@@BrooksSmithMusic yes but it is just so hard to cover a song that Glen sang and sing it better. Just like it is hard to cover an Orbison song or Sinatra's big songs: you can look like a Timex next to a Rolex.
"And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time." One of THE best lines in country music. Love this version. Michael Stipe's voice is just sweet on this song.
@@josebegui I had to come back to the channel, it's been a while and I couldn't remember which Glen song was being discussed lol Glen started out as a studio musician if I recall so he knew "good" when he heard it, yes :o)
I love Johnn's version personally. It's more gruff and less "pop" to me I also love Glen's version as well. I have a lot of memories attached to Johnny Cash's version though so that's the biggest sway.
@@robc5051 I'll look up Johnny Cash's version, I don't remember it being played on the radio but then I didn't listen to country music in general... unless a crossover hit like this.:o)
Geez folks, nothing is ever as good as the original. I do not think Stipe ever intended to make over or out-do or come close to Campbell. I think he simply admired Campbell and this particular song, and felt compelled to honor him with a go at it! Quit hating!
I would venture that Freedy Johnston's version is better (whatever that means) than the Campbell version because the guitars are so beautifully intertwined. Either way it's a classic song.
Campbell didn't "just cover" the song; Jimmy Webb wrote it for him, quote "“He and (producer) Al DeLory were obviously looking for a follow-up to ‘Phoenix.’ And I remember writing ‘Wichita Lineman’ that afternoon. That was a song I absolutely wrote for Glen.” unquote
I remember getting up early one summer morning in 1995 and seeing this on the MTV. I recorded it onto VHS and from there dubbed to tape. It's as evocative now as it was then.
REM might be a rock band but they are from Athens Georgia and at least as far as growing up country is in the blood and in the bones so for it to have an influence would not be a shock at all and to do a rendition even if it's not cut to a major recording on an album also is no surprise
Yes, the very discussion resonates with the songs purpose. Very poignant. Plus, I love Michael Stipe and his artistry and the fantastic musicians performing in this take.
@@chrisbajdek6105 Oh, I missed that. Listening a second time, I've picked up a couple of changes, not a single one of which was for the better. James Taylor did an amazing cover of this song, second only, in my opinion, to Campbell's.
Glen Campbell's version can't be bested, but then again I've never heard a bad version of this song. It is quite simply one of the finest-crafted pop/country songs ever.
I love Michael Stipe's voice and this is a decent cover. Big fan of REM too, but gotta say Campbell's vocal is far superior. Transcendent. I don't think they were trying to outdo it, perhaps just honor it.
Absolutely - they're Jimmy Webb and Glenn Campbell fans and wanted to pay tribute. There's a vulnerability in Stipe's interpretation of the song that really serves it well, I think.
A great cover of one of Glen Campbell's most beautiful songs, but NO ONE will ever do it better than Glen. His voice and masterful guitar playing, which is considered by his peers to be the best of any genre, cannot be outdone.
Excellent cover, hadn't seen or heard this. I was around when Glen Campbell first did it, and Glen helped me transition away from what the parents listened to....Thanks, Glen. R.I.P.
Lime and limpid green, a second scene: A fight between the blue you once knew. Floating down, the sound resounds around the icy waters underground. Jupiter and Saturn, Oberon, Miranda and Titania: Neptune, Titan ... stars can frighten
Whether you like country or not, jimmy webb was bad ass, so many groups and artists covered this song, stone temple Pilots and Glenn did a awesome remake of this song...INCREDIBLE
Really surprised how beautifully performed this lovely song has turned out by REM. I really thought nothing could compare to the great Mr Glen Campbell but this was a damned close second!
Hats off to this. Came across this while listening to my favorite song of all times Wichita lineman. I must say thank you to such a beautiful respectful and eloquent version to this song. I’m only in my early 50s so I can appreciate music and new music this will go on my playlist for sure thank you R.E M. Much respect
I like this!!! Not to take away from glen Campbell. This version resonates in a way that’s hard to explain. Clean, simple and memorable. When this pops up I always listen.
Oh how I wished they had put this as a studio song on an album, maybe monster or new adventures ... so very them at the time and a perfect cover Peters guitar solo is so graceful and beautifully simple. Loved this video and it all Captured them perfectly on that tour.
I love Glen Campbell's versions as much as the next person. His is a clear, pure voice and he plays a mean guitar. But I like this version too (absent the interview). The way Micheal sings the line about searching in the sun for another overload embodies what I like about his interpretation of this. Admittedly, the use of the word "pain" instead of "strain" misses the point of what happens to electrical lines when heavy snow falls on them. But I still love the look, feel and sound of this video. And it is lovely to see him so young.
Oh my, this is so very beautiful . Michaels beautiful voice and the way Mike Mills moves and smiles right at the start...whoa .... so sexy. Bravo guys. All class. I’m so glad you covered this song.
a wonderful rendition of a great classic.. the song is truly unique in that every artist who performs it seems to find a way to personalise the emotion...
As close to the original that anyone could ever come...Bravo!.....Dead Letter Office is one of the greatest unheralded gems in Rock Music....It's on my playlist constantly.
I remember this documentary as part of the Monster tour (and its still on a video the other side of the world... somewhere). I still remember thinking such a shame to cut such a version of this song up with the interview. This blew me away when I first heard it and been searching for the original for years. Thanks for posting... great tour and memories.
My ex and I had 2nd row center tickets to the Monster tour because her sis won them in a radio station contest. Her bf however was a sports fanatic and there was a Tyson fight that night. So we got the tix, for free of course. Turns out Tyson knocked the guy out in the first round. It was incredible!
Its not about whether or not one version is better than the other.....what it is....one band interpreting this beautiful song sung by Glen Campbell in their own way to honor it..great job by REM
Although Glen Campbell was the one to make it the most famous Jimmy Webb wrote it. But he was always more of a songwriter than anything else. Besides this one of the better covers was done by Dwight Yoakam.
Some of the comments are so fucked up it is hard to answer straight to. Glen Campbell and Michael Stipe come from completely different musical backgrounds. You might be wedded to Glen Campbell's version, and I grew up with Glen Campbell. But to say that one is better than the other is like saying Pavarotti is better than Paul McCartney. They are just different. Frankly, I like the unadorned minimalism of Stipe's version.
Campbell's singing is out of this world as usual, but REM's version just goes to show how good this song really is; to have one of rock's greatest bands do a cover says it all
Ok - I'm comfortable saying Pavarotti is better than McCartney. To claim otherwise would be so completely fucked up that it would be "hard to answer straight to". Really. You think that's a fair comparison?
That's not really my point. I would not say that Pavarotti is better than McCartney. I wouldn't want to hear Pavarotti sing McCartney's songs, but perhaps Pavarotti's fans would. Ditto for McCartney singing Pavarotti. I used such an extreme example to illustrate the less extreme example here. Both Glen Campbell and Michael Stipe have their own style, and their own fan base. It might have been very interesting had Glen Campbell chosen to record, say, Wendell Gee or Find the River. HIS fans might have thought it wonderful, while REM fans might have thought his versions paled in comparison with REMs original takes on the songs. But to rank one based upon the musical tradition of the other is as silly as saying Pavarotti sucks because he could never pull off "Hey Jude". I happen to be a fan of both Glen Campbell and REM. I listen to both versions of Wichita Lineman.
No, it's quite easy to evaluate Glen's version as superior. Stipe doesn't have nearly the vocal chops that Glen did, nor did/does Peter have the guitar skill. Glen was a complete musical bad-ass.
By that reasoning, if John Mayer (or almost any accomplished singer-guitarist) covered "Blowing in the Wind" it would be "better" than Dylan's version. That is an opinion that will not resonate very far beyond an echo chamber.
Remember kiddies, Classic music never goes away. Great song + great band = another timeless recording. One day I guarantee, you'll understand what I mean.
With respect, it does make you look back at how great a singer Glen Campbell was.
YES
He was . . . but this song was written by Jimmy Webb.
@@BrooksSmithMusic yes but it is just so hard to cover a song that Glen sang and sing it better. Just like it is hard to cover an Orbison song or Sinatra's big songs: you can look like a Timex next to a Rolex.
@doobeedoo2 the original comment said "what a great songwriter Glen Campbell was," but it looks like the commenter has now edited that to "singer."
Well Stipe comes across as more the skinny younger guy working with the older bigger guys,but he does it well.
One of the greatest songs ever written. Bravo Jimmy Webb.
yes i agree :))))
It's nice to see that someone knows it's a Jimmy Web song,
Cheers.
Snakefinger1000 grew up in oklahoma city , was a teenager when Jimmy wrote this ... Jimmy does it best
Massey Four
Yes.
Not a big fan of country music, but Jimmy Webb is one of the great American songwriters.
Massey Four AV a word
"And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time." One of THE best lines in country music. Love this version. Michael Stipe's voice is just sweet on this song.
Amen.
Absolutely.
First song I sung to my now wife of over 40 years. And I was then a lineman proud and worked with the best of people.
We love and need some lineman in South Louisiana, especially after hurricanes 😢
@@ottoboxer Thank you for sharing that memory.
I thought I could not love REM anymore and then they sing the greatest song ever written and sing it beautifully
and Jimmy Webb apparently was horrified when Glen told him he had cut the song, because Webb sent a draft and thought the song needed more work
Glen Campbell will always own this song but REM outdid themselves and in their own style. Excellent !!!!!!!!!
Agree - you can't top Glen backed by the Wrecking Crew.
@@josebegui I had to come back to the channel, it's been a while and I couldn't remember which Glen song was being discussed lol Glen started out as a studio musician if I recall so he knew "good" when he heard it, yes :o)
@Huawei is a criminal organization. He had it all and could connect with his audience. One of our legends.
I love Johnn's version personally. It's more gruff and less "pop" to me I also love Glen's version as well. I have a lot of memories attached to Johnny Cash's version though so that's the biggest sway.
@@robc5051 I'll look up Johnny Cash's version, I don't remember it being played on the radio but then I didn't listen to country music in general... unless a crossover hit like this.:o)
Geez folks, nothing is ever as good as the original. I do not think Stipe ever intended to make over or out-do or come close to Campbell. I think he simply admired Campbell and this particular song, and felt compelled to honor him with a go at it! Quit hating!
Actually, I think it was Jimmy Webb he respected more than Campbell. Webb wrote the song; Campbell's version is just the most popular cover of it.
I would venture that Freedy Johnston's version is better (whatever that means) than the Campbell version because the guitars are so beautifully intertwined. Either way it's a classic song.
Well, he wrote it with Campbell in mind.
yeah it kind of fails...have to disagree though that there is nothing better than originals. ive heard some great covers.
Campbell didn't "just cover" the song; Jimmy Webb wrote it for him, quote "“He and (producer) Al DeLory were obviously looking for a follow-up to ‘Phoenix.’ And I remember writing ‘Wichita Lineman’ that afternoon. That was a song I absolutely wrote for Glen.” unquote
I remember getting up early one summer morning in 1995 and seeing this on the MTV. I recorded it onto VHS and from there dubbed to tape. It's as evocative now as it was then.
"and I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time" - great lyric, Jimmy Webb
A great rendition of Glen Campbell's hit.
Done with taste and respect in honor of
one of the greatest musicians of our time.
My dad's favorite song. He's gone now but I loved it!
I couldn't believe REM would even attempt to do a old country classic, much less do it well. I think they did a great job. Bravo
REM might be a rock band but they are from Athens Georgia and at least as far as growing up country is in the blood and in the bones so for it to have an influence would not be a shock at all and to do a rendition even if it's not cut to a major recording on an album also is no surprise
This version during sound check tears me apart. Absolutely beautiful!
Yes, the very discussion resonates with the songs purpose. Very poignant. Plus, I love Michael Stipe and his artistry and the fantastic musicians performing in this take.
it's the follow up to Driver 8.
I don't think there are many things more counterintuitive than REM covering this song, but I'm so glad they did. This is beautiful.
i agree, beautiful :))))))
they did also cover Aerosmith
Amen!
+Mattteus I remember them being big fans of Lou Gramm's Midnight Blue. (A somewhat forgotten 80's gem).
+Mattteus TOYS!
Gosh, this really puts layers into Wichita Lineman
Such a great song, never should be interrupted
My thoughts exactly, criminal!
Is there a full version of this without the moronic interview slopped over the solo?
Would have been perfect.
One the best covers of this song
REM, great band, Michael Stipe, great singer
Brave of them to take on a classic Jimmy Webb song,Brave !!!!
Michael Stipe's voice sends me to Heaven. I'm flyin
Just goes to show you that not only can Michael Stipe pull off any song he likes, but that Jimmy Webb is an enduring songwriter.
Thank you REM for carrying this song on.
I loved the song when Glenn Campbell first sang it, and I love this cover too. The one bad thing about it is cutting to an interview in the middle.
And substituting "pain" for "strain" in the lyrics... How can that stretch down south feel pain?
@@chrisbajdek6105 Oh, I missed that. Listening a second time, I've picked up a couple of changes, not a single one of which was for the better.
James Taylor did an amazing cover of this song, second only, in my opinion, to Campbell's.
I stumbled on this by accident. It is the best thing ever! I love it!
Jimmy Webb, one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Micheal Stipe brings a unique character, mood, feeling, to whatvr he sings... and this is such a beautiful rendition!
Love michael killing it ❤
Glen Campbell's version can't be bested, but then again I've never heard a bad version of this song. It is quite simply one of the finest-crafted pop/country songs ever.
GNT has entered the chat....
Once you get over the novelty you realize they are laying down one of the deepest grooves ever.
So true. Like a prayer actually.
“And I need you more than want you & I want you for all time”. Best line ever written. Nice cover.
Jimmy Webb was a genius songwriter.
This is one of my favorite songs. Not very many people can sing this as nicely as he did.
These guys have got to be the sexiest band they just ooze charisma
REM: I always liked their sound. Wonderful cover of this iconic song. (...it “doesn’t” look like rain-his English teacher would be proud!😊)
I really like that he sang it as he felt it.
so, so beautifull? Goosebumps....
This song is about a lineman looking after his are of Power lines, I myself are a Linesman and this song is so relevant to my work. So good !
a beautiful and evocative song, and very uniquely American
Peter Buck's guitar...just the right feel. Excellent
I've watched this video hundreds of times since I first met. Michael's vocal and beautiful melody resonates with me.
REM has always covered great songs. And it's always great.
Wonderful version ! .. Michael has that haunting vocal that only he can add to an already known classic :)
I love Michael Stipe's voice and this is a decent cover. Big fan of REM too, but gotta say Campbell's vocal is far superior. Transcendent. I don't think they were trying to outdo it, perhaps just honor it.
Laurence Whiting They probably know they can"t outdo Campbell so I doubt they tried too hard. Probably just wanted to do it their way.
Absolutely - they're Jimmy Webb and Glenn Campbell fans and wanted to pay tribute. There's a vulnerability in Stipe's interpretation of the song that really serves it well, I think.
Glen was one of the greatest vocalists, guitarists, and entertainers of our time. A savant
I got to say that I absolutely love Andy William’s interpretation of this song! It really tugs at the heart strings!
I hope I can meet mr stipe one day I just want to give him a great big bear hug .
Such a good song. You don't have to be old to appreciate.
What a great compliment well done!
Holy smoke this is just beautiful. Tears....
Wow never heard REM do this before! Such a beautiful song ♥️
A great cover of one of Glen Campbell's most beautiful songs, but NO ONE will ever do it better than Glen. His voice and masterful guitar playing, which is considered by his peers to be the best of any genre, cannot be outdone.
Excellent cover, hadn't seen or heard this. I was around when Glen Campbell first did it, and Glen helped me transition away from what the parents listened to....Thanks, Glen. R.I.P.
Respect done to the genius Mr. Webb
A beautiful tribute! Great job REM!!!
Great rendition !! Super group !!!
1st time hearing this, one of my favs for sure, nice job
"And I need you more than want you.
And I want you for all time."
If you know a better lyric please post.
SAFC674 choose not a life of imitation
SAFC674 just because your paranoid don't mean they're not after you
Lime and limpid green, a second scene: A fight between the blue you once knew. Floating down, the sound resounds around the icy waters underground. Jupiter and Saturn, Oberon, Miranda and Titania: Neptune, Titan ... stars can frighten
And now the dark air is like fire on my skin and even the moonlight is blinding
Loving her was easier than anything I'll ever do again...Kris Kristofferson.
Whether you like country or not, jimmy webb was bad ass, so many groups and artists covered this song, stone temple Pilots and Glenn did a awesome remake of this song...INCREDIBLE
Who would have thought they would cover this song, Great voice, great cover!
Great Song so anyone playing this is Fine....love to see you
Michael Stipe could sing the phonebook!
peggy olson that was hilarious
He’s a Legend . You will see in 20-30 years . REM superior
@@lindaalonso5452 u couldn't be more correct. Powerful pipes
Really surprised how beautifully performed this lovely song has turned out by REM.
I really thought nothing could compare to the great Mr Glen Campbell but this was a damned close second!
Hats off to this. Came across this while listening to my favorite song of all times Wichita lineman. I must say thank you to such a beautiful respectful and eloquent version to this song. I’m only in my early 50s so I can appreciate music and new music this will go on my playlist for sure thank you R.E M. Much respect
❤❤❤yes.. beautiful.. awesome honor to Glenn Campbell..a legend...i love this since i was a kid.. I'm 60 now. Shout out from Texas❤ March 2024
Awesome Michael/REM ❤️🎶
thanks for posting this. I saw them sing this live and have always wanted to hear it again.
Whoa. What a treasurable memory.
This is such a beautiful cover, so sweet, sultry and soulful. ✌️🎶
If you like sultry, smooth, and soulful, check out Colin Hay- Wichita Lineman!
Absolutely beautiful. Terrific cover by R.E.M. Over 50 years later and it still brigs a tear to my eye.
I like this!!! Not to take away from glen Campbell. This version resonates in a way that’s hard to explain. Clean, simple and memorable. When this pops up I always listen.
"...And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time..."
Yeah, that's a nice lyric. Jimmy Webb knew how to write 'em.
One of my favorite Jimmy Webb songs.
This is amazing. Up until now I'd only heard Glenn Campbell sing this song. Wow.
"Searching in the sun for another over-load..." - amazing lyric sung by the greatest lyricist since Dylan (IMO), and it's not even his... Love it!
Stipe makes this sound so effortless. A great tribute to Glen Campbell.
This is the first time I've heard another artist cover this song, great job! Love REM
Oh how I wished they had put this as a studio song on an album, maybe monster or new adventures ... so very them at the time and a perfect cover
Peters guitar solo is so graceful and beautifully simple.
Loved this video and it all Captured them perfectly on that tour.
I love Glen Campbell's versions as much as the next person. His is a clear, pure voice and he plays a mean guitar. But I like this version too (absent the interview). The way Micheal sings the line about searching in the sun for another overload embodies what I like about his interpretation of this. Admittedly, the use of the word "pain" instead of "strain" misses the point of what happens to electrical lines when heavy snow falls on them. But I still love the look, feel and sound of this video. And it is lovely to see him so young.
Oh my, this is so very beautiful . Michaels beautiful voice and the way Mike Mills moves and smiles right at the start...whoa .... so sexy. Bravo guys. All class. I’m so glad you covered this song.
a wonderful rendition of a great classic.. the song is truly unique in that every artist who performs it seems to find a way to personalise the emotion...
brilliant band, enjoying themselves singing one of best songs ever written .........
I always though they could've released a double album of hi-quality cover songs.
So sad about Glenn...great American song!
One of the greatest songs of all time and the boys did it right. I could watch this 10,000 times (and probably have) 🤣
Never knew they covered this ...amazing
We have something in common after all. We both love this tune by a country legend Glen Campbell!!!
Never was a huge fan of REM, but they did an admirable job covering this classic. Unlike when Guns 'n Roses took a hatchet to it.
As close to the original that anyone could ever come...Bravo!.....Dead Letter Office is one of the greatest unheralded gems in Rock Music....It's on my playlist constantly.
I was today years old when I found out this cover existed. One of the best songs ever written and this is a really decent cover
Great cover! Well and done! Thanks!!!
I remember this documentary as part of the Monster tour (and its still on a video the other side of the world... somewhere). I still remember thinking such a shame to cut such a version of this song up with the interview. This blew me away when I first heard it and been searching for the original for years. Thanks for posting... great tour and memories.
Amen!
My ex and I had 2nd row center tickets to the Monster tour because her sis won them in a radio station contest. Her bf however was a sports fanatic and there was a Tyson fight that night. So we got the tix, for free of course. Turns out Tyson knocked the guy out in the first round. It was incredible!
The original is never going to be beat. But it was made for someone like REM and to bring some life to it as well. Fits closer to their earlier stuff.
What a wonderful voice. Amazing interpretation! The best version of this song I've ever heard.
This guy can sing anything..Not surprised this is good, too.
Its not about whether or not one version is better than the other.....what it is....one band interpreting this beautiful song sung by Glen Campbell in their own way to honor it..great job by REM
+Katie Finwall No! We MUST determine which version is better!!!
Although Glen Campbell was the one to make it the most famous Jimmy Webb wrote it. But he was always more of a songwriter than anything else. Besides this one of the better covers was done by Dwight Yoakam.
Literally makes me smile and is timeless !
So now we know Michael can sing anything. Very smooth rendition here. Love it.
He’s hired! U got ur day job Michael
wow, this one is beautiful!!!
Some of the comments are so fucked up it is hard to answer straight to. Glen Campbell and Michael Stipe come from completely different musical backgrounds. You might be wedded to Glen Campbell's version, and I grew up with Glen Campbell. But to say that one is better than the other is like saying Pavarotti is better than Paul McCartney. They are just different. Frankly, I like the unadorned minimalism of Stipe's version.
Campbell's singing is out of this world as usual, but REM's version just goes to show how good this song really is; to have one of rock's greatest bands do a cover says it all
Ok - I'm comfortable saying Pavarotti is better than McCartney. To claim otherwise would be so completely fucked up that it would be "hard to answer straight to". Really. You think that's a fair comparison?
That's not really my point. I would not say that Pavarotti is better than McCartney. I wouldn't want to hear Pavarotti sing McCartney's songs, but perhaps Pavarotti's fans would. Ditto for McCartney singing Pavarotti. I used such an extreme example to illustrate the less extreme example here. Both Glen Campbell and Michael Stipe have their own style, and their own fan base. It might have been very interesting had Glen Campbell chosen to record, say, Wendell Gee or Find the River. HIS fans might have thought it wonderful, while REM fans might have thought his versions paled in comparison with REMs original takes on the songs. But to rank one based upon the musical tradition of the other is as silly as saying Pavarotti sucks because he could never pull off "Hey Jude". I happen to be a fan of both Glen Campbell and REM. I listen to both versions of Wichita Lineman.
No, it's quite easy to evaluate Glen's version as superior. Stipe doesn't have nearly the vocal chops that Glen did, nor did/does Peter have the guitar skill. Glen was a complete musical bad-ass.
By that reasoning, if John Mayer (or almost any accomplished singer-guitarist) covered "Blowing in the Wind" it would be "better" than Dylan's version. That is an opinion that will not resonate very far beyond an echo chamber.
Remember kiddies, Classic music never goes away. Great song + great band = another timeless recording. One day I guarantee, you'll understand what I mean.
who would have thought REM covering Glen Cambel, shows how great this song really is.
Stipe was born to sing this.Beautiful version.
Beautiful voice!
This is love and respect...
This had been my fave REM vID , And amazing glen version
Essa voz...os acordes dessa guitarra...❤