CD-Charts Position 21
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Around the Sun [Gatefold Sleeve]

by: REM

Release Date October 04, 2004
I waited for this album to grow on me... and waited... and waited...

I am a huge REM fan and I agree whole heartedly with the Around the Sun apologists who have written their reviews here in that REM has always pushed forward, has never looked to remake an album, always looking to tread new ground.

Unfortunately, ATS is an album of half-written songs that have then been overproduced. Like the air-brushed cover, the post-production obscures even the better bits of the album, rendering it stodgy and bland. Stipes lyrics have never been more anodyne, the instrumentation never more unremarkable.

Make it all ok & the outsiders - are cringeworthy
Electron Blue & wanderlust -seem half baked
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CD-Charts Position 22
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Document

by: REM

Release Date October 01, 1992
This record has their most focused political songs taking up the first half of the album.

Finest Work Song starts the record with the clarion call "the time to rise has been engaged / you're better best to rearrange".

Welcome To The Occupation is a Chomsky style look at the United States economic occupation of South America "offering the educated, primitive and loyal / welcome to the occupation" . When Stipe sings of "Sugar cane and coffee cup, copper steel and cattle / an annotated history, the forest for the fire" it reminds me of school lessons looking at maps of the world where the western countries are labeled with their name and developing countries marked only by the product they provide to the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 23
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In Time: The Best of REM 1988 - 2003

by: REM

Release Date October 27, 2003
Can the story of R.E.M. be told in one compilation? Possibly not, but In Time tries to tell half of the tale thus far. The band tried to take into account fan opinion when compiling In Time, though when it came down to it, the view of both themselves and Warner Brothers carried a heavier weight.

Warners wanted one of the catchy singles on it, R.E.M. were less convinced and only acquiesced to The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite. In the end, Shiny Happy People was left off at the band's request and in doing so, prevented In Time being a true Greatest Hits 1888-2003.

Disc One of the two disc set is almost entirely made up of singles, apart from the strange decision to include All The Right Friends, an original track performed at R.E.M.'s ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 24
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The Best of Rem

by: REM

Release Date August 01, 1991
I brought this album originally after listening to Murmur, which got me interested in rem's earlier stuff. the famous Its the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine) will be immidiately reconisable but as you listen back through the other tracks the overall subtlety and feeling of the band through these times will become apparent. coming from a remote, slightly backward, town myself i found (Don't go back to) Rockville and Can't get there from here really relevent. i can't recommend this album enough, if just to put on at the end of a stressful day.

CD-Charts Position 25
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Drive

by: REM

Release Date September 01, 1992
I brought this album originally after listening to Murmur, which got me interested in rem's earlier stuff. the famous Its the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine) will be immidiately reconisable but as you listen back through the other tracks the overall subtlety and feeling of the band through these times will become apparent. coming from a remote, slightly backward, town myself i found (Don't go back to) Rockville and Can't get there from here really relevent. i can't recommend this album enough, if just to put on at the end of a stressful day.

CD-Charts Position 26
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Up [Double Disc: Digipack CD + DVD-A w/ video]

by: REM

Release Date February 28, 2005
Musicwise this album is very good - see main (CD only) page for reviews of that though.

The sound on this DVD-A is very clear, especially the vocals, however I feel the multi channel mix subtracts from the performance, it's confused with instruments coming out from weird places for seemingly no reason, some albums get away from this treatment, this one doesn't. It has two different options for play on DVD-A however, multi channel and 2 channel. The 2 channel is amazing, much better quality thatn the CD (if your equipment can notice it - if you can't tell the difference between CD and MP3, don't get this). I previously owned the original CD but had it stolen and feel this is only worth getting if you don't already have the original CD, unless your audio ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 27
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Man-Sized Wreath [7" VINYL]

by: REM

Release Date August 11, 2008
Musicwise this album is very good - see main (CD only) page for reviews of that though.

The sound on this DVD-A is very clear, especially the vocals, however I feel the multi channel mix subtracts from the performance, it's confused with instruments coming out from weird places for seemingly no reason, some albums get away from this treatment, this one doesn't. It has two different options for play on DVD-A however, multi channel and 2 channel. The 2 channel is amazing, much better quality thatn the CD (if your equipment can notice it - if you can't tell the difference between CD and MP3, don't get this). I previously owned the original CD but had it stolen and feel this is only worth getting if you don't already have the original CD, unless your audio ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 28
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Murmur

by: REM

Release Date
In the early eighties American rock music had stagnated. Obese with hoary stadium embracing poodle rockers the genre needed something to reinvent and revitalise and usher in a new wave of bands ready to head off at exciting fresh tangents. Arguably the release of REM,s debut album Murmur in 1983 was the pivotal moment that precipitated a whole slew of bands that shot blasted the clichéd excesses of American rock out of the limelight back towards the gaudy margins where it belonged.
Where a lot of the new US bands would empirically opt for the harder edged extremes of rock REM instinctively had a gentler , looser take on American rock that embraced the past while simultaneously taking it into a new direction. They eschewed rock clichés like extended solo,s or ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 29
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Supernatural Superserious [CD 2]

by: REM

Release Date March 24, 2008
This is what a track from 'Document' would sound like if it were written now, rather than 1987. And that is indeed a good thing because R.E.M. most definitely sound like a rock band again. Its very refreshing to hear those jangly, fuzz pedal guitars of Peter Buck and listen to Mike Mills finally harmonize with Michael again. The mix is great and every instrument, including Michael's voice are perfectly mixed like they used to be...it just sounds so democratic again. I love it. Lets hope the album is as good as the single. Welcome back boys!

CD-Charts Position 30
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Eponymous

by: REM

Release Date August 01, 1993
Lots of good tracks on this CD my favourite being The One I Love. It's The End Of The World As We Know It is also good, quite uptempo and fun. Talk About The Passion confirms (as usual) their great harmonies. Definately to be purchased by REM fans