Green

I’m shocked to see only one 5 star review for this. All I can say is what this meant to me when it came out. As a kid who was unsure of where or how to fit in, this was a world that I could inhabit. This was a place that felt like it belonged to me and that had tremendous depths to explore. Maybe it doesn’t sound new or different because of everything that’s been influenced by it. It was just serious enough to take seriously, just fun enough to be fun, just rocking enough to be rock, and just different enough from everything else to define the alternative. For an album this weird to be as successful as it was in the monoculture times, and break through to present itself to kids like me was almost a miracle. It was a gateway to a million other things but on its own it just about saved me.

Sometimes I feel like I can't even sing I'm very scared for this world, I'm very scared for me Eviscerate your memory Here's a scene You're in the backseat laying down, the windows wrap around To the sound of the travel and the engine All you hear is time stand still in travel And feel such peace and absolute The stillness still that doesn't end But slowly drifts into sleep The greatest thing you've ever seen And they're there for you For you alone, you are the everything Amazing album in its theme and its lyrics, and also in its encapsulation of the feeling of a decade. I dont always agree with this list, but this is definitely one of the albums that everyone should hear. 5/5

Trying to articulate what makes R.E.M. so great is as difficult as trying to deconstruct Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics. They are hard to pin down, but their sound walks a delicate line between an uplifting and heartbreaking. In a word: beautiful. Something that rock music tends to shy away from. That beauty most likely stems from a certain vulnerability they display, particularly in Michael Stipe's voice.

I’ve said before that Green is in my top 5 REM albums, fighting it out with Life’s Rich Pageant for top spot, while Automatic for the People holds the door shut to keep Murmur from getting in. I divide REM into two eras, there are more but I’ll keep it simple. The two eras are Before Document and After Document. Green is the best of that latter period. It updates some styles from the earlier period and takes the rock elements that came in during Document. I was 19 when Green came out and it was in constant rotation. They’re all pretty great, but standouts for me are Pop Song 89, Orange Crush, The Wrong Child, World Leader Pretend and the Untitled cut that ends the album. Heck, even Stand, though killed by overplay at the time, is a pop gem with its Cars-like chorus. It was great to revisit this album!

R.E.M. are a weird band. Objectively I understand why people like them, but at the same time find it wild that people could think this is the greatest music they’ve ever heard!

Green

Should we talk about the weather? Should we talk about the government? No, I think we should talk about this album by R.E.M. Green was my introduction to this band so I'm not going to lie, I'm flat out biased. Over time it doesn't always hold the number one spot in my heart when it comes to their records, but it does occasionally claim the throne. As an aside, we are all, always, allowed to change our minds when it comes to matters of taste; and music is certainly within the domain of taste-based conversation. Mike Mills, the not-so-secret weapon of the band, is a revelation on this record. When I hear him sing his backing lines like "Get up, Get up" or "Freedom" the hair on the back of my neck and arms stands up as I get the feels. His contributions always bring an additional emotional layer as well as rounding out the sound. Songs like You Are Everything are necessary precursors to later hits a la Losing My Religion, and yet they are themselves affecting touchstones of a time in our lives when we held someone as absolutely essential to our being and being in the world. Let's not forget that this album moves effortlessly between such emotional songs and uptempo pop. We get a dose of the pop as the opener does what it says on the tin. Later we shift into it with Stand, which, pardon the pun, Stands out in that category. Hey, just another aside, as we're free-associating on this record: It was R.E.M.'s Stand and the Pixies Here Comes Your Man that were in serious rotation on MTV together and both secretly sneaking in more twangy guitar than I would've otherwise consented to. In retrospect it makes sense that we'd see a rise in indie-country sounds in the wake of that much play. World Leader Pretend, Orange Crush, Turn You Inside Out, I Remember California...I mean c'mon, every song deserves its own exegesis uncovering the influences, drawing connections and otherwise celebrating the craft of songwriting. But I only have a few minutes to write this review and I'd rather be listening to this great record than typing.

When I was a kid in 1990, a mere nine year old little shit, REM was one my favorite bands. I mean, I had never heard one of their albums and didn’t know their name, but I loved one of their songs. Truthfully, I didn’t even know that the song was theirs or that they were even an actual rock band. (If you’re over 40, you might know where I’m going with this…) The song was “Stand” and I only knew it because it was the theme song for my favorite television show, “Get a Life”. I don’t think I even knew REM was an actual, legitimate rock band until a few years later: I just figured the network just hired some random musicians to write a theme song for their brilliant sitcom starring Chris Elliot. For the uninitiated, Get a Life was a sitcom that aired on the burgeoning Fox network from 1990-1992. It starred Chris Elliot as 30 year old man-child who lived above his parent’s garage and was a paperboy (bicycle and all) for a living. The episodes were always off-beat and surreal with several of them ending with Chris Elliot’s character, Chris Peterson, dying. It was unlike anything on television at the time and for 9 year old me it was the perfect comedy: A live action slapstick cartoon. It’s still one of my favorite television shows ever and is at least partially responsible shaping my sense of humor through childhood and as an adult…a truly formative piece of art in my life. Here’s a brief synopsis of one of my favorite episodes, “Neptune 2000”, lifted from the internet: “When Chris was 12 he got a job as a paperboy so he could buy a submarine from the back of a comic book. Four to six hundred weeks later, when the kit arrives, Chris and his father put it together; however when they embark on the sub's maiden voyage (in Chris's bathtub) they become trapped.” Every time I’ve heard the opening organ riff from “Stand” over the last 33 years, I’ve thought about that episode or visualized the opening credits of the show where Chris gets distracted by an attractive lady in lingerie picking up her newspaper from her front lawn (it was Fox in the early 90’s, a scantily clad lady was practically a prerequisite) and crashes his bike into a parked car. Because of their association with “Get a Life”, REM will always get respect from me, even if I don’t like a lot of the music they released after this record. Green, clearly, is more than just “Stand”. It is a fantastic record and I’ve never really given it an in-depth, thorough listen until day. What a great record, it makes me realize that maybe I’ve been a little too harsh on REM over the years. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch some “Get a Life”. You should do the same…and while you’re at it, make sure you check out the TV show. Zing!

Really good alternative rock from the band that invented alternative rock. Crunchy and melodic. A lot of this really great, but there are a couple of points where the quality dips. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Orange Crush Date listened: 13/05/23

the album cover isn’t even green

Today's album is a golden one! R.E.M. are an alt rock/post punk band from the United States. In the 80's, these guys were trailblazers for the genre of alt rock. Interestingly, I reviewed a Husker Du album last week, and they were another trendsetter for the genre. R.E.M. made it big, Husker Du remained a cult favourite. Michael Stipe's strange cryptic lyrics blend seamlessly into the folkish musical accompaniment. Apparently this album was the first to include mandolin, making this one closer to folk rock than its predecessors. Stand, Orange Crush, and Pop Song 89 were all radio favourites, and are phenomenal songs. These alone are enough to warrant a 5 star rating. There isn't a dud on this record at all. Overall, an amazing rock record. I've listened to it many times before, and will continue to. I've had R.E.M. on shuffle all day now! Favourite songs: Orange Crush, Stand, Pop Song 89, Turn You Inside-Out, World Leader Pretend, Untitled, You Are The Everything, I Remember California, Get Up Least favourite songs: Hairshirt 5/5

I always remembered not liking this band based on the singles I’d heard but this slapped. The Wrong Child is the best song on this album.

This is perhaps the only R.E.M. album I knew when it was current. I had it on a cassette tape with The Smithereens' Green Thoughts on the other side. I listened to it a lot on my walkman. Still love Pop Song 89 and Orange Crush. Great to hear it again today.

Green Despite listening to it all, I'm not as familiar with the full REM back catalogue as I really should be, so I’m not quite sure where Green quite sits in their overall story. Listening yesterday and today, and despite having some very well known songs, it feels like this might be a bit of a transitional album? I can hear echoes of both their more alternative sound and their massive commercial 90s sound, but perhaps without enough of the consistently great songs that make up their ‘big’ albums. Pop Song 89 is a great bit of catchy pop, and sounded particularly good after Sepultura yesterday. Great melody and hook. Get Up is ok, the ‘rock’ guitar sounds a little unconvincing but the harmonies are nice. You Are Everything is excellent, one of those very affecting REM mandolin songs, and the accordion adds some lovely touches of colour and tone. Stand, of course, is a brilliant song. It has that great REM thing of a slightly unusual vocal rhythm whilst being insanely catchy. Great stuff. World Leader Pretend is fantastic, feels like a bit of a lost classic, I love the piano line and the snare drum. The Wrong Child doesn’t quite work for me, nowhere near as strong as You Are Everything, which shares a similar sound. Orange crush - I have always loved the riff (so catchy!) and bass on this, one of my favourite REM songs. I really like the swampier sound and bass groove on Turn You Inside Out, the slightly rougher edge and less overtly pop melody is a nice counterpoint. Hairshirt is fine, the keyboard in the back of the mix is great though. I Remember California has really grown on me, even I’m not quite convinced by it for some reason. I like the vocal melody and lyrics, but musically I’m not sure about it, particularly the bass and drums. And Untitled is very nice, the organ is great and it has a very pleasant atmosphere of amiable wistfulness. Not sure what I’m scoring this against, their whole career or as an album in its own right. Probably a bit of both. As a standalone album there are some absolute bangers, but mixed in with some fine, if forgettable tracks. And in the context of what followed it doesn't quite have the majesty or weight of say Automatic for the People or New Adventures in Hi-Fi. I think that adds up to a 4 - still a great album but not in the top bracket ✅✅✅✅ Playlist submission: Orange Crush

This is my 9th or 10th favorite REM album, which speaks more to the greatness of REM than it does Green. If I were to list essential REM albums to new blood, I probably wouldn't even include this one. It sounds like I'm shitting on this album, but frankly I love it. There may be better REM, but Green is still a great album. It would serve as many other artists best album. No one did "Side 1, Track 1" better than REM, and Pop Song 89 continues that streak. This is clearly a band looking for a way to grow beyond Murmur and Reckoning. They'd finally find that on "Automatic For The People". But Green has some bangers, mainly the songs you may not be familiar with. Plus this album gave Chris Elliott the theme song for his short lived television series "Get A Life". That's a benefit in anyone's book, so much so I'm almost ashamed to rate this anything less than a 5.

I think I always thought of this album as the midway point between R.E.M being an indy band and getting huge. The one album that could keep everyone happy. Life’s Rich Pageant was always my favourite but can’t argue this one.

Limp dick band

Indie meats Punk in a good way. Too bad these songs are not as well known as the two REM hits. Very spiritual sounding instruments, and the usual voice harmonics for REM.

En av 80-talets absolut bästa skivor. Ja, i hela musikhistorien till och med.

The opening track is a banger. The rest of the album really kicks ass too. I know I've listened to this album before but I enjoyed it more this time. R.E.M. really is one of the great American rock bands 5 stars all day.

This is the R.E.M. album I own, bought years back to try to shift my dial from apathy and academic admiration on them, which failed then and today. I suspect the big ‘90s records, when they come to us, may boot me out of this. These songs are fine, well-wrought and personal, just not on my frequency, Kenneth.

This annoyed me and I don't know why. Maybe I was expecting too much, maybe it's the blandness of this album. For me, R.E.M. works with dark and sad themes and atmosphere. I really like "Losing My Religion", "Fire", and their album "Automatic for the People". "Green" on the other hand tries hard to be "green". To be a feel-good alt-rock piece. It's mostly major key, instead of minor. It didn't work for me, but again, maybe it's just me and my irrational disgust against feel-good alt rock stuff. They feel like corporate rock; "live, laugh, love" in the form of guitar riffs and upbeat lyrics.

This is the R.E.M. album I grew up with. I already love every song. The only true timeless classic on it is Orange Crush, but I still cannot skip a single second.

My first R.E.M. album. It's my favourite by them. It's got 'Stand' on it, one of my best Karaoke songs back in the 90's. 'Orange Crush' one of the best songs ever. It was many years later when I discovered it wasn't an Amercan drink! The rest of the album is a band beginning to hit their stride into the mainstream, and unable to do wrong even with a mandolin and a megaphone (TOTP 1989 appearance). So a well deserved 5 stars.

One of the best albums from one of the great American bands. Orange Crush and Stand are the highlights, but it’s solid from beginning to end. Stipe sounds his awkwardly confident best, and Mills and Buck do their thing exceptionally well here. I’d rank this alongside Murmur as their best album of the 80’s, and only clearly bested by Automatic for the People in their catalog.

Perfect Friday album. I definitely prefer this to R.E.M.’s slower stuff.

Exceptional. The beginning of 90s grunge and alternative rock.

I had this when it came out and fell in love with the sound - one of the gateway albums into the indie/alternative scene for me. Discovered their back catalog, saw them on the Green tour (30+ songs on the set, support from Hoodoo Gurus and Go Betweens), and then saw them transform from an Indie darling to stadium filler. As for this actual album - it certainly sounds 90s not 80s, and I suppose that indicates how much influence REM had on the shape of 90s alternative rock. Michael Stipe is a big part in this - vocal stylings as well as his public persona were like nothing else at the time. But it's not just about him - as a band they had changed their sound from simplistic guitar noodlings to a garage band that knew their chops. Mandolin was a strange addition but it works here. The way the bass and the guitar work together on all-time banger Orange Crush is fantastic, and the drums just drive everything along. Great to listen to this one again.

Pretty perfect. The end of their second three-album cycle, moving from the janglemumble sound of the first three, to world-conquering titans. The first time I can really hear the mandolin in their work - crucial to the track that made them global megastars. There's another list song (I remember california), a dry run for a more straightforward acoustic ballad (Hairshirt) and a fistful of ironic powerpop songs (Stand, Orange Crush, Pop song). So, excellence as usual.

This is the first REM album I owned and listened to in repeat forever. This album is so full of nostalgia for me and that may color my rating a bit. You Are the Everything and World Leader Pretend are my two favorite non hit tracks, but honestly there isn’t a single song that doesn’t hit home for me. My advice is…Go Listen to it now!

I got my spine I got my orange crush Also Stipe just makes a meal of the word ‘conscious’. Legend.

I really hate the album art for this record. And I usually don’t have such strong feelings about the art…anyways…excellent as always.

Green is a good time, not my favourite REM though. I'd have put Reckoning or Life's Rich Pageant on before this one but still, gotta love World Leader Pretend.

I enjoyed this album. Some of the songs contributed to a somewhat ironic feeling that does a good job of conveying the cold war era disillusionment I associate with R.E.M. Some rock bangers on here (Orange Crush, Stand) The mandolin is kinda funny, I enjoy it on the first song it came up (You Are The Everything) on, but on Hairshirt it doesn't do as much for me. The lyrics in World Leader Pretend were enjoyable, the theme of "ahhh I'm fucking up my life damn lemme fix this" is communicated well through the imagined world leader scenario, and also highly topical for 1988.

R.E.M. go major label with a glossier result, but the same underlying songwriting strengths and idiosyncratic lyrics. Standouts are ‘World Leader Pretend’ and ‘Orange Crush’

Moody and great.

For all the jokes about Stipe mumbling I find his voice clear and concise. The music is solid and not over the top or imbalanced. It’s almost wrong to label R.E.M. as an Alternative Rock band because they’re much too good for that. A thoroughly enjoyable album.

I really like this. Made me feel more than I expected. How was I not an REM fan before?

R.E.M.'s sixth album continues their political lyrics but departs musically from their previous material. Unlike their minor key college rock sounds, this album leaned into a major key more pop sounding music. This gives way to a highly melodic sound that is more upbeat. The songs are catchy and the album is well sequenced and is the perfect length.

Don't listen to this as much as some other REM albums, perhaps because I have to be on alert to skip "Stand". Has a few of my favorites esp. "You Are The Everything" and "Orange Crush". A bit more mainstream than earlier ones, as is well-documented, but Green is really quite inventive for the late '80s. Good arrangements, indeed. Not enough for full marks, but solid.

Good vibes, grunge late 90’s, reminds me of Arizona

Green is easy to enjoy: bright, melodic, and full of personality. But a chunk of the material feels like variations on earlier R.E.M. modes—jangly pop, political rockers, mandolin ballads—without the same sense of discovery.

Pop Song 89 opens with a much peppier guitar riff than I was expecting. Michael Stipe kind of sounds happy. Fun polyrythm at the end. It could have worked in the mid 90s even. Maybe I heard it on Friends? Get Up maintains the energy. I seriously came into this thinking REM were a sadsack band but this is like grunge Brian Wilson. Your Are the Everything is acceptable but maybe got mixed up with the John Prine album?? Stand is great. Achieves what Neil Young was aiming for with Crazy Horse... super catchy. Wait a minute... is Michael Stipe Canadian? Either way he reverts to form in World Leader Pretend with a blase vocal performance. The Wrong Child continues with some hippy dippy mandolin folk nonsense. The single Orange Crush is at least a bit more upbeat and has some familiarity to it. Makes me want to bop along, move my shoulders a bit. Hairshirt is just morose. Kind of lost patience with Turn You Inside Out and Untitled. I Remember California closes out with a killer bit of sadness song. Morrisey eat your heart out. As far as alt-rock goes its really well ornamented and quite complex compared to the grunge that came immediately after it. The 2013 remaster sounds great. Its not exactly my thing but there are quite a few really well done tracks on here. Half a good album?

Ok REM.

Rather unremarkable, but I didn't mind listening to this. Just a solid 3.

Pure 90s nostalgia

I mean it's alright? But REM has just never really resonated with me all that much

Another nostalgia blast. Interesting to hear his life performance, and to know how much he was influenced by other early rock, and R&B artists.

A couple good tracks but it's just not for me

The album is solid with a couple songs that I liked, particularly Orange Crush, though it was kind of forgettable otherwise. I definitely liked Document more.

I’ve never really explored R.E.M., so I was excited to try something new with Green. I didn’t really know many songs going in, so it felt like a fresh listen. Maybe this is an album that needs a few spins to really click, and I might come back to it later, but on first listen I didn’t enjoy it that much. There are some interesting instruments and the lyrics are solid, but overall it felt a bit boring. Usually I need a few listens to fully get into an album, but I’m not sure this is one that will grow on me. There are a couple of nice singles, but overall it felt underwhelming. Wine pairing? A dry, slightly sharp white like a Sauvignon Blanc. something a bit restrained and not too exciting, but still respectable. Food pairing? A burger feels about right. Would I buy this on vinyl? No. Overall, 2 out of 5.

I don't really know , i guess i am not a big fan of R E M . 2/5

I can’t lie, I was not looking forward to another R.E.M. record. Document was one of my first records on the list and I went into it as an R.E.M. naysayer. After that record, I was not wowed. Green is another example that further reinforces my disinterest in the band. Although, I will say the record has opened me up slightly. There were some songs here where I found myself nodding along, but these moments clash significantly with songs that are painfully mediocre. Maybe this has made me want to revisit Document and give the band some grace. Otherwise, it’s an unimpressive record from an overrated band.

Shocked to see this album has a lot of 5 star reviews A lot of the songs sounded the same. Really don't like the singers whiny voice either Wouldn't rate it as terrible, but it was bad. Bland to put it nicely. 40 mins of my life I won't be getting back 2 ⭐️

Are they called REM because they made me fall asleep?

Honestly, overall, this album is meh. I think automatic for the people is a lot better. Maybe, this was more relevant for people when it came out. Who knows? The wrong child was a moving/haunting song but the rest of them are either boring and the lyrics hidden behind obscurity. I won't be listening to this album again. I guess orange crush was okay but again, not going out of my way to listen to this album

i dont know what all the hype is over this band. his voice is nasally and goofy. the jangle chords over upbeat sunny pop rock is silly. i dont understand. i dont. its not compelling, it washes over you like the sound of waves (if it was beach rock that would rule), its got know spirit. white noise. boo.

I’m a little higher than a 5. It’s just a great R.E.M. album to go out on. The additional experimentation in styles is a good evolution from “Document”, adding a lot more range & versatility throughout this album. It also feels like a natural predecessor to the brilliance of “Automatic for the People”, as Michael Stipe’s songwriting begins to carry a lot more weight here. There’s still the same cryptic vibe to everything that was apparent on “Murmur” & occasionally so on “Document”, but it’s more boxed in to give the tracks a necessary sense of direction, enhanced with a bit more of a visual flair in the lyricism, making the abstract feel a lot more enjoyable to explore. It all works a lot more for my brain. Obviously, Michael Stipe’s vocals are as good as ever, but I’m just impressed by the instrumentation feeling as dynamic as it does. It’s still distinctly R.E.M., and with a bit of a grunge lean, but without the sort of generationally carried grief that underlined “Automatic for the People”. It feels like Michael is trying to find himself a bit here, with his own ambitions finally catching up to the success of the band, yet creating a crossroads as a result. This album constantly feels like it’s asking questions without intending to look for answers; something like “Pop Song 89”, for example, feels like a track about the inability to recognize those that feel close to you, but without really deciding if that’s a good or bad thing. Same goes for “Stand”; sure, it’s smarter to be more aware of the directions your life is moving, but how often are you REALLY aware of it, and does it matter that much if it’s going well? It’s that ability to explore the abstract that the band has created & seek your own answers to the questions being posed, enhanced by the instrumentation behind it, that makes this my favorite of the pre-”Automatic for the People” albums on the list. I can now fully see how R.E.M. only went up from here, and while they went up in a different way first that isn’t on the list (it is CRIMINAL that “Out of Time” isn’t here), this feels like the first domino to fall in a legacy defining way. It’s a little higher than a 5 for me, and maybe someday, it could get up to a 10. As far as R.E.M. goes, maybe I need to relisten to “Murmur”, because their albums are all 5’s or higher otherwise. I’m very glad they have this much representation on the list, and I feel a bit sad that their legacy, at least in the modern pop culture conscious, is relegated mostly to “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” & loose memories of “Everybody Hurts” vines. I know they’re done & they’ve said they’ll never make a comeback, but something needs to happen to boost their cache a bit more. Hell, maybe they can ride the biopic train or something. Regardless, it’s been a real delight, and I need to seek out even more of these guys.

Eclectic and of the time, but really memorable and tuneful. So many good songs.

In hindsight (and maybe even at the time) this record marks the moment R.E.M. the band started becoming “R.E.M.” the media entity, a transition that would continue through *Monster*. On a major label for the first time, Michael Stipe & co. responded in the most indie way possible - by screwing around a bit. “Stand” is a gentle piss-take in the direction of inane pop that ended up being a signature hit for the group (no wonder Kurt Cobain looked up to Stipe so much). “Pop Song 89” treads much the same ground, seemingly questioning why the world would deem this collection of weirdos from a college town in Georgia to be worthy of such a huge stage. Elsewhere, the band calls out to some fellow indie heroes, most notably on the opening to “I Remember California,” which sounds like Peter Buck had been listening to *You’re Living All Over Me*. And yet, beneath the more surface-level touches, Stipe and his bandmates remain able to get serious, even profound. “You Are the Everything” might be the most unguarded thing Stipe had written up to this point as he begins with a confession, “sometimes I feel like I can’t even sing / I’m very scared for this world, I’m very scared for me.” “World Leader Pretend” speaks in metaphor but is no less sincere, a thematic update of the back half of *The Wall* with the (literal and emotional) volume turned down several notches, speaking simply at the dinner table rather than shouting. And “The Wrong Child” reaches back even further for a heartbreakingly poignant portrait of the artist as a young gay shut-in - Boo Radley, closeted child. I agonized a little about the final rating for this one, simply because ranking a great band’s third- or fourth-best album is prone to raise questions about how to reflect the gradations between albums. Then again, my fourth-favorite Beatles album is *Rubber Soul* and I’m not going to have any trouble giving that one a 5-star rating. So maybe I’m overthinking this; nevertheless, I will say that, as a cohesive artistic statement, *Green* is a half step below *Murmur* and *Automatic for the People* (and *Monster*, for that matter, although I’m less a fan of that one). But as simply a snapshot of R.E.M. doing Good R.E.M. Things it’s worthy and wonderful. And as a snapshot of a band Making the Leap it’s unparalleled.

Owned Best band of all time. So good.

9/10: this was my first time listening to an REM album in full and I had a great time. The lyrics are great, the musical composition is fantastic, the album really works as a coherent piece. I had a great time with this and I can’t wait for the next time I get one of their albums moving forward. Best song: Orange Crush

R.E.M. is a top 5 band for me, so my opinion is HIGHLY biased. This isn't their best record (thanks, "Stand"), but it's still 5 stars for me.

music is love

The thing that I think makes REM special is that I never get the sense they're trying to impress me. They write great, catchy songs, with interesting arrangements and lyrics, but they don't want me to walk away going "Wow, they're so talented." I think impressiveness is often overrated, and great songwriting overlooked. It's why I'll always prefer passionate singers to excellent singers, or creative guitarists to virtuosic guitarists. It's what turns me off of bands like Rush or Van Halen. My brain is telling me this album is probably a 4, but I love it so much. It's the earliest album in their discography that I know extremely well—I had a CD of it in my car throughout much of my senior year of high school. It reminds me of the good feelings I had that year. I went to college the next year and told my voice teacher I loved REM. He scoffed, said he couldn't stand them, that his roommate listened to Out of Time incessantly. I think I kind of stopped listening to them regularly around that time (though I still liked them), but this project is reminding me how great they really were.

My favorite singing-talking storytellers. Music videos are funky, like a time capsule.

Rem siempre es bien

Este fue mi primer disco de R.E.M. comprado en vinilo, antes de su mega éxito. Ya era increíbles. Para guardar: "Pop Song 89", "Get Up", "You Are the Everything", "Stand", "World Leader Pretend", "The Wrong Child", "Orange Crush" y para terminar 11th untitled song. Un 5 estrellas.

Classic love it Stand forever

Me encantó!!!

Reading about this album, this is allegedly when R.E.M. sold out, which is difficult to believe given the prevalence of mandolin on the record. As for the music, there's a ton of variety and emotions on display, the songwriting is concise, and the album never gets boring. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

easily my favorite of the rem albums on this list

Mmm, great on a summer’s day. That’s Orange Crush.

This album brings up so many great memories for me, it’s hard to listen to it without a biased ear. For a long time if you asked me who my favorite band was, it was an easy answer.. REM. It’s not my favorite REM record but it’s close.

This is another one I only knew the hits off of, excellent album all around though. I think Orange Crush might be my favorite REM song.

Refreshing

Mmm. This was the album that made me realize that the whole conceit of this site might not be great. Well, not that. It's just that a single listen really isn't enough to rate an album. I keep revisiting this. It's the only one I've gotten in the short time I've been doing this that I feel a real need to do that. It's beautiful. I love it.

1988 must have been a nervous time for R.E.M. fans. After five glorious years and five glorious albums as indie America's indie label heroes, what was Warner Brothers' vision of R.E.M. meant to sound like? Nervous whispers on the college airwaves were, surely, using the dreaded words "sell outs". It must have been some comfort when Green was released, to realise the band didn't know what they were meant to sound like on a major label either. No singles preceded the album, sensibly, as releasing 'Stand' before the rest could have caused a mass exodus. Instead the fans had the opportunity to digest the dense, paranoid, mandolin-heavy soundscapes of 'You Are the Everything' and 'Hairshirt' alongside the gimmicky singles. And it is that dichotomy which defines the album. On the one hand, they are using their new platform and funding to campaign for the Democrats in the national election, experiment with new instrumentation and discuss the climate crisis (long before it was called that). On the other, track one is literally called 'Pop Song 89'. Fortunately, the former heavily outweighs the latter - and this is still R.E.M., so some of their 'Pop Songs' actually come out sounding great. It is a bit confused, overall, but for a transitional record it really is exceptional. It took them another five years on 'Automatic for the People' to really find themselves again in the long form, but that doesn't matter when the wait sounds this good. Hard to believe I'm giving an album containing 'Stand' five stars, but here we are. P.S. the hidden track is probably the best hidden track ever hidden. Massive tune.

Low 5 There's not a bad track is there

I listened to a Bon Jovi album from the same era a few days ago thanks to the list. It sounded SOOOO dated. This one, sound like it could have been released yesterday. Love it.

I don't know if there's such thing as a perfect R.E.M. album but this comes damn close. This band's song writing was so nuanced and so influential. I feel like every time I listen to this album I hear something new. The songs are so layered but they truly work as one. That's a big part of what make R.E.M. so special. Also IMO the duo of Orange Crush and Turn You Inside Out is an all time moment for this band. Orange Crush has long been a top 3 R.E.M. song for me and with each listen I'm realizing Turn You Inside Out is just as iconic just less known. This is an easy album to love and personally I'm gonna be loving this album for years to come.

Day815 - some albums just take you back to a time and place and this one had some good memories with it. you are everything is the one of the most underrated songs in their catalog

bueno

Used to wn this on tape and would pop it in my walkmen and ride my bike around the nieghborhood blastig Orange Crush! Love this album, Love REM.

Sure Stand may be a bit cheesy but this album is an enthralling listen start to finish. One of the many REM albums that I would give a 5 to.

Brought back a lot of memories of listening to this when it first came out.

This album has some of REM's worst and best songs. "Stand" is Warner Bros trying to tell REM how to make a hit. "Pop Song 89" is a tongue in cheek reflection to Warner Bros overreach. "Orange Crush" seems to be a compromise between the two, having a pop hook while firmly grounded in REM's roots. The real gems on this album are "You Are the Everything," "World Leader Pretend," and "Turn You Inside-Out". All of the other tracks are solid. Get rid of the two Warner Bros tracks and you have a great LP. Still giving it a 5 star review, just for nostalgia.

Wonderful album but a band that continue to intrigue me to this day. A plethora of great songs.

Album 1081 of 1089 Green - R.E.M. (1988) Rating : 5 / 5 This was an easy one for me. R.E.M. has long been one of my favorite bands, so spending some time with one of their albums is never much of a chore. Green might not be the very first album people point to when they talk about the band’s absolute best work, but it’s still a really solid record. The songs are strong, the production is clean, and everything just feels well put together. Everyone in the band is doing exactly what they need to do to make the songs work. One thing I’ve always liked about R.E.M. is how natural their music feels. The melodies, the guitars, the rhythm section - it all fits together without feeling forced. It’s just good songwriting delivered by a band that clearly knows how to play together. This album also happens to include one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, Stand, which always brings a smile when it comes on. It’s one of those tracks that has a certain charm to it and sticks with you. Overall, this is simply a very enjoyable listen. Maybe not their absolute peak, but still a really good album from a band that rarely misses. When it comes to R.E.M., even the albums that aren’t considered their very best are still pretty darn good.

I was a fan of R.E.M. during the 1980’s. The songs were catchy and the albums were well produced. I think of it now as pop music with a conscience.

Sleep delays my life / Where does time go Dreams, they complicate my life (Dreams, they complement my life) 4.5 stars

REM is one of my favorite bands and I love this album. Favorite songs: Pop Song 89, Get Up, World Leader Pretend, Turn You Inside-Out, I Remember California

An evergreen classic.

World Leader Pretend and Orange Crush do hit different in March, 2026.

Some of the songs are so good they've been overplayed and become slightly tiresome, but that's not R.E.M.'s fault.

One of REM’s finest

I love REM, so I was prepared to love this album. And it is great. But it starts extremely strongly, and ends strongly. Songs 3-7, while good, lack the melodious power of some of their songs with a stronger beat. I think Hairshirt was really the most effective of their slow songs, and that’s near the end.

Great REM album

Pretty much flawless. Definitely 80s but doesn’t sound dated at all. Great feel to it.

I see REM, I give 5 stars. This album was their major label debut, but they weren’t afraid to make a weird, catchy, at times dark, album. The bonus untitled track is them at their poppy best.