When R.E.M. first emerged from Athens, Georgia in 1983 and released their debut album "Chronic Town," I was fifteen years old and I was hooked. Their sound was refreshingly original and although they clearly embraced the genre of pop music, their interpretation of it was something that I had never heard before and I loved it. As their wiki entry states, the things that made them unique were "the jangling guitars, the chords played in arpeggio, murmured vocals, and lyrics that often avoided the standard topics of popular music." Whatever it was, I loved it. For many years, I was a die-hard fan of R.E.M. and eagerly awaited every new CD they released.
However, I'm ashamed to admit that eventually I became one of those completely annoying uber-hip music snobs who turns on a band as soon as they reach the level of "mass appeal." I was like Jack Black in "High Fidelity" mocking the father at the record store for trying to buy Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" for his kid. It wasn't that I suddenly hated R.E.M., it was just that I no longer wanted to be associated with their fans so I immediately labeled them as trite or irrelevant. Like many things in my past, I'm completely ashamed of my behavior. Really, is there anything more annoying in the world than a music snob?
Anyway...today, the Peanut and I both called in sick. We were feeling a little feverish so I skipped work and she skipped daycare. And when we weren't running around trying to put socks on the dog or playing hide-and-seek, we hung out on the laptop looking for Elmo videos. In the midst of our search, we came across a video of R.E.M. on Sesame Street. Soon enough, the Peanut and I were jumping up and down in the living room and having the time of our lives.
Not only did I fall in love with R.E.M. all over again, I watched the Peanut fall in love with them for the first time. And you know what? It totally made my day. Here's the video. Enjoy...
Hope you like this as much as we did. For those of you who are parents, do you have any other videos that you're enjoying with your kid? Peanut is starting to refer to my laptop as the "Elmo Box." I've got to start showing her other stuff.
Holy crap I don't believe this. I am first! Oh I am so excited.
Uh. Okay but I'm finding myself without anything to say, except for - why would you label REM as cow's stomach (tripe)?
It's amazing how many awesome artists have appeared on Sesame Street. I never was a big REM fan, although I love that KRS One was on one of their albums, but Michael Stipe has always struck me as deep. Yo.
Posted by: mrsfortune | October 28, 2006 at 12:46 AM
Mrs. F...can't belive I mixed up "tripe" and "trite." Must be the combo of scotch and sudafed. Deepest apologies.
And need I say how much I love that you dropped a KRS-One reference? When I lived in Oakland, Kris Parker lived in my apartment complex and I used to see him and all the BDP boys all the time. Good times, yo!
Posted by: MetroDad | October 28, 2006 at 12:58 AM
Living here for the past 3 years I loves watching elmo "represent" different artist.
I introduced her to the Beatles and we watch together "yellow submarine".
We also listen to coldplay, robbie williams and prince - she loves his "Oh yeah" - Sign 'O' Times
Posted by: abba-daddy | October 28, 2006 at 01:10 AM
Very cool video. I spent all of 1983 listening to only two albums: R.E.M.'s "Murmur" and Big Country's "In A Big Country" (I recorded them on the same cassette). That got me through some tough times. I still get a little emotional when I hear songs like "Talk About The Passion" and "We Walk"...
Posted by: Phil | October 28, 2006 at 02:57 AM
The Munchkin loved this clip when she first saw it on Sesame Street.
She frequently demands to watch Star Wars "on the computer", meaning that she wants to play LEGO Star Wars with her daddy. We have totally gotten her going on the Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and Star Wars movies.
I actually got quite a thrill out of showing "Superman" to her recently (the 1978 movie) - she actually liked it! I absolutely loved watching this movie when I was a kid. Although she kept asking, "What happened to the baby?" She didn't believe me when I told her that the baby grew up and became Superman.
Posted by: Deanna | October 28, 2006 at 04:32 AM
My Sweet Pea, as soon as he sees a computer, will say, "Da Da Da! Mmm, Mmm, Mmm!" It can only mean one thing, he wants to watch some Chinese boys lip synching that World Cup song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smq-vSSK3RQ
Other stuff we watch together is HBO's Classical Baby, he loves it for all the babies in the animation, I love it because it doesn't water down the classical music like another series that shall remain nameless. :cough:babyeinstein:cough:
Posted by: honglien123 | October 28, 2006 at 05:30 AM
Love that video...Glad you found it...and had a fun sick day with Peanut!!!
Posted by: Janet a.k.a Wonder Mom | October 28, 2006 at 07:46 AM
Good Lord. I was in college in 1983, and they used to play at this little hole in the wall on River Street, along with the B's and Natalie Merchant.
Boy, have times changed.
We're currently stuck on the Shimajiro toilet training video (Chang and Eng look at my monitor and chant "Plop, plop!") and when they see Daddy's IM icon of Alfred E. Neuman they think he hears them when they talk to the computer.
Posted by: JJ Daddy Baby Momma | October 28, 2006 at 08:41 AM
I saw this with The Quartet when it first came out on Sesame Street and had the best time explaining who they were. It was difficult, what with skipping all the parts about teenage drinking and sex that went hand in hand with my 1986 R.E.M. experiences, but I managed to get through it. And then I made them listen to other R.E.M., as I am want to do, forcing my music on my children. It's one of the reasons I had children in the first place.
Posted by: RJA | October 28, 2006 at 09:44 AM
You have no idea how much I appreciate this post--I just read it while I sit here on the airport tarmac waiting for my plane to take off. My 6:10AM flight and it's now 10:15AM. Ugh.
I think I'll watch that happy REM Muppet video again.
Posted by: Pattie | October 28, 2006 at 10:13 AM
No video recs, but we recently borrowed a box set of Sesame Street songs that date back to the beginning, and it's fun to hear all the different artists (everyone from Stevie Wonder to Johnny Cash) performing with the muppets over the years. We really like the seventies songs.
Posted by: weigooksaram | October 28, 2006 at 10:17 AM
Thanks, MD. I also had forgotten how much I used to like R.E.M. This video is great. Can't wait to show it to my little munchkin.
Posted by: Jeffrey | October 28, 2006 at 10:46 AM
Love that video, so do my boys. They also liek to watch the THey Might Be Giants - Her Come the ABC's dvd. Maybe the peanut would like that.
Posted by: Kim | October 28, 2006 at 10:49 AM
Never saw that video before, MD. Quite great! We often search through the Sesame Street archives to find various musical guests. It's a lot of fun and my daughter loves it. These days, she insists on watching Andrea Bocelli singing "Time to Say Goodnight" to Elmo before she goes to bed every night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgUnYzXU-Fo
Posted by: Ian | October 28, 2006 at 10:56 AM
The fact that I've seen that video about ten times already is the ONLY good thing about Sesame Street re-runs.
Posted by: Amanda | October 28, 2006 at 11:05 AM
I've gone through the music snobbery thing, too, MD. Now I'm too old to hang out in bars until 1 am waiting for The Next Big Thing to appear or listen to college radio. But you should listen to my bro Troy Campbell--a hapa Korean dude who sings roots rock/blues/country/alt folk original stuff. It's hard to categorize, which is why he is not famous (though he's HUGE in Denmark and has opened for Dylan, Neil Young, the Chili Peppers). Enough shameless family promotion...what was the question?
Oh, yes...videos, I'm still wondering if the unresolved sexual tension between Bob the Builder and Wendy will ever be resolved. Those two are like Bruce Willis & Cybill Shepherd in "Moonlighting", only as construction workers...who are nice to each other...and are plastic claymation toys...that own talking equipment. Ok, maybe not so much Bruce & Cybill, but pleasant and tolerable.
Peanut might get scared at "Elmo in Grouchland" but that's one of my favorites. Vanessa Williams as the Queen of Trash is sublime. We also loved "CinderElmo" with Kathy Najimy as the Not Very Nice Stepmother. My son still watches those two occasionally and sings along, even though he's a too cool for school first grader.
Posted by: Glennia | October 28, 2006 at 11:41 AM
This is Daniel Cook dot com. That obnoxious kid whom my daughter happens to love has a glorious website with relatively less annoying games for your little peanut to play. It's a big winner in our house and (I hate to admit) a nice break from Dora and Elmo.
I'm also seconding the "elmo in grouchland" video. Especially if peanut has a special blankie friend of her own. It's S.S. at it's most entertaining.
Posted by: amy | October 28, 2006 at 12:40 PM
Wow, you and me both MD. Just about wore out Chronic Town and Murmur and Reckoning and a couple of others but by the time college was over I just couldn't keep up.
One time I rode the train from C'ville to Athens to kiss on this hairy but very entertaining boy. We were walking about and heard some music on a soccer field. The newly formed Indigo Girls were playing in the middle of the day, and then they got to "Kid Fears" and Michael Stipe wandered over and sang his part (Are you on fire?) as people wandered around and kicked hackysacks and played with dogs.
It was a marvelous afternoon.
Posted by: Anne Glamore | October 28, 2006 at 12:45 PM
I wanna be sick from work.
You're the second dad in the last couple days whose recommended finding fun YouTube videos for kids...
This will be a whole new world of fun. Huzzah!
Posted by: Jonathon | October 28, 2006 at 04:12 PM
Wow, that was a great video. Unfotunately, my 14 yr old music snob walked over while I was watching it and chair dancing and gave me a look of total disgust. REM is so... old! But I loved it because I'm also old and it was happy and jumpy and fun!
Posted by: margalit | October 28, 2006 at 05:37 PM
Good stuff! Don't know if the Peanut watches the Noggin network, but they have a great kids website at noggin.com. One of their shows, Jack's Big Music Show, is featured on their site with tons of music videos for kids including Laurie Berkner and many others. Our 3 year old loves watching them and dancing around the family room.
By the way, love your site MD. Several weeks ago, you posted an open letter to Popeyes Spicy Chicken that tickled my chicken bone. I used to do marketing for Popeyes several years back and could relate to your love/hate relationship. Here's to lower cholesterol!
Posted by: Michelle Lopresti | October 28, 2006 at 08:25 PM
No, but avoid the Wiggles videos at all cost--stick to audio only. In fact, the only palatable Wiggles songs are Big Red Car, Hot Potato and Hoop de Do. You've been warned--if she latches on to some lame-o Captain Feathersword song or video you WILL go mental.
Do NOT check out any of those very funny Southpark musical clips on YouTube until you KNOW the Peanut is asleep. R2 was full of questions after I caught him looking over my shoulder watching me laugh at "Kyle's Mom is a big fat..."
Posted by: R2Dad | October 28, 2006 at 09:17 PM
We are bored with our usual Elmo, Teletubbies, and Barney videos. Just TODAY, my husband decided that Maddie needed to know about the Muppets and bought The Muppet Movie and a box set of The Muppet Show. I think it just reminds him of his own childhood that he wants to re-live.
It's funny how times have changed since we were kids. There is one episode of The Muppet Show when the guest star is getting loaded in a bar (taking shots!) singing songs and dancing. Oh, the good ole days.
Posted by: Amanda | October 28, 2006 at 09:56 PM
I think Joles may be the only child in existence to not be drawn to Sesame Street or Elmo. No interest whatsoever. In our house, it's Wiggles World. I'm debating whether to push for a brain MRI at the next peds visit.
Posted by: KC | October 28, 2006 at 10:54 PM
Love it! They musthave had so much fun. Lately Dude and I (when we aren't on noggin.com) cruise FLickr for "pitch-ahs." I'll ask him for an animal, "Hose!" and then we will look at hundreds of pictures of horses. I caution you, I can even check email anymore without him wandering over and trying to help out by banging on the keyboard.
Posted by: Xdm | October 28, 2006 at 11:48 PM
I totally love that video, and my girl though tit was pretty cool too. Saw it before seeing the "real" one -- that's sad, huh?
Posted by: KC | October 29, 2006 at 12:15 AM
I'm sure you know about Sweet Juniper already, but this is the page we go to every morning for our entertainment. We just watched Happy Furry Monsters today too!
http://sweetjunipermeta.blogspot.com/2006/07/dutchs-ultimate-anthology-of-televised.html
Posted by: Lady M | October 29, 2006 at 01:52 AM
I love Sesame Street. That video made me stupidly happy. Thanks for sharing it.!
Posted by: Christy | October 29, 2006 at 08:35 AM
My memories of seeing R.E.M. in concert are clouded by the fact that it was the first night in my life I ever drank tequila. Also the first time I was ever pulled in a chariot at 3 a.m. down the middle of a major city street by 4 burly frat boys.
But I digress! Here is our family's absolute favorite video. Unfortunately, he's way too busy with his other projects and has not released a commercial kids DVD. This song is hands down our favorite car-singing song, and this one ain't too shabby, either. Maybe if he ever gets tired of working wth Jack Black, he'll put out a kids CD. We live in hope here at Chez Velma.
Posted by: Velma | October 29, 2006 at 08:57 AM
I had totally forgotten about Dutch's excellent compilation of cool videos. Thanks, Lady M.
Posted by: MetroDad | October 29, 2006 at 09:46 AM
I remember when "Fables of the Reconstruction came out. I was a freshman in college who had never left home before. That CD got me through a rough freshman year. I'll always have a soft spot for REM. I hope my kids will too. Thanks, MD!
Posted by: Brian | October 29, 2006 at 11:01 AM
My 2 year old daughter and I just watched this video about 10 times in a row. We both love it and can't stop singing the lyrics!
Posted by: Jessica | October 29, 2006 at 11:38 AM
This brought back memories of when Bryce was a baby - he was mesmerized by this Sesame Street video the first time he saw it (sometime around 9-12 months, I think). I was going to suggest Sweet Juniper's video post, but Lady M beat me to it - that is a pretty good compilation (although I think the last time I checked, some of those videos had been removed - but it is an awesome place to start, at any rate).
Posted by: Kristen | October 29, 2006 at 02:38 PM
I haven't seen that video in ages! (The song, though, has been on my hard drive for years now.) How cool to SEE it again! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Mamacita | October 29, 2006 at 04:36 PM
Don't know how I ever missed that one, MD. We listen to a lot of R.E.M. and watch a ton of Sesame Street. Thanks for the rec. I know my kids are going to love it.
Posted by: ABC Daddy | October 29, 2006 at 07:27 PM
I love the part of the video where he sings "Something has gone wrong" and the muppet says "What are we gonna do??"
Hee hee...
Posted by: Liberal Banana | October 29, 2006 at 08:26 PM
Strangely enough, my son is completely fascinated by Goldfrapp's "Ride a White Horse" video. Every time he sees it he dances and waves his hands. Never mind the Wiggles....
Posted by: Vampdaddy | October 29, 2006 at 10:24 PM
My 16-month-old Max wandered into the living room while I was watching this. His face lit up, he put both arms in the air, stuck his ass out behind him, let out one shriek of pure joy, and started to do what my husband and I have nicknamed "happy feet," which is sticking his left leg straight out in front of him, and then beating it semi-rhythmically against the floor, bouncing at the knees, and making a growly noise that sort of sounds like "Arr, arr, arr, arrahgh!" Yay REM, I'm a fan from way back.
Posted by: Molly Wade Chase | October 29, 2006 at 10:28 PM
well, it will be hard to top that last comment, but...along the jim henson line, the muppet movies are great - maybe a little old for peanut, i don't know. but muppets in space, muppets treasure island, muppets take manhatten - great characters and great music!
Posted by: oncRN | October 30, 2006 at 08:55 AM
Peanut may not like it bu you might. Here's a clip of Dave Chapelle talking about the evils of Sesame Street. Pretty funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI7XTnuAj_Y
Posted by: Phil | October 30, 2006 at 09:02 AM
This video made me want to jump up and down like I did at my first R.E.M. concert in 1989. Fun!
The Kate Pierson muppet singing the female part is the best!
There are some cute, groovy music videos by Dan Zanes, Lisa Loeb and Laurie Berkner on noggin.com. You can watch them repeatedly — good for rainy days.
Posted by: KG | October 30, 2006 at 09:33 AM
My kids are Laurie Berkner fans and someone did a mildly entertaining YouTube video to her "Googleheads" song. EVERY time my 2 yo daughter sees my laptop she asks to watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlJNV0TkxIg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.valleywag.com%2F
Posted by: PHAT Mommy | October 30, 2006 at 09:39 AM
This has to be one of the best musical performances I've ever seen on Sesame Street. The kids and I have been bouncing to it all weekend. Thanks for the pick!
Posted by: leora | October 30, 2006 at 09:41 AM
Are you going to let Peanut listen to Depeche Mode? Or the Smiths?
I wonder what's going to happen if I try to introduce my kids to Nick Cave, or Henry Rollins. How would I ever explain 2Pac and Biggie to them?
Posted by: mike | October 30, 2006 at 10:00 AM
My three kids were never into Elmo or Sesame Street unfortunately, b/c that's where I learned English 26 years ago. The boys watch Star Wars cartoon on my hubbie's laptop (he turned them into his little Jedi). As for our little girl, she watches these free shows on Comcast ON DEMAND, and it's all about food. No wonder why she's hungry all the time.
Posted by: Waya | October 30, 2006 at 10:03 AM
Another one in this category is the Goo Goo Dolls' "Pride" (from theor song "Slide")
If you don't mind Elmo im a ;eather jacket, that is.
Posted by: Jonathan | October 30, 2006 at 10:28 AM
Thanks so much for creating a "monster" in my house. My son Oliver ran around all day yesterday, trying to find the laptop I attempted to hide, all the while yelling, "monster?" I relented, but we had to watch it every half hour or he started showing signs of withdrawal. I will have to blog this, and share the wealth....
Posted by: Kim | October 30, 2006 at 11:18 AM
I love this video. Thanks for the smile this morning. (Of course, the fact I grew up in Athens probably doesn't hurt).
My favorite collection of classic (re: Pre-Elmo) Sesame Street clips doesn't seem to be loading at the moment, but hopefully will when you try:
http://www.freephotosandvideos.com/sesame_street.php
And the pirate band out of Portland, Captain Bogg & Salty, just released their first music video. It is excellent for producing bouncy kids:
http://www.youtube.com/v/Y6aF4EFnPlk
Posted by: IHF | October 30, 2006 at 11:33 AM
NO WAY! I thought I was the only (pathetic) parent who uses the internet to google Elmo videos for the Elmo-freak, I mean, toddler. Yep, we found this REM one the other day. Oh, and whatever you do, don't watch the one that says "You have to be under 4 years old...etc. etc." pretending to me Elmo's song video clip - LN and I were watching it and about 15 seconds into it, a gory face (Exorcism kid, I think?) pops up and screams. I jumped and LN had this look on her face, like she didn't know what to think. Oh, and if you decide to look for Bert and Ernie video, don't look at the one with Germanic versions of the name - it's Bert and Ernie being more frisky than you'd want Peanut to witness. Ha, LN also thinks the computer is strictly for Elmo fun.
Posted by: Mama Nabi | October 30, 2006 at 01:18 PM
In an effort to respond unnecessarily to your rhetorical question, yes, I can think of many things more annoying than music snobs. Some examples: populist politicians, Oprah, rectal polyps, bedbugs, post-nasal drip, elevator flatulence, musicians, flatulent elevator music, flatulent musicians... mind you, I am an annoying music snob.
Posted by: p-man | October 30, 2006 at 02:05 PM