Reviews (page 6 of 13)
Not their best but still good
3 is too low, a 4 is maybe too high but there are some tunes on here.
This is like a 3.5 for me. I'm rounding up. I spotify-liked 3 tracks: Finest Worksong, End of the World as we Know It, The One I Love. The rest of the tracks have the REM sound I like, but the songs themselves are not as good.
Quite alright, just early alternative rock, isn't the most interesting thing ever but certainly quite enjoyable and will get through an evening
4.4 - I just love REM at the moment, but this wasnt the best album for me. But any REM album is 4 and above right now.
Something about this album was very comforting. I liked the saxophone on Fireplace. I thought Its the End of the World As We Know It would sound more We Didn't Start The Fire, but it felt very organic within the album. Fave Tracks: Finest Worksong, Its the End of the World As We Know It 3.8/5
REM at ots REMest.
These guys were better than I remember.
I liked it
It's a shame I don't think the back half of the album is quite as excellent as the first; Lightnin' Hopkins in particular I'd consider a bit of a low point. Overall a great album that while not as strong as Murmur IMO, dials down the jangle and ups the intensity to great success.
REMs REMiest album I think. At least it’s the one I consider quintessential REM
This would have been a 3 - were it not for „it’s the end ..“. I love that song.
So good, I had to listen to it twice!!
Just lovely
One of the best albums of the 80s.
Kinda good
Rating: 8.5/10 Consistently great songwriting, jangly, fun riffs. Melodic basslines and tight drumming. Another great album from this band. The consistency of this band is truly remarkable. Favorite songs: Finest Worksong, Exhuming McCarthy, Strange, It's The End Of The World, The One I Love, Lightnin' Hopkins, Oddfellows Local 151. Least favorite song: Welcome To The Occupation.
R.E.M is a top-5 band for me, and this album was a key player in making that happen. After getting into them thru Out of Time and Automatic for the People, Document was my first step into their back catalog and my realization that this “new band” I loved had a storied and immensely strong musical history. “Finest Worksong” is indeed one of their finest hours; “End of the World” and “The One I Love” are perfect, massive singles; “Disturbance at the Heron House” is great; “King of Birds” and the Wire cover are cool, too. Most of the other songs aren’t bad, just not my faves from the band by a stretch. Again, this record helped catapult me into assured R.E.M. fandom, but in hindsight Automatic, Murmur, and Life’s Rich Pageant all best it for me. Document is still a great record, tho. That’s how great of a band R.E.M. was, and still is.
I fought REM for a long time, but there's no denying the depth of their catalog. This album finds them firmly rooted in their craft, but still floating outside the mainstream. 'It's the End of the World as We Know It' was prophetic because it pretty much broke them into popular airplay, but it's probably my least favorite track on the disc. 'King of Birds' and 'Finest Worksong' are favorites, along with tracks that must have been spill-over from the last album, 'Fables of the Reconstruction', like 'Oddfellow's Local 151'. That is no slight, as that might be my favorite REM project.
Man, on this album they were fucking PISSED.
Enjoyed this.
When this album came out my buddy Mike came over to my house with this cassette and told me this was one of the best albums ever. We listened to it and at the time it didn't mean much to my 15 year old ears as some of the lyrics were advanced, but man did I recognize 'It's the end of the world…" as a monster. I've listened to Document here and there over the years as I've become a fan of R.E.M., and now see this as the bedrock album that establishes the familiarity of what we see the band as now. They'll take a break and go more poppy with Automatic before returning to their college sound roots and following the message they so well lay down in this album. 4/5
I'm a fan of R.E.M. and there's a number of songs on this album I am familiar with.
I have nothing to say about R.E.M., but this was really good R.E.M. Maybe their second best album. Now pretend I wrote a whole paragraph explaining all the intricacies and good qualities of all the songs.
For me, I always divided the R.E.M albums into the ones that came after and including Out of Time, and the ones that came before. I mostly know the former ones, while the latter are mostly terra incognita. Imagine my surprise when I listened to this album and it was at least on par with some of their later albums. It contains two monster hits (The One I Love, and It's The End of the World as We Know It), but the rest of the songs are extremely listenable as well. 3.5/5
Some good stuff here - better than the previous album generated (outside of Orange Crush)
3.8
Weird, fun and kinda different from everything else. Would listen again.
I'm always surprised by how much older all of REMs stuff is than it sounds. They were a solid decade ahead of everyone else for their whole career. Clearly influential. I like me a good protest band. Plus, all their songs are so simple, instrumentally, but so awesome.
REM was so overplayed and Michael Stipe used to annoy the shit out of me. When I was 15 I was listening to either rap or things like Def Leppard. REM was too alternative for me at that time. So...fresh ears years later and this is actually a damn good album. I hate saying it but it's true. The best songs are NOT the big hits IMHO, but the rest of the album. This album also reminds me a little of the Tragically Hip and I do love the Hip. It was hard to have 2 REM albums in one week but this one is much better than the last.
Leonard Bernstein, Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce, and Lester Bangs walk into a bar...
Love
I like R.E.M. 3.5
really liked this
Easy listening R.E.M. Stand-out: Disturbance At The Heron House
Really liked this album not too intense but not too slow to be boring. My favorite tracks has to be lighting Hopkins, with its drums, Fireplace with that sax near the end of the track and the one I love .
The end of an era as we know it!! This album marked the end of REM 1.0. Green followed and was a transition to the new REM 2.0, but this one capped off their greatest years. Was fun to go down this road again.
I enjoyed this album; great light rock sound, and an interesting variety of songs. Couple of songs I really like were “Finest Worksong” and “Exhuming McCarthy”. Classics on this album too.
Really don't have a lot to say about this album. It was a good listen from start to finish and I'd listen to it again. Definitely above average. 8/10 (4/5)
Has the literal theme of gen x
See? Proof that just because I have an album on CD doesn’t mean it automatically gets five stars.
Rock alternativo. Un par de megahits. Un 4.
This was my favorite R.E.M. album we’ve heard in this project so far. A bit more musically rich than the others with the hits here being two absolute bangers. End of the world is really fun and the one I love is excellent too. The saxophone one one of the later tracks was another surprise.
8/10
Great album
Even indekken: Ik ben geen echte R.E.M. adept. Feitelijk ken ik de hits en Automatic for the People. Ik ben hier niet mee opgegroeid, los van de radiohits. Ik ga het hamburgermodel toepassen. Het is een leuk album om te mogen luisteren. Een cadeautje vergeleken met wat je hier soms voor je kiezen krijgt. De twee hits op dit album zijn erg tof. Ik moet wel zeggen dat de 5 tracks voor de eerste hit voor mij wel erg op elkaar lijken. Waarschijnlijk omdat ze nou eenmaal een vrij duidelijke eigen sound hebben. Is dit een ramp? Nee, maar van die eerste 5 nummers word ik niet bijzonder enthousiast. Gewoon leuk. Hetzelfde gaat ook een beetje op voor de laatste 4 tracks, al lijken die iets meer een eigen identiteit te hebben. Al met al dus absoluut geen vervelend album om te krijgen. De gitaren klinken lekker, de band doet niet al te gek, ik heb weinig irritaties. Ik blijf steken op een lichte 4.
I was surprised to learn that this was REM’s 5th album because it feels more like a jumping off point for their music of the 90s. At the same time, it feels a bit ahead of its time with respect to the music of 1987. I feel like I was picking up early grunge vibes, and maybe even a little Dave Matthews. If those folks don’t cite REM as influence, they should.
A very good rem album, one that I had in my collection and I always enjoyed.
Honestly, probably not in my top 3 REM albums, i've struggled a little with it at times, but it is pretty good. lots of good, some okay, and a really weird sax solo in Fireplace. I know its from 1987, but that feels a bit 1982. sounds like a complete rip off of The Working Hour by Tears for Fears Seems unthinkable to give this album a 3, so i'll lean more towards a low 4, a 'just about' type 4. I dont know if i like Lightin' Hopkins or think its woeful. I like the backing vocals and the guitar kinda so im gonna lean towards liking it
Has some good songs.
The last good R.E.M. album
4/5, nice production, guitar, vocals
I wonder if I actually love R.E.M. but just forget to listen to them? This was great and I hope I don’t forget about it again.
After all the years I’ve listened to REM I’d never actually listened to this in its entirety. I will definitely be doing so again. Early enough to have that rawness to it it, but late enough to sound distinctly assured.
R.E.M. is good. This album is not one of the best, though.
I'm a sucker for REM and this album is fantastic although it's not my favourite. Unlike many bands, REM's words actually have meaning. Add a catchy tune and it's a winning combination.
Classic
Toll, REM sind die grössten und haben sich immer wieder gewandelt. Allerdings gibt es noch reifere Platten, darum keine Maximalbewertung. Oder wäre es schon alleine für "It's the end of the world as we know it" verdient?
Net geen 5 sterren. Het album heeft echt vangers, en de stem van de zanger is zeker aangenaam. Maar het gebrek aan zieke bangers heeft me weerhouden van douze points
Nostalgic and good!
Opening track makes me think The Killers stole a few ideas from em. A few tracks are quite dated but essentially their sound. The two singles are great and this is a nice album so start off this "challenge". After the album ended, Spotify sent me to later REM and that will always stick more.
A lot better than expected. i recognised a couple of these and thought it was a solid album. 3/4*
Some good songs - enjoyed its the end of the world as we know it!
As much as I enjoyed it, I feel like it's an album that would grow on me in future listens. For now though definitely a 4
Back when my group got MURMUR, I declared it my new favorite R.E.M. album. I was just so taken back by how much rawer that album is that I guess I got some kind "walking out of the movie theater" receny hype. Which I don't bring up to say that I suddenly think MURMUR's a bad album; just that, yeah, DOCUMENT is still my favorite R.E.M. album. It's the polish from producer Scott Litt, really. Applying it to the band's unique sound, which going too overboard with it... Gawd**damn**. The riffs and vocal melodies were always amazing, but they stand out so much more here. Some songs in the back half don't do it for me 100%, but throw on either of its two killer singles, and, woof, boy, I sure feel fine.
While I'm more a fan of early R.E.M, this album still is a banger.
Not my favourite REM album, but it's up there. A fine follow up to Life's Rich Pageant, which is a better overall album, but lacks the big singles that Document has.
One of the best albums from REM who had a run of classics from 87 -92.
Early REM I’m less familiar with. Let’s go! Not the most late-80s sound. That’s a good thing Brighter production than I expected. Crisp. Almost a little faith no more -esque Good first song. More Rock sounding than later REM. Liking this (Monster is my favorite of theirs, I like their harder sound). Less whining Song 2 is generic but pleasant. I like the walking bass line Song 3 well this is just REM. like if you asked AI to make an REM song. Again, nice fairly prominent bass line. 4 is pleasant. Nice little solo, doing something in there Definitely getting some early alternative influences in here. Lots. This is good shit End of the world. Well known song. One I Love. Also a major hit. This album is quite good. This is why I do this. Find some really good shit I never would have. Gotta get through the shit sometimes though Fireplace 5/4 good job. Oh that sax going off Lightning again sounds like Faith No More (later I know) Bird king - good, REM sound. Firehouse - wrapping up a really good album. Bravo 9/10 stars.
fun, rock. little odd. classic
Interesting.
Good one.
Landmark record from the band just reaching the peak of their powers from a mainstream perspective. There are the obvious super hits on this, and the whole album plays through well and is cohesive. Very strong and innovative in terms of lyrics, instrumentation, and production. I very much enjoyed revisiting.
This 5th album from the band is very much a statement record. Not only an expansion in sound with more guitar heavy tracks, but also some heavy topics from McCarthyism to the state of America under the Reagan administration. This would be their final album with I.R.S. but seeing them perform it live in ‘87 only cemented my love for the band. Finest Worksong is a great opener and Disturbance At The Heron House and King of Birds still rank high on my all time REM faves list.
REM knows who they are, you gotta give them that. Maybe not a ton of variation in their stuff, but they rarely miss. This album has a couple of their classics included. Great listen, easy 4
A solid listen with a couple bangers. Also gave us that great scene in Tommy Boy listening to …End of the World. I still struggle to connect with R.E.M.’s catalog outside of their major hits, but this is good enough for me to round up. 3.5/4
It’s really hard not to love REM. it’s like I really try to not like them. But I can’t do it. 3.8
I'm not a big fan of R.E.M., but this is slightly better than "Green" IMHO. As "Green" received a three, but was a 3.5, I have to go for 4 this time.
Good album
Some great songs, some a bit more meh. But some great lyrics.
Anchored by back-to-back classics in It's The End Of The World As We Know It and The One I Love, I enjoyed this album. No songs stuck out as bad or "skippable" and the flow was nice. I wish I had listened to this one completely sooner.
Great Album
I only really know the two big REM songs, but I really enjoyed this whole album.
Strong first half; weaker second half;.
Wasn’t v excited about another REM album but quite enjoyed it
Some solid alternative rock. 8.4/10 Best Tracks: “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” “The One I Love”
Good band making good music, not much else to say from me. Favorite song: The one I love (by far)
Best REM album I’ve heard so far 8/10
I've gone on about how much I love early REM in other reviews, however I've grown to love Document as a whole less and less over the years. It's still great, but the idea that it's a contender for their best record I find almost laughable now. Usually cited as a leap forward for their musical style and clarity of Stipes vocals, I'd argue that had mostly already happened, or was well underway, by the (far superior) Lifes Rich Pageant. Obviously lots still to love, particularly the less vaunted but absolutely classic REM songs like Welcome to the Occupation, Disturbance at the Heron House and Oddfellows Local 151. Fireplace is also low key great. Then you've got the massive songs which are of course fantastic and deserving of the attention. I just find stuff like Lightnin Hopkins (why the weird voice?) and Exhuming McCarthy a bit gimmicky, dated and annoying though these days, throw in a slightly average Wire cover, and King of Birds is very nice but a bit too similar to Time After Time. Standing on the shoulders of giants doesn't quite leave me cold but, perhaps this is where the recycling of ideas begins. All that takes the shine off and for me it's actually the worst record they released in the 80s. It's still 80s REM though, so that's a bit of a "shortest giant" competition. Also, wonderful and infinitely confusing photographic patchwork record sleeve. Like a precursor to today's cursed AI images.
It’s a great album that I wish I had discovered a long time ago. But it’s nice to find good music.
8/10 - fav tracks: 1., lightin hopkins i ona dva fejmus bengera
Bueno.
It's THE REM album. So many great songs and a great consistent feeling throughout. Awesome harmonies, tight music with the band's mix being perfection.
Lots of hits plus a cool cover of Strange by Wire
Like very much
Great album.
‘Losing My Religion’, ‘Everybody Hurts’, ‘Man On The Moon’: all songs that make me want to turn off the radio. Imagine my surprise then upon listening to ‘Document’ and hearing an album which is tuneful, catchy, and full of urgent, engaging riffs, as well as genuinely good songs. Still earnest like most of R.E.M.’s stuff, but it doesn’t feel cringe here. ‘Document’ is legitimately a good time.
Cool macaroon
Hell yeah I just started to get into R.E.M. over the past few years after receiving CD copies of their big 90s albums from my aunt and parents, but I haven't listened to this one yet. The exceptions being their smash hits “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” which I forgot about and "The One I Love". I’m surprised that I didn’t start listening to R.E.M. sooner, they slap and are one of the originators of the jangly guitar sound that was prevalent in the indie rock I listened to in high school. Not every song here is a total bop, but most of them are, especially the big singles. I will definitely be continuing my journey through their discography in the future. Favorite tracks: Finest Worksong Welcome to the Occupation Disturbance at the Heron House Is the End of the World As We Know It The One I Love
REM has more hits than I thought, this was a fun album. 7/10
the transition from one the greatest alternative bands of the 80s to one the most insufferable mainstream bands of the 90s, still more the former than the latter but you can see where they’re going to go wrong
Maybe i like rem now
Cannot understand why I do not have this album in my collection. Think I came to R.E.M. quite late so have their later, some may say, more popular albums but somehow this passed me by. Particularly when the album contains two of their most banging singles - End Of the World… and One I Love. Really good album. So good that I bought it today to enjoy and catch up on lost time. 4/5 21/2/24
A band I've never given a lot of mind but I really enjoyed this. It was a bit droney occasionally (particularly Fireplace) so missed out on the 5/5 but still really enjoyable, would listen again
Very good album with some iconic tracks.
Great album. I somehow never owned this “tape” back in the late 80s when I was listening to a lot of REM. I already have Finest Worksong, It’s the End of the World, and The One I Love, which are absolute classics!!!
Great album. Loved almost all of the songs!
Buen album para conocer la banda más en profundidad. Con un sonido que tiene colores propios de un estilo y similar a una movida general formada por más bandas.
I’be always loved “End of the World as We Know It”, so it was cool to hear the whole album, but it was a bit more folksy (?) than I would have thought.
Very good.
6/11, 55%
Har alltid tyckt att It's the end of the world as we know it påminner om introt till The big bang theory. 4 / 5
• Osäker på omslaget, lite stökigt och konstigt, inte nån favorit. REM NO 5 för det är deras femte album • Man har hört ett antal REM låtar, men inte jättemånga och aldrig ett helt album • Pretty good ändå • Vad betyder REM äns? • It’s The End Of The World As We Know It har man ju hört, låter som introt till Big Bang Theory, lite We Didn’t Start the Fire också Betyg: Detta är en av de smakerna av musik från 80-talet som är rätt bra (även om det finns bättre grejer), sångaren har unik röst => 4/5
Good indie rock. Finally grew on me as a band.
Een verfrissend, verrassend modern klinkend album, en dat voor 1987. Er staan geen grote hits op die je echt pakken, maar verder is deze muziek nog altijd lekker.
REM represents an interesting moment in music. At a time when music was overly commercialized, REM went against the grain to create their own sound. They certainly were a popular band, but they weren't doing what the market was dictating at the time. Plus they're excellent songwriters in their own right. Document is an excellent example of that ethos.
That wasn’t too Strange, but It’s the End of the World As We Know It. Of the REM albums this is The One I Love.
Tons of funs. Just a fun album overall. Hits and not. What a meaningful band.
The hard thing to remember, after all the years and all the listens, is how fresh and eye-opening this sounded when we first got our hands on it
excellent
Loved this more than I thought. Brought me back to Independence Day (movie) hearing it’s the end of the world. Followed by the one I love - amazing back to back singles.
I liked this album overall - R.E.M. has a fairly characteristic sound on this record, and they pretty much stick to it. He's not my favorite lead vocalist ever. A couple of iconic songs pick things up toward the end of 40 minutes that I felt like were generally pretty easy listening, if a bit stale. 8/10. Favorite Songs: It's The End of the World As We Know It, The One I Love No particular least favorites
REM keep surprising me. Born in 80 I wasn't exposed to them until this era of their music. They stayed consistent while also pushing boundaries
Never been a huge fan of R.E.M. 80's stuff, altough this one is a pretty solid album and worth a listen for any 80s rock enjoyer. Fav tracks: - Welcome to the Occupation - It's the end of the world as we know it - Fireplace
Last listened on cassette. Brought back Memories
One of their best albums in my opinion.
This album is from the 80s but it sounds depressingly contemporary, with songs about a crazy world teetering on the brink of destruction, run by right wing politicians and money grubbing billionaires who are “loyal to the Bank of America”. The jangly guitars and Michael Stipe’s nasal vocals have dated a bit more than the lyrics, but I still found myself singing along with and remembering most of the words to “End of the World as we Know It”
Somehow this is the first full REM album I've listened to, though I've always loved Michael Stipe's voice and whenever a song comes on. Love it!
Great listen. Some classics in there and the filler ain't too bad either
Dit pas puur genieten, ken eigenlijk weinig nummers van dit album maar ga ze zeker vaker luisteren
Good album mid career REM. More pop oriented.
I wanted 3 stars but Goof demanded EXTREMELY aggressively! Has some proper good songs on it. Has a couple that are a bit non descript. We are on a coach by the way. To Wakefield
Hyvää ja hyväntyylistä rockia. Unohdettu klassikko: The One I Love. Parhaat: The One I Love, Its The End Of The Woeld As We Know It
Gostei bastante. Especialmente as primeiras 2 músicas. É um estilo particular, muito identificativo
R.E.M is one of those magical bands (mostly - but not only - thanks to Michael's unique voice) that you can identify imediately even if you don't know the song so that already makes any album from them quite special. I was surprised to learn that this album is from the 80s as it has real 90s rock vibes, mainly because of the punchy songs and political criticism in the lyrics, so this is evidence that REM were pioneers and ahead of their time. I think it's a great album, very diverse but at the same time consistent, and it has The One I Love which I love (pun intended). I give it 4 stars because I find R.E.M melodies a bit repetitive after a while but it's still a great album.
Better than many of the other more generic '90s alternative rock bands.
how did they predict covid in the 1980s ! it’s the end of da world
Gen-X alt-rock/alt-country rage. I bought this album in my freshman year of college, and it reflected my youthful angst about Reaganomics, neo-McCarthyism, and other forms of inhuman division. Scott Litt brought REM into a larger audience with this album, particularly "The One I Love" and "The End of The World," both good songs played. to. death. This was, in my opinion, a great work and also the beginning of the end for REM. Litt's production made a lot of hits for them, but they lost their way with Green and particularly their 1990's releases Out of Time and Automatic For The People. For for a short shining moment, this was REM bringing themselves to a larger audience, on their terms. A great, angry album.
Some bangers on this one.
It's been many, many years since I've heard this album in its entirety, but I enjoyed the re-listen more than expected. Looking at the track list made me think this album had a bunch of filler, but I ended up enjoying the whole thing. I'm certainly biased towards R.E.M. since Adolescent Kyle spent a bunch of money on their CDs back in the day of Columbia Records (or whoever ran those CD by mail catalogs in the 90's), but Adult Kyle hardly ever listens to a full R.E.M. album (and then it's usually "Green" or "Monster"). Maybe I need to revisit them more often, beyond the singles.
Was a huge R.E.M. fan back in the day. Loved this and still love it.
R.E.M. is one of those bands whose songs I know well but I've never actually listened to an album. This was really good, familiar and yet new. If I took the time to really listen to the lyrics I'm sure I"d appreciate them even more.
Some good hooks in here. I like Disturbance at the Heron House. Couple big hits in It's the End of the World As We Know It and The One I Love. Strong stuff.
Easy listening, and I mean that in the best way. Lots of fun, love their style. My mom used to always say that she wants me to throw her ashes on the lead singer of R.E.M when she dies. Because my mom loves them, and I think we listened to this album when I was growing up, this is deeply comforting and enjoyable to me.
Now this is the REM that I know. Funny how I got two of their albums two days in a row. Certainly a bit more refined for their 5th album, they really focused in on their personal sound and the best ways to present it
This is definitely one of the better R.E.M. albums but that said, I'm just not all that excited about jangly pop songs.
I was a little late to the party with R.E.M. I never disliked them, I just didn't spend enough time actively listening to them to appreciate how good they are. This one is definitely something of a landmark in their career, marking a shift in style and their biggest success up to that point. There are some absolutely classic songs here. Overall, not my favorite work of theirs, but definitely a solid effort.
Solid work.
Solid album, includes the hits
The One I Love and The End of the World As We Know It are classics!
Easy to bop to.
One of the best sounding REM albums and three huge singles. Signature REM sound captured.
Rock, 1987 ->4
First listen (with exception of End of the World as We Know It) Excellent political commentary across the whole album. I should really check out more R.E.M.
Memories!
There are classic songs on here but also some decent tracks i didn’t expect from REM! Important for its time for sure.
Solid album. The One I Love was the song that got me into R.E.M. Still, probably 3-4 other albums I'd pick to listen to over this one from them.
Extra star for the sax solo. Not something I’d listen to on repeat, or often. Throw a couple songs in a mixed playlist; I’m good, no skipping. 🤣
Listened Before? No Never really felt like I needed more R.E.M. in my life, but that Green album was pretty solid and a year after this one. We shall see. Mixing on the Finest Worksong is very spread out. Drums give the sense that they were recorded in a huge hall, while everything else is much more forward and clear. Song is a low-key jam, especially during the outro, which feels like it would segue into an elongated jam sesh in a live setting. End of the World and The One I Love are timeless classics. Great pop rock. Lightnin' Hopkins gives some serious RHCP meets slide guitar vibes with the snarled vocals and meaty ass bassline. Really liked Oddfellows Local 151 as well. After a single listen mostly in the background, this is erring towards a solid 4. I found the songwriting to be generally solid and was grooving along at multiple points. Second listen leaves me in about the same place. I don't LOVE everything about this album, but I think it is entirely solid and well-done. Added to Library? Yes
It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine... Don't listen much to REM, but this album has a history as the theme of our end of the world party in 1999 lol.
Yessss, I was feeling like R.E.M. today. Didn't really know their earlier work.
Good album. Haunting lyrics. Refreshingly original music.
Lenny Bruce is not afraid
Great entry from REM. I really like the dark bass lines throughout, and find that the heavier instrumentation perfectly suits REM and their lyrics. Fave tracks: Finest Worksong. Exhuming McCarthy, The One I Love, King of Birds
Easy to listen to with a couple a banger. Gets better when you give it more attention. 4 stars.
I'm not a big fan of REM, but there are some good songs in this album.
very good i now it
I love their trademark syncopated lyrics, love Michael Stipe’s lists of things, love how much he hates “business” and bureaucracy and the military industrial complex, love his keening for the death of the American soul—or the very absence, the never-having-been—that, irony of beautiful ironies, helped give us one.
LE-ONARD BERN-STEIN! I never got into REM when they first came out as they always seemed like "Grownups music" -now I'm a grownup so I like them. This was great.
I really liked this vibe. The one I love and it’s the end of the world as we know it are bangers. It was a fun album.
Not my favorite rem album but pretty solid.
Great band
Not my fave REM record, but still great. Last couple tracks (specifically Lightning McQueen) are weaker for sure.
It was a great album
Didn't know that I actually knew some of these songs. Can see the influence R.E.M. have had on rock & indie since.
Better than I expected, some familiar songs
Gotta love political commentary songs, especially if they seem prophetic
This was a nice reminder of how good these people were. Lyrics, melodies, harmonies. Yeah, glad I stretched myself to listen to this one. Good choice!
REM as REM was hitting its stride. Several songs in my 🌟Favorites
Absolutely iconic voice that goes from sounding great to annoying and then back to great again. Instrumentals are pretty generic but the singles from this album are absolute bangers. Doesn't overstay it's welcome and has some real emotion tied to the lyrics.
Some good guitar noise, not as good as Murmur.
REM is a good band.
I guess I needed to give them some more listens and give it more attention. This record I liked a bit more than the one I got two days ago. I feel it has a bit more punch and creativity, and the vocals seem better! Standouts: Finest Worksong, Exhuming McCarthy, It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), The One I Love, Fireplace, King Of Birds, Oddfellows Local 151 8 out of 10
The darlings of the late eighties/early 90’s alt rock-indie turned major label stars, who can deny the sound and the lyrics?
This is a pretty good album right here. I listened to Murmur by R.E.M. a few weeks ago and I thought that was quite good. Honestly, I like Document more though. The band's sound is definitely a bit more refined here than in Murmur. Case in point, the singing. It was kind of hard to hear the singing at times in Murmur. Now, Michael Stipe's singing is at the forefront of the album, and it's quite good. He's a pretty good singer that is largely responsible for R.E.M.'s iconic sound. The instrument playing also adds to that, with the whole album having a consistent, yet not too repetitive, feel to it. The writing, I feel, was also drastically improved from that album. This album's a lot more political than I expected it to be, with songs that clearly commentate on things the Reagan administration and even a song that directly name drops McCarthy in the title. Overall, this is a great album that reaffirms the opinion I gained from listening to Murmur that R.E.M. is a pretty good band. High 4/5.
Nostalgia
Really good, a band clearly well into their creative flow.
Classic REM tunes. Good 👍
Never listened to a full R.E.M album before. This one was really good, I knew a few obvious songs like "It's the End of the World as we know it" and "The One I Love" and they still hold up. I had to skip Fireplace, found it annoying, maybe I'll get it when I listen again.
Better than average Rock album 2 great single push it to a 4. 3.6
What a delightful, charming little album. Love me some R.E.M.
I never really understood how REM influenced grunge but i see it now - the first track especially could be off Pearl Jam's 10! Fave track was the last one i think (something 151?) Not counting its the end of the world and one i love cuz i love those already lol. Probably give it a 3.5 but ill probs round it up cuz it's INCREDIBLY solid and consistent... worst tracks are okay, best tracks are life changing.
This album seems like a bit of a bridge from R.E.M.s previous albums and their future releases, it was somewhat of a breakthrough into the mainstream for the band not an easy feat as most mainstream bands were either hair metal or very poppy. The production is pretty good with the album having more of a live energy and cleaner vocals that are at the forefront of the mix. Lyrically Stipe has a lot to say. In taking a quick overview of the bands earlier albums I do miss the janglier guitar work by Peter Buck. Overall, a really good album that seems to be R.E.M.s big foray into radio friendly territory. Favorite songs; Disturbance at the Heron House, End of the World, King of Birds.
Probably a top five R.E.M. record, there's a lot to love here. The production feels a little more polished than their earlier work, which I might be more inclined towards, but remarkably crisp for 1987. Michael Stipe's vocals take centre stage with a commanding presence and expressiveness. The track list is pretty stacked (psyched) here and it was great to revisit this one. I think they have stronger albums, but there's some all-timer songs here. Favourite songs: Disturbance at the Heron House, Exhuming McCarthy, The One I Love, It's the End of the World, King of Birds
Alt rock classic, before my time, but I love this album. I only knew the 90s REM and took me until I was older to dig back into their catalog… which had sooner
Maybe a 5 star album, not sure. but really good.
Enjoyable album by REM. I can't believe it's from 1987 though. There are tracks on it that band and could be mistaken for modern alt rock songs.
Couple of bangers there
I appreciate the inventiveness of the album, which bringes 80s pop/rock and the emerging 90s alternative scene. Some moments are brilliant, but it does not resonate completley with me at a deep emotional level. I am However a bigger REM fan now than a hour ago.
Not only is this the best reason for a whole group of guys in a car to shout out. \"Leonard Bernstein\" all at the same time. But it's a damn fine album as well.
Before this, R.E.M. was just a college-radio band. Then, all of a sudden, you could understand what Michael Stipe was saying.
Pretty nice. Does sound like radio music for a whole album
3.5
ok
R.E.M. is a little too Gen X for my tastes but they're pretty fun.
I’ve never really delved into REM’s archives, but maybe I should have. They were a definite influence on my favourite band, The Tragically Hip. The sound of a “pop grunge” with a matching voice and excellent guitar work. A few stories thrown into the lyrics for good measure. A very solid 4+.
Some good upbeat rock and roll. "It's The End Of The World" and "The One I Love" are obviously amazing, but I really like "King of Birds" and "Oddfellows Local 151" as well.
The opening bars could be mistaken for Pearl Jam. REM are just coming to their peak by this album. Several standout tracks as well as the singles - I like it.
This album comes just before I really became an R.E.M. fan with their next two albums. "The One I Love" is certainly one of my top songs by them. I had never listened to this whole album before like the next two. So why didn't I like this more? It may be because I am feverish today, but I couldn't get into most of it, and I also really wasn't having that saxophone. And I may have transposed "Leonard Bernstein" and "Leonid Brezhnev" when trying to sing along to "End of the World." Both were mentioned, so I didn't feel too bad.
This is what I expected from an R.E.M. album. It was good, but not something that I really dug.
it's got end of the world. it's rem. 4 stars
I’ve always found it strange that REM achieved the massive success they did given their sound and the era they got big during—I’m not complaining! I love REM. But there is something to their sound that sounds so particular and niche for them to have become one of the biggest bands of the 80s/90s. I’m more familiar with their next three albums, (“Green,” “Out of Time,” and “Automatic for the People”), so this one feels more novel to me. Of course, the big hits (“…End of the World” and “The One I Love”) are genuine classics. I enjoyed most of the other songs too (although tracks 5 & 9 got slightly irritating) and I appreciate this earlier sound for the band. Side note- amazing that their fifth album is still an “early” album for them.
One of my fav rem albums can hear them getting their sound ready for automatic.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Oddfellows Local 151 & The One I Love bang. Can see this growing on me in the future.
This is the first time I’ve actually listened to a REM top to bottom. If I’m being honest I was always turned off by their terrible album covers (maybe a bold statement, but I stand by it). I gotta say, I immediately heard “the influence” so many people claim they have. Wild to think music like this was being made while Def Leppard was still out there making sure hair metal stayed somewhat relevant. I also love that REM is a Georgia band, within those jangly Electric guitars you can hear the influence of the weird south. There’s even a dulcimer and reference to lightning hopkins! Two of these tracks are radio classics, but the album works as a whole. I especially loved disturbance at the heron house and exhuming McCarthy. As well the cool jazz break in fireplace was really cool. This is definitely an album I’ll return to, and maybe It will teach me to not judge an album by its Cover.
The year is 1987, Iran-Contra affair, the Unabomber is at large, the first Starbucks outside of the US opens, Platoon wins Best Picture, and the Simpsons first appears on TV as a series of shorts. The world is still disillusioned by the Cold War and seems like a crazy, crazy time. Context is so important to enjoy this album because it really is a product of its time. Since it's release, the singles have dominated the airwaves to the point where the phrase "It's the End of the World as We Know It" is essentially synonymous with the band R.E.M. However, outside of "It's the End..." and "The One I Love," there is a different sound present. "Fireplace" loses a bit of the garage rock vibe and adopts a more jazz attitude as it calls for use to "throw the walls into the fireplace" to dance. The first half of the album presents a dark vision of the future, while the latter half is more hopeful. It's almost a shame that the two hits have performed so well because it's to the detriment of the rest of the songs included.
Always forget I really like R.E.M.
Some of the earlier albums (Murmur, Reckoning and Life's Rich Pageant) I would rank higher than Document, but it's an important record for the band as it helped break the band more into the mainstream, for better or for worse. Hits such as, The One I Love and It's the End of the World...attracted attention on MTV and the band moved further away from their "indie-cred". This was the last album I deliberately bought, it's good, but there is more filler than their previous records and their music begins to lose their charm and uniqueness (the reason I started listening in the first place) after this album.
Great album. Heard everywhere when I started college. Sometimes hard to determine if it's a good song or good memory
This album has a consistent Americana indie jangle going on (kind of like Tom Petty twang meets the Smiths chime with some U2 bombast). The two huge (The One I Love & End of the World) hits are memorable anthems I'm still happy to hear after thousands of listens and the album tracks are all solid to great. Peter Buck has fantastic guitar sounds, inventive parts, and great hook. The rhythm section is tight and expressive. Michael Stipe's vocals are charismatic, earnestly open and his melodies catchy and engagingly overwrought. The songs are concise pop gems with a just right blend of power-pop bright energy and post-punk snarl. The production is flawless and it all sounds crisp, clear, and perfectly balanced. But for some reason despite liking every component of REM individually their albums have never really clicked with me. I put them on, sing along to the hits, and enjoy the rest in a kind of zoned out way. Favorites: Oddfellows, The One I Love, Occupation, Disturbance
I love this album.
I don’t often think about the craft of rock but I think about it when listening to R.E.M. sometimes. They released a lot of excellent music and even if I don’t love it the way I love my favorite bands, I’m always impressed. They knew their craft and they always had a lot of ideas. Most of this album is strong from a melody perspective and the band fleshes out each song with great playing and interesting details. And the lyrics are smart. A lot of lyrics seem to be focused on criticizing politics. “It’s the End of the World…” and “The One I Love” are great songs and two of R.E.M.‘s best. They show off the band’s range too. They could be playful and fun, or dramatic and melancholy. I was impressed by the range of this album in general.
Well. I guess R.E.M. wasn't overhyped. The two singles are still the ones that do it most for me, but I also really enjoyed the vibes of "King of Birds" and "Strange." The album is somewhat homogenous to me but that might be because I don't listen to much of the genre. Solid listen!
A classic indie/alternative album, but not exactly my cup of tea. I love a few R.E.M. songs, and a couple are on this album, but the rest are just pretty good to okay.
Konečne niečo počúvateľné. Nice
”Rem is great” -Bingus Gaming 11/8/2023, good album!
Zanger heeft een mooie stem, voelde af en toe buiten tempo.
erg lekker weg te luisteren. weer een andere vorm van rock ontdekt
Classic REM, good stuff.
It would be fun to track the evolution of Michael Stipe's vocals ... from the early albums, through Document and Green in the middle, to R.E.M.'s albums from the 90s. Maybe 1001 will give me that opportunity.
some great songs in here, whole band sounds good throughout. slightly faltered at the end but It's The End Of The World and The One I Love are both exceptional
Pretty good. A few duds. It's so hard to say when REM were at their best, this is close.
R.E.M. is fun and this album is fun. It's older than I realized. Of course End of the World and The One I Love are great. I don't get many of the pop culture or political references but it seems like it's the end of the world as we know it every year so still relevant.
Solid early R.E.M. - would say there’s some skippable tracks, hence the 4 stars. But enjoyable and would listen straight through again.
Great album. Lots of good tunes.
A classic rem album, still great for an easy weekend
Couple of good songs
if only I had a ping of beer whilst listing to this, fuvking classic pub music
Strangely it gave me big Decemberists vibes
Hey, that's pretty good
It all blends together minus the title tracks. Good, not great.
I like it
Very solid album, got a couple big hits of course. Appreciated a couple of the lesser played ones like “Exhuming McCarthy” and “King of Birds,” but you can’t beat the classics. Favorite song: The One I Love. 7/10
Good songs: Welcome to occupation, it's The end of the world, The One I love
an album that incapsulates a time period. Musically it is top notch too.
Pretty excellent. A nice bridge between the early college rock and the subsequent proto alternative rock of Automatic or Monster.
More rock-y then their hits. Reminded me of pearl jam and I like pearl jam a lot
That's just a great album. No wonder this put them on the map. You can hear the shades of what would become "Automatic For The People" in the corners of "Document" and I'm here for it. Is it their best work? No. But it's hella good anyway. It seems somewhat unfair to judge an album by that band's later works but I'm going to. This is great, but "Automatic" exists. And so "Document" gets 4 stars.
Great very 90s and some classics on there.
Really digging this. I'm only halfway through and it feels like 4 stars. In this case, all the songs are good, I'm not just pulling up my overall rating based on the big hit(s).
No idea what happened with the first song on this album, that shit was so mid. The rest of this album is fantastic, it reminds me a lot of the stuff my dad would listen to when I was a kid. By this time this is for sure rock/alt rock, but this album still feels very country to me in some way at least at the start. Sounds great, halfway though and I’m not getting tired of it yet Previously I haven’t been in love with the singers voice whenever I heard R.E.M in passing but I’m actually enjoying it quite a bit, especially in the context of the album. I’m not in love with fireplace, but the brass solos and instrumental breaks are fantastic A little lull towards the end but the last few songs picked up for sure. King of Birds and Oddfellows have been really engaging Great album easy 8/10 with those last few songs, not always quite my thing but very solid
4+
Fun
Nostalgic, classic
Good rock album
A milestone album for a major band of the 80s and 90s. "Document" is the album when R.E.M. fully hit their stride. It shows a maturity in sound and approach. This is the band's breakthrough album. It transformed them from university alternative rock outfit to mainstream hitmakers that would be in the ascendency for a decade. It is also one of the most complete LPs in the R.E.M. catalogue, including a handful of tracks that would become signature singles rounded out with solid songs.
Takes me back.
Good album, showed me more R.E.M songs than I've heard before. Though I did recognise and still love It's The End of The World as We Know It.
Sign of things to come
Favourite tracks: finest work song; it's the end of the world as we know it; strange; the one I love; fireplace
lovit!
Great album
Lightnin' Hopkins alone sells the album.
REM is always quality listening
Album #: 258 first impressions: another REM? This one might be less inscrutible since it has eome of the songs of theirs I know. after listening through: ok i get the appeal of this band to those of a certain age (Gen X, I guess?) post-reading reviews/wiki: i guess people really like this one, huh? recommended for: fans of jangly guitars and angsty but not *too* angsty vocals and lyrics
Excellent old favorite.
Consistent good.
Now this is more like it.
I like REM a lot and the albums two hits are great. Most of the rest didn't do it for me though. The first track was great!
Groovier than I expected. Definitely has air band potential.
Not sure if I'd listened to this entire album before. It was a good one.
Great album
First five songs were just average, then we get the two hits (End of the World and The One I Love), which are great. Then the rest was pretty good with the exception of the last song, which was kind of a dud. A low 4/5.
This album is pure dad rock to me, I think something about the vocals just puts it over the top. An appropriate amount of jammy parts and some big hits spread through
The hits are great, everything else is good. Might need to dive into this band
This album is terrific. Loved the opening track.
Had a few classic songs I knew and enjoy. I like their sound and vibes a lot.
Great album i digg it
There are some good songs and a couple of songs that were just alright. 3.5 stars
A good album with a few noteworthy songs that I'll listen to again, as an album it was fun but I won't be back.
Nice and rock, with hit smash 'It's The End Of The World', very apt for this day and age.
Great. First record I got for this challenge was Automatic for the People. That's boring. This is a lot better. A lot. Favorite song: The One I Love
Solid band. Enjoyed so much of it.
guess i'm an REM fan now
Brilliant, groundbreaking stuff
This is an album of REM before they sold themselves out to pure commercialism and totally annoying songs like Shiny Happy People. The opening track, Finest Worksong, is by far the lead track of the album, with a couple of overplayed but decent tracks End of the World and The One I love. REM have always seemed to be marmite group, you either love them or hate them, not much in between, although personally I like a lot if thei early stuff like this album from the late 80s, before it all got away from th in the 90s.
A strong album by R.E.M let down by it's second half. Standouts lie in Finest Worksong, Welcome To The Occupation, Exhuming McCarthy, and Disturbance At The Heron House.
My first introduction to R.E.M. was the album after this one: Green. But over time I've gotten to know most of their catalogue. Document is one of their records I've now spent a substantial amount of my R.E.M. time with. It's not my favorite or their best, but it's very good. It's just deep enough, catchy enough, rocking enough, and something surprising enough to keep me coming back. It has a few too many tracks like Exhuming McCarthy and Lightning Hopkins that don't hold up quite as well as you'd want on the one hand, and yet it has all-time greats like It's the End of the World as We Know it (and I Feel Fine), The One I Love, and Finest Worksong on the other hand. Solid record from a band who had even better things in store for us. Four stars.
It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) is one of those songs where I think I dislike it more than I actually do. In fact, it is actually pretty good. Oh, and the rest of the album is great too.
Interesting album. I don't mind listening to REM and It's The End Of The World... and The One I Love are great tracks. I feel like I need to give the rest of the album a bit more time.
I've heard the big singles from this, of course, but don't believe I've listened to the album before. It sure does sound like a specific point in time - I guess due to a combination of R.E.M. dominating the airwaves for a while, and influencing a bunch of other people to sound like them? Fave track - "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is an absolute bop - if anything it's even better than I remember! Also enjoyed "Oddfellows Local 151"...
I’m familiar with their big hits so thought this would be a good listen and it was.
I enjoyed this! I am actually not that familiar with REM beyond some of the biggest hits, so glad to listen to this
Never listened to REM, but I liked this!
Pretty good from REM
Je suis une pute à riffs (intro). Si j'aime le riff d'intro, je suis un vendu à la toune. Très bon album, des bonnes chansons de radio que je connaissais, mais pas le titre et d'autres déjà entendues plus des beaux sons.
Really good album but not their pinnacle which came prior.
A very good album by a very good band.
3.9 Great!!!!! faves: oldfellows local 151, the one I love, the end of the world
A solid album! Not everything here was really that interesting to me, but there was some great rock here. Favourite: It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)