Green

Didn’t expect to like the album that much. Perceived elements of folk here and there, obviously rock and so 80s.

I think this was the first time the band became known to the general public despite them being around for most of the 80s and producing plenty of good songs. This is definitely the warm up to their huge MTV success. It has a slightly annoying trebly sound to it, but it's packed full of strong songs, you can really hear they've matured and there's probably more to come. Yeah a really good album which is near the start of MTV realising the whole world wants to listen to "alternative" or "indie" music, because it's just music.

I think you either really love R.E.M. or passively dislike them. I'm in the latter camp. Its fine, I cant stand Michael Stipe's voice but overall the album is just ok.

I can’t… STAND when I hear REM Mi-chael Stipe Thinkabout this album and how bad I thought-it-was Jk it was fine and REM are a fine band but I just don’t have any desire to listen to them

Not the biggest fan. Didn’t click as much as other REM stuff I’ve listened to

REM - abit hit and miss for me, only really like there popular stuff like the basic bitch i am

Man. Its just like the same thing from the 80s condensed into one album. Boomers man

REM always good

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

It’s like the smiths and linkin park made an album together

I mean, it has "Orange Crush", "Stand", and "Pop Song 89"... Thats it, thats the review

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.

Yeah, what to say about this? R.E.M. have always been a band I could give or take. They're OK, nothing special. Some good some bad. Really can't justify more than a 2.5.

A banging album of its time, and still great today. I prefer REM when they either have the jingly jangly happy guitars alongside the melancholy vocals, or when they rock it up a bit. And this album does both of those things brilliantly. Not 5 stars as the slower stripped back songs don’t do it for me. Pop Song 89, Stand, World Leader Pretend, Orange Crush and Turn You Inside Out are all just mega!

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.

It's definitely good, probably one of my top four REM albums. I just can't get very excited about them any more . . .

I forgot that I had owned this album at one point in my life. It was really nice listening to it again and it held up surprisingly well. There are some songs on here that I really like.

3/5

made me cry actually.

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

This was a great album. A good amount of hits and stuff I hadn't heard before.

This album made R.E.M. mainstream. It must bee a 90's trope to make an album that almost every song sounds independent; no song sounds the same as another. Favorite track: Turn You Outside Out.

A couple good songs, accompanied by a. lot of really weird songs.

Geht so

Great album, didn't floor me but I get it

beautiful world

Overall notes - Big fan of REM so knew this would be an easy listen before bed, there’s no obviously weak links and every song holds its own however “I remember California” was too repetitive and too long. “Stand” and “Orange Crush” became new favourites and are now on the playlist. Thoroughly enjoyed the album, hope more REM is on the list!

This is R.E.M.’s sixth album and their first on a major record label, which introduced a noticeable shift in their music. That shift is probably what sets this album apart and why it doesn’t resonate with me as much as their earlier work. In the ’90s, I didn’t care much for R.E.M. when I heard their commercial hits on the radio, but that changed when I went back and started listening to their first album and worked my way through their discography. That’s when I realized they were a band I genuinely enjoyed, especially for their strong jangle pop elements. This album still features plenty of jangly guitars, but it has a more polished rock and alternative anthem feel, which is what made me overlook them back in the day. I wasn’t particularly drawn to the vibe of the music I heard on the radio. However, now that I have a better understanding of their earlier music, I’ve softened my stance on those radio hits. Still, this album undeniably has a more polished, commercially saturated sound compared to their previous work.

Nice rock album.

A really great listen. It’s melancholy pop that makes you feel happy and sad. Hard to describe, but great to experience.

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.

It was fine. I'm not a huge REM fan, but they're fine.

Wowwww, so many hits. I've heard of R.E.M. but I never actually knew what songs to associate with them. All of them, apparently.

Turn You Inside Out is awesome, the rest was boring.

Really enjoyed this one

A fine album

Pretty decent rock record. Especially for the late 80s. This truly has a 'before its time' feel. Could almost say this record came out in the late 90s. Michael Stipe has a great voice. Reminds me of Gord Downie. Wouldn't it be cool if Stipe did a few shows with the remaining Tragically Hip members? I'm picking up some U2-esque feels in some of the music. But this band is far better than U2. U2 is pretty over rated.

Listening to my second R.E.M. album in a week makes me realize how much I miss R.E.M. Michael Stipe's voice is so cosmic. Green was the first album I was exposed to when Stand took over the charts. They would go on. to do many, many more fantastic albums but the hit to the memory feels with this album makes it so much more valuable. 4/5.

To me, REM were at their best in the 90's. Still this is a great album.

OK, we're firmly into the meat of R.E.M.'s discography now. And boy, that's some good meat. It's interesting reading into the production of this album and how some say it marked a departure from R.E.M.'s "typical" style of music, and yet you've got singles like "Pop Song 89", "Stand", and "Orange Crush" which are memorable in their own right, and thus becoming R.E.M.-like on the way. For the product as a whole, it does a good job (for the most part) of balancing between almost bubblegum pop and then slower, more emotional mandolin-laden songs. I thought the first half of the album heavily outweighed the second half, but this is still a high quality album amongst a plethora of high quality R.E.M. albums during this era.

I really expected to like this album a lot more than I did. I feel like it's not really pop or rock, so it sits in this almost uncanny valley between the two genres. Every song has a moment or two that I enjoyed, but the songs themselves feel jarring and musically uncomfortable in my opinion. Not a very pleasant listen

Nice

It's okay, just like every other R.E.M. album on this list.

Que picolé de xuxu. Som sem graça, monotônico, monotemático, monovoz, mononota. Super sem graça e chato. REM pra mim é one hit wonder...não tem como caracterizar esses caras dentro do rock...

No puedo con los R.E.M. Qué le vamos a hacer. Me gustan mucho algunos sencillos, pero ya escuchar sus discos completos me da mucha flojera.

Overall I prefer this more than their first album. Orange Crush, in my opinion, holds this album up. I did enjoy it overall though.

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.

There are some great songs here but also a considerable amount of meh. There are better R.E.M. albums.

This was the first REM music that I remember hearing on the radio. I still have an affinity for it.

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.

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

Bit the same, enough mandolin for a life time but when it hit it really hit, the lyrics are not as deep as he seems to think they are tho.

can't stand this guy's voice sometimes... world leader pretend orange crush

Easy to forget. Bland. Sometimes boring.

Apparently my infant loves REM. I do too. She did bawl at some parts of a few of the songs but overall, 4/5

Amazing

Some (ahem) might say this is where REM dropped off, but I quite liked most of this, at least as much as some of the earlier stuff

Wildly varied in style with some gorgeous songs tucked into the tapestry.

heres the thing: i'd love this album based on the instrumentation. if they were just instrumentals i'd give this four stars. however the lead singer has the most interminably incredibly annoying voice i have ever had the displeasure to listen to and it ruins the entire experience because it's like he's taking a cheese grater to my eardrums.

Sicher musikgeschichtlich wertvoll, aber ich mag einfach die Stimme des Sängers nicht.

Among their best. So many standout tracks.

Mostly enjoyable.

I think "Stand" only is a middling song on this album. Songs like "Orange Crush" and "World Leader Pretend" hold up. This would be 3.5 stars, but I'm feeling generous.

Listened to whole album and only remember Stand.

Pretty subpar album compared to their usual high quality work

Not my favorite REM album, but there's some good stuff here, and it's clear how influential they were on bands to come. "California" sounds like early inspiration for Tool, without the crazy time signature changes.

Despite the "Strange Currencies," this is the least R.E.M. album from R.E.M., and I'm still wondering if that's a good or bad thing. Until I decide my opinion, I'll give it a rate of 4 stars.

2,5

It was okay.

fine

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.

REM had a lot of great singles in the 80s (and a couple more in the 90s), but every album track surrounding them is like church music for people who spend Sunday mornings listening to A Prairie Home Companion

R.E.M.'s starts experimenting outside their jangle pop roots (though it's still pretty jangly) and adding some new instruments and pushing their sound outside what was a pretty well trodden sound for them. Still got some catchy ass pop songs on here.

just kinda boring

Seems like this album was made in a small box or room, feels congested (not necessarily a bad thing but the feeling i got). Lyrics were cool and the main vocals were unique to say the least. 2.7

mid first track mid second track bad third track mid fourth track mid fifth track bad 6th track good 7th trqck mid 8th track bad 9th track mid 10th track mid 11th track

One of stipes lesser works. Has so many better albums but not a bad album.

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.

Really enjoyed this, especially the lyrics. It’s not quite of the same caliber as Automatic for the People, it didn’t have the same deeply emotional energy to me, but still great stuff!

I've never really enjoyed REM beyond a couple of obvious singles so Green was probably not going to excite me in the same way it might for some of you. There's no particular dislike, they're just there doing their thing and it doesn't really overlap with things I like, Michael Stipe is a fabulous lyricist who creates a great atmosphere with his voice and style but I guess I find that the music behind him doesn't get close to doing anything of the same quality. Much of this album does nothing to me, but it does finish very well, Hairshirt is cool, I Remember California is hauntingly beautiful, Untitled is a nice uplifting send-off. Those three tracks probably lift it to a low 3 from me and hopefully avoid your collective ire. Like what you like imo.

Enjoyed this more than anything we've had for about 20 albums. There are some really nice songs here - I like the lower key World Leader Pretend and the last couple of tracks, the poppier stuff (Pop Song 89, Stand, and Orange Crush) is also pretty good. Some of the rest falls in between and doesn't really work - REM have a tendency to go a bit twee and janky at times, and The Wrong Child is a nasty example of this. I think it's a high 3.

Thoughts before listening: I love REM, but its interesting that Green made the list. Its certainly a popular album from them, but in general I have always thought of it as lesser than their other 80s output. I think this is my first REM album, so maybe those albums are on the list as well? Anyway, I'm always happy to have an excuse to listen to REM, even if this isn't their best album. Review: So in the grand scheme of 80s era alt rock releases, this is really good, but in the context of REM albums, its not one of their best. They just had so many great records, both before and after Green, that this falls somewhere in the middle of their catalog. Still though its has some great iconic moments such as "Pop Song 89", "Stand", and "Orange Crush", as well as some deeper cuts that I really enjoy like "World Leader Pretend" and "I Remember California". Still though, there are some lesser tracks on here that make it feel inconsistent as a whole, and this gets 4-stars.

I do not understand the hype around this album. I am going to give a really good second listen through.

Stand Orange crush Pop song 89

Was never crazy about the well-known tracks from this album & have a hard time listening to Stipe in general, but some of the songs I'd never heard before were actually pretty good. Always enjoy a little mando as well.

131/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

I love listening to the old REM albums. It has really changed my relationship with the band. Great listen.

This seems like a slightly lighter affair than previous albums, but there were several songs I liked a lot, especially in the back half. These guys are pretty much alway enjoyable for me and they always deliver solid to excellent songwriting.

Meh

I never understood why Pop Song 89 was released in 88. Why not just call it Pop Song 88?? Such a mix of the past and what was to come for the band. Thought a lot about giving it a 5 but was more like a 4.5.

Another good album from REM, deserves to be on the list, but not quiet in the same league as mumour or automatic for the people.

Just brilliant

Absolute classic with some of my favorite songs of theirs

Abseits der üblichen Hits zu eintönig - insbesondere der Gesang.

No niin, tässä levyssä kuuluu huumori, johon R.E.Millä aina on mahdollisuus ja joka on kuultanut pinnan alla! Pidän taustalauluista ja modulaatioista. Ja ironiakaan ei mene pieleen vaikka on tahallisen ilmiselvää (Pop song). Tokavika biisi on notkahdus perustylsään R.E.Miin, ja ehkä B-puoli on basicimpi, mut onneksi vika biisi vielä vähän nostaa.

He vaikuttavat vieläkin siinä määrin taiderokkareilta, että joku saattaisi olla huolissaan. Silti musiikin kekseliäs, simplistinen melodisuus voittaa kuulijan puolelleen - ajan kuluessa mahdollisesti kasvavissa määrin.

an alt-rock classic that contains all the DNA for what would become Automatic for the People. in spite of the in-studio explorations the band was making at the time it does feel less adventurous than any of their previous 5 albums. they lost some edge after Lifes Beauty Pagaent and didn't fully replace it until they mastered this sound on AFTP.

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

First things first, Orange Crush rocks. Everything else by REM often strikes me as meh. I can’t tell if the lead singer is crying for help or actually trying to sing. I want to like REM, but every time I listen to them I just feel unsatisfied. Not quite sure what it is. I’ll leave their cd out of my car on the next road trip and not really worry about it

I think I just really like REM’s style. Of all the albums we have listened to on this list, it’s the closest to the 90s/2000s pop-punk we used to binge in high school. “Stand” just reminds me of Parks and Rec. I’m at about 3.5, but I’ll give it 4 because vibes.

Definitely liked this better than the first REM album we had. More personality and variety but I just still don’t totally love their sound. Still very solid though.

A bit boring. Nothing really stands out to me. I looked back at the tracklist and Stand is the only song I remember. Maybe one of those that doesn’t hit without context.

I read the Wikipedia summary and had high hopes for this album. Unfortunately, I found it pretty bland. There are a couple songs I enjoyed, Stand and Orange Crush, but otherwise it was a mostly forgettable album. It would be good for background music but I don’t know if I’d go back to it. Not bad but also not great.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I don't know why R.E.M. is so popular. I've tried to like them for a long time, but they've never broken through for me. This is probably my favorite of their albums so far, but I still don't love it. https://youtu.be/2jqKiVHS6x4?si=u5sNkKLiwO-CJ1Lb

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

Kláraði ekki

I dont really understand the REM love but i was vibing with this toward the end.

coñazo inhumano

This was pretty solid. Would listen again.

Original, polished, college music of late 80s

I think this is overall a pretty high quality album, but at the same time it’s just kind of forgettable for me. Lots of respect for REM, and enjoy their music, and this one was no different, but just wasn’t really resonating with me this time around.

not special

easy listening, far too boring for my taste. i think its super inoffensive, generic rock music, nothing wrong with it, its just really bland.

很轻松

Very good album, the hits are classic. I don't like Green as much as the albums either side of it in REM's chronology (Document/ Out of Time) as not every track is a win for me, but still decent

Умоляю, я в любой альбом ЭТОЙ ГРУППЫ цепляюсь всеми конечностями, всем нутром. Нравится этот узнаваемый звук )) люблю горжусь

I was a huge REM fanboi in the 80’s and this is the album when they started to turn the corner to a more poppy sound. Their first 4 main albums all get a 5 in my book. This is very good -but just not as good.

not bad for a major label debut. arguably the weakest of their peak era. there are great songs on here but you can tell they are changing from underground band to something more commercially successful. some songs sound like a continuation of Document while others foreshadow their sound on Out of Time (ie using mandolin and other instruments that you hear prevalently on Out of Time).

“Stand” was a parody of bubblegum pop. But it became a hit, and then they had to perform their own joke on big stages.

In retrospect this album is more pop than I remember. Sort of a sickly sweet mix of pop. I do like the song Stand. A lot of the others weren’t that great 35+ yrs later.

Proto alternative jams.

Very good. Solid. Multiple five star songs. I never really dug into REM before this project, and I’m glad it’s exposing me to their work for a deeper and more focused listen instead of just occasional pop culture peekaboos.

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.

I liked it a lot. I agree with REM that Stand is a dumb song. But it’s great. This had some Michael Stipe droning in that I don’t typically like, so it got drug down to a 4. All in all, I think REM was a fantastic band.

The last R.E.M. album I got from this list, Murmur, introduced me to one of my most streamed songs of the year, Sitting Still. This had no such luxury. Not a bad listen, but there was no individual song that jumped out and won me over this time.

Maybe my favourite era of REM. "Would a depressed person make this?! No!" "...I compared it to Avatar" Orange Crush is such a banger.

I liked this one. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, fell right in the middle for me.

Really enjoyed this album. Obvious standouts are Stand and Orange Crush.

Boring. Good for uphill walks.

Mid

This album mostly put me to sleep, or at least by the end of it I was feeling that way. Turn You Inside-Out, Hairshirt, I Remember California, Untitled was a 1,2,3,4 punch at the end of the album of slow, repeating, talk-singing songs that didn't go somewhere I was interested in. I like Stand because of Parks & Recreation, so that's a positive association. Orange Crush is a familiar song, probably heard plenty of times growing up without knowing what it was.

Neither love nor hate

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.

Fuck ye REM. Love me some sleep. Good album enjoyed very much. But samey though. 7/10

I think five albums into this band's discography, I can officially say I'm not really a hater nor a fan of R.E.M. They create plenty of songs I enjoy, and can even make an album or two that I would define as "good," but whenever I have to sit down and check out another one of their albums, I sort of just sit there in disinterest. I'm not a fan of Michael Stipe's voice, and it feels like the later you get in their discography, the more he plays it up, but at the same time the instrumentation is solid. Albeit, it is a bit generic, but I do enjoy enough of it to say an album usually comes out somewhat on top, but I really feel like I never needed to listen to all of this from them. Any song that does catch my attention here seems to refuse to have a bridge or climax to change the song up, and it leads to me enjoying the first two minutes consistently, before realizing I've heard everything the song has to offer. There are the hits here, and they're okay, but they follow the same formula, and it all just comes up empty for me. I'd say it is burnout, but I've listened to these albums so far apart from each other that I think I can accept it just isn't for me, much to the chagrin of my mother. Sorry, mom. At least you were right about the Smiths.

good album I liked it but something’s not right that’s why 4. 4/5

Excellent album. All of the songs are catchy, punchy and have great vocals and instrumentals. Really enjoyed this listen.

I don't listen to R.E.M. that often, but I really like a few of their songs. I didn't hear any of them on this album. The music didn't bother me, but that's all it was. I probably won't listen to it again. 3/5

De los discos de R.E.M. es el que menos me gustó. Muy monótono y nada memorable.

Nice album, special mention to "Stand".

Always felt like I should get into R.E.M. but… why? Why am I required to have an opinion on everything? It’s okay not to be fussed about R.E.M.

Good album, sounds like a slightly more anti-authority INXS

STANDOUTS Pop Song 89 Stand OVERALL: 3/5

Was it a coincidence that I got R.E.M. on the day they were in the news due to their one-off Songwriters Hall Of Fame performance, or did the 1001 Albums Generator creator plant this? I really like R.E.M.'s radio singles but I struggle to get into their album tracks. Green had a couple of huge 5★ hits but the in-between songs are fairly mediocre, it evens out at a strong 3/5.

Ok. I liked “World Leader Pretend,” “Orange Crush,” and “I Remember California.”

Meh, I mean it's not really my vibe. I like The Smiths aesthetic of the Jangley rock thing better. Not into R.E.M. vocal melodies they sound too loose. Some cool compositional stuff though, interesting guitar parts sometimes.

this.. doesn't sound like REM as much. Which means I like it a bit more. Hearing this after talking heads.. makes me realise they were definitely an influence. Stipe's chatty rambly sing style seems like an attempt to copy Byrne, especially on track 1. 'Should we talk about the government' is almost a joke of a lyric, but maybe it's meant to be, it's so blunt. Yeah, this proto- REM, pre mega mega nightswimming fame (I assume), is a lot more interesting and weird. Were they ever inspired by They might be giants? It feels rockier, simpler overall. Then we hit a bit of a dreary spot on world leader pretend, and you get some hints of what was to come. Then, the wrong child gets pretty limp. Not a fan of orange crush. whiney. And now everything seems a bit whiney at the back end of the album. It's quite difficult to listen to old albums trying to express earnest or political opinions, it all comes off as a bit naff. Inside out picks up a bit, bit of rock edge back again. Meh. few songs at the start I like, but as it wears on its not a great album for me. It all seems like a big whinge. Untitled was kind of interesting a way to end. it'll be a 2.5 I think.

I liked this a lot, it's much more peculiar than any other REM stuff I've heard and I think it benefits from it

Good album, a bit more poppy than their other releases. Songs sound the same throughout though

Not bad

A good album, shows why were so successful.

R.E.M. are really hit or miss for me, some of their albums sound great but other highly revered albums of theirs really just fall flat for me. Green is somewhere in the middle. Some of their best and most recognizable songs like “Orange Crush” and “Stand” are on the album, but there’s also garbage like “The Wrong Child”. There are a few artists who I’d prefer to listen to greatest hits albums; most of them are groups like The Supremes who released tons of amazing singles but not a lot of great albums. R.E.M. released lots of albums which are critically acclaimed, but to me their quality and consistency is all over the place and I prefer just to listen to their hits.

- stand - world leader pretend - orange crush

Excellent!

Delightfully introspective and pithy as always. The somber exquisite ache in Michael Stipe’s vocals is what gets me, every time. He could sing the phone book and make it a wholly sympathetic experience. It’s the most incredible thing. I always come away with new insights on life after listening to R.E.M., no matter how many times I hear their songs; there’s just layers and layers of delicious nuance that feel so good to savour. Truly unique artists who have a direct line to my heart and soul.

Absolute classic will be giving this many more listens

Orange Crush is a song I have enjoyed prior to listening to the full album and is really the only track I can see myself listening to on a semi-regular basis. I also enjoyed World Leader Pretend. Overall I'm not very passionate or excited about this album. The first half felt especially slow to peak my interest. Out of all the tracks, the aforementioned two are the only memorable or impressive tracks to me. The rest of the tracks are only okay. I don't think this is a bad album necessarily; I just really don't think it's all that interesting.

Rock-pop de R.E.M. Dos megahits. Un 4.

Stand, intro de Get a Life.

I like this album. Interesting mix of thoughtful songs.

R.E.M. typisch, ganz O.K.

позитивный такой и прото много жанров/групп. надо потом продолжить

first song i was like ok it'll be some alt rock thing thats alright but not great. and then it was terrible.

For the first few tracks I thought I could be listening to my new favourite R.E.M. album. They sounded fresh and energetic and silly, but in a clever way (or clever in a silly way?). After that my enthusiasm waned - except for Orange Crush of course.

Make it stop. 2.09 per track.

And for the next artist to be added to the three-album club, we have R.E.M.! It's been like 5 months since I listened to an R.E.M. album, so I'm more than okay with listening to Green today. I though Murmur and Document were pretty good, and Green is no different. Well, okay. It's different, but it's still pretty good. It's pretty clear that the band went through a shift in sound at one point. Comparing this album to an album like Murmur or even Document to an extent is kind of crazy. As for what I like more, I'm not sure. It's all great. Of course, I still like Michael Stipe's singing, and the instrumental sound is still great. The writing is also very good. Some songs are a bit basic, but you also have songs like "The Wrong Child" and "Orange Crush" that stick it own terms of what the songs say. "Stand" is a really good song too. I had a bit of a moment when I realized that was the song that played in that one Parks and Rec scene with Ben's stop-motion movie. I don't have much to say. My opinion of R.E.M. is still quite positive. I think I might like Document a bit more, but it's a close call. High 4/5.

I've always liked the distinctive sound of REM and the singing style of Michael Stipe. I haven't listened to this album before, only Orange Crush was familiar to me but I've enjoyed this album a lot, good songwriting, singing, production, even if it's the late 80s it doesn't sound dated.

Definitely some good songs and enjoyable but I dont think I'd revisit it

Stand and Orange Crush I'd heard before and enjoyed, didn't realize they were from this album. The last untitled track was also enjoyable. Nice trip back down memory lane.

Overall a good album. The four singles from the album: "Orange Crush", "Stand", "Pop Song 89", and "Get Up", still rocking today. Love the rocking mandolin! 4.5/5

I'm extremely torn on this album. On one hand it has Orange Crush, by far my favourite REM song ever. On the other hand it has Stand, which makes me feel ill whenever I hear it. The remainder of the album is okay, but there's nothing stand out here, so I'm going to go with 3 stars, which feels awfully low. It's probably a 3.5, but I just can't bring myself to push it up to a 4.

I'm surprised by the similarities with these guys and the tragically hip. Hip better though obviously

Yeah, pretty good this time around. Purchased in the past, and ignored. This time, yeah, I got into it.

Solid overall. The roots of what the band would become have been established here and it's an interesting listen. I wouldn't say it's essential, but I enjoyed it.

Solid overall, i'd probably put this at 3.5

while i never really got into r.e.m. for the most part, i respect their legacy as one of the pioneering acts of the “alternative music” movement. this album was not bad and “orange crush” is a legit great song.

Good stuff.

Just a really solid album

Solid 4/5. Songs all sounded a bit too similar for a 5/5 but I really liked it on the whole.

Sounds like it could be in the Shrek soundtrack

This was really good. A good number of strong songs and I really enjoyed Micheal stripe’s voice

Really loved this one

great album, great sound, but wasn't a fan of the slower songs

Theres no real bangers here but the quality of this band is undeniable . I spent a pleasant time listening to this but in the final analysis, I'm not going to rush back. Its a 3

I really don't know what to say about this album. It's an REM album that sounds like an REM album, but isn't one of their albums that I find really spectacular, but at the same time it's REM is it's still good and I can't fault REM for sounding like REM 4/5? fuckidunno

Stand was awesome, rest of album was ok.

Don't get this pick, every album released by REM prior to this is much stronger. REM light to be honest, more radio friendly pop sound. Hate to rate an REM album from the 80's this low. I think every other 80's album except perhaps Fables would be 5 stars.

The first REM record I honestly was disappointed in. After 4 (maybe 5) great records in a row this felt like the definitive move to keeping the momentum of the radio hits from Document. It worked for that but not for me.

This is a good era of REM. I'd listen to this again. Maybe Stand was overplayed for awhile, but it didn't detract from the record.

I like R.E.M. I even like their sojourn into a little more pop. It's a really good album, I've listened to before and will listen to again.

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

Was looking forward to this album when I saw a couple of REMs hits on it. Aprr of those hits, nothing else was worth the listen

Ok album

Orange Crush, such a great song, it makes me feel like I belong at a college party I’m too young to be at. And for some reason now, in 2024, I just want to play in a band that sounds this cool….

Every band's 7th or 8th best album should be so good. An REM homie in place (Peach State) and age (EP came out first year of high school), one aims to be objective in assessing the major-label debut (note to editors: album title was a reference to the money they were now makign as much as environmental concerns). Overall, this is polished and confident and consistently strong, but lacks the magic of many of the other records (and it begs comparison because of the types of songs they included here which tracked to other records, too). There was/is no disputing that they had become, as the Rolling Stone cover put it directly, the best rock band in the world. Also, Stipe hits the limits of his vocal prowess. "Orange Crush" and "Pop Song 89" are perfectly fine and "Get Up" has aged well, better than the better known "Stand" anyway. One remembers liking "Turn You Inside Out" more (maybe it's the remastering or maybe one heard superior live versions). The quieter, more acoustic-y cuts are more numerous than one remembers and better, too – "World Leader Pretend," "The Wrong Child," "You Are the Everything,” “Hairshirt” – than one remembers, though none are perfect gems in themselves (in the way of "Perfect Circle" or "Camera" or "Wendell Gee" or "Night Swimming" or "King of Birds" or "Flowers of Guatemala" or "Swan Swan H" or "Find the River"). Similarly, "I Remember California" is not as good as an ominous burner/brooder as "Oddfellows 151." Conversely, the untitled track here sets the stage for "Belong," from OOT, in the category of lovely, ebullient, near orgiastic tunes. Far below Murmur, Document and Automatic, this is solid overall but there are multiple worthier candidates in REM catalog (the fresher and more magical Reckoning, the more fun Out of Time, the weightier and more contemplative New Adventures in Hi-Fi) which are not included in this esteemed collection.

3.5

I'm probably too hard on this album. But it's a step down from pretty much everything they did before it, and even some of the things they did after it. It's, like, somewhere around maybe the 6th best REM album? And, all things considered, it's still pretty good.

meh

Sounds like R.E.M. Not my fave album of theirs but they have a distinct sound, singer's voice can get kinda whiny/boring. Fine album, highlights weren't super high and lowlights weren't super low for me. Highlight tracks that stood out for me were "Stand" - I feel like I recognize this from a TV show or something but not sure where. "Hairshirt" - I think this one had a mandolin in it. "Orange Crush" - apparently the most popular track on the album but dodn't stand out too much, wondering if it is about the soda??? Always really liked Peter Buck's guitar tones, makes 6 strings sound like 12, assuming he recorded this album on a Rickenbacker 6.

Few bands set the template for alternative music like REM, and this album might be the most prime example of that. Everything from the arrangement to production on this record would go on to be used in countless indie records even more than 20 years on. Not every track is memorable (or even good really) here, but the ones that stick really stick hard.

Respectable Even-Though Middling.

Some pretty major songs from R.E.M's catalogue ("Orange Crush", "Stand"), and honestly it fucking rules. They have a distinct sound of late-80s college/Alt rock (maybe the most distinct), and just have some great songs throughout the album. It has a real vibe that you have to be in the right mood for, but I think I can count myself an R.E.M fan.

Look it's pretty good but I can't say it truly vibed with me like some of their other stuff. Have to see how some of their earlier albums go.

Kut band

Mid

Bands come of age during the exact moment they are needed. It is amazing to think about that in regards to R.E.M.'s history. They were perfect for the college radio last 80's to early 90's. This album is a gem. They are expanding their talents as a band by incorporating different sounds and instruments. They are switching instruments. They are writing wide ranging pop songs.

Fresher feeling than the last two releases, it feels like the band is experimenting again. Lyrically, it's an emotional roller-coaster. Highlights: "Pop Song 89" (catchy guitar riff, interesting double-tracking on vocals (Stipe is harmonizing with himself)), "You Are the Everything" (beautiful sounding song, mandolin gives it a nostalgic feeling that goes with the lyrics), "Orange Crush" (nice harmonies, guitar riffs and drum work, military sounding breakdown drives home the point of the song), "Untitled" (nice wistful pop song with shuffling drums and organ...it deserves a title...)

Det er bra i guess men ikke særlig spennende. Nun to crazy you feel me. Har ikke noe imot det da. rett over mid ut av 5. Egt orange crush slapper så litt ratingen går litt opp ig. mby siste halvdelen er det shit, turn you inside out er også nice. idk hairshirt hitter ikke. Siste to sangene er ait ig måtte locke inn før å løse FM oppgaven så hørte ikke så nøye etter.

Pareixia de fumones pero no. Rokanrolleo guai. Mol rollo 80s, igual estic biassed per que vaig vore l'altre dia la de Austin Powers (pelicularda btw) Ta fino. 4/5 sense escoltarlo sancer per no posarte un 5/5 si estic animao.

Stand World Leader Pretend Orange Crush

I’ve really never been a fan of REM. This album didn’t do anything to change my mind. There’s an occasional song that’s good. Or a musical riff that’s interesting. And then it just changes to elevator music to me. 2.5/5

Maybe not the most well-known REM album, but to me their quintessential album. Bridges their earlier college-rock sound with their 90s folk-rock sound.

Found the slower songs very enjoyable, slow rock slightly far from my usual listens but definitely piqued my interest. Many of the influences on modern music shows through in a number of songs as well.

This was really good. I’ve never done a deep dive on REM, but this is the second album I’ve gotten from this list and this one was even better than the first (Murmur). I didn’t realize they put out 5 albums in 5 years until I was looking this one up. This is I think the 5th album. That’s a crazy output, and for the fifth one to be this good, these guys were just oozing with songs.

'Green' definitely suffers from autopilot syndrome, despite them obviously trying out new things with this more pop-oriented, softer direction. It would go on to define the bulk of their later work, but they also never seemed to have recovered from the fatigue of recording this.

REM’s greatest hits album absolutely blew my head off when I was about 13, so I’ll always have affection for them and I like their sound enough to enjoy this. However, there are no songs here that aren’t on the hits album that would deserve to be. A bit too much of Stipe’s inner child for me, and ‘Stand’ has always sounded to me like it’s written to teach children something, not sure what, standing? Points on a compass? I just looked it up and this is their SIXTH album?!! Mad that they took over ten years to get in to their stride - they really had a good few years at the beginning of the 90s.

Lovely, easy listening

Good

2 catchy songs, Stand and Orange Crush which I already knew. I like REM generally speaking but this album draws a little

They lost me on a couple but definitely bring it back around with their bangers. Solid 3.5 album, rounding up.

Another great REM album, 3.8 stars.

Such a great album! World Leader Pretend is one of my favorites of theirs

2/5. College alt rock, political and tongue in cheek. There are some good songs on here but it does have a priority to get a message across over songwriting. It's a vibe for sure but doesn't really stick with me throughout. REM albums do take a few listens but as a first time around, not super feeling it save a few good songs. Best Song: Get Up, Orange Crush, Turn You Inside-Out

Not enough variety in the instrumental for my taste. Though Michael Stipe has an incredibly unique voice.

R.E.M. has always been one of those bands I’m totally fine with but not ever eager to toss on. That being said, something about Green, pulled me in moreso than Automatic or Murmur. There seems to be a tad more variety mixed in on Green, some pop and they still have their brooding which is totally fine too. I really enjoyed this release even though I still have no fucking clue what is going on in Orange Crush. 4 stars

Some good songs, but the album as a whole is a bit samey for the most part.

Lovely jangly guitar and lots of mandolin, some serious songs but also quite a lot of syrupy pop music.

There are better REM albums out there...

Nr. 166/1001 Pop Song 89 3/5 Get Up 3/5 You Are The Everything 4/5 Stand 3/5 World Leader Pretend 3/5 The Wrong Child 3/5 Orange Crush 3/5 Turn You Inside-Out 3/5 Hairshirt 3/5 I Remember California 3/5 Untitled 4/5 Average: 3,18 Wasn't bad, but lacked highlights for me.

A rough listen, did not enjoy.

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 ⭐️

Similar vibes to Automatic for the People. Not quite as good, but a fun listen.

If NIN was too aggressive, this is way too mellow. DNF

3/5

This album is one of my life soundtracks. Stand was my gateway drug into R.E.M. and Green was one of the first albums I bought (and it's not even a top 5 R.E.M. album for me). Their major label debut after inking a multi-million dollar deal with WB, it could be titled Enter the Mandolin. Highlights on this listen: Get Up, You Are The Everything, Hairshirt, and Untitled. Even the least interesting/most cloying track The Wrong Child is so interesting to listen to with the mandolin strum and overlapping lyrics. The stretch from Pageant to Automatic is Stipe at his lyrical best and this album has some BRILLIANT lines.

This album was good - but nothing special in my opinion. I liked the vocals, the mixing, and the fun mix of instruments throughout, but the lyrics were very repetitive and I lost interest about 1:30 into most of the songs. I would definitely put it on at a casual gathering or something, but don’t know if it’s worth another listen.

I own several REM albums, but this one is better than everything I have. I loved it!

Wow! I really want to listen to this one in the context of REM's discography but I loved this one. It's a little front heavy with all the singles on the A-side but on my second listen I was really enjoying the non singles as well. It's a really great mix of acoustic and electric sounds!

Screams classic REM. Such a unique sound from them but always very good

Probably my 3rd favourite R.EM. album. Not even one bad or meh song from top to bottom. I would very highly recommend this record. 👌

I never can decide whether Monster or Green is my favourite REM record. Today I’m leaning Green. This album is just so much fun.

Not bad at all

Obvious 5* You are the everything and turn you inside out my favourite tracks

THIS IS MY WORLD, AND I AM WORLD LEADER PRETEND

The album was very hit or miss for me. Some songs I really enjoyed and others I wanted to skip. Favs: pop song 89, orange crush

Third attempt at trying to get into R.E.M. and you know what? I actually enjoyed this album. Stand was the only track I knew going in and it's one of the weakest tracks, despite being a single. I guess R.E.M. are alright

One of the seminal albums of my last two years of high school.

Ben, c’est REM, t’aime ou t’aime pas. Pour ma part j’ai bien aimé, mais on est loin de Automatic for the People, donc un solide 3 semble approprié

Better than expected

Stand, intro de Get a Life.

Stand and Orange crush are obviously pretty good, Pop Song 89 was okay, most of the others are kind of whatever. Would probably say 3.5, but can't, so 3.

Got progressively more annoying.

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

[previously heard] Solid album by the boys from Athens, GA. Not sure I would have included this in the 1001 albums as they have much better Albums in their catalog, but World Leader Pretend is probably the most worthy song from this album to revisit.

A classic REM album

Because is R.E.M

Pure 90s nostalgia

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

Are they called REM because they made me fall asleep?

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

One of those albums I forget about, even though there are so many good tracks.

It's a good album, but also the weakest of REM's 80s output

This, my first album of the generator, was one of my favourites when I was younger but I hadn’t listened to it in years. What a delight to rediscover this powerhouse from REM as my first album.

Damn good album

Ja mooi klassiek R.E.M. Heb ik een zwak voor. Tempo ligt goed maar er is ook veel afwisseling tussen en binnen de nummers. Favo nummers; You are the everything en Orange crush.

Kende wel wat nummers, niks dat er echt uit sprong

R.E.M. wrote most of the soundtrack to my college life, and this album was right in the middle of it all.

Classic REM album that for some weird reason has lost a little of its status over time, while it was considered as an instant classic in the years after its releas, but it really is still a great album (8 out of 11 songs are 5 star).

This album was okay, but the songs all sounded quite similar to me. I keep hearing 'Losing my Religion' in many of the songs, but I guess this is just the Michael Stipe signature song-writing style.

One of the many fine R.E.M. albums.

First half of the album is very good, 4-4.5 stars, second half of album is 2.5-3 stars. About a 3.5 star album.

Wishing I could force feed that mandolin to Peter Buck.

He sings like a grizzling child, but the songs are pleasantly sombre.

pants & toothbrush

Good.

I'm the weirdo who prefers REM's 'Monster' album.

I can appreciate the pop superstardom aspect of it, but if I am being honest, I turn it off whenever it comes on and couldn't get thru much of this relatively short 41 minute album.

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.

A classic.

loved the kinda grunge aspect of it

Outside of the radio hits, Stand and Orange Crush, this album seems a bit one-dimensional. It's a fine pop album to play in the background.

Stand is maybe my least favorite REM song. There still Pop Song 89 and Orange Crush here, which I like. And some other songs that don't quite punch through but are still very REM.

It's got my favourite REM song on here - Orange Crush - and another one or two that I like. It's fine otherwise. Was never a big fan, will probably never be a big fan. The teenage version of me who thought Joe Satriani was the pinnacle would cringe at the notion I'd quite enjoy an REM platter.

Mostly upbeat with political undertones. Stand and Orange Crush are standout tracks. Interesting use of the mandolin on a few songs.

A little slow for me but it was fineeeeeee

I promise I don't hate R.E.M. I actually love quite a few of their songs. But when I put this on, the first half seemed like another R.E.M. album that just doesn't interested md outside of the singles. But, the entire second half is brilliant. Blew me away. The Wrong Child is an incredible incredible song too

Good music overall, but not my favorite R.E.M. songs

Very R.E.M.

Good

Absolutely nothing bad about this album except it finishes

Not my favorite REM album. With the exception of The Wrong Child, I can't really groove with anything. It's not bad, just right down the middle. If you're a fan of the band, you probably will like this. If you're not, it's not going to convince you.

Rather like R.E.M. and this is no exception.

Loved it

Stand is always fun, but the rest doesn’t compare to Out of Time.