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!

Green

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Ok REM.

the album cover isn’t even green

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.

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 ⭐️

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

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!

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.

Praise be to the 1001 Album Generator Gods! I was as beginning to lose my faith in music.

Thoroughly enjoyable. REM can be easily digestable, but you also get the sense of hidden depth there. It really speaks to you. Probably the album I've been most concerned about listening to over the supermarket playlist lol

Long I have considered this as a bit of a weaker album in the long list of quality albums REM has released over their career. But slowly over the years I've realised that if it wasn't for hairshirt, this might've been a perfect album.

Day 6: Green - R.E.M. In this album, R.E.M. delivered some fantastic alternative rock music. R.E.M. pioneered alternative rock, which may be one of the most common music genres to this day. It features great and political lyrics which are still relevant to this day. I like the usage of the mandolin. The drumming is also great. The structure of the album is really nice. Orange Crush is one of my favourite songs, and that song alone warrants at least a 4/5 rating for the entire album. Adding on its significance, along with other factors, I'll give this a 5/5 rating. Personal Enjoyment: 5/5. How Much It Belongs Here: 5/5.

Perfect album!

Ausgezeichnet Album mit REM in reinform. „Stand“, „Orange Crush“ und mein Geheimtipp „World Leader“ zeigen das volle Potential der Band mit einprägsamen Stimmen und tollen Texten - Mega- 😀👍

"I can swing my megaphone." Good Lord. 36 years. Seems like only yesterday that I tried a modest little album by a obscure band from Athens Ga. And what an album. With an ability that matched their confidence, Green was the REM album that really announced that they were The Deal. It still holds up as a fantastic album, and "World Leader Pretend" is an underappreciated classic. Excellent stuff.

I don't know if it's a 5 musically, but I felt very connected in a way. Needed this, I guess.

Beautiful alternative album

R.E.M has just always been there, but I've never dug into them and listened to full albums. Now that I'm 2 of 4 in from this project, I regret that. Stipe's vocals are so distinctive and R.E.M. always sounds like R.E.M. and nobody else. Yet there's enough musicality that it doesn't sound like the same song or album over and over; you aren't going to mistake one for another. That can't be said for so many of the albums I've listened to for this project (this is #208).

Another classic, well deserved spot on this list.

Fun fact: Despite its name, Green isn’t green—the album cover features bright orange text against a green background. R.E.M. will forever hold a special place in my heart. They were the first real band I saw live, and their music soundtracked my dramatic first teenage heartbreak. Green, their first album under Warner Bros., marked their leap from indie heroes to mainstream icons. It’s an album of bold experimentation, where the band expanded their sound without losing their signature jangly guitars and Stipe's cryptic charm. Green offers everything you need from R.E.M.: playful pop-rock like "Pop Song 89," with its bouncy guitars and wry humour, and the infectious and quirky sing-along of "Stand". There’s the political bite of "Orange Crush"—arguably their finest track—and the introspection of "World Leader Pretend." The pastoral beauty of "You Are the Everything" and "Hairshirt" contrasts with the driving energy of alt-rock anthems "Turn You Inside-Out" and "Get Up." While not as cohesive as Automatic for the People or as groundbreaking as Murmur. 'Green' bridged REM's indie roots with global superstardom, paving the way for their dominance in the '90s and solidifying their place among the greatest bands to ever do it. Crucially, it is packed with great songs. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? Yes Would this release make my personal list? Hard to pick just 3 R.E.M. albums, let alone 1, but Green holds a special place for me too. Will I be listening to it again? Weekly.

I saw them on the tour for this. It was so good I lost my shoes.

So many great memories of listening to REM in HS. Culminating in Green, when I was finally able to see them in concert. Went with my sister, her BF, & my hs crush Francine. I probably should have kissed her that night when I walked her to her door. Le sigh. Anyway. I loved REM, I loved this album, and I loved the concert. I had the Turn You Inside Out t-shirt which had the artwork printed on the inside of the shirt so you wore it inside out. How fucking clever is that?

Solid 4.5 from me. Forgotten how consistent this album was and I knew most of the words to most of the songs. Playful in parts, brooding in parts. A fine rediscovery of young adulthood!

Heard before. Own it.

A defining album with REM on top of their game

I love REM. This album didn't really have a weak link.

The review that said this album walks a delicate line between an uplifting and heartbreaking hit the nail on the head. I was familiar with R.E.M.'s popular songs, but other than that never really listened to them. "You're in the backseat laying down, the windows wrap around To 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 stars are the greatest thing you've ever seen And they're there for you For you alone, you are the everything" I mean, come on, that is 5 star song writing. Absolutely beautiful.

My favorite R.E.M. album as whole. You can hear the shift in sound after Document and while "You are Everything" gives a hint to what comes next on Automatic for the People, there are fewer of these slower tracks. Perfectly balanced for me.

orange crush is a banger on a banger album

R.E.M. when they were magical. Green has pop perfection, hard rock with driving guitars, in your face folk tunes, and a couple of ballads for good measure. Their voice was extremely important to those of us who saw issues in the world and needed the political rhetoric to remind us we can speak out and fight for change and succeed.

This has always felt like one of the darkest and most off kilter REM records. Has some of my all-time favourite songs of theirs like Untitled and Hairshirt along with song of their most accessible bangers like Stand and Orange Crush. Weirdly, I feel like the album takes on a strange foreboding feeling when listened to in completion. Maybe in spite of the more straightforward pop singles or maybe because of them? Good record! Love these boys!

A good listen, def has some replay value

I love REM even though I typically don’t seek them out. This album has two of my favourite songs of theirs: Stand and Orange Crush. Gonna keep this on my phone and start actually listening to REM more.

Green REM’s sixth LP kicks off with the sarcastic and almost snarky “Pop Song 89”, a clear shot at the modern alt-rock of the day. Catchy chorus but not particularly substantive, I guess on purpose. The folky “You Are the Everything” has a particularly unique timbre amongst REM’s body of work, and may be their second best song to make use of the mandolin. “Stand” is a logical choice as a single from the album, Michael Stipe’s clever lyricism is used in full force, almost to a silly degree. “World Leader Pretend” is a great example of the baritone end of Stipe’s vocal range. It lies somewhere between a depressing ballad and a protest song, but it’s hard to dislike such excellent use of a slide guitar. “Orange Crush” stands out, in my opinion, as the greatest song REM ever recorded. The biting political commentary, the brutal wordplay, and the beautiful chorus makes for a song that I’ve spent genuine hours listening to on repeat. “Turn You Inside-Out” is a song I believe could have been successfully released as a single, the minor key grunge drips from the power chords, the shouty background vocals fill space without being overbearing. Good song. “I remember California” is a hauntingly beautiful showcase of not just Stipe’s lyricism, but his arrangement abilities as well. This song creeps into my head occasionally and I’ve never been mad about it. The untitled track to finish the album, in my opinion, captures the helplessness and despair of being far from the one you love. A love song of deep sadness, but hope as well. If not for orange crush, it would be incredibly difficult to pick a favourite song from this record, as just about every track is tied for second place. I would say this is arguably REM’s greatest work. 5 stars.

Þetta var algjör himnasending. Frábær plata, sem oft gleymist í umræðunni um plötur REM. Algjörlega með sitt sánd, sem eldist alveg ótrúlega vel.

The finest Alt-Rock band, but much more. Prolific, political, ridiculously talented. I saw them live a couple of times and they never disappointed.

One of my favorites bands' favorite band. I've never dived too deep into R.E.M. but have always thought they were cool, and people I thought were cool loved them. Pioneers of alternative rock for the win. Perhaps I've been concerned about their huge back catalog and where to start, so I'm overjoyed that 1001 put them on the list. I want more R.E.M.

I mean R.E.M. is one of my favorite bands so of course I would adore this

R.E.M slaps, no matter how pretentious Michael Stipe is.

One of their best.

"Green" is not my favorite album by R.E.M., but it's so good. It's just comfort listening for me, at this point. It's solid all the way through, entertaining, and calming to me. I'd probably give it 4 stars in a more "objective" state, 4.5 with a personal bend, but I think 5 stars is where I have to land on this scale for how much I personally love it even over the greatness of the album and the impact of it, even to this day, where it has proven it will stand the test of time and is relatively timeless.

Press play!

Great stuff.

Old favourite. Still stands up. Their glory days.

I’ll be honest, I don’t listen to much REM. I like them a lot, and whenever I hear them it’s enjoyable, but it’s not something I seek out or want to listen to very often. This album is great. No question there. I found “You Are The Everything” to be absolutely beautiful and moving. And while this won’t be on heavy rotation for me, it’s still stunning and brilliant.

I love Orange Crush. What an great album.

Not even close to their best and it's still perfect. They've got to have one of the strongest discographies of the era!

Awesome

4.6/5 listened 5x. even Max said "that's a good song" re: Stand - 8/19/2024

An absolutely masterpiece. My favorite of their many great albums.

R.E.M. is cool but a little too Gen X for me.

beautiful world

There are four albums by R.E.M. on this list if I’m not mistaken. I would gladly see this one swapped out for Life’s Rich Pageant or Out of Time. It’s hard when a band is so dominant that most of their albums deserve to be on the list. So by REM standards, this album is probably a four star by the standards of anything else that came out that year… Easy five star.

Admittedly I don’t know REMs full catalog but for my money this is them at their peak. Aside from Stand, which was a single, this album has no duds. Love it. I’m giving this a 5. Takes me back to college, even though it came out while I was in high school.

This will be my second R.E.M. album to review, after Murmur, which was way back at album number 51 for me (this is album number 521). I like R.E.M. quite a bit, but working through this project is the first time I'm listening to their whole albums. Green features "Stand," which is my favorite R.E.M. song, and I've been looking forward to reviewing this. I really loved this album. I don't know what it is about R.E.M. that I love so much, but I just find them a joy to listen to. I really enjoy Michael Stipe's vocals, the musical arrangements on their songs, and the excellent songwriting. This album has the band firing on all cylinders, creating a rock album that's infectious to listen to. The lyrics are fantastic, with songs lamenting deep personal reflection, calls to action to preserve the future, and political and social commentary. The band strikes a great balance of introspection and activism that carries an air of authenticity, thanks to Stipe's vocal talents. I really loved the musical arrangements on this album as well. The use of the mandolin really stuck out to me; it gave Green a sound that I found incredibly different than the R.E.M. albums that came before it. My favorite song on the album is still "Stand." I love the keyboard intro and the guitar playing, but the drumming towards the end of the song is my favorite part. There's a little drum fill right before the final chorus that's absolutely perfect, and during the final chorus, the snare drum hits sound like shotgun blasts, providing a perfect contrast to the poppy vocals. What a perfect song. I hate that I hadn't listened to this whole album until today. Every part of it is absolute perfection, and I can't wait to review the other two R.E.M. albums that I still have left.

Amazing

Among their best. So many standout tracks.

Probably my favorite R.E.M. album. Right up there with Document, Out of Time, and Automatic For The People. Beautifully written, fun, happy and sad all together. World Leader Pretend is an all time classic. Memories of meeting Mike Mills with my brother after the Joseph Arthur show.

R.E.M. is one of those bands you can't really go wrong with. This album is a little more upbeat overall (upbeat for R.E.M.) which is kind of a nice change for them. I don't think there is a bad song on this album. Stand is great but my favorites might be Orange Crush or Pop Song 89. Only criticism is they do start to sound similar after awhile, but for some reason that doesn't bother me with R.E.M. When you hear one of their songs you instantly know its them because everything sounds similar, but it also sounds different and unique. That is part of what makes them great.

Great album from one of my favorite bands. Stand and Orange Crush are the hits but I really like Turn You Inside Out and I Remember California.

Just brilliant

R.E.M. make great pop songs. Full stop

Love R.E.M. and loved this album! Fave songs, "Orange Crush" and "Stand". 5/5

Maybe not the best R.E.M. album but in my personal top five. Somewhere below Reckoning and above New Adventures in Hi-Fi, I think. Love pretty much all of it.