Automatic For The People

I unashamedly love this album. A lot of folks point to Document as R.E.M.'s best album but I would argue that it was simply the album that brought them into the mainstream spotlight. THIS is the best R.E.M. album. The songwriting, production, and performances are all on point. Sharp, emotional, layered and complex, it's just a damn good album from every angle. Even on the slow jams, there's an ENERGY that pulses behind the music that is just compelling. Back when I was doing critical listening as part of my degree, this was one of our reference albums—basically, an album that was SO well recorded and mixed that you could listen to it on super high-end audiophile equipment and pick it apart to understand what was going on.

more like automatic five the people

"Find The River" is a song I want to be played at my funeral. And that's probably because "Try Not To Breathe" would be considered in bad taste by some (they'd be wrong, by the way). Although my close friends would understand and appreciate if I requested "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight" instead. For my money, "Find The River" is the definitive album closer. Especially for THIS album, with themes like mortality, suicide, aging, and Andy Kaufman. This is one of those albums that shaped me and got me through a few turbulent moments. I know every song like I do scenes from a favorite movie I've seen multiple times. It's Stipe, Berry, Buck and Mills at the peak of their powers. "Drive" is something of a response to the David Essex classic "Rock On" with incredible string arrangements by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones of all people. "Sidewinder" is a similar riff on "The Lion Sleeps Tonight. One of the most known songs," Everybody Hurts" is REM's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and destined to be covered endlessly for generations to come. Stipe's moments of clarity and levity flow together seamlessly. The Mike Mills backup vocals standout even more than usual here, again underlying REM's secret weapon. This is one of those Desert Island albums. It's timeless. But it can still take me back to the Fall of 1992, the spring of 1998, or most of 2017. And it's far and away my favorite album of the 117 I've listened to so far on this list.

Not my cup of tea completely but happy to drink it anyway

R.E.M.'s best, imho, and a formative album for me. My father had it and I hadn't listened to them before. Going thru his collection, I pulled it out while looking for something else (probably Pink Floyd or Van Halen or Depeche Mode (which, boy, that was a weird group for a conservative cop to listen to or Roger Water's solo stuff, you get the idea) and he told me I could have it. It was this album and, oddly enough, Chris Isaak's Heart Shaped World. I asked my dad why he didn't want it and he said it was "faggoty shit". Now, at this point, I was young and still only vaguely aware that my orientation might be different than my peers. Well I took it, only vaguely guessing as to what Faggoty Shit could refer to when he never made the same gestures at Elton John (who my mother loved). What I think he meant by that was 'sensitive'. Automatic For The People is a remarkably empathetic, deeply personal feeling album that doesn't get buried in itself and instead decides to thread those personal anxieties, loves and thoughts through a warm and lived in sonic space. Nostalgia, politics, mortality, romance and sexuality all mesh together in a sweet sort of late summer dusk-to-autumn cycle of Queer Americana. As time would go one, I'd deeply appreciate how much I see myself in this record. The popculture-to-political focus of Man on the Moon. The intimacy, excitement and rush of Night Swimming. The strokes to find yourself in bigger pictures with haunted melancholic undertones of Find The River and Sweetness Follows. The interpersonal spaces of impossible to ignore politics by the way of Ignoreland. It's a chronicle. It's tragic and beautiful. But sonically it's tight. A refinement of ideas explored in early R.E.M. records and represents a culmination of their sound before they'd experiment further. This is their best album. But that's what I love about R.E.M., their best is still equally good as other albums which could call their best (Document, Murmur, Reackoning, Monster, Hi-Fi, you could make a case for any of these).

One of the best albums, all-time. And best closing 3 songs ever. Sweetness Follows is underrated.

Boring!

quality + nostalgia = 5 stars

Drive is such a great track on this record. The strings add a lot to the feel of melancholy and sadness. One of my favorite REM albums.

Wow, did not expect this but this is a masterpiece.

Classic roots rock. It sounds big, it really takes up space. And Michael Stipe has such an iconic voice. “I’m not scared, I’m out of here” is a great closing line for an album that spanned so far

One of my favorite albums of all time. I somehow love it more each time I listen to it. Maybe not the most representative of R.E.M. as a whole, but goddamn, what a gorgeous emotional piece of work.

I was already a giant R.E.M. fan when this came out... and this is clearly one of their best. A spectacular album.

I already know it, I already loved it. This was part of the soundtrack of my early 20s, that weird hectic messy growing-pains time where I was newly graduated from college and heady with possibility - and giddy with relief that the Cold War had ended and I was NOT going to blow up at any moment without warning; but that just paved the way for finally looking at all the OTHER ills of the world and wanting to do something about them. Of course I was doing so under the shadow of a whole horde of media looking at us and wondering "goodness what is Generation X going to do and what are they all about," and meanwhile the Boomers were hanging on to their own jobs and positions of power and not letting us actually do anything to explore what we COULD do or find what we WERE all about. But a lot of us tried where we could in small ways. Oh, and "Ignoreland" is still my favorite condemnation of the Reagan/Bush years. "TV tells a million lies, the paper's terrified to report anything that isn't handed on a presidential spoon, I'm just profoundly frustrated by all this, so fuck you, man...."

Best album by one of the all time best bands.

This album sounds huge. The strings and acoustic guitars are lush and warm, the electric guitars scream, the drums pop like they're in a cave and everything else (keys, organ/synths, horns) is produced incredibly. Coupled with the vocals, this album is a soundtrack to a revelation

in my top 20 of all time

The sound of my youth. Almost perfect album.

That’s me in the corner, thats’s me in the spot-light…trying to figure out why I love one era of REM, but loathe another.

REM sells out and we all benefit.

A work of genius and after 30 years I still listen to it regularly. My favourite track has changed several times over the years. Starting with Nightswimming, then moving on to Everybody Hurts (once described by Peter Buck as an example of Michael Stipe "polishing a turd") but lately it's been the amazing and still prescient Ignoreland. And John Paul Jones arranged the strings. This is up there with Graceland and Led Zep II (of what we've heard so far) with a serious claim to be in the top 10 of best albums ever recorded.

Forgot how amazing this was. Certified BANGER.

For an embarrassingly long time, I thought I didn't like R.E.M. because Losing My Religion sucks. I was right about that song, but I've seen the error of my ways when it comes to the band. This album was a huge part of that. There's something to like about nearly every track. It's just a bunch of thoughtful, well executed jams. Best track: Man on the Moon

OK, but needs a bit more jingle and a lot more jangle.

Love this album!

Hi: Drive, Monty Got A Raw Deal, Ignoreland, Star Me Kitten Lo: NONE Thanks for eating my review, generator! Anyways, this is an important album, one of the best from '92 (a year that birthed ton of excellent music) and almost 30 years later still holds up. If you don't love this album, you're an idiot.

Boring

There are a large number of albums on this list that were released in the late 60s or early 70s. Yes this was an important period of innovation, but equally important is that these are the iconic albums from the youth of boomers. GenX has a similar thing and this album in pretty damn iconic. It is also a gorgeous work of art. There is not a bad song on this entire record. Great music from start to finish. Reading through some of the reviews here, I'm starting to think that asking people about this album may be a great way to avoid assholes. It is okay to not like the style, but anyone who is not moved in the slightest by the lyrics is not someone I want in my life.

Takes me back to playing roller coaster tycoon

I'm still not sure I'd put this in my Top 5 R.E.M albums list (maybe 5, but maybe 6), but it's still great. 5/5 Highs: "Drive" and "Everybody Hurts" and "Nightswimming" -- all featuring very non-schmaltzy string arrangements by John Paul Jones. Really, it's amazing that "Everybody Hurts" doesn't descend into pure schmaltz, but there's a light touch there, and the undeniable sincerity in the production and Michael Stipe's vocals that saves it. Lows: "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight," "Ignoreland." Never really liked 'em, still don't. New appreciation: "Man on the Moon." BITD this is the song I disliked the most, that I thought was repetitive and silly. On this listen I loved the sound of it. The chirpy reverberating percussion.

The album that saw REM confirm their place as global megastars. An album packed full of melancholy and beauty.

This is my favorite REM album. The lyrics, the acoustics, and Stipes' voice just speaks directly to my soul. It has a very special place in my heart.

Awesome

Why no 6 star option. Clearly one of the all time greatest albums.

Classic!

Love this album ❤️

Loved it, best album we've listened to

One of the best of all time. Mix of styles, pacing, and just all round greatness.

Pretty much exactly what I expected, which isn't a bad thing.

Just perfect in almost every way.

Incredible- correlation between the America we are living in currently, my dad loves this band and I think I finally do too

I hated out of time and put off listening to REM for a long time after that. Shiny Happy People being possibly the worst song ever written. This album is a different beast entirely.

So good, the highs are extremely high, and the lows are fairly high too, to be honest.

Being the first R.E.M album Ive listened to, seems like a high mark to me. Everyone hurts and Man on the moon! Being their eighth album im not entirely sure where that lands in their discography but it was a great standalone album.

this is probably the album that convinced christina to go to school in athens. thanks REM!

simultaneously somewhat catchy and vapid - generic and uninteresting but listenable. not my thing. 2/5

Tough listen this one. The vocal is so irritating and the lyrics so cringeworthy. Some of the instrumentation was interesting but most of it just so plodding.

As with Garbage, I realised that actually I know this album quite well, even though I probably wouldn’t have known it. I just can’t get past Stipe’s voice. I hate it. It’s like broken glass. It’s just grindy and annoying and urgh. I suspect the songs might be ok - but I just can’t get past the vocal.

Overall, a fairly boring album. Nothing about the song composition anywhere in this album is notable. The saving grace for this album (and band) is Michael Stipe's voice which is unique and memorable. I had heard "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon" before. None of the songs were notable. "Ignoreland" is a predictable, dull, angsty uninformed rant against Republicans, which is just so classically predictable for musicians and out of touch celebrities. This album isn't difficult to listen to necessarily. It's not Queen Latifah levels of bad. It's just dull and predictable.

I swear if we get one more divorced dad album, I will actually start talking to my dad again. I just cant get into it I looked all on the subreddit for REM and what am I missing and I know alot of alt rock is becoming popular with my generation, but I just do not enjoy it. I think its well-made and artistic but I will never revisit this and I enjoy some songs this might be a 2/10 from me like closer to a 3/10 I just no like.

3/3. Classic album, very nostalgic for me. From the opening notes of Drive to the atmosphere of New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 to Michael's laugh when he says Dr. Seuss on Sidewinder, this album is just great. Great lyrics, fantastic instrumentation, and a really unique vibe all around. Absolutely deserving of its spot on this list.

Classic album that instantly transports me to the backseat of my parents' beat up gold Subaru Legacy as we drove across the desert on vacation. Funny rehearing it now and being able to understand the lyrics much better.

I'm not, as an ex once hoped, "REMish" but I've got to give it up for this: Drive and Man on the Moon are too superb to not give this album the full 5.

Damn I didn’t think I’d love this like that. What an unexpected 5 that makes me really appreciate this whole project

Absolutely fantastic album. A bit surreal listening to Man on the Moon while watching a waxing gibbous moon disappear behind the Klamath Mountains about 2,640 miles away from where I normally listen to my daily album. Maybe it was the extra shot of espresso in my coffee but this record hit me just exactly perfect. R.E.M. are one of the great American rock bands.

Another one I bought (on the day of release?), 30+ years ago! Never my favorite REM album, although "cheese" like Sidewinder and Everybody Hurts has aged just fine and was loved at the time, despite being viewed as a bit "commercial/embarrassing" retrospectively in certain quarters. This is all really excellent throughout. Didn't know how good we had it. [EDIT: OK, a couple of duff tracks. 4.5]

YES! I love R.E.M. These songs are, for the most part, melancholy and bittersweet, and I've loved this album for 20+ years. It was a treat to revisit it.

Automatic For The People I was listening to a podcast about Euro 84 the other day, when France won and Platini scored 9 goals in 5 games. Apparently he was in one of those periods where everything he did and everything he touched turned to gold. If the squad were playing cards he won, if he saw a horse race on TV he picked the winner, if they played tennis or table tennis he won, and everything on the pitch went his way, he knew France would win the tournament, it was inevitable. I kind of get that feeling from this album, one of those times where it feels like every decision, every string arrangement, every guitar figure, every drum pattern, every piano and keyboard note and every bass line is just right, when the artistry and artisanship meet perfectly. It also sounds fantastic, and nothing like much else from 1992, either in songwriting style or production, almost timeless, or out of time you might say. For the most part it's all glacially paced, with only Sidewinder and Man on the Moon really recalling their earlier upbeat jangly sound. But it’s a compelling, stunning album, melodically rich and emotionally, melancholically resonant with some of their finest songs: Drive, Try Not to Breathe, Everybody Hurts, Sweetness Follows, Nightswimming and Find the River. And the remaining, perhaps lesser known songs like Monty Got A Raw Deal, Ignoreland and Star Me Kitten are excellent too. I can see why some people might have been hesitant about it, compared to their slightly more rough-edged 80s albums. From those 80s albums I’ve listened to they have the exciting sense of the band pushing the outer edges of their talent, but this feels different, that they moved beyond what they had done previously, striking out into a stately, magisterial assuredness. A fantastic album from start to end, there’s no weak tracks, and no weak moments - I kept wanting to give it just one more listen. A clear 5. ✴️✴️✴️✴️✴️ Playlist submission: It could be all of them, but today it’s Sweetness Follows

What a fuckin classic… Michael stipe ruminating on all his sad boi feelings Top 3 songs: man on the moon, nightswimming, everybody hurts

Incredicle

The closing 1-2-3 of Man on the Moon, Nightswimming and Find the River are unmatched

One of my favorite albums of all-time. I bought this album on tape (a yellow transparent tape) and absolutely wore it out. There's nothing that I dislike about this album, even the instrumental. The first four songs and last three songs are classics and help make this album as great at it is. I was one of the people who was waiting for the REM rock album, but through this life-changing album I got the REM I really needed. The ruminations on loss, death, Dr. Suess (haha) and one angry screed about politics that has many of my favorite lines in it. What I love most about this album is the ruminations on death & loss are not trite and even the fast songs are tinged with a sense of longing and the feel of aging. I don't like dreary albums as a whole, but this album is an exception. It should drag, but it doesn't. I thought I would feel as exhausted as Stipe sounds on "Sweetness Follows," but I feel energized by each song (even Star Me Kitten). I saw on Wikipedia there is criticism from the band and the public regarding some of the recording and vocals, but for me the lack of perfection only serves to reinforce why I like it.

What a great album! Up until now, I have only really listened to R.E.M when it appears in a party playlist. I think it's a much better listening experience in album form, i.e. not such a mood killer. This album is going on the replay list. 5/5

Great songs

Everybody Hurts

I’d never describe myself as an R.E.M fan but this album is undeniable. Classic track after classic track, I don’t really see how anyone could give this less than 5

Probably REM's best album (and that's saying a lot, given the "competition"). Made even better through John Paul Jones' arrangements on some of the songs, which renders them pure magic.

Probably the pinnacle of their production. R.E.M. don't get better than this record, for me.

awesome love it

Seminal album for me.

Love this album! Poignant lyrics, endearing ennui, wistful storytelling.

Nightswimming, The River, Man On The Moon, EVERYBODY HURTS. What a list of tracks! R.E.M is just one of those artists that can get you feeling every type of emotion throughout their music, and it's a beautiful thing because so. Incredible vocals of the 80s/ 90s.

Doesn't get much better than that!

Clásico.

Easy 5. Even the non singles are ace. Monty got a raw deal...

Loved it, played it multiple tomes

R.E.M. is an incredible band and this might be my favorite album of theirs. I'm usually quite reluctant to apply labels like "favorite" or "best," or to rank an artist's or group's output, so I use "favorite" here in lower-case letters or parenthetically, mostly to indicate how I gravitate towards it. I don't want to diminish my affection for their other work. All that being said, there's a depth and texture to this album that makes it stand out for me in R.E.M.'s impressive catalog. It's odd to say this, but I actually believe this band is underrated, as are the four individual members as musicians and songwriters. I am particularly fond of Peter Buck (my view: because he didn't rip massive solos, even though he was more than capable of it, he is not talked about as much as other rock/pop/alt guitarists, but he's fantastic) and Mike Mills (quiet and cerebral, so not a limelight guy, he's an amazing bassist, pianist, singer, and writer). What I learned from the Wiki entry that's linked to this album is the John Paul Jones (yes, as in Led Zeppelin's JPJ) contributed string arrangements to four tracks on this album. That is super-cool (JPJ is another way, way underrated musician).

Phenomenal.

The second repeat! Much more welcome than Kate Bush. Going from R.E.M.'s debut to their 8th album is a huge jump. The band is more confident, more powerul, and more in the groove. This album has a bunch of hits on it, and the non-hit tracks still slap. Very, very enjoyable. Hung out for a while listening to live cuts and demos. I'm not sure if this deserves a straight 5, but it's miles ahead of Murmer, which I gave a 4.

Maybe the first of the “modern-sound” version of this quintessential band, mature and more likely to be found on adult-oriented radio than college stations. Not a bad thing, but it lacks the zeal of their earlier work and their sound palette changed over the previous couple of records as they wrestled with stardom. Give me the first three records….i do occasionally spin this and enjoy it. 3.5

Not their best but very good

Notably decent record. I appreciate REM's influence and songwriting. I wouldn't deny the greatness of this record, I'm just not sold on every song.

The singles are easily the strongest part for me — they give the album most of its memorable moments. 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 sets the tone well with its slow build and slightly ominous feel. 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 is more playful and catchy, but still has that reflective edge. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘏𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴 is the most direct and emotional moment on the album — simple, but very effective. And 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 is easily one of the highlights, with its stripped-down, almost fragile atmosphere. The rest of the album holds up nicely too. It’s more subdued overall, with a consistent, melancholic mood that ties everything together. Not every track stands out individually, but it works well as a complete listen. A very solid record that I can see myself coming back to.

manly pop depression, i didnt know the history behind it at first but after finding out its hard to separate the two. still a good album tho

Æ like det mens æ høre på det, og så fort det e ferdigspilt e æ også ferdigtenkt.

Послушал дважды. Послушаю ещё не один раз, кажется, этот альбом не так прост.

I bought this CD at a used record store while traveling home to Salt Lake for the weekend. When I hear "Drive," I think of flying down I-84 back to Boise in the middle of the night. Pretty perfect for that sort of thing. R.E.M. is beguiling to me, because they're kind of the platonic ideal of a great alternative rock band, and I'm an alternative guy. But most of their songs fail to hit me in the chest. I love the pure buoyancy of their early jangle pop records and the moody ruminations of "Sweetness Follows" and the aforementioned opener. But their sunny radio staples like "Man on the Moon" feel kind of limp and dated, which is a bummer since that's sort of their signature sound. But AftP is a dope left turn to make after a huge commercial breakout and there's enough to make it their most interesting record.

Quite nice album really enjoy it but there was nothing spectacular about it

Muito bom, está no meu acervo pessoal

A lot of pleasant songs

Not the best REM album or my favorite one, but still solid.

Pretty decent. Usually in an album where I only know like one or two of the songs I end up liking the other tracks more when I finally hear the whole thing, but I really don't think any of them appeal to me quite as much as Man On The Moon.

Hyvien ja kiinnostavien levyjen putki se vain jatkuu. Tykkään R.E.M.:istä ja tämä taitaa olla heidän paras levynsä. Kaikki biisit ovat hyviä ja monet jopa loistavia.

R.E.M. is an interesting group. They were college rock, or alt-rock, or whatever genre they were back in the day. They weren’t metal, so I wasn’t buying a lot of R.E.M. albums as a kid. However, I noticed that just about all of their singles were great. I’m not sure I ever listened to this album before, but I think I have gone back and listened to a few of their albums in the last 20 years or so. I do see this album has Man on the Moon, a great song, and Everybody Hurts, which is a good song, but not a favorite of mine. I’m excited to jump into this. I thought this album might have been at the end of their career as a band, but it seems it was just the middle. The album was released in 1992, my senior year in high school. Wow, my calendar is way off in my brain. This was their 8th album, and they were starting to climb toward their peak. Track 1 is Drive and it was the first single off the album. I vaguely remember it. The song was a hit on the alt-rock chart and a top 30 Billboard Hot 100 song. Wow! John Paul Jones, you know, the bassist for a little-known band called Led Zeppelin, was the orchestral arranger on this song and all the songs with an orchestra. The song really gets huge-sounding when the strings come in. The song is about kids taking charge of their lives, as in you don’t just have to do what you’re told to do your whole life. Very beautiful song with some loud moments. Track 2 is Try Not To Breathe and it sounds like an R.E.M. song. Singer Michael Stipe has a very distinctive voice. You always know it's him singing. I feel like his voice was one of the voices of the 1990s. And while they weren’t a punk band, they were still sticking it to the man. Just with mandolins and acoustic guitars. This is a really great song. I feel like I’ve heard it, but it may be because it’s an R.E.M. song and it has that feel. Track 3 is The Sidwinder Sleeps Tonight and it was the third single from the album, but I’m not sure I remember it. It’s a bit more rock-sounding than the previous two songs. It has a beautiful organ playing in the background, and there are some actual electric guitars in this one. The chorus sounds a bit familiar. It wasn’t a big hit in the U.S., it seems. Apparently, this song has one of the most misheard lyrics, according to a survey in the United Kingdom. It’s a good song, I can see why it was a single. Track 4 is the song most people know from this album, besides maybe Man on the Moon, and it’s Everybody Hurts. I remember seeing this video on MTV every half an hour. This was the fourth single of the album. Man, for an alt band, they sure did release a ton of singles. Though this was the alt-rock era, I guess. It’s amazing how I thought this had to be a huge number one song, but it actually didn’t perform as well on the charts as I assumed. It was a top 20 song, but never got to the top 10. It’s a great song, if a little depressing. It’s kind of giving me the same vibes Bowie’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide does. The part where Bowie begins screaming, “You’re not alone!” Everybody Hurts also kind of builds to the Hold on part like, Bowie’s song did. I wonder if Bowie provided any inspiration? JPJ again arranged the strings on this song. JPJ is so underrated out of all the Led Zep guys. He’s the glue guy of that outfit. Track 6 is Sweetness Follows and for some reason, it gives me a bit of a nautical vibe. Like I’m sailing in the open seas while this is playing. Amazing cello being played on this one. It’s essentially the main instrument. I love this song. I almost missed the organ playing in the background. Now we have a guitar solo? An electric one at that? It’s not a face melter, but it works well with the song. It’s almost just all feedback and distortion. I wouldn’t have thought twice about releasing this as a single, but it’s not a pop song. Track 7 is called Monty Got a Raw Deal, and it sounds like an old English traditional song with a mandolin or an acoustic guitar. I can’t be sure at first. It’s neither, turns out it’s a bouzouki, which looks like a long-necked lute. So, it’s kind of a combo guitar/mandolin? Why was I so afraid of R.E.M. back in my teenage years? This is another great song. I probably couldn’t appreciate it at that age. Track 8 is Ignoreland and it’s a rock song. It’s got electric guitars and a harmonica. But it also has a cello present. It’s amazing R.E.M. became so big. They played by their own rules and made music that shouldn’t have really been popular, just by the instruments they played. But their songwriting was so good, they couldn’t be denied. This song is in what was referred to as “Neil Young’s tuning.” Cinnamon Girl was given as an example of that tuning. One critic described Ignoreland as hair-metalish. Not sure I’d go so far, but it definitely does rock. Track 10 is Man on the Moon and I love this song. Besides just being a good song, it’s about Andy Kaufman. I almost said comedian Andy Kaufman, but he didn’t like that title as he wasn’t a joke teller per se, he was an agitator. This was a top 5 song for R.E.M. It’s a beautiful tribute to a very complicated man. Plus, Classy Freddie Blassie gets a namecheck. This song has an almost old school, desert, country sound to it. Great track and probably my favorite on the album. Track 11 is called Nightswimming, and it was the fifth official single, though not in the U.S. It has a very Here Comes the Sun riff in there. It’s just a piano and strings with Stipe singing. It’s supposedly based on either a wacky security guard or skinny dipping in pools after the clubs closed in Athens, Georgia. Oh, an oboe just made its first appearance on the album. This song gives me Carole King vibes. Just a beautiful, somewhat sad, song. Track 12 is Find the River and it’s the last single from the album, though it seems again, it was only released in the U.K. No drums, just acoustic guitars, piano, and harmonica for the most part. R.E.M. uses simple instruments, yet makes their songs sound so big. It’s genius. What a great album. I can see why this would be on the 1,001 albums list. There isn’t a bad song on here, and all the songs sound like they could be singles. I’d highly recommend everyone to spend some time with this album. I think it will brighten your day.

Yeah, this was that stretch where it seemed like every new R.E.M. album was going to be better than the last. For me, this was probably the high-water mark. Some of their best songs here.

It's great music, but it's also incredibly melancholy music, and it requires a matching melancholy mood for maximum appreciation. This is NOT an album for my regular rotation.

Caught me listening to the words in a way rock often fails to. 4.

8/10

Commercial R.E.M. appears to be my preferred mode of the Mekon-headed collective, evocative, Stipe finding just the right level of obscurity to complement the polished clamour.

Fourth R.E.M. album that's come up on this thing, which seems like too many. Regardless, this was good, a lot less rocking and more of a crawling deliberate record with some great standout songs.