R.E.M. part 6

After two mainly acoustic, introspective albums that were monster hits, R.E.M. wisely opted to go the other way with their next album, Monster (1994). It was a proper Rock album: loud, identified by distorted guitars and simpler tunes. After the gloom of Automatic For The People, the boys wanted to make a fun record.

Recording Monster wasn't that much fun, however. The sessions were interrupted by various illnesses that befell the members of the group. Also there were tensions that escalated within the band. The guys would rarely see each other, not even in the studio. They almost broke up. The group had a meeting to resolve its issues; Mills told Rolling Stone, "We have to begin working as a unit again, which we haven't been doing very well lately."

The album went straight to #1 in the US as well as in the UK. The critics loved it and audiences all over the world flocked to buy it. It didn't have the impact of Automatic For The People, but at this point nobody expected it too.

Opening song and first single was What's the Frequency, Kenneth?. The song is about a guy who's desperately trying to understand what motivates the younger generation, who has gone to great lengths to try and figure them out, but by the end of the song, he's still clueless.

Second single Bang and Blame is the last R.E.M. song to reach the Top 40 in the US.

Crush with Eyeliner was inspired by the New York Dolls and it possesses the appropriate glam feel. We'll discuss the New York Dolls more extensively when we return to the 70s.

The album closes with a powerful song called You. This video is set to scenes from A Place In The Sun (1951).

At a certain point in their career, many rock acts have an album recorded on the road, during a tour, in buses, hotel rooms and sound checks. For David Bowie, it was Aladdin Sane. For Jackson Browne, it was Running On Empty. For R.E.M., it was New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996).

The first single off the album was E-Bow the Letter. An atmospheric song, that features the great Patti Smith on guest vocals, to the delight of the band, who were all great fans of her. In fact, Stipe was one of the first members of her fan club.

How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us (what an interesting title) was the first track of the album, as well as its last single. Another great song.

We now come to my 2nd favorite R.E.M. song of all-time, Electrolite. A love letter to L.A. with stunningly intelligent lyrics, an addictive piano line, a bewitching violin-themed bridge and a finale that definitely catches one's attention. It's definitely worth a listen or ten.

Their next album was Up (1998). At My Most Beautiful is one of the standout tracks on it.

The album also includes my 4th favorite R.E.M. song of all-time, Falls To Climb. It concerns a Rosa Parks type person, someone who doesn't mind being in the front line facing danger. The song explains how this person's mind works. It's a personal song for me.

The Great Beyond is not featured on an original studio album as it was written specifically for the 1999 movie Man On The Moon. It was included in the movie's soundtrack and was released as a single. It was to be their biggest hit in the UK, peaking at #3.

Their first 21st Century album was Reveal (2001). In it, Imitation of Life is another great song, with a great video. The song was, of course, inspired by the movie of the same name. It's a great song for ad libbing. I have actually invented a number of verses for this song. This usually happens in the shower.

Around the Sun (2004) was their 13th studio album. From this album, here's Wanderlust:

Accelerate (2008), was even better received. Supernatural Superserious was #1 in Norway.

Collapse Into Now (2011) was their 15th and final studio album. The album received excellent reviews, went to #1 in Germany and Switzerland, #2 in Norway and Austria,, #3 in Ireland, Spain and Denmark, #5 in the US, the UK, Belgium and Poland, #6 in Canada, the Netherlands and Italy. After more than 30 years of critically and commercially successful albums and singles that influenced dozens of artists that followed, R.E.M. decided to call it a day. They left as they came, a force to be reckoned with.

From this last album, here's Überlin: