Document
R.E.M.
1987
Album Summary
Document is the fifth studio album by American rock band R.E.M., released on August 31, 1987, by I.R.S. Records. It was the first album by the band to be produced by Scott Litt.
WikipediaInteresting that this is the one that finally broke Stipe and Company through. Maybe listeners were just yearning for fire. R.E.M are forever on my list of Top 5 all-time favorite bands. Sometimes they're even number one on the list. Personally, I rank Murmur, Automatic for the People, Reckoning, and Fables of the Reconstruction ahead of this one. It's their first album produced by Scott Litt, and to my ears, the first full album where Stipe's vocals are firmly front and center - no more trying to decipher what Michael was singing about (and R.E.M. famously never printed their lyrics in liner notes, at least not until "Up" and Bill Berry retired). It still allowed for an ironic misheard lyric during "End Of The World". I know I wasn't alone in thinking he sang "no beer" instead of "no fear" (and frankly, I prefer "Uh oh, this means no beer"). The band's secret sauce has always been Mike Mills' backup vocals, which are also prominently displayed here. I love his "Time I spent some time alone" refrain on "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)". That song provides a better history lesson than Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" ever did. It made me want to learn more about Lenny Bruce, Lester Bangs, book burning, and cheesecake. Mills' backup vocals shine on every track, "Lightnin' Hopkins" in particular. That's my favorite track on the album. First appearance of a saxophone on an R.E.M. album. It shows up at the end of "Fireplace". Maybe Berry, Buck, Mills and Stipe knew fire was the key to finally crack the Top 10 (it seems fire is mentioned on at least half the songs). This is the album (along with Automatic For The People) that rewards repeat listening. Go for the 25th Anniversary Remastered Edition, so you can keep listening to their Work Tour show from the Netherlands in support of this classic album. Everyone should hear the live version of "So. Central Rain" on that edition before they die.
I was rather devoted to this band in the 80s and into the early 90s. Always loved their style. Stipe is a heck of a lyricist and I like his voice. I'm still a huge Mike Mills fan. Bill Berry is so solid. I don't recall seeing or hearing Peter Buck's name in any discussions about great rock guitarists, and I think that's a shame. To me, one of the clearest hallmarks of a rare and special guitarist is I can tell who it is as soon as they start playing, and Peter Buck is in that small group of guitarists with a true signature sound. I am not interested in someone's shredding ability, hyperspeed, or whatever...I want to hear your unique voice, regardless of instrument. Love these guys and this is a strong album.
England was slow to catch on to the REM thing, and I feel I sort of missed the boat because of that. If they had caught me late 80s/ early 90s, at my most impressionable I think I'd be a total fanatic. They are really good. I know most of the songs here, but had no idea these were from 87. I feel my youth was robbed of REM. Love it.
Cannot stand R.E.M.
I've heard 2 songs from this but never bothered with 80s REM on the whole, so kinda interested to see if this grabs me. First song is pretty cool, kinda heavier rock than I expected. The rest is really good, this is a great album. 4/5 easy. Would give it 5 but Michael Stipe hates Australia so gotta chip him for that lol.
Athens' finest. Been a big fan of REM thru my dad. First time I've sat down and listened to Document though. Lot of great ideas on here that make for a truly monumental alternative rock record. Favorites tracks: "Exhuming McCarthy", "Strange", "Finest Worksong"
Really enjoyable listen. Learned from Reames that your pronounce every letter when saying the band name.
Great, a pleasure to listen to. I've heard a Best Of from REM quite a few times, but this was the first time I listened to a full album of theirs. I don't think there wasn't a single song on it that wasn't very good.
I think this may be R.E.M.'s finest album. It's the perfect blend of their early rawness and later more pop-sounding music. A masterpiece. 5 stars.
Reminded me of how great REM was and I never even heard these songs before, except End of the World.
What an impact this made on me as an innocent teenager! REM came to me from another planet where I started to think about Jingoism and Realpolitik. Plus the prevalent dark southern funky groove. I was also mesmerized by the winding, braiding lyrical loops... "They've gathered up the cages, the cages and courageous, The followers of chaos out of control." "Throw the walls into the fireplace." "...point to point. Point observation, children carry reservations" .. and so on. Not sure what the scientific designation might be. But I'm sure Scott & Scott on “R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME?" ripped into that topic at some point in-between recursive episode bits.
Great Album First time listening loved hearing song from the past. Besides the more well known songs also enjoyed Strange and Oddfellows Lodge 151.
The REM most people remember. I grew up to this album. The perfect mix of mysticism, poetry and a little politics. And oh that guitar. LEONARD BERNSTEIN!
I used to think that Michael Stipe was the best thing about R.E.M., but now I think R.E.M. is the best thing about R.E.M. The band works so seamlessly and enthusiastically together. It feels like their friendship and deep collaboration lends itself to an optimism in the music. Long live R.E.M.
This album was a solid fixture in my brain when I was 16 years old. The first time I drove on my own to a concert was to see R.E.M., in support of this album in the fall of '87. I listened to Document constantly in those days, so it means a great deal to me and is tied to so many memories. But it's also just a great album to listen to, even now. Every song is engaging and memorable. Document was the album that first brought R.E.M. into the mainstream spotlight in a major way. The quality of the album is terrific, with the band going for a tighter, more accessible musical style than on their earlier albums. The cryptic/quasi-political/frequently confounding/strangely whimsical lyrics are a deal breaker for some, but they shouldn't be. This is really an excellent album from one of the most uncompromising bands in rock, playing at their peak. They also opened the door to broader success for a lot of alternative bands with this album, and I'm forever grateful for that. Fave Songs (All songs, in order from most to least favorite): Welcome to the Occupation, Oddfellows Local 151, The One I Love, King of Birds, Finest Worksong, It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine), Lightnin' Hopkins, Disturbance at the Heron House, Exhuming McCarthy, Fireplace, Strange
Overall not completely amazing but this gets 5 stars for the fact that "The One I Love" and "It’s the End of the World as We Know It" are so perfect.
Enjoyed WAY more than I thought I would, I was kind of expecting weird weenie rock and got sick jams and great production.
We'll, it has one of my favourite songs ever on it, and the One I Love too. Don't know the rest going in. I know people say REM were a huge influence on bands after them. I never quite got it, but the tracks that aren't the above are basically every American band from the first half of the 90s. And I finally get the REM leading to Radiohead thing. I'd give it a four as an album. But a five for influence. As that'd be 4.5, I'm not going to be mean, and I'm going to round it up. Side note... I'd completely forgotten that REM were a four piece originally!
The 5th REM album was the first one I knew. They had a streak of 8+ five-star albums...
This is a record slightly ahead of it’s time. Feeling like Sub Pop Seattle circa 1992 except five years early. This album also has my favorite R.E.M. track on it. A simply excellent display from a hall of fame band.
Just something I really like about the sound of REM. The guitars, Michael Stipe's voice, always a good time
In an era of repetitive and generic post punk new wave, these guys were doing something so unique and original and timeless, aging better than the biggest groups of the 80s. Michael’s voice is such a tool in the songwriting of the group and the quality production, guitar riffs, melodies, underrated harmonies, make this a perfect album.
Good album. Singles are stellar. Lots of great tracks sounding more 90s than 80s. Solid album front to back
It's funny looking at the plays on spotify, it feels like everyone just stops this album after "The One I Love" The first half of the album was pretty great, with "Exhuming McCarthy" a great hidden gem. Ya'll know what the best song is already.
Excellent album, flows quickly and production is spotless. You can see how they were a favourite of Kurt Cobain after this .
Really great album. I had never listened before and I was pleasantly surprised. There's a reason they are such a huge influence.
Weird how much of a Talking Heads/TMBG vibe I get from this album. R.E.M. lyrics were so on the nose and political. I never really thought about it before.
One of alt rock 80s jewels. They never did a bad album, and this one is one of their best
4.2 - Shimmery pop rock that fits snugly into the late-80s indie era and also signals musical acts to come. Michael Stipe's vocals are throaty, muscular and clear. The album starts strong with "Finest Worksong", coming a peak in the middle with "It's the End..." and "The One I Love."
Solid 80s rock with interesting lyrics and a good amount of variety! I like his voice fine overall but there’s a few spots where it’s abrasive. Might be benefitting a half star or so from nostalgia, my dad plays these songs so much.
A good album, really a record of it's era. I have fond memories of this album when it was new. I wouldn't put it on to listen to it now though - so only 4 stars.
It's the big popular REM album. The one with "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World". But this is solid alt rock that I can get behind. Admittedly not very familiar with REM outside of the hits. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy something like this though.
Unos R.E.M. primigenios, crudos en su sonido aún a veces garajero y metálico, de reminiscencias grunge por momentos. Potente.
Not my favorite REM album but it has some nice classic songs. The first few songs are repetitive but it gets better.
Liked this more than I expected. Good structure, great lyrics, and honest presentation. That opening track is a ripper, too.
Really enjoyable, but most of the songs are a little repetitive. That being said, The One I Love is my favourite
Yeah pretty cool, definitely carved out niche for the Tragically Hip, 54-40, Hootie and the Blowfish and some other alt rock of the 90's.
While not exactly my usual cup of tea, you have to recognize that this is definitely a well made album, even by today's standards. Timeless songwriting and production value that still holds up, even having been produced in the midst of mid-80's big synth/reverb fads. classic, for sure and glad I was made to listen to it again
Absolutely fantastic album. Stipe’s vocals and Mills’ bass are just killer. Not to mention the fantastic Beach Boys harmonies here and there. It may not be R.E.M.‘s best work, but it does pretty well to showcase all of their strengths. Besides It’s the End of the World As We Know It, highlights are Exhuming McCarthy, Strange, and The One I Love.
It’s a great album. They really nail their sound here and you can see how brilliantly the four of them fit together. The first half is amongst the best stuff they’ve ever done. The second half isn’t quite as solid, otherwise this would be a five star album.
Strong from start to finish. It has been long enough since hearing it that I now love End of the World again. I would definitely like to listen to this more.
Unusually cheerful-sounding twangy soft-ish rock. A bit generic but I wouldn't mind listening to this in most contexts.
Love R.E.M., though i think every album they released prior to this was better (recognizing this gave them a ton of radio play). Still some great songs... particularly like the peculiar Oddfellows Local.
Some great music that has worn the test of time. I definitely do not listen to this one enough.
This album encompasses past, present, and future R.E.M. It's all there. Nostalgic for me in many ways. Most likely my introduction into "alternative music" or what we called back then college radio. So, it's always going to be an important album to me persoanally. Still in my regular rotation.
Lovely, nostalgic for the early 00's, makes me thing of white men and moby glasses. I didn't hate it.
I don’t think I was ever the proper age to really receive what REM was transmitting in their hey day. Now that I am older and super fucking wiser, I’m pretty much delighted anytime I hear them. Even on the kids channel on Sirius where they play “Shiny Happy People” ever 12 songs. And yet I had never listened to this record in full. It’s pretty damn great. And, at least in this moment, I’m happy I’m old enough to feel that way.
Believe it or not but this represented the first time I've listened to an REM album. It's good! Rocks harder than previously imagined, more saxophone too. Might try to 'get into' this band in my mid 30s, which feels a little tragic. Not half as tragic as hepping oneself to ie 100 Gecs though
Love the harmonies in End of the World and One I Love - listened to the those songs in particular a lot on road trips with dad. Also love how tink tink tink ride gets incorporated into a few of the songs. The drumming is actually sick across the whole record. Big Billy Joel sax on Fireplace. Oddfellows Local 151 is a amazingly spooky unsettling tune to close it all out. Always thought of them as early 90s dad rock, didn't realise they were so prolific from early 80s onward. Close to a five star but not quite
Great. Very reflective of the times, both musically and politically. "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" are great.
Pretty groovy. Definitely could listen to this and jam out a little if it came on, but I wouldn't choose it over most of my current music
Nomás por the one I love sube un chingo. Rolón. Y sube más por el himno llamado the end of the world as we know it.
Pretty good! I'm not huge into Alt-Rock, but I'm glad I checked this out. I will say that I think "King of Birds" would have been a waaay better song to end on than "Oddfellows Local 151". I was unsure about whether to give it three or four stars, but "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is a classic, and tipped it over the edge for me.
The pride of Athens! Solid album. A couple of tracks that don't quite seem to fit in but really strong and enjoyable throughout, and with the two big hits. Holds up very well after almost 35 years.
Did a REM binge a while ago, so this is still relatively fresh in the conscious mind. It's a bit of a bridge album – doesn't have the fresh looseness of their first few albums, and the songwriting feels a bit forced. But it is better than Green, which I (personally) think is the weakest of their pre AFTP albums. Anyway. I only now found out that Jefferson Holt got the boot for what may have been an alleged#MeToo situation. It seems that he got our learned friends to keep the matter nice and quiet. Shows how much my thinking has moved on from them days. I always assumed he'd be fast and loose with the double entry ledger... REM and "College Rock" will always be synonymous in my head. Unwashed, unshaved, reeking of stale beer and cheap aftershave. The audience, that is. I do not say this mockingly. I got to REM at a slightly more advanced stage in my evolution, but I had been that dude. Just with different music.
Finally an R.E.M. album. Am a bit biased here as they're one of my favourite bands and their albums are top quality. The first half is fantastic, all killer and no filler. Hard guitars in Finest Worksong and Strange, and great vocal harmonies in It's The End Of The World. The second half starts strong with The One I love but the rest doesn't have the same qualities as the first. Out of their 4 albums on this list, this is my least favourite, though still a great album. Also has the best apocalypse song ever.
I have listened to (and own) several albums from R.E.M. I can't remember if I own this one, which may tell you something about my rating. Most of the tracks are on my "I would listen to this again" list, and one or two are on my "I WILL listen to this again" list. "King of Birds" might be my favorite track, followed by "Oddfellows Local 151". "It's the End of the World..." is probably my least favorite track. The song has been overplayed, and the novelty has worn off for me. This is not my favorite R.E.M. album, but I still give it 4 stars.
Much better than Murmur - this was the R.E.M. sound I was looking for. A few big hits, but even the tracks I hadn't heard of were quite solid rock.
Document might be one of their BEST ALBUMS, and as much as I like it, you’ve already heard at least one LP from the list. Nevertheless, you pretty much have to be familiar with “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”. (8/10) FT: It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), King of Birds, The One I loveL
Oddfellows Local 151 is one of my favourite REM songs. “A fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made all the more indelible by its righteous anger.”
A solid album with a few of their biggest hits. Not too long, just some classic jangle pop.
The album that transitioned REM's jangle pop to rougher guitar riffs that would influence alt rock of the 90s. Vocals are clear, you can finally hear what he's saying. Album overall pretty good. Pretty coherent and full of great tracks. I'd say that there are more really good tracks on this album than any other except maybe Murmur or Automatic. The first two songs do great at establishing their new sound. I love the synths, drumming, vocals, and solo in "Exhuming McCarthy." "Disturbance of the Heron House" is a perfect blend of their old jangle and newer harder sounds. Skipping "Strange," you have the two classic songs everyone knows. Main downside is some songs kinda suck. "Strange" is a Wire cover, and it's a little too busy and fast-paced for either Wire or REM fans to like. None of the songs after "The One I Love" grab my attention, and I feel like stopping the album after that. "Fireplace" has a nice synth and jazz solo, but it's so out of place. I like the psychedelic jangly sound in "King of Birds," but not much else to offer. "Oddfellows Local 151" pretty decent. Favorites: Exhuming McCartney, It's the End of the World
This feels very quintessential REM. I think if you love REM you'll love this album and if not, you won't. I don't really have any strong feelings one way or the other, but can recognize the musicality of this work, so I'll pump it up by one star.
A good solid 4. Strong instrumentals and I suspect there’s some clever lyrics going on if I put a bit more effort in. But apart from the awesome energy of End Of The World there’s no thing very exciting or out standing.
A great listen. I was somewhat familiar with R.E.M before but hadn't listened to a full album before, and I enjoyed every song. Easily 4.5/5 Favourite songs: It's the end of the world as we know it, The one i love, Lightning hopkins
Really enjoyed this album! Early garage rock but it's still bangs. Obviously knew the big ones and enjoyed hearing the hidden gems.
Obviously I’ve heard a few REM songs before this but I’m definitely going to have to listen through the rest of there music after this. They have a very distinct sound and it’s just great. It’s the End of the World As we Know it, is just a classic. Not big fan of Fireplace but rest of the album is very good.
One of the good albums of the 80's. It certainly marked a turning point in the band's career with more consistency and maturity in the compositions and arrangements.
Some songs sound like they should be on a country album, and not on an album of one of the greatest rock bands. However, the tracks that made up for it were my jam, so this events out to 4/5 stars.
Fresh sounds when compared from the other albums that I have been listening to. A significant statement against the man, political. - critical of US involvement in South American affairs... look up banana wars. Fireplace has a sleek Jazz rift - overall pretty cool but a bit too polarizing for everyday listening in my opinion.
As godfathers of the alternative rock sound, I've been meaning to delve beyond the singles forever. And while there aren't really absolute bangers beyond the well known ones here, there's enough going on in each song that meant I was into this all the way through. I wasn't about all the clamour over listening to thematic songs when the pandemic started, but listening to It's The End Of The World... at this point, with all we've been through, and still are, was a bit of a moment. With it being the pre-CD age, it has a typical structure of a particularly strong first half, and I think I'll return to that regularly, with The One I Love added on for good measure. Shout out to the sound of the drums, majorly satisfying to my ears. Every member of the band's sound is iconic actually.
One of their finest. Standouts: It's the End of the World, The One I Love, Finest Worksong, Fireplace. Really every song is memorable. 4/5
Oof. This album is a very specific time and place feels. High School junior year. I think it was the start of my "I prefer their earlier stuff" conception.
This album is the seed of much that came after. Hootie? Gin Blossoms? Toad the Wet Sprocket? The Wallflowers? I can't help but hear all of them here. Stipe's lyrics would make a radical professor proud and leave a weird, straight A student radicalized. If I hadn't been in kindergarten, it would have been a lot of fun to be in university in 1987 and playing this tape over and over for my roommates. They would all sing It's the End of The World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) or The One I Love, then leave me to finish out the rest of the album while I draw my first anti-Reagan sign. There is something raw in this that fits college radio but not in a way that should be dismissed. It's like walking into a library with people studying in various corners--some stressed over exams and others flirting with someone too busy explaining the importance of a too-often-quoted philosopher--and you feel fine.
Rem makes another good album. Idk if it’s as good as the last one I got but end of the world as we know it is still a banger
A bit shocking that this album came out a year later than Slippery When Wet, Look What the Cat Dragged In and the same year as Girls, Girls, Girls. When viewing from that perspective, I have a lot more respect for the album as a whole. REM was pushing a new sound onto the airways, and if you listen hard enough, the tinges of 80s synth retro can be heard within a mellow rock album. Maybe not the most ground breaking album of 1987, but considering the noise around them, a noble effort at creating a new sound of the moment. Maybe with more makeup, blaring guitar solos and lyrics about girls they would have had more than 2 singles come off of this album...?
4/5. From start to finish, it is packed with great songs. I know this album well. Love it.
Another fine collection of R.E.M. songs. Maybe the first album where Michael Stipes vocals are NOT unintelligible hilighting what a fine lyricist he is. Side 1 is particularly strong with not a weak song of the bunch, plus huge personal props for including a Wire cover (is this the first time they include a cover song?). Side 1 ends and Side 2 begins with the two hits, which are both excellent songs. After The One I Love, we get our first run of less than stellar songs in Fireplace and Lightnin' Hopkins. (It's weird and a little jarring hearing a sax in an R.E.M. song). The album ends on a particularly strong note with Odfellows Local 151. Not quite up to the standards of Murmer or Reckoning, but a damn fine album in it's own right. 4.5 🌟
A band I'd always meant to listen to more, but never found the time to. The album starts off fire with 'Finest Worksong' and keeps on rocking from there. I think I actually like the other songs on the album more than 'It's the End of the World,' which is still a certified banger.
Its good and a unique enough sound, but not overly great outside of the one or two big tracks.
I always think of REM as a 90s band but with this album firmly in the 80s you can see how heavily they influenced the alt rock of the 90s and beyond. Great stuff
Ég er í góðu skapi í dag og þessi ágæta plata hjálpar til við það. Enginn R.E.M. aðdáandi í sjálfu sér, en ég gæti þessa oftar.
Pretty good! I'm not huge into Alt-Rock, but I'm glad I checked this out. I will say that I think "King of Birds" would have been a waaay better song to end on than "Oddfellows Local 151". I was unsure about whether to give it three or four stars, but "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is a classic, and tipped it over the edge for me.
4.5/5. Very solid. Nicely draws the line between heady lyricism and catchy, jangly pop-rock. Also very predictive of 90s bands like Lemonheads and Gin Blossoms
Another fine collection of R.E.M. songs. Maybe the first album where Michael Stipes vocals are NOT unintelligible hilighting what a fine lyricist he is. Side 1 is particularly strong with not a weak song of the bunch, plus huge personal props for including a Wire cover (is this the first time they include a cover song?). Side 1 ends and Side 2 begins with the two hits, which are both excellent songs. After The One I Love, we get our first run of less than stellar songs in Fireplace and Lightnin' Hopkins. (It's weird and a little jarring hearing a sax in an R.E.M. song). The album ends on a particularly strong note with Odfellows Local 151. Not quite up to the standards of Murmer or Reckoning, but a damn fine album in it's own right. 4.5 🌟
This album is a wonderfully produced college rock/alternative rock statement piece. The signature arpeggiated guitars and Michael Stipe’s distinctive voice are at the forefront here. Stipe’s lyrics are insightful, sarcastic, funny, and rank among some of the best. REM is certainly influenced by new wave, but I wouldn’t group them in with that genre. They really do have a unique sound that can be heard in later alternative bands especially within grunge.
R.E.M. at their loosest, most confident and most fun. Great mix of tunes, “A Finest Worksong” is an awesome opener (banged live, too), “Exhuming McCarthy” a boisterous blast and “King of Birds” a beautiful toning down toward the end. I’ve never loved the hits as much as others, though “The One I Love” holds up as a lean, classic. I have a long history with the band so hard to stay objective, but this record still sounds bold and fresh and fun, and continued R.E.M.’s hot streak that lasted well over the decade, a run that holds its own against that of any other band, ever.
The “big” songs off this album are fantastic: Finest Worksong, It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and The One I Love are classics for a reason. The non-hit songs on side one sound formulaic - similar guitar sound, bass line, drum beat, vocal style. It’s a good formula, don’t get me wrong, but very repetitive. The exception is Strange, but that makes sense since it’s a cover (originally by Wire). Side two gets a little less formulaic, but I don't find it all that memorable (except The One I Love, of course). Giving it a 4 because the greats are great, but not a 5 due to the fact that the others just aren't sticking with me as well.
I don't think I've ever listened to this album, just the hit singles (The One I Love is still a classic). Not as good as when they hit their peak in the early 90's but still a solid album. Great energy, great guitar work, great lyrics. It's worth digging into the non-singles. If you like edgy plus Neil Young-like political & contemporary commentary, check out Welcome to the Opposition, King of Birds, or Oddfellows Local 151. If you want more up-tempo rock, check out Disturbance at the Heron House. If you want a bit of both, check out Exhuming McCarthy. I also really like their up-tempo version of Wire's Strange. And for a cool up-tempo version of ...End of the World... check out Canadian band Great Big Sea. This album is definitely the beginning of their upswing.
Although I know some REM albums very well, for this one but not this one; here just know the hits. Of which there are many. After giving it a listen through I have no problem saying I like REM. This is a strong album. Not perfection, but lots here to like.
My birth year. I remember my dad listening to this in the truck, along with rush and dead can dance and Peter Gabriel.
This album gets a boost by being constantly played in my home growing up. Songs like "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and "The One I love" are all time classics. The rest of the album is honestly a little bland, but the memories give it the extra point boost. An all time favorite!
Standout Tracks: Finest Worksong, It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine), The One I Love, Fireplace, Oddfellows Local 151
I’ll be real, I think they probably peaked with Murmur, but this has some incredible rock music as well. “The One I Love” is an all-time hit for a reason. There’s a couple of skips depending on my mood, but I definitely intend to keep this in my collection for a good while. B+
REM is another band I know enough about, and like we’ll enough, but haven’t owned any of their albums. Probably should given how much I like Tragically Hip and the comparisons people make about these bands. This album is really good. Every song on the run from the start is so solid, up until The One I Love. Then. It looses steam a little bit and peters out to finish. But overall still really fun. Looking forward to listening to more of their albums now
I spent most of my high school years trying to avoid R.E.M. because that's what all the yuppie kids listened to. However, there's really no hiding from their jingles. It wasn't until college that I actually started appreciating Stipe's vocals and the music of R.E.M. Though less refined and poppy than their later releases like Green, OoT, and AFTP, it's good and perhaps underappreciated. You can't deny the Finest Work Song and certainly End of the World which is really the album of the 20th century. Document seems like one of those transitionary albums that introduces college rock into the mainstream leading the way for more artsy bands of the late 80's and early 90's.
Love all the old classics, didn't hear a lot that I hadn't listened to extensively here in the past. There was the one exception though, loved 'Oddfellows Local 151' which is a song that if not new to me I've not often heard!! Great track. Solid album, great band. I recall partying in Athens and hearing the locals down there rave about what great guys they are. Always amplifies a band in my opinion if they're good people.
Guess I had a lot of preconceived notions about REM. Enjoyed this considerably more than I thought I would. Even the non-hits have depth and appeal. This is kinda like the anti-U2 album. I can understand how they got famous and why now.
Didn’t know this album before - just End of the World as We Know it and to the one I love. Stronger start of album than end.
It's one of the albums out of R.E.M's incredible productive era, 6 albums in 6 years. And this one falls in between the other two great albums Life's Rich Pageant and Green. But where the other two albums are a bit more stable in their quality, does Document have some of the best and worst songs of this period on them. It starts incredibly strong with "Finest Worksong" and "Welcome To The Occupation". It goes down a bit with "Strange" and "Exhuming McCarthy" then picks up immensely with It's The End Of The World As We Know It," "The One I Love" and mostly "Fireplace." Then "Lightning Hopkins" pushes the album down again. It might not be a perfect album, but it's and album I will always listen to with a lot of pleasure. 4,5*
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. Great song off this album, as well as "the one I love" good examples of early 90s alternative rock.
Heard it before?: yes, I think this is my 3rd listen Enjoy it?: yes! The songwriting and power in this is fantastic, a common theme with REM Favourite song: Track 6 - It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
I liked it a lot but the early tunes were a bit less memorable to me mostly because u have already heard a couple R.E.M albums however it elevated from a very good record to a fantastic one at the midway point when "its the end of the world as we know it", probably my favourite on the record, plays, ending side one. One of my favourite things about the album is the band energy that gives even the filler tunes an essential feel. Also the production was was great great, and their first album with Scott Litt. Also the guitar was really good