Charmed Life” and “face down on the mattress one.”) For all that REM songs like “Drive,” “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight,” and the entirety of Out of Time are in constant rotation on my playlists, “WTFK” never really made the list.
That changed last week, when I started listening to it on repeat.
The frequency this week was about five times a day.
It starts with that classic rock song opening, a lightly distorted guitar hammering out the first few chords before the band jumps in after a few bars. (Used to great effect in a million songs, but REM’s “Supernatural Superserious” comes to mind.) Michael Stipe jumps in with the most memorable words (and, incidentally, the title) which gives the listener something to hang their hat on right from the beginning.
An aside: the hit songwriter Nile Rodgers firmly believed that the catchiest part of the song should always be up front. He said he tried to wow the record company executives as fast as possible. Hence: “We Are Family” and “Le Freak.”
The frequency this week was about five listens every day.
I love the use of the delay with Peter Buck’s guitar which functions essentially as a rhythmic figure. It’s catchy, supportive of the line, brief, and comes in starting with the first chorus.
One of the best parts of it is that the tempo sits just above a walking pace making it perfect for immersing oneself in a little dance party in the kitchen. At least, for me. It’s a fairly simple song, but perfectly executed. Enough mystery to make you wonder what the hell Michael Stipe is talking about (not for the first time), enough upbeat for you not to really care.
And I love how the song has a well-defined verse, pre-chorus, and chorus in terms of the chord progression and arrangement, but the chorus isn’t a series of repetitive lines or even a clear coherent statement that repeats.
