Reviews (page 4 of 14)
I've never been a great fan of REM. Something about the sound I find a bit repetitive, something about his voice doesn't quite do it for me. But then this album has such a rich set of songs, Peter Buck hadn't yet bought a mandolin to ruin every song and it's as good an album as you will hear. Four or five absolute classic songs.
It’s a brilliant, beautiful album. It has gotten better over the years too.
A masterpiece that re-invented an 80s powerhouse into a 90s machine.
Didn't think I was into R.E.M, but this proved me worng A couple of world hits, that I also think are great songs as well - and the rest of the track list is quite alright. Had to listend to it twice to figure it out... But the conclusion is that I just really like it. 4,5/5 - but Man on the Moon gives it the last boost.
God damn an album!
Such an iconic album. This is what I consider peak R.E.M. The album comes through as hauntingly introspective and quite melancholic and the vocal successfully sells this feeling with palpable emotion backed by tight strings that you just can't ignore. There's a lot of great alt-rock from the 90's and still this album stands out as one of the greats with music and lyrics that tackle timeless emotions. Standouts Man On The Moon Everybody Hurts The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite 5/5
Nostalgia! It feeds that hole in the stomach. It's the longing it pulls out, and not all music succeed in that. This is the album that really manifests the timeless spirit of R.E.M with songs unforgettable. It is always going to be a fantastic album, through and through, for me.
Brilliant album, probably the R.E.M. album that has the biggest collection of their commercial hits although I would argue it is not necessarily the pinnacle of their oeuvre. Contains one of my most ridiculous misheard lyrics as for ages I thought Sidewinder featured a 'Homily to Cheryl Baker'
Lost the Grammy to Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard. That alone makes this a 5.
No brainer - 5 sterren Eén van de beste albums aller tijden, en zeker van de jaren 90. De energie in R.E.M. tracks heeft altijd iets heel bijzonders. Het hoeft daarvoor niet hard, snel of opgefokt te zijn om er door geraakt te worden. Ignoreland en the Sidewinder zijn hiervan goede voorbeelden. Het album start echt razend sterk en interessant. Try not to breathe en the Sidewinder is een mooi duo, van dromerig en langzaam naar open en snel. Het enige minpuntje vind ik dat het album na het wat zoete Everybody Hurts een beetje inzakt. Het is niet slecht maar boeit wat minder. Iets jammer na zo'n frivole start. Fascinerend aan Automatic for the People is dat je ondanks de hoge kwaliteit toch de hele tijd zit de wachten op het afsluitende drieluik. Ignoreland en Star me Kitten werken er naar toe, laten het helemaal stil vallen, de plaat lijkt eigenlijk klaar en dan: Man on the Moon - Nightswimming - Find the River. Amen. 9,5/10 Highlights Try not to breathe Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite Ignoreland Man on the Moon Nightswimming Find the River (beste R.E.M. track)
Pure perfection. One of my top 5 albums of all time.
Day 24 - June 25 The epitome of college rock. Grungy, emotional, edgy, perfect. I would argue its three song closing sequence is one of the best in the 90s college rock scene. 5/5
R.E.M. at their absolute peak, I loooove this album 4.6
In my view this is would make a very short list of greatest American works of music. It was a seismic shift in what storytelling, musical variety, and production means for rock music. It opens with four incredible consecutive tracks in Drive (a great tone-setting opener), Try Not To Breathe, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, and Everybody Hurts. Everybody Hurts is probably the most well known, and it’s a great song, but it’s probably my least favorite of the four. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight is the high point of the first half of the album. Every track is great, and most are categorically perfect songs, none more so than Nightswimming: it’s a song that could not possibly be better in my opinion. It’s one of the best songs ever recorded I think. Man On The Moon isn’t far behind. MOTM -> NS is one of the best two song runs on any album. Every song on the back half is good, but Ignoreland is the other most excellent track. While I think this is an all time great record, if I could change one thing about it: I would have ended the album with Nightswimming. Find The River is a good song, but it’s one of the least memorable song on the album and can feel a bit lackluster after the musical/emotional juggernaut that is Nightswimming. It’s still arguably the best album of the 90’s and one of the greatest albums ever made.
What an unreal record, I've gone so deep on REM these last 5 years and this might be the best one
Composition and songs flow well.
When I was in high school, my mom got a new car that came with a Sirius XM subscription. Channel 33 was First Wave, which I became fanatic of. They regularly played REM singles, which I liked. I was also long into Hole and Courtney Love (who is a longtime friend of Michael Stipe), so I had heard a lot about REM. They were one of those bands I knew I would like if I gave them a chance. However, I torrented two best of CDs and it just wasn’t sticking. They didn’t sound like anything special compared to the grunge and post-punk and folk music I was otherwise into at the time. I didn’t get the hype, but felt compelled to figure it out. When I was in community college, I decided the time was right! I decided to go through their entire discography in chronological order until I found something I liked. For each album, I would make a list of every song I liked. I found that I liked them more and more with each album but it wasn’t until I hit Green (1988) that I felt like I really truly Got it. The three album run of Green, Out of Time, and Automatic for The People is an impressive near-perfect three album run (I also love Monster but it feels slightly less consistent to me, the highs sometimes even higher but the lows lower). While Automatic For The People wasn’t my favorite REM album at the time (Out of Time was), I feel like it’s grown on me more and more over the years. Everybody Hurts feels melodramatic in retrospect, but I think only because it’s become the kind of song that might as well have been playing during the prehistoric era— as in, it feels like it’s existed for all time. Can you imagine a world before that song??? My favorites are: The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Ignoreland, Man On The Moon, and Nightswimming (one of my favorite songs of all time and one of the songs I most commonly add to playlists). Ultimately, I love REM!!! And none of the current music I like would exist without them. Also, Michael Stipe is who everyone wishes Morrissey was. Hooray for REM!
Great album
one of the last great REM albums. different than their earlier music but still great songs.
I predict this will be our group’s first album where we all rate it 5 stars! I didn’t need to listen to know this would be a 5-star album for me, but I did anyway. Twice. I was right. Nightswimming is my favorite track (and one of my all time favorite songs) but this album is full of great songs. I saved way too many to my “1001 albums faves” playlist. I needed this after a string of mostly “meh/fine” albums!
A lovely album. Great songs, has a good vibe throughout, lyrics are more discernible than on many of their others. 3, maybe 4, legit “hits” and the rest of the tracks are all quite intriguing.
Another all-timer. I got pretty into REM as a kid and ended up owning Eponymous, Out of Time, Monster, and this. A few years ago a podcast I like listened to their whole discography and I listened along. And while I recognize the impact Murmur had, for my money this is their best album. Everybody knows “man on the moon” and “everybody hurts” but “sweetness follows” and “night swimming” are my personal favorites. There’s something about night swimming, especially. I’ve never been skinny dipping, and I’ve only been swimming in the dark a few times, but a song that’s about nostalgia and water and *feels* like a warm summer night is going to get me every time. Also, might as well add this, even though it’s a bummer, because it is so indelible in my mind. A classmate died at school during sophomore year. His name was Andy. After school that day, the administration let students commandeer the PA system and I have such a distinct memory of other classmates playing “man on the moon” as we all left school in tears. It’s totally the wrong tone for that moment, but it does use the name Andy. So I can never hear that song without thinking of that moment.
I Love REM, another nostalgia album, one of mum's favourite bands and this album has some true classics in the genre Another biased opinion but there's something about this sound that is just good. Man on the moon is an all timer.
Incredible. Back driving in the car with mum in the nineties!
Gran disco.
Classic. Also, amazing.
The last great entry from REM; some favorites here.
Love it
Best album so much angst
REM - eine homage an meine Studiums- und Examenszeit. Geniales Album mit tiefgründigen Texten und unvergesslichen Songs “Drive”, “Everybody Hurts” und “Man on The Moon”. Die Streichereinlagen werten die Musik noch auf. Ich finde “Automatic for The People” ist ein unvergessliches Album aus der Zeit als uns die Welt noch offen stand 😊.
My dad loves REM and I only really knew their singles so was looking forward to giving this a go and was not let down. Sidewinder sleeps tonight and man on the moon are two of the greatest songs in history, nightswimming is a classic, while the last track was also brilliant. Not surprised at how good it was and it’s a nailed on 5/5 - let’s get a sixer, shoot some hoops and listen to automatic for the people
Fantastic album.
Amazing album! Drive Everybody hurt Man of the moon The best songs of this album It's a 4.5/5
Nice
Got to rep my neighbouring 'hometown'
A perfect album from REM. I love all the melodies on it. Night swimming, man on the moon, Find the river. No bad songs. Can listen to this all day
This is a strong album. I didn't like Michael Stipe's voice at the time. But listening now, I like it a lot. The songs aren't all alike, and the songwriting is great. I must have been dumb, or that may have been my time immersed in country music. I also like the mix. The band is blended perfectly, voice in the front, drums/bass where they should be. No guitar pyrotechnics for the sake of showing off. Really well done.
i'm a simple man. i see R.E.M., i give five stars. it's that easy. this is a beautiful album that gets better every listen for me. i remember picking it up for a buck at a goodwill sometime in the mid-2000s. i would've been in middle school or early high school then and on first listen, i thought all the songs were dark, and sad, and brooding, with only minor exceptions. i set it aside for a while and didn't think about it again. over the years, I've come back to it to see what I've missed. sometimes one track would come up on shuffle from my music library, and i'd end up liking it. i'd try the album again with some trepidation, and it felt like unlocking more pieces of a puzzle every time. it's still something i have to work to put together, but I'm starting to get a sense of what I'm working with and the picture it's forming. i don't have any great revelations or particularly notable memories where this album was the soundtrack of some part of my life like other reviewers, but i think it has something for everyone that each person can experience in their own way. favorites: the sidewinder sleeps tonite, everybody hurts, ignoreland, man on the moon, nightswimming, find the river
This is probably the best REM album. From start to finish there isn't a bad song
I lived a lot of my life only vaguely aware of REM and really enjoying a few of their songs but not giving a proper listen. It may now be time to dig through the whole discography this was just so enjoyable to listen to
Autumnal crestfallen masterpiece.
I knew this album far better than I thought I did. It's a bit slow and depressing in places, so I love it.
Great album, love his voice
Loved it. Haven’t listened to full album before didn’t realize it was chock full of hits.
Really amazing album. So many good songs. REM is such a great band.
This album hasn’t left my rotation since it was released. As good as it gets.
Always felt that REM's *Out Of Time* has been critically underrated all these years, and that its follow-up *Automatic For The People* (often heralded as the best LP released in 1992) has conversely been *slightly* overrated as a result. For many people, the first of those two albums is mostly the one with the timeless hits "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People"... But I think the whole LP is far more worthwhile than that. I don't know, maybe the partial awkwardness of this other record's first track "Radio Song" (with a strange featuring by KRS One), rubbed people the wrong way. That said, I have absolutely nothing to reproach with any of the other songs after that opener. " Low", in particular, is an absolute highlight--in many ways foretelling the melancholic, acoustic and "orchestral" aspects of *Automatic For The People*. What about the latter, then? Well, it's a great album also harboring terrific highlights, such as intense and emotional opener "Drive", delicate "Try Not To Breathe", lively (in a rather *Out Of Time* fashion) "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", plus the ultimate textbook torch song "Everybody Hurts", one of REM's most famous tunes for a reason, along with catchy "Man On The Moon", about Andy Kaufmann (even inspiring a whole biopic about the latter). "Monty Got A Raw Deal" and closer "Find The River" are excellent as well, and so are most of the other cuts I won't name here. The somewhat forced heavy-handedness of "Ignoreland" makes the latter a borderline-dud, though. And if I can understand the "classic" appeal of "Nightswimming"--whose instrumentation exclusively uses very "dignified" strings and piano arrangements (crafted by none other than John Paul Jones, here miles away from the musical world of Led Zeppelin, like in all the other cuts using orchestral flourishes)--the end result still sounds a bit quaint and stilted to my ears. Those are minor grudges, however. As a nice example of a record exploring the different ways a band can mature with grace as they write stuff about resilience and getting older, *Automatic For The People* deserves its place among the pantheon of "essential" REM albums (with *Murmur*, *Reckoning*, *Life's Rich Pageant*, *Document* and *Out Of Time*--and possibly also *Green*). 4.5/5 for the purposes of this app, rounded up to 5. Which translates to a 9.5/10 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 216 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 343 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 199 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 251
Absolutely wonderful, from the massively famous rock classics to the less well known instrumentals and "filler".
The album that changed REM from a band that I respected... to a band that I love
I really enjoyed this album but I really enjoy R.E.M. There music is so chill on the surface but deep in the lyrics. Only potential criticism is you always know you are listening to R.E.M. because it all sounds very similar.
As a fan with 13 R.E.M. albums in my collection (9 of those are on cassette tapes), I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say THIS album is their absolute best. I forgot how incredible it is. I especially like Ignoreland. Can I give it a 6?
Automatic For The People has been in my steady rotation for over 30 years because the songs are simply SO good. They miraculously never get old or tiresome. The high quality of songwriting on this record is astounding to comprehend. I still consider Michael Stipe’s plain, yet powerfully rich voice to be the best I’ve ever heard. This album is a meditation on death and mortality which becomes more pertinent the older we get. While I don’t consider this to be my personal favorite R.E.M. record, it is ultimately their most cohesive collection of songs. It is also considered the high water mark of their catalog in critical circles. Perfect songs include: Drive, Try Not To Breathe, Everybody Hurts, Sweetness Follows, Monty Got A Raw Deal, Star Me Kitten, Nightswimming, and Find The River.
My goodness, this album is just beautiful. So many deeply moving and emotional tracks, and some great rock tunes too. It’s all heart and soul and rock n roll. Loved every second.
Still amazing after all these years. A listen at 44 hits different than when I was 24. Somehow young me missed all the ennui the first time.
amazing
When you are young and preoccupied with letting everyone know you have a certain taste, you dismiss things out of had for the stupidest reasons. For example, I never got into R.E.M. becasue I hated the jingle jangly sound of Rickenbacker guitars. Around the time the bands recordings started making their way to my ears I was into Prog Rock and heavier sounds, and so I dismissed them. As a result, although I had many friends who were devoted followers of the band, I don't think I ever listened to one of their albums. I knew their songs through radio play only. But what is hilarious is that this album contains all kinds of elements of the aesthetic that I actually did like. Stipe's lyrics and delivery were match by Gord Downie. The guitar sounds on this album are much richer and heavier and there are even tracks like Sweetness Follows - which I have never heard until today - that could have been recorded by Emerson Lake and Palmer. So this project of listening to these albums before I die has paid dividends with this one. It's going straight into the library. It is a fulsome, artistic, poetic collection of stories, images, rants and music. Tasteful orchestration, perfect production and, in retrospect an incredible collection of bangers. If I'm honest and you had told me this was a Greatest Hits album, I would have believed you. A single album. A coherent vision. Super tasty. Perfect.
I love this record, and this band, unconditionally. This was the first time I bought music that felt deeply personal. I was 14 and had to borrow 59 Francs from my mother at the local supermarket. This record was a slow growth on me, but I kept on listening because it felt special and strange, and I did not understand it, but something about it was enchanting. I have never stopped listening to it since, in fact this is probably the one record I have listened to the most in my life. I connected with it at a level no one else I knew did back then. My friends did not really seem to understand what I found so special about this record. REM were weird, in a way that felt freeing to me at the time. I felt seen, even though I did not understand the words at the time (I still don't to some extend!). I did not know what it said, but it made me feel something new. And this voice was carrying me. To this day Stipe's voice brings a smile to my face whenever I hear it. He became like an old friend. The more and the longer I listened over the years , the more layers unfolded. I saw that Stipe's lyrics were beautiful and obscure, and evocative in the way that I aspired to write at the time. I remember cutting up the lyrics of Nightswimming for a stage play in Calgary in the early 2000's at a time where was not confident enough to write in English: another moment where Automatic for the People became an invitation to freedom and creativity and finding a new voice. The music felt uncomplicated, and yet it was far from simple. Mike Mills' bass is quietly brilliant as always, and he truly shines on this as one of the most expressive back up vocalists of his time. Peter Buck is still expanding his palette from the mostly acoustic instrumentation of Green and Out of Time, slowly bringing more grungy textures. And the string arrangements by JP Jones act as a great container for the intimate, dark yet hopeful atmosphere of the songs. It is not an easy record. Grief runs through, flowing with the water that is everywhere here. But it holds a very special light. and it always delivers me home, wherever I am. "The ocean is the rivers goal, a need to leave the water knows. We're closer now than light years to go." Indeed we are, sweet friend.
Losing My Religion is the only R.E.M. song I've ever heard before this, and now I'm wondering why I never thought to check them out any of the hundreds of times I heard that song.
Classic album. Brought me right back to the early 90s.
REM is always 5 stars in my opinion.
Puede que "Automatic for the People" sea la cumbre creativa de R.E.M., o puede que no, porque en su obra existen otras muchas joyas musicales. De lo que no cabe duda es de que en 1992 los de Athens consiguieron crear una obra maestra, con una mirada melancólica al paso del tiempo, la muerte y la pérdida, arropada por un sinfin de capas de exuberantes guitarras y brillantes teclados. Desde la apertura del disco con "Drive", pasando por "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" o la magnífica "Everybody Hurts" el sonido épico de R.E.M. impulsa reflexiones serenas y existencialistas sobre la vida. Además de las citadas, me gustan "Nightswimming" y especialmente "Man On The Moon", uno de mis temas favoritos de R.E.M., con un contenido extrañamente contemporáneo al mirar con una mezcla de sarcasmo y misericordia las diversas teorías conspirativas en torno a Andy Kaufman, el alunizaje o la muerte de Elvis.
dad music but I am a father in my own female right
This was pretty solid, some of the songs were a bit mopey but I enjoyed it as a whole. Edit -- Bumping to a 5 because I have a lot of the songs saved.
So many albums from one group and yet there is always one or two truly great tracks surrounded by an album you can't stop listening to.
Amazing.
A bit moody but excellent nonetheless
The classics are classics for a reason. Drive is such a good song. The moment that electric guitar hits with the riff, it changes the song and takes it to a new level. Maybe a strange decision to be a opener, but it works. Try Not to Breathe is amazing. Some of the backing vocals are my favourite in their catalogue. Sidewinder is a great pop song, infectious, great sing a long song. Really enjoyable Everybody Hurts is kind of hard to separate how much of a meme it's become, but it's brilliant. epic, great build, great outro. Slight dip in the middle even though I like the songs but the run of man on the moon, nightswimming and find the river is insanely good 5
I can see why my parents like these guys
A combination of folk, strings and modern rock. 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite', 'Everybody Hurts' and 'Man On The Moon' alone make this a collectable. Amazing recording quality, the drums and orchestration being a stand out throughout. Has a wide spectrum of tracks from the 80s sounding rock of "Ignoreland" with politically charged lyrics to eerie instrumental interlude "New Orleans Instrumental No1", sing-a-longs and a heart wrenching ballad. Unexpectedly dense in tonality and incredible sonic quality, loaded with brooding emotion.
Love this
I am grateful for the slow rise of REM and their influence on my favorite music genre of my adolescence. Alternative rock wouldn’t be the same without you guys!
Great album, one of my favorites.
REM is one of the quintessential of rock, always nice to listen to and very cozy. It gets a special mention for Everybody Hurts because I always loved that song.
This is one of those mixtape all-stars from my young adulthood. Instant 5 stars, because at least 5 tracks on it appeared on mixtapes I received or shared with people who were important to me.
Contains one of my favourite R.E.M. tracks, the superb "Everybody Hurts". Other tracks that I like include "Drive", "Man on the Moon", and "Nightswimming".
Чистейшая классика от начала и до конца, чувствуется откуда растут ноги почти всего альт рока. Некоторые песни звучат будто написаны вне времени, и это беря во внимание тот факт что everybody hurts прямо специально создана как слезовыжималка. Если однажды удастся проехать по просторам Луизианы на каком нибудь Pontiac Firebird или шеви импале то я бы с радостью включил саундтреком к поездке именно этот альбом. Честно хочется влепить ему пятерку тот как он сделан, аранжирован и спет-золото
For my money, this album is a 5. I don't see a wasted track on here and so much of what REM produced in this and the last two albums ended up influencing rock music for generations. Absolutely fantastic.
Absolute Classic. One of the finest albums released in the last 50 years. This has everything. Supreme
Good tunes
My favorite REM album, this is a thoughtful meditation on life and loss.
A wee beauty. Just like Mr Paul Gill. Sidewinder & man on the moon are legendary bangers.
Classic college radio album…takes me back to my middle school days
Thinking about giving my first 5 star review. This is an album of pure emotion of all kinds, mixing so many different instruments and song structures effectively. Not to mention some of the all-time classics like Everybody Hurts and Nightswimming. Man on the Moon too.
This might be their last great album.
This holds up extremely well compared to most of their contemporaries from the era. Although it's mostly mournful and sad sounding, it still captures them at one of their creative peaks (IMHO).
The sun is out! If I close my eyes I can pretend I am driving to the beach in Cornwall and I am 9 years old. I will spend all day in the sea and eat at least one ice cream. In the evening we are going to go to our friends caravan for a barbecue for dinner and we will play nintendogs in the park and watch the sunset.
Loved this album when it came out and love it still
Still my favorite of theirs. I don’t think I’ll get tired of it.
Great album. Right for any time of day. I listened while eating my cornflakes.
Nostalgic.
Been listening to this band since their first EP Chronic Town (different meaning to chronic back then).
Listened to this album a lot with my dad growing up so I forgot I knew basically all the lyrics. This album fucks
What a great album. I never realized how many classic, timeless songs came off of this.
Amazing album. Been listening to this since it came out and it's still just as good as day one. Stand out tracks: Drive, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Everybody Hurts, Man on the Moon, Nightswimming
I mean, it's a great album, but it's not really one for a happy summer's day. It's all a bit depressing
6 stars
There are great bands who never made anything as good as Try Not To Breathe and it just about makes it into the top 5 of this album. Absurd.
Two classics with Everybody Hurts and Man on the Moon - the standout for me was Find the River. Honestly, not a bad song on the album though The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite was a little confusing in its chorus
*****
Classic
R.E.M - remarkably exquisite music 👌 This is a wonderful album. Great listen from start to finish, never felt like skipping a song. Even the album cover is perfect. Everybody hurts is a classic. Really enjoyed listening. ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
I'd never listened to this album in it's entirety before and boy it's just a perfect mood. Love Drive, Everybody Hurts, Man on the Moon. I first heard Nightswimming I think in 2020 and it reverberated thru me. The album is so sad and so reassuring at the same time. I listened to the whole album twice today. And this one is going in the regular rotation
Out of Time was one of my favourite albums, although I really enjoyed all REM. I knew that Automatic for the People was being dropped and I went to Tower Records and waited for it to open. Probably had one of the first copies in Seattle. Tore of the plastic, tossed it in the player, and hated it. Played it again, and hated it. A week later I tried it again-- started to not hate it. Today I love this -- one of the best things from that time. It is the only REM that I regularly listen to now.
When I saw this come up I thought it would be a 5. Nostalgic as my parents played it a lot when it came out. Strong start and really strong end to the album, but the middle section is not the greatest. That being said, it is still a really great pop rock album. I'm not sure why, but I find the lyric at the start of nightswimming one of the most standout lyrics in any song. It immediately evokes a really distinct image in my mind: "the photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago, turned around backward so the windscreen shows, every streetlight reveals a picture in reverse". I think it might remind me of being in the car with my parents when I was a child. It's not like the lyric in itself is emotive.... Yet somehow it is to me. I think nightswimming is the best track, followed by the sidewinder sleeps tonite. Everybody hurts is a bit much, even for me. Highlights: Drive Try not to breathe The sidewinder sleeps tonite Man on the moon Nightswimming Find the river 4.5 - there's some 5 star songs here, but not sure the album is quite a 5, let down by the middle... Close enough though!
After all the years heard -Sometimes Hurts- again. Time to pick my acoustic six string and paly this song again
A very good album
I used to listen to 'Everybody Hurts' on repeat growing up. I still think it's the best song in the album, but I can appreciate more the others like 'Nightswimming'.
Sin comentarios. Clasico instantaneo, imprescindible.
Old fave.
This is one of my faves! Such a good album from start to finish
This record fucked my whole week up. I listened to it back in the day and remembered it not hitting me the same way I enjoyed like Murmur or Out Of Time, so I came into this expecting a nice listen but nothing earth-shattering. Well, right now I’m pretty close to the age Stipe was at when they were writing this album, and it’s hitting me hard. The sound is gorgeous, and I’m vibing so hard with the lyrics even on the songs I’m not nuts about. This is a masterpiece, some of the most perfect and affecting arrangements I’ve heard on any record so far. Going into this I would’ve said I love REM, and now I’m walking away with an even deeper appreciation and connection to their beautiful music. Top tracks: It would actually be quicker for me to say what my bottom tracks are on this one. I chose not to add New Orleans Instrumental, Sweetness Follows, Star Me Kitten, or Find The River to my master playlist. Still great stuff though.
Nightswimming is an incredible song. Loved this album. That’s all.
It’s beautiful
I recognized the name R.E.M but was oblivious to their music. Turns out I know their music very well just never knew it was them. Really enjoyed this album and saved some of the songs to my playlists.
Really good. Don't know why I never bought it.
Not even the best album by R.E.M.
One of my favorite end to end albums hands-down
Actually really like it. Gets you out of a slump.
One of the dominating albums of the 90s... I hadn't been listening to this for years, still know every song by heart.
One of my favorite albums of all time. For me, this is when REM transitioned from college rock to more traditional rock style. The lyrics are all phenomenoal
Uno de mis favoritos!
Question 1: why people love this album so much Question 2: how to stop listening to it on repeat
A really must album
Brilliant! One of the best albums by one of the best bands ever! I can listen to this over and over and again and never tire of it. Perfect in every way!
Enjoyed music I seemed to have missed.
Heartbreaking, life affirming, joyous, melancholic and everything in between. One of the very very best records ever made.
Wow I fucking love REM. I wasn't expecting it honestly. I could never connect with REM when I tried in the past. But this album is really good. I didn't realize 'Everybody Hurts' is on this album and I got kinda emotional when it came on. It's a song that really does sound so sad, but if you listen to what's being said, its hopeful and comforting. I forgot how important that song was for me so this was a nice reminder :') Helped me reconnect with that part of my past. REM has a huge influence on Thom Yorke' s work and I can absolutely see how, especially with early Radiohead. An album that's better when you read along with the lyrics. P.S. I really liked that they kept the laugh in Sidewinder, that's really cute! :)
I’m much more familiar with REM’s 80s albums, even went to a concert in 85, so this was refreshing to listen to an album I have never heard. By 1992 I was married with 2 kids, so no time to explore anything but children’s songs😂
5/5
Not a sound that I feel gravitated towards. But I recognized some of the songs. Lyrics seem very relatable.
A modern classic, flawless from start to finish, and an album I would recommend everyone listen to at least once.
I really enjoyed this album!
A delight! Much different than my usual listening material. I was surprised to pick up on some 80s influence (on Ignoreland and The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight) but it does make sense and helps me to realize the linear evolution of music. Favorite track was The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, followed by Nightswimming. Loved the lyrics and unique vocals. Instrumentals sounded characteristic of the band. Definitely coming back to this!
Amazing
Amazing start to finish. REM has an incredible ability to go from poppy-happy songs to these dark brooding songs and fit perfectly.
4.8 - I find REM’s lyrics evoke so much nostalgia in me. I absolutely love this album and get’s better every listen for me. Nightswimming is timeless.
BACK TO FUCKING BACK: this is one of the hardest hitting albums I have listened to yet. The way it flowed was perfect with the catchiest of lyrics and progressions. This is some of the finest music out there, just which there could be more records this good.
Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: Pretenders - Brass in Pocket The Smiths - Girlfriend in a Coma David Bowie - Heroes Counting Crows - Rain King XTC - Senses Working Overtime
This was incredible, just really great from start to finish. It's generally at a pretty slow tempo and a lot of the songs are a bit emotional and somber, but it just consistently works. They manage to create really emotional sounds throughout that build so well even when the song is slower. For instance, on the opener \"Drive\" it has this fairly simple guitar riff but then it builds into this full orchestral sound, it's beautiful. Even the instrumental song (\"New Orleans Instrumental No.1\") manages to evoke this like melancholic feeling, I would listen to a full instrumental album just like this one. I also really like Michael Stipe's vocals. I'm getting this real familiar feeling from his voice, but I can't quite place it. I'm not sure if it's because people have imitated his style since then or what, but it's really great. He's really understated, but it comes across powerfully. "Everybody Hurts" is the famous song on this album, so it's worth mentioning. It really is great, it drives home a lot of the things I noted above in one song. It's just raw and emotional and really relatable, beautiful song. "Man On The Moon" seems pretty famous too, and this one stands out because it's actually a bit less somber and a bit more witty. It's an Andy Kaufmann tribute with a bunch of pop culture references. My Pittsburgh is showing here, but the style made me think of "Born Too Late" by The Clarks (though "Man On The Moon" came 8 years earlier and is way more famous). I loved this overall, the only minor downside was I thought the stretch from tracks 7-9 was a bit weak in comparison to the rest, but I'm splitting hairs a bit here. I definitely didn't realize what R.E.M.'s deal was. They're one of those bands that I had heard of but couldn't name any of their songs (though I obviously had heard a few of them before). Honestly in my head they were like an '80s new wave band, clearly I was off here, not sure why I thought this. Really strong album, I'm excited to dig into them a bit more. Favorite song: Everybody Hurts Other: Drive, Try Not To Breathe, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, New Orleans Instrumental No.1, Sweetness Follows, Star Me Kitten, Man On The Moon, Nightswimming, Find The River 12/13/23
The first album I've encountered so far that was already a favorite! I love REM and I've listened to this album many times, though it's actually been awhile since I've listened to it straight through. It surprised me how moody and slow it is as a whole, as I tend to prefer more upbeat stuff, but it still works so well for me. I already had about half these songs saved to my favorites (Sweetness Follows, Try Not to Breathe, Man On The Moon were top favorites), but I went ahead and added the rest as well.
Loved it. Classic album 5/5
This is a great album for when you WANT to be sad. All time classic. Soothing, melancholic, and very VERY occasionally happy and hopeful. Couple times you goof on Elvis.
5-
p690. 1992. 5 stars. Perfect. And Nightswimming is possibly the greatest song ever written.
The easiest 5 stars I've given so far. This album shaped my early taste in music, so it's hard to hear it with anything other than biased ears. That said, it did spend a while in the wilderness until I found it again recently and truly realised that Nightswimming is one of the greatest songs ever written. Listening this time, I realise I find the album has a very unusual sequencing. The back half is stacked with an amazing four song run.
great listen
REM is great
The best of the “grownup” R.E.M. albums. We are all alone, together. No jokes today. A really professional production, some brilliant songwriting and spotless execution. Though I usually like my REM less polished and more inscrutable, this album hits hard emotionally. Looking back at it now makes it feel even heavier. This came out in the deepest part of grunge, a pretty rebellious move for a pretty sounding album. Find the River kills me. Check out the video.
I'd never listened to this whole album. It's amazing. Instant fave.
This is the best album of R.E.M. Of course the more obscure collega rock of the earlier albums has a special place in my heart, but this album contains the best of their songwriting. Every song is good, several are very good and some are true modern pop/rock classics.
One of the best albums of the 90s, maybe of all time
Known this album for a while. Went in unbiased and bout halfway through, I thought 4. Every damn time when I get to the end, and it shoots for the moon and gets the 5.
I saved several songs from this album
An absolut classic to define a decade of alternative rock. REM at its finest moment, a flawless album that resist the passing of time.
1. Lyrics The lyrics of "Automatic For The People" are poetic and introspective, showcasing Michael Stipe's lyrical prowess. The album addresses themes of mortality, loss, and societal issues. Tracks like "Everybody Hurts" offer a poignant message of empathy, while "Man on the Moon" explores the enigmatic life of comedian Andy Kaufman. Stipe's evocative storytelling adds a layer of depth to the album's emotional impact. 2. Music R.E.M.'s musicality shines in "Automatic For The People." The band's signature jangly guitars are complemented by orchestral arrangements, creating a rich sonic landscape. Tracks like "Drive" and "Nightswimming" showcase the band's versatility, seamlessly blending rock with melancholic melodies. The music's timelessness is evident, with each track standing as a testament to R.E.M.'s musical prowess. 3. Production The album's production, overseen by Scott Litt, is meticulous. The integration of orchestral elements, arranged by John Paul Jones, elevates the album's sound to cinematic heights. The balance between instruments is impeccable, allowing each element to contribute to the overall sonic experience. The production captures the essence of the early '90s alternative rock scene while pushing boundaries with its orchestral experimentation. 4. Themes "Automatic For The People" explores a range of profound themes, from existential reflections to societal critiques. The album grapples with the human condition, addressing issues like mental health ("Everybody Hurts") and the passage of time ("Try Not to Breathe"). The thematic cohesion adds a layer of intellectual engagement, making the album a contemplative journey for the listener. 5. Influence The album's influence on the alternative rock genre is undeniable. R.E.M.'s innovative approach to blending genres, coupled with Stipe's distinctive vocal style, has left an indelible mark on subsequent generations of musicians. "Automatic For The People" is often cited as a benchmark for albums that successfully merge introspective lyrics with diverse musical arrangements. Pros: Timeless Sound: The album's production and musicality have stood the test of time, remaining relevant decades later. Poetic Lyrics: Stipe's lyrical depth and storytelling contribute to the album's enduring impact. Versatility: R.E.M.'s ability to seamlessly blend rock with orchestral elements showcases their musical versatility. Cons: Sombre Tone: The album's consistently melancholic tone may be challenging for listeners seeking a more upbeat experience. Lack of Uptempo Tracks: While the album excels in its contemplative moments, a few more energetic tracks could have added dynamism. In conclusion, "Automatic For The People" is a masterpiece that transcends its era. R.E.M.'s lyrical and musical prowess, coupled with meticulous production, creates an album that remains a touchstone for alternative rock.
This one wa surprising to me, I know some of their bigger songs, but this album was really good. I will definitely be checking out more REM in the future.
One of the finest records of my lifetime. R.E.M. secured their legacy with this album, it is simply beautiful from the first note of Drive until the fade out on Find The River. Everyone, everywhere played this album during the autumn/winter of 1992/93. It had that rare quality, it spoke to all lovers of music and to all ages. It's harmed by how prevalent it was, suffering from being overplayed to saturation point. But no-one can deny how brilliant this is.
What a journey the whole album was. Honestly from a couple of listens I can tell this is one that will make it's way towards the top of my favourite albums list. The balance between electric and acoustic sounds is used to great effect, making songs go from small and intimate to large and epic at a moment's notice. Add in the orchestral elements (mainly strings) and the musical breadth the album covers is phenomenal
Love this album. Have listened to it so much over the years. Dark atmospheric moody yet also uplifting in a weird way. Beautifully produced as well. Love it!
This album is good, I knew some songs on it already but the others didn't disappoint either. Gud stuff!
One of my favorite albums I've ever listened to - many incredible songs, and the album overall is just very good with great songs like: - Drive is just super catchy and fun in its melody... *tick, tock....* - Try Not to Breathe gives a very "sway side to side slowly" sort of vibe - I genuinely don't know what the hell The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite means but it's fun anyways - Everybody Hurts is a *beautiful*, sad and caring song - New Orleans Instrumental No 1. Is kinda odd with the lack of vocals, but it's still a neat... intermission almost? - Sweetness Follows. Love the riff on this one, its a part of why I love REM - a lot of very solid, catchy musical bits - Monty Got a Raw Deal - same deal here. The musical riff is just *fun* - Ignoreland is a very interesting political song that still works despite being pretty raw - Star me kitten... very different theme and vibe from the rest of album (and slightly explict) but its still interesting - Man On The Moon is also one of the best on the album - And it doesn't even stop there, another great piano piece with nightswimming - Then the album ends with the beautiful song about the journey of life with *Find the River*
WOOOOOW
La obra maestra de la banda de College Rock más importante de la historia. Con pasajes sonoros impresionantes, letras reflexivas y verdaderos himnos del rock alternativo, "Automatic for the People" se corona como uno de los discos más influyentes y cruciales de los '90. Un real indispensable de la música.
Coming on the heels of the album that made them mainstream levels of famous (Out of Time. 1991) R.E.M. would have been excused if the next album was a bit of a throwaway. This is especially true when you consider just how dull, repetitive, and oft times silly Out of Time was. While the MTV masses loved it, most long time R.E.M. fans gagged at the boring and repetitive Losing my Religion was and only saw a small bright light in the silliness of Shiny Happy People. In other words, we expected a disaster, but Automatic for the People (1992) delivered the opposite. It is packed with thoughtful, tuneful, and downright beautiful songs. The rhythms of Drive, pathos of Try Not to Breathe, outright sadness of Everybody Hurts, nostalgia of Man on the Moon are just some of the highlights. The folk-country influences that always were part of R.E.M.'s music shine through even the remnants of jangle pop that still provide the lilt that keeps things from getting too heavy. Alas, this was not a new direction and Monster (1994) returned to the R.E.M. of Green (1988) and Document (1987) which, while excellent, was dated by the time it was released. Automatic for the People, thus, was not a return to form or a continuation of the past. It was an epic side quest that would only be hinted at in latter albums, especially 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi. This was a unique album not only for R.E.M., but for the era.
Automatic 5 for me! Athens, Ga royalty along with Panic! Man on the Moon finds it way to my playlist occasionally. Drive will find its way there now.
About perfect for me. This has been a favorite of mine since my youth, and somehow it keeps getting better. A collection of very dark but also uplifting songs. Every song is special, but Try Not to Breath, Sweetness Follows, Nightswimming and Find the River -all-timers, cue all the tears. damn.
One of my favourite albums. Every song is so perfectly crafted, I love it
REM is not flashy but they are tight and the songs are consistently good here.
I had Murmur a few days ago and joked that I expected big things from this up-and-coming band... Well this was them at their peak. A phenomenal album that felt like a seismic shift in the culture, loaded with anthems for weird kids everywhere. Starts with "Drive" and rarely gets you go.
Peak R.E.M. for me. Gotten better with age as I age. Music for adults by adults. But REM always was a more mature band.
10/10 would listen again
Still remarkable after umpty billion spins. Even the songs that don’t fully grab me (pretty much just Ignoreland) are undeniably pretty damn good. A favorite album by a favorite band
Now then do I have the words today to gush about this band and this album. Probably not, and plenty others have gushed to an adequate degree. So I'll just say REM have been my favourite band for most of my life, I was fully primed for this after a friend had shared Green and Out of Time with me in the couple of years prior. While I eventually shied away from this album after a while of delving into their (only just) superior back catalogue, I am still always happy to come back to it after a break. Obviously as their commercial peak (a maudlin album about death at that - so very REM) many songs have been played to death, though I am somehow never ever tired of Drive, Nightswimming or Find the River. Glorious, glorious songs. This is the first time I became aware of the record company cashing in on success by releasing 6 singles off it, but you have to be honest, every single one of them deserves to be. Try not to Breathe and Sweetness Follows are other highlights and always high on my all time favourite REM songs. Wonderful. Also Man on the Moon should have been the first single I ever bought, but in a comical decision I eventually plumped for the techno remix of the Super Mario Land theme tune instead.
C’est le parfait album de mélancolie, mais qui te rend un peu plus heureux après l’avoir écouté
Fantastic. A product of my time
surprisingly good vibes, saved it for later listening sessions
Some beautiful songs here
Was unimpressed in the beginning but it hit a few chords I was going through that helped me pause and think
"Automatic for the People" by R.E.M. is a poignant and introspective masterpiece. Released in 1992, it's a contemplative journey through themes of mortality and the human experience. Tracks like "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon" are emotionally resonant, driven by Michael Stipe's evocative vocals. The album's production is minimal yet rich, letting the lyrics take center stage. This record encapsulates a profound sense of reflection and melancholy, making it one of R.E.M.'s most celebrated works. "Automatic for the People" is a timeless classic, earning a well-deserved 5/5 rating for its enduring impact and musical brilliance.
Excellent album. Night swimming is a beautiful song among several other beautiful songs.
I, a huge fan of Nirvana and Radiohead, like a classic alt rock record! What a surprise. Seriously though, I really liked this album. For an alternative rock album of the 90s, it's focused on more stripped-back and relaxing acoustic stuff, but there are elements of the genre evident here. Also, what I learned from this album is that string arrangement can work well with alt rock, as displayed on songs like "Drive", "Everybody Hurts" and "Find the River". Highlights include "Drive" (unpredictable song structure and incredibly satisfying tension-and-resolution), "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" (Fun sing-along chorus), "Everybody Hurts" (Surprisingly pop-y for an alt rock track, but in a good way", "Ignoreland" (Its burst of energy and guitar melody in the second half reminds me of "Electioneering"), and especially "Nightswimming" (beautiful instrumental, haunting melody and lyrics, and the strings kicking in, all combined for a phenomenal song). Overall, I already expected to like it a lot, and I really do like it a lot. Can't wait to check out more R.E.M. records!
Man on the Moon is just an all timer
Rekindled my love of R.E.M. that I had forgotten I had. So dang good. 4.5/5
Classic album, commercially a big success for REM. I like Drive and Nightswimming - favourite tracks. Everybody Hurts is a classic but got played a lot at the time.
love it. love stipe's voice, love the songs, love it.
Pretty great
The first step in a long journey, it was fitting to listen to this album over a rental car stereo on the way to New Hampshire. I purchased this exact album for Ciara's dad Christmas 2022 and it was Ciara's own love for REM that first put this album on my radar. It was not my first listen, and it won't be my last. This album is seminal, excellent, and probably the best REM album ever. "Drive" is the sleeper stand out for me, that I don't think got a lot of radio play growing up. "Nightswimming" is the all-timer though, first introduced to me by Ciara and I think of her every time I hear it. Swimming in our pool at the old house in New Jersey with colored pool lights on in the middle of summer.
So many classics! Suprising amount of good songs, solid all the way thru.
Fegurð, allar tilfinningarnar.
Album 182 of 1001 R.E.M. - Automatic For The People Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Tracks : Drive, Try Not to Breath, Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, Everybody Hurts, Monty Got a Raw Deal, Ignoreland, Man on the Moon, Night Swimming, Find the River, etc. Already one of my favorites. Loved listening to it, once again. Hard to choose a favorite song. Think I'm settled on one and then another pops up. Even the lesser known songs from this album are excellent. It just flows perfectly. Can't say enough good things about it. If you aren't familiar, give it a listen. Highly, highly recommend.
One of my favourite albums of all time, and probably the first album that had a profound effect on me. The atmosphere and ambience the album builds is incredible: it builds such a bleak soundscape which could be overwhelming if not for the careful pacing of the record which builds in just enough hope at the right points to leave you feeling reflective rather than melancholy. Great opener and closer. Sweetness Follows is one of the most evocative pieces of music I’ve ever heard and the instrumental to Monty Got a Raw Deal was a formative song in building my music taste. Tried and failed many times to play Nightswimming on piano. A definite 5.
I'm a fan of R.E.M. and I... just don't really like "Everybody Hurts". I have to be in the right mood for it, and that mood is *not* depressed. I don't know what mood that is. I find the track to be saccharine, with it's almost full-throated-yodel from Stipe. That being said, it does fit well in this record, and I forgot how much I love the caffeinated bounce of "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite". It's a gorgeously dark album with some light breaking through the clouds occasionally, and has some nice sound palettes, be they Zeppelin-esque ("Ignoreland") or doo-wop influences ("Star Me Kitten", "Man on the Moon"). Hard not to like the whole package, I guess. Favorite tracks: "Ignoreland", "Nightswimming", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Find The River", "Man On the Moon"
Masterpiece.
Este disco tiene tremenda mística, te envuelve.
I am in the car. It is the early 90s. It will take another 20 years before I Google the lyrics to know what he is actually singing about, but this just increases my appreciation for this album.
One of the best R.E.M. albums, lots there for people who only know the singles too
Nice throwback. Awesome opening track.
Fantastic album! An all time great for sure.
- Heard this many times before - One of the best albums of all time, no other REM album comes close to this for me - Could easily rate about half of the songs as my favourite depending on my mood - Fav songs: Nightswimming, Drive, Man on the Moon
Great album from REM
Such a comfortable listen. This was certainly a big album during my formative music years. Fave tracks: Drive, Ignoreland, Nightswimming
I can offer no higher praise for this album than to state that about half the tracks here were absolutely ubiquitous for a chunk of my youth, and I never objected to hearing them one more time. I don't tend to put REM on of my own volition, but it's never a chore to listen to them when they come on. Fave tracks - "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon" from the well played tracks, "Sweetness Follows" from the others.
Epic. Brilliant. Awesome
still a favorite. now on an REM binge...
Beautiful album, maybe even their best (Green brilliant too). And after the extreme succesfullOut of Time album very courageous to release Drive as first single. No favorite song, all are equally amazing and it is a real album as in: not a collection of songs but it creates an atmosphere that makes it one experience. Like OK computer is.
Great!
A masterpiece, Nightswimming alone would make this one of my favorite R.E.M. albums but it’s hits front to back.
This album is R.E.M. just being timelessly great. I love it. Their music has more true emotion than other bands I've heard from this time despite the cryptic lyrics. It's such a vibe, as the kids say.
I could listen to Stipe's voice forever. This is one of the best albums of all time.
4/5
bland but sincere
Brilliant. I'm 50-50 on REM, loving some songs and finding others either twee or meandering, but this album was flawless. A few songs I knew well (Man on the Moon, Sidewinder) and others I didn't. Drive, in particular, is an incredible opener and totally sets the mood. Each track is unique emotionally and musically. Faultless.
An absolute classic. there are Just so many hits on this record.
Too mellow, but still legendary
Nightswimming is an all time favourite song but this whole album is full of amazing songs.
One of the best and one of their best.
The Sodewinder Sleeps Tonight Everybody Hurts Monty Got a Raw Deal Ignoreland
A great album probably REM at their best.
classic indie rock
Now THIS is a good R.E.M. album. Actual interest and movement, great listen.
Quite apart from the fact this has several hits the whole tone of the album sets up a mood of intelligent introspection. Simply one of the best.
8/10
Night swimming is still one of my favourite songs. This album is pleasant and if it wasn't burned into the fabric of my 90s life, I might find it a bit bland but instead, I love it.
I love REM but admittedly, I had never listened to an actual album of theirs. Cheers to the list for finally making me! There are two absolute classics on this album that I would consider some of the best of the 90s.
I'm a hit-or-miss, take 'em or leave 'em, R.E.M. fan. And I've always thought of Michael Stipe as a self-righteous, grumpy "old man" type. But this was a fantastic album from start to finish. I've always resisted calling myself a fan primarily because the few people that I've personally known, who were huge fans, were all pretentious a**holes. That has nothing to do with their music, but I just like having a forum to say it out loud. Kylie, Ed, Emily, Tall Ed, the jerk who sat behind me in geometry, and Liz Walker's d-bag brother: get over yourselves, you dicks.
I've always liked these guys, but this album when it came out was absolutely perfect for what they were trying to do. That three album spam from Out Of Time to Monster are just fantastic. Plus, get orchestrations from JPJ on this record, which is a massive bonus.
Inte lika vass som Green-plattan men det är ju jäkligt bra ändå. Hade skalan gått till 10 så hade Green fått 10 och denna 8 eller 9. Nu måste jag välja mellan 4 och 5.
Great album, happy to find it out by here
An alt-rock classic. Yes, it's been overplayed but you can't fault the quality or the tunes, production, playing, singing and even the obtuse lyrics. Maybe their last great album? Best Tracks: Drive; The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite; Nightswimming
super masterpiece
An easy album on the ears, my favourite songs were The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Everybody Hurts and Man On The Moon.
Oh, the earth tones of a late-period masterpiece. Oh the refinement and depth and maturity and bittersweetness that yet retains its hope, hard-won though it feels. "Sidewinder" and "Man on the Moon" are as good as anything REM ever did (which is saying a lot) and all the other cuts work exceedingly well on their own terms. One entered adulthood, seemingly in exactly simultaneity with this fine record, which one pairs mentally with New Adventures in Hi-Fi (with the nonpareil "Electrolyte"). It still sounds great when one's long since past middle age. What a band this was.
I already knew and liked a lot of these. Try Not to Breathe was a great new find
Monopoly, 21, Checkers, and chess. This album saw R.E.M. continue with the acoustic elements they'd embraced on Out of Time, while also plugging in again and going darker, no longer such Shiny Happy People. Everybody Hurts, Man on the Moon, Nightswimming and Drive are particularly standout songs to me. I was always more a fan of Green, but this one is up there for me (Top 5: Green, Life's Rich Pageant, Document, Automatic for the People, Out of Time).
1991 - Out of Time, so many shiny happy people. The following year R.E.M. reverses course and still drops an amazing, almost perfect album. Everybody Hurts, Man on the Moon, Nightswimming and Sweetness Follows and more. Listening to it all the way through now at a much older age it feels like it understands moments and life much better than I do now.
What album buries its two strongest tracks three-quarters of the way through the album? A group so confident in their game they can do whatever they like. (tracks in question Man on the Moon and Nightswimming).
Incredible melodies and and moving lyrics, I loved the album!
Nice songs. Nostalgia
Absolute gem of an album, some of REMs best lyric writing is right here. Everybody Hurts alone makes this album great, the rest is above par. No filler. 4.5/5
I mentioned in an earlier review that Green and Out of Time were my favorite R.E.M. albums from back in the day. Kind of strange that this one, coming right afterwards, never found its way into my collection. Maybe because I thought "Everybody Hurts" was a whiny dirge? But other than that, I had liked all the other singles from this album so who knows? In any case, I was quite happy to listen today, and I quite loved this music...even "Everybody Hurts."
Having let the R.E.M. fan-wagon pass my by, I can't say that I ever even listened to one of their albums if full before 1001. I did like this one, but I am not sure that I would have appreciated it so much back in the day. It has not compelled me to dig deeper into their library, but it was a good album.
Mournful and lovely. Hold on.
Like millions of others I became a fan of R.E.M. in college. This was the first R.E.M. release after I left college. I haven’t listened to it in a very long time and had sort of never considered how R.E.M.’s evolution in this release synced up so well with my own. Today I realize what a perfect reflection this album is of some of the reckonings I was just about to start wrestling with in my own life. I hadn’t noticed how much maturity and sadness were in this album at the time. I had forgotten - or maybe never realized - how wonderful this album is. I had no idea what emotions listening to it again would inspire in me today. Automatic for the People is a very special album.
After the world, was introduced to R.E.M. through Out Of Time (this album's predecessor - think Shiny, Happy People and Losing My Religion), Automatic For The People was the band's magnum opus. The album is mostly acoustic and melancholy. The music is phantastic, no song sounds like another, and Michael Stipes voice fits perfectly here. Everybody knows Everybody Hurts, Nightswimming and Man On The Moon. Drive and The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite have been very succesful singles in their own right. Find The River, however, is something else: the quintessential song that perfectly sums up and closes this album; this is one of R.E.M's best. But really, every song is at least "good" here, and the album as a whole is truly a masterpiece. 5/5
There are a few of those albums on this planet that get picked apart by documentaries. Every song, every lyric, every sound, every riff on the album tells a story. Sgt. Peppers has that status, as well as Pet Sounds or Ziggy Stardust to name a few. This REM album should be in that illustrious list. An album to listen to again and again, sometimes with headphones, sometimes in your living room and sometimes load at a party. This will give you a new look on the album every time. As most albums in REM's repertoire this one stands on its own again, before REM went into a different direction. Absolute masterful
Vraiment bon, un genre grunge rock un peu epuré 4.90
I have never listened to the album in its entirety, having done so I have been totally surprised. As individual tracks that have made the charts this, for me, was REM at their best. When combined with the album tracks the whole album is a more finished, polished product. I really like this album, and it’s one that I will be listening to time and time again. 5/5 for me
Love this album. It's in my library.
Glorious album!
Très bien et geignard
One of my all time favourites. To me the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts. A masterpiece of ups and downs that came to me in a sea of grunge.
Have always loved this album so so much. Drive, Try Not to Breathe, The Sidewinder Sleeps, New Orleans Instrumental No. 1, Man on the Moon, Nightswimming all some of my favorite tracks ever. Can’t believe I’m giving yet another five this week.
So many incredible songs on this one. This was not my entry point to REM, but it as definitely one that is probably my favourite.
... like an enormous Star on the end of a Girder, you might miss it if you don't look up, and pause. music that moves every song rubs through your body like a soothing cord, and then some almost move you to tears, or to dance, or to shout in exultation of the beauty and exquisite pain and delicious richness and terrible precariousness of life and music that once in a while just gets it.... sometime hypnotic, calming, or evocative of the most painful moments and episodes. it's the comfoet of reapting a familiar chord and letting it out...healing. they are angels come to sing to us, while we toil fumble and stumble, they get us to look up and see the hand, or the fire, the point, or the star sticking out in the sky, and go on. or the whole album could just be about sex and loss, dear kitten. read the lyrics.
R.E.M. is great
Another classic album
I'm not an R.E.M. fan. I wouldn't pick up an R.E.M. album consciously to listen to but this album is a true classic - every song here has it's place, and some of the songs are stellar - mainstays of the 90s - and while some songs might have been spun a lot - none of them feel overplayed. It's subtle, it's warm, it's catchy and it's unique. Loved this one.
One of their greatest albums so many great songs
Instant classic, smart, and we'll produced
I didn't think this would be a 5 but it's brilliant.
at a time in music when every other band fell entranced by the novelty of grunge — parents everywhere constantly on edge that their sweet teen of yesterday would set a guitar ablaze and dye their mohawk green — with Nirvana hot on their success (and, even the Foo Fighters’ debut album reviewed a couple days ago soon to come), REM felt the weight of their adulthood creeping in ways most of the bands riding the wave of teen angst would be too late to capture. Automatic for the People, then, is thematically (and literally) an album of aging while everyone around you celebrates the infinite possibilities of youth. there’s a painful blow of reality that the record carries on its shoulders, sure, but it also wears a sheen of hope that’s comforting to the point of saccharine even. “Everybody Hurts,” a song i recognized as a Glee-era masterwork, is a cry to the youth to hold on, even in the midst of struggle. and “Find the River” is a sweeping bookend to an album that sees REM accept mortality, not as something to fear, but as something to cherish. there’s a nowness on the album that helps it transcend time itself — it’s not too focused on the future, and even its ruminations on the past are not melancholy. Automatic for the People suggests that the best time is now, but when tomorrow comes, it’ll be glorious.
A number of great songs, and one of the best ever written.
Exactly what I expected from an R.E.M. album...
A superb album, REM's best in my opinion. Instantly memorable songs, great musicianship and singing. I've never been a huge REM fan but this is just outstanding
8/12, 67%
This was the first CD I ever bought (well, one of two - the other was Mary Jo’s What’s the 411). A tenner for both. My guess is that they’d fallen off the back of a lorry. AFTP was about one week old then. I’d heard ‘Drive’ and liked it, but I don’t think I would have bought this if not for my free trade fella on Wood Green High Street. Good on him. 30 years on, still an all time favourite. Some grumble that it is their sell out album. Maybe, but if so they did it in style.
It was pretty good.
This album has been such a party of my life for such a long time that I don't think I can review it objectively. That said, it's still immortal.
This is a fantastic album, my favorite R.E.M. album, and one of my favorite albums ever. This is where their music got a bit sadder, a bit deeper, a bit more grown-up. Every song is good - there is no filler in sight here, and some of the best songs come at the very end. Poignant, crystaline, well-conceived song-writing, from beginning to end. I love the instrumentation, too, especially the strings - absolutely beautiful. Of course, I would remiss if I didn't mention that this album, along with several other R.E.M. albums, was the soundtrack of my life at a very formative time and was very personally significant to me. A great band at the peak of their talent. 5/5
This seminal album of my youth has held up well over 30 years. It feels like 1992 all over again. Lots of great songs-well recorded and not many duds. Maybe that Monty song, that’s about it. Ignoreland, Drive and Sweetness Follows are gems.
5*
wonderful, full of gems
This is a very fine record, it was a pleasure listening to it for the first time in a while. When I live in Adelaide it was a car cd for our trips to Melbourne, Broken Hill et al as it is a classic open road record, great singalong tunes, strange and wonderful words and some time fine playing. The three players are a top shelf unit and I love any combo that does the instrument swap, it always leads to different sounds. Bill Berry is a standout here in terms of the songwriting, they drifted after he left. Michael is at his absolute best, he knows what to do with the tunes, even if Man on The Moon just reminds me that Andy Kaufman gave me the shits. As a late comer to this process this is the closest I've come to a truly great album.
apparently i’d entirely forgotten that this album was in the background for the majority of my childhood, so thanks mom! i’ll fully admit to bias here, but i just love this album a lot.
This is REM’s 90’s masterpiece. Great album so many great songs. REM are such a great band and very underrated in the U.K. in my opinion.
As a kid of the 80s REM was a band I was "supposed" to like but when my go-to acts were Van Halen and the like.... it was a big/strong/closed-minded NO from me, right on into college. It's the end of the world and guh this song sucks fk no no no no. So I can vividly recall where I was in Cambridge MA in 1992 when I heard "Ignoreland" on the radio without knowing the band until afterwards ("...that was REM? ....hmmm...") - having grown tired of my usual musical interests, I went to Newbury Comics that day and bought my first REM album not having heard a single cut from the rest of it - I took a shot. And loved it all immediately and still do to this day. OK I could honestly skip the treacly hit "Everybody Hurts" every time and never miss it but that just feels like a harmless outlier; that's the only semi-throwaway on the entire album. I'd initially considered "Drive" to be an odd opener; a slow-starter if you will - but I've since seen it as a feature rather than a bug. It preps the listener for so many songs that could be (and were) hit-worthy, and not even counting the gorgeous cuts like "Try Not to Breathe" "Sweetness Follows" and "Nightswimming" - all brilliant highlights. They'd largely moved on from their early days of mumble lyrics and jangly Rickenbacker chords (which only a decade late finally hit me in the right places) and it must have been the perfect time/place for me to embrace this one - while this album rarely if ever sounds huge* this is a lush sounding record driven largely by clear acoustic guitars, and perfectly accompanied by accordions, mandolins, intelligible vocals, and perfectly accessible yet memorable melodies. * the notable/cool exception is the brilliant and huge "Ignoreland" - is this REM channeling early-mid period Who? I mostly don't care much about lyrics but this one strikes a direct hit on the plague that Reagan brought to the US/world, etc. Read those lyrics today in 2022 and sadly/terrifyingly they apply even more. Long-belated thanks to WBCN radio in Boston for that fateful afternoon drive. Tremendous album. 9/10 5 stars.
One of the best albums ever. Soul juice, it soothes.
Another one I bought (on the day of release?), 30 years ago now! Was never my favorite REM album, although stuff like Sidewinder and Everybody Hurts has aged fine and was loved at the time despite being viewed as a bit "commercial/embarrassing" in retrospect sometimes. This is all really excellent throughout. Didn't know how good we had it.
I think it’s a nearly perfect album. What keeps it from being that for me is the instrumental. And that’s just nitpicking. Everybody Hurts is one of my favorite songs.
R.E.M yes bloody awesome I loved murmur so to have their most popular album now is cool… I’am not gonna talk about my personal life on here but i’am going through a little bit of shit and music like this really cheers me up so I guess 5/5.
Ah, so I always merely tolerated REM. But even I can see what an incredible - if melancholic album this is. The sheer importance of songs like Everybody Hurts is staggering, the quality of the album incredible. It's quite something
I love this album. For me, Out of Time is the favourite but this is still incredible stuff.
"Automatic for the People" is the 8th studio album by R.E.M. Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry began working on this during the mixing of their previous album "Out of Time." The band didn't tour for "Out of Time" and "Automatic for the People" so they pretty much got to work on it right away. I remember that. They intended to make a more rockin' album. Well, that didn't happen. A lot of the songs are slower and deal with mortality, death, loss and nostalgia. Peter Buck said they were turning 30 and a lot of bands they grew up with in the 80's like The Replacements and Husker Du were no more and it seeped into the music. They actually intentionally put in more rockin' songs to break-up the somber mood. The string arrangements, a key part of this album, were done by John Paul Jones. The album name is based on a motto from a local Athens, GA eatery and the album cover was a picture of a star ornament from Miami hotel. Six of the twelve songs were released as singles. Wow! Some of these songs are among my favorite R.E.M. I honestly didn't know what to think when I first heard the album's first single and song "Drive." I was kind of like "Eh." It reminded me of "The Fly" from "Achtung Baby." I have a better appreciation of actually both songs today. "Drive" starts slow. An admitted homage to David Essex's "Rock On." Change your own live; make your own decisions. Things then get a lot more serious with one of my favorite R.E.M. songs "Try Not to Breathe." It's about Michael Stipe's grandmother dying. The is slow, a waltz. Gorgeous emotional lead and backing vocals. The band purposely lighten things up with the third more rockin' song "The Sidewinder Sleep Tonight." Influenced by and they paid the rights for "The Lion Sleeps Tonite." Peter Buck hates this song. Come on Pete! It's not "Shiny Happy People" or "Stand." The cool organ is worth it. So, we get to "Everbody Hurts." A song first written by their drummer (a lot more in reality) Bill Berry. A drum machine. Great string arrangements and melody. A song directly aimed at teens about suicide and not giving up. What a song! I think the highlight of the second side are the last three songs. Every song I'm skipping is good too. "Man on the Moon" was the second single and is more upbeat musically. It's hard to write about a song you've heard so many times. Although, I did listen deeper to the lyrics which are about not believing in everything you're told using nostalgia references like Andy Kaufman, man on the moon and Monopoly. "Nightswimming" is in my R.E.M. top ten. Perfect piano and strings. Looking back at memories and the loss of innocence and youth. Sadly beautiful. The album ends appropriately with "Find the River." Acoustic guitar, backing vocals and Bil Berry on the melodica. Is it about growing up and finding your direction? Or is it about coming to your river's end? Or both? R.E.M. had an incredible run of albums from their EP "Chronic Town" in 1982 through "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" in 1996. I've always said that any one of those albums could be your favorite and I'd probably agree with your argument. "Automatic for the People" is a top five R.E.M. album for me.
A brilliant blend of jangle/baroque pop infused with some alt rock on the side. I am not complaining getting two jangle pop records in a row, it's starting to become a favourite genre. Favourite Tracks: - Man on the Moon - Drive - Try Not to Breathe - Nightswimming - Find the River - Everybody Hurts - The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite - Monty Got a Raw Deal - Sweetness Follows Overall Grade: 5/5 (A / A-)
So sweet and beautiful
A banger.
A gorgeous album that sees one of the greatest American bands of all time expand their musical pallete, with some of their absolute best songs
Standard REM album.
This was always my go-to REM album, so if any of their works will get a top rating from me, it is this one. Not all songs are equally impressive, but overall, this is still a very good album.
Absolutely fantastic from start to finish
Great album
Fantastic album. Every track still holds up
REM REMREM
Rock alternativos. Varios megahits. Vinilo.
Everybody Hurts. 5
'Automatic for the People' is perhaps R.E.M.'s greatest in a long and impressive catalog. This collection of songs is more sparse than previous offerings, and is often more subdued. The string arrangements by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones are exquisite, and give Michael Stipe's vocals and lyrics an edge that highlights their despair and humor. Because this album is so sparse, there is an expansiveness that allows the listener to hear every single thing that is going on. This lends the album an intimacy that few albums achieve. This album became instantly one of my favorites upon the first listen.
Part of me want to denounce R.E.M. for stifling the growth of black music and keeping it pale and stale. But then another part of me recognises that this is pretty much the perfect pop album. Sidewinder still makes me smile today. It's not all sweet and sugar - it can get quite dark with Drive and Everybody Hurts. It stands up as a complete album. That's something that is often overlooked these days. It has a start, a middle and an end.
Classic
This was an important album in my life.
Amazing- brings back memories of being a teen and seeing them play in Edinburgh