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Cry Cry Cry — Fall On Me
Album: Cry Cry Cry
Avg rating:
4.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 275









Released: 1998
Length: 2:46
Plays (last 30 days): 0
There's a problem feathers iron
Bargain buildings weights and pullies
Feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air
Buy the sky and sell the sky and tell the sky and tell the sky
Don't fall on me
Fall on me
Fall on me
There's the progress we have found
A way to talk around the problem
Building towered foresight
Isn't anything at all
Buy the sky and sell the sky and bleed the sky and tell the sky
Don't fall on me
Fall on me
Fall on me

Well I could keep it above
But then it wouldn't be sky anymore
So if I send it to you you've got to promise to keep it whole
Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky
And ask the sky and ask the sky
Don't fall on me
Fall on me
Fall on me
Comments (89)add comment
 appst89 wrote:
Uh, no.
 
Sadly, don't like criticizing other musicians, however...hearing this cover makes me want to...Cry Cry Cry (like Sinister Dexter said).  Also, I have to ask myself...Why Why Why inject the monotonic recital of the verses?  Everything is open to interpretation, I guess. {#Ask}

This is a miss.
This cover makes me cry, cry, cry.

And it doesn't help that I consider this tune the greatest single in REM's catalog.
 citizenkeith wrote:
I'm not familiar with the band, but this cover version makes them sound like amateurs.
 
Thankfully you said it much more tactfully than I could have so I'll just say "ditto."

Mute!

I'm not familiar with the band, but this cover version makes them sound like amateurs.
Uh, no.
 dmax wrote:

See, I like it. It's opened up a bit, with some airy spaces instead of the other's density.

Still love the original, but this is fine.

  i like it!


Wow! R.E.M. is probably the LEAST covered band that's in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and this thing certainly will scare off others who dare to take a swing at their catalog...

 w3weasel wrote:
The golden rule for remakes: If you don't have anything new or significant to add, don't bother recording it.
 
That's exactly what I was thinking!

nah... it's rare that I turn the volume to mute while RP is on, but I did for this
I hope their originals are better than covers. I never ever post a negative comment but I can't think of any redeeming quality that would make me want to listen to that again. I also agree with comment below, a cover should add something to the original unless it is just a bar band... (even the Rickenbacker guitar sound was lifted). Weak...
The golden rule for remakes: If you don't have anything new or significant to add, don't bother recording it.
Richard Shindell is incredibly talented, but this is making me nauseous.
Is this a joke?
It's not funny. 
Just "No".
I like it. I like their name. 
the band HEM does a cover of "South Central Rain" that's exquisite.

Retch retch retch
I'm all for a cover recording if it adds something to the original... this does not.  Not even worth rating really.
Likewise. Dar is great. Cry Cry Cry is good, too. This version just doesn't measure up to the R.E.M version. I'd stop short of saying 'awful' but it is just 'OK'
 
Yuck
Wow - awesome!!! And I say this as a complete REM sycophant, LOL 8
 FlatCat wrote:
The original has some syncopation and swing to it. Stipe plays around the rhythm, singing some notes slightly off the beat and such. Here, they make it all sound robotic and dead by staying right on the beat for every note. How to rip the soul out of a song and leave behind the bare shell. 
 
Never thought about it that way, but you're right ... I've lowered my rating on this song.

How does this kind of crap get played on here?
This is just plain old bad. 
Like Dar. This is awful.
Love Dar Williams on this. Suprised everyone here does not like it. 
The original has some syncopation and swing to it. Stipe plays around the rhythm, singing some notes slightly off the beat and such. Here, they make it all sound robotic and dead by staying right on the beat for every note. How to rip the soul out of a song and leave behind the bare shell. 
Now that I think about it, this remake makes me want to cry cry cry!
Well...they picked a good name for the band anyway.  Shame about the singing.
That was my assessment as well. Dar's great, but this song seems aimed for background music.

 
Illustr8r wrote:
I thought it was the post-Natalie Merchant 10k Maniacs...
 


Feh.  That's all I have to say

~2
 Filofox wrote:
This cover seems underpowered, compared to the rawness of Stipe's vocal in the original. Also, the instrumentation was unimaginative — similar but somehow muted.
 
YUP
blech.
No sir, I don't like it
 plutodazed wrote:
Out of deference to the greatness of REM's original, I rated this a well-earned Marginal 2.
Well said.
 
Double ditto.
If you remake a classic song such as this one, it better be fresh, powerful and innovative. 
In short, this version fails miserably. 
Out of deference to the greatness of REM's original, I rated this a well-earned Marginal 2. Barandis wrote:
This is horrible. There's really little else to say about it. Where's my copy of Life's Rich Pageant?
Well said.
This is horrible. There's really little else to say about it. Where's my copy of Life's Rich Pageant?
I really like this song, can't say that I'm impressed with this cover...
I must go dig out my copy of Eponymous and blast this track in order to cleanse my ears of this foul cover...
Yeesh. Normally, I love Dar Williams. But not this time out.
This cover seems underpowered, compared to the rawness of Stipe's vocal in the original. Also, the instrumentation was unimaginative -- similar but somehow muted.
Sure, just rape the poor song... stupid idiots... why even try to cover one of REM's best songs? Sad...
I can't decide. I'd be willing to take bribes for my vote either way.
No.
gandalfbmg wrote:
This is actualy one of the better REM covers I've ever heard, and it's only about a 4. I would love to hear some *excelent* REM covers sometime. Are there any out there? I heard a decent cover version of Radio Free Europe a couple years ago, but I can't for the life of me remember who by.
there is a tribute album to rem called "surprise your pig" that has lots of interesting covers on it. some are better than others. one or two might be excellent, depending on your taste. put "surprise your pig" into google and see what happens.....
Oh I'm crying alright. This is No Good. The original is superlative. Why try to fix what ain't broke?
Mmmmmm...... not so much.
:headshake:
I HAVE to go play rem now to run this dreck out of my head....god what junk
Doesn't seem to add anything to the original, so why bother?! :-k
Parts of it I like, and parts really grate on me.
Dar shows her rock 'n roll chops.
If this version is good enough for Michael--It's good enough for me.
I love R.E.M. But when they play "Fall On Me" in concert. I take the opportunity to go to the bathroom or get something to drink because i know I'm not missing anything. I love the song, but it has attained that "We have to play this because someone might be seeing us for the first time" status. Fair enough; I remember being blown away my first time. Unfortunately for me, because of the rate at whcih I attend their shows and listen to their bootlegs, I've worn out the song. (And believe it or not, the song doesn't sound quite right without Bill Berry adding his backing vocals, but I digress...) Anyway, it was refreshing for me to hear someone else sing it. Nice pick!
This album is excellent, with a wide range of tunes showcasing the 3 primaries' folk/pop talents. The one exception to the high quality of the album is this mediocre cover. The original depends so heavily on REM's style, and this cover doesn't reach very far to give it a meaningful twist in any way. It's just weak. Any other songs from this album would be a much better selection, especially Cold Missouri Waters -- riveting stuff.
beelzebubba wrote:
This is my favorite REM album (but this isn't the strongest song on the album.) At any rate, this sucks. They totally ruin it.
I agree this came off REM's strongest album (I still spin the vinyl on my turntable!), but I have no problem with this cover. Hey - the whole point of a cover, IMHO, is to put your own spin on a tune, not imitate it. Bottom line - it sounds good.
really really hate this awful cover of a GREAT song
yuck
Nope, this cover doesn't even come close to the original, one of my favorite REM tunes. This is too upbeat, doesn't go with the sentiment of the song.
NO! NO! NO!
Sounds like a folk band in a coffee house playing covers badly. I'm not opposed to covers by any means--just this one.
This is my favorite REM album (but this isn't the strongest song on the album.) At any rate, this sucks. They totally ruin it.
I thought it was the post-Natalie Merchant 10k Maniacs...
Xuli wrote:
Ok I thought that was Dar, but then I looked at the song info and it was cry, cry ,cry...
It's both... Dar Williams is part of cry, cry, cry. Click on the link above the album up top.
cbsports wrote:
Has a more upbeat tempo and I too like the lyrics versus the Stipe mumble
That mumble made a nice song a classic. I like Dar's voice, but it's no contest which version I'd rather hear if given the choice.
Ok I thought that was Dar, but then I looked at the song info and it was cry, cry ,cry...
cbsports wrote:
I love REM and didn't think that anyone could do any justice to this, but I like this version. Has a more upbeat tempo and I too like the lyrics versus the Stipe mumble
I tend to agree with you on this, although I was pretty skeptical when I recognized the tune. Love the original, too.
This is actualy one of the better REM covers I\'ve ever heard, and it\'s only about a 4. I would love to hear some *excelent* REM covers sometime. Are there any out there? I heard a decent cover version of Radio Free Europe a couple years ago, but I can\'t for the life of me remember who by.
I used to live in WI, and MAN, do I miss it!!
Originally Posted by wiflyer: I used to live in Bozeman. I sure miss it.
Interesting cover.
dar\'s voice is amazing in any song
Dar, Lucy & Richard rock. ...and, while I\'m at it, so does Radio Paradise!
i like this. especially good out of Uncle John\'s Band.
Nice try, but it doesn\'t touch the original.
Unlike most people I know, I like covers. I\'m not a purist at all. Good music is good music. I think covers are often interesting interpretations of influential songs. Regardless of which version I prefer, I think it is nice homage paid to the author and original performer. Great song. Don\'t know about Cry Cry Cry, but REM Rules!
I\'m sorry, i just can\'t listen to this and not wish it was the original instead. It\'s just missing something. :(
Originally Posted by zaknafein: Ick. This cover totally misses the thought and purpose of this song. I've got to go hear the original now so I can get that out of my head. Odd, immediately following this song was Rockville from Reckoning. Nice!
Agreed, this cover totally misses the emotion and power of the original.
Ick. This cover totally misses the thought and purpose of this song. I\'ve got to go hear the original now so I can get that out of my head. Odd, immediately following this song was Rockville from Reckoning. Nice!