Crush with Eyeliner

"Crush with Eyeliner" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released by Warner Bros. Records as the fourth single from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994). Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore provides background vocals. Michael Stipe claims the song was inspired by the band New York Dolls, who, in his opinion, "knew how to exaggerate a song, to make it sound really sleazy and over the top." This was also one of the first songs that surfaced from Stipe after the writer's block that hounded him after the death of his friend, actor River Phoenix.[6]

"Crush with Eyeliner"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Monster
B-side"Crush with Eyeliner" (instrumental version)
ReleasedJanuary 23, 1995 (1995-01-23)[1]
Genre
Length4:39
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Bang and Blame"
(1994)		 "Crush with Eyeliner"
(1995)		 "Strange Currencies"
(1995)

Released in the United Kingdom on January 23, 1995, the song reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was issued in other territories later in the year, peaking at number four in Iceland, number 28 in Canada, and number 13 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. The single's video, directed by Spike Jonze, shows a group of Japanese youths dancing and miming to the track at a party, while the band are shown briefly, looking on. It is available on the music video compilation Parallel.

Critical reception

Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel noted that on the "swaggering" "Crush with Eyeliner", Michael Stipe's "come-on is more self-assured and humorous."[7] Keith Cameron from NME viewed it as "a replicant duet between Stipe and Thurston Moore", adding, "How can I convince her/That I'm invented too?" leers Mike. "Yeah, life is strange", weasels the sympathetic Thurst. Bloodlessly cool."[8] Paul Evans from Rolling Stone felt the song "flirts" with the Doors' "Hello, I Love You".[9] Howard Hampton from Spin found that "R.E.M. goes out on a severed limb to invoke the mad, corrupt dazzle of Roxy Music's "Street Life". The incongruity of R.E.M. straying so far from hallowed ground is a stunning rush, yet the reversal of expectations produced no equivalent reversal of perspective."[10]

Track listings

All songs were written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe.

US CD and 12-inch single, UK and Australian CD single[11][12][13][14]

  1. "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:39
  2. "Fall on Me" (live) – 3:23
  3. "Me in Honey" (live) – 4:18
  4. "Finest Worksong" (live) – 4:10

UK cassette and limited-edition 7-inch single[15][16]

  1. "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:39
  2. "Crush with Eyeliner" (instrumental) – 4:39
  • 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.

Charts

Release history
Release formats for "Crush with Eyeliner"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom January 23, 1995
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Warner Bros. [1]
Japan March 25, 1995 CD [29]
United States July 17, 1995 Alternative radio [30]

References
  1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. January 21, 1995. p. 31. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  2. Smith, Stewart (October 8, 2014). "Sex & Trash Aesthetics: REM's Monster Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  3. OHagan, Nathan (September 27, 2019). "From the Crate: R.E.M. - Monster". God Is in the TV. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  4. Peacock, Tim (September 27, 2020). "Monster: How R.E.M. Unleashed Their Inner Rock'n'Roll Beast". uDiscover Music. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  5. "ALBUMS". R.E.M.Hq. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  6. Black, Johnny (2004). Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.. London: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-776-5.
  7. Campbell, Chuck (October 7, 1994). "R.E.M. Rocks Anew On Heady 'Monster'". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  8. Cameron, Keith (September 24, 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 47. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  9. Evans, Paul (December 29, 1994-January 12, 1995). "The year in recordings". Rolling Stone. Issue 698/699.
  10. Hampton, Howard (November 1994). "Spins". Spin. p. 91. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  11. Crush with Eyeliner (US CD single disc notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 9 41904-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. Crush with Eyeliner (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 9 41904-0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. Crush with Eyeliner (UK CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. W0281CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. Crush with Eyeliner (Australian CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 9362419042.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. Crush with Eyeliner (UK cassette single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. W0281C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. Crush with Eyeliner (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. W0281 X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 232.
  18. "R.E.M. – Crush with Eyeliner" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  19. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8531." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  20. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 7. February 18, 1995. p. 19. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  21. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (4.2 '95 – 10.2 '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). February 4, 1995. p. 20. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  22. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Crush with Eyeliner". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  23. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  25. "R.E.M. Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  26. "R.E.M. Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  27. "R.E.M. Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  28. "Árslistinn 1995". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1996. p. 16. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  29. "クラッシュ・ウィズ・アイライナー | R.E.M." [Crush with Eyeliner | R.E.M.] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  30. "New Music for July". Radio & Records. No. 1101. June 30, 1995. p. 71.
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