Bang and Blame

"Bang and Blame" is a song by American alternative rock group R.E.M. It was released as the second single from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994), on October 31, 1994 by Warner Bros. Records. The song was R.E.M.'s last to reach the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 19, and was also their last number-one single on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single reached number one in Canada—R.E.M.'s only single to do so—and peaked inside the top 40 on the charts of Australia, Belgium, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

"Bang and Blame"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Monster
B-side	"Bang and Blame" (instrumental version)
Released	October 31, 1994 (1994-10-31)^[1]
Genre	Hard rock
Length	5:30 (album without short interlude) 4:51 (single edit)
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Songwriter(s)	Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe^[2]
Producer(s)	Scott Litt R.E.M.
R.E.M. singles chronology
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" (1994) "Bang and Blame" (1994) "Crush with Eyeliner" (1995)

"Bang and Blame" was not included on In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 and Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011.

Critical reception

Steve Baltin from Cash Box named "Bang and Blame" Pick of the Week and "one of the strongest tracks on the entire album." He wrote, "A hard-edged guitar tune, vocalist Michael Stipe gets one of his best moments of Monster when he sings, “You kiss on me/don't kiss on me/you tug on me don't tug on me.” The propulsive rhythm of this track should also prove enticing even to non-fans of the group."^[3] Fell and Rufer from the Gavin Report felt that "Stipe's angst bites the hand that used to feed it. "Bang and Blame" seems to be the result of some bad kiss 'n' tell. His genius as an oblique lyricist is most of his charm. The arrangement adds to the drama and makes it almost irresistible. Hot A/C will eat this one for lunch."^[4]

Terry Staunton from Melody Maker named it "one of the least effective songs on the Monster album, and therefore a particularly odd choice for a single."^[5] Keith Cameron from NME said it "hinges on an archetypically pretty melody and Stipe's ambiguous voice, caught betwixt disdain and sympathy for the song's distressed subject".^[6] Neil Spencer from The Observer wrote that on tracks such as "Bang and Blame", "there are bursts of the musical invention and humanist outlook that characterises their best work."^[7]

Track listings

All songs were written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe. All live tracks were recorded at the 40 Watt Club, Athens, Georgia, on November 19, 1992. The performance, a benefit for Greenpeace, was recorded on a solar-powered mobile studio.

• US 7-inch, cassette, and CD single^[8][9][10]

1. "Bang and Blame" – 4:48
2. "Bang and Blame" (instrumental version) – 4:48

• UK 7-inch and cassette single^[11][12]

1. "Bang and Blame" (album version) – 4:48
2. "Bang and Blame" (K version) – 4:58

• UK, European, Australian, and Japanese CD single^[13][14][15]

1. "Bang and Blame" (album version) – 4:48
2. "Losing My Religion" (live) – 4:33
3. "Country Feedback" (live) – 4:12
4. "Begin the Begin" (live) – 3:26

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994–1995) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[16] 29 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[17] 22 Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[18] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[19] 46 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[20] 10 France (SNEP)^[21] 44 Germany (Official German Charts)^[22] 74 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[23] 5 Ireland (IRMA)^[24] 14 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[25] 26 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[26] 24 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[27] 17 Scotland (OCC)^[28] 12 UK Singles (OCC)^[29] 15 UK Rock & Metal (OCC)^[30] 12 US Billboard Hot 100^[31] 19 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[32] 1 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[33] 3 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)^[34] 13

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[35] 94 Chart (1995) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[36] 22 US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)^[37] 27

In popular culture

"Bang and Blame" was featured in the Cold Case episode "Blackout" as well as in the Danish mini-series "Charlot og Charlotte" by Ole Bornedal (director of "Nattevagten"/"The Night Watch"), the My Mad Fat Diary episode "Not I" and the Melrose Place episode "No Strings Attached". The song was also used in "Weird Al" Yankovic's polka medley "The Alternative Polka" from his 1996 album Bad Hair Day.

References

1. "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week. October 29, 1994. p. 23. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
2. . R.E.M.Hq. December 18, 2011. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
3. Baltin, Steve (February 4, 1995). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
4. Fell, Ron; Rufer, Diane (January 27, 1995). "Gavin A/C: New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 27. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
5. Staunton, Terry (November 5, 1994). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 42. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
6. Cameron, Keith (September 24, 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 47. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
7. Spencer, Neil (October 2, 1994). "Pop Releases". The Observer.
8. Bang and Blame (US 7-inch vinyl disc). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1994. 7-17994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Bang and Blame (US cassette single cassette notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1994. 4-17994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Bang and Blame (US CD single disc notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1994. 9 17994-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. Bang and Blame (UK 7-inch vinyl sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1994. W0275.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
12. Bang and Blame (UK cassette single cassette notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1994. W0275C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. Bang and Blame (UK & European CD single disc notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1994. W0275CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
14. Bang and Blame (Australian CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1994. 9362418572.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
15. Bang and Blame (Japanese CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. WPCR-163.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
16. "R.E.M. – Bang and Blame". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
17. "R.E.M. – Bang and Blame" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
18. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8002." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
19. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 47. November 19, 1994. p. 24. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
20. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
21. "R.E.M. – Bang and Blame" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
22. "R.E.M. – Bang and Blame" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
23. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (17.–23.11 '94)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). November 17, 1994. p. 16. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
24. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bang and Blame". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
25. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 49, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
26. "R.E.M. – Bang and Blame" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
27. "R.E.M. – Bang and Blame". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
28. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
29. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
30. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
31. "R.E.M. Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
32. "R.E.M. Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
33. "R.E.M. Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
34. "R.E.M. Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
35. "Árslistinn 1994". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1995. p. 25. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
36. "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
37. "The Year in Music: Hot Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 51. December 23, 1995. p. YE-76.