'Green'

I actually have quite the past with college rock. Particularly REM and the Green album.

It had to be 1988 or 1989. No later. And my friend Anthony told me about the song "King Tut" performed by comedian Steve Martin.

I did not know who Martin really was nor did I have any clue as to who King Tut was. But my friend says something's funny, so I listen.

So he dubbed "King Tut" onto a old cassette tape. Either by coincidence (as it was already on the tape) or because he liked the song, REM's "Stand" was dubbed directly after "King Tut."

I initially thought it was very 1980s as if the guys playing and singing would look like Flock of Seagulls or Tears for Fears with silly haircuts. Instead it's Mike Stipe and Co. On Green, there's mandolins and driven guitar rock. Very un-1980s, actually.

Even at age eight, I was too cool for school. A real hipster.