R.E.M. "Accelerate" (2008).

Advantages: R.E.M.'s best album since "New Adventures in Hi-Fi".
Disadvantages: ...R.E.M. haven't had a good album since "New Adventures in Hi-Fi".

...R.E.M. "Accelerate" (Warner Bros., 2008) - More disappointing, disturbingly self-referential, placeholding. One of the ironies of R.E.M.'s long career has been their fairly impressive inability to structure their own albums into both coherent and interesting masses, the irony rooted in three remarkable exceptions: the jangling and often menacing I.R.S.-period "Life's Rich Pageant", the nigh-perfect expression of the American plains in "Automatic for the People", and the fuzzy, brave, quasi future-rock "Monster". As an R.E.M. fan you accept that for every hit, there are the near-hits, and the awful experiments, as the band reel somewhat pretentiously from what their last album really cost in spirit, rebuilding their own character through our generous donations to the cause of their emotional stock, so far removed from their...

jjdoody 19.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Accelerate - R.E.M.

Essential R.E.M

Advantages: Eeverything except.......
Disadvantages: New Orleans Instrumental No. 1

...For anyone who knows me at all, one of the first things they will have learnt is that I have a love for all music R.E.M. This may make me biased but I haven't enjoyed every one of their albums with blind faith (Take 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' for example). Automatic For The People was the first R.E.M album I purchased and is solely responsible for the extended interest I have taken in their music; old or new. Along with 'Out Of Time' it was part of what I consider to be R.E.M's golden era. 'Automatic' is a classic album in every way. What I look for in a good album is nice ambience, a variety of tempo and a good balance to the general nature of it's song list. Through the assured, slightly cocky lyrics of 'Drive', the infamous empathy of 'Everybody Hurts' and the warmth of 'Nightswimming' this album has got it right. 'Drive' as...

Garret 21.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of Automatic For The People - R.E.M.

The Descent Of R.E.M.

Advantages: Pretty melodies in places
Disadvantages: Relentlessly slow paced

...Before telling you about the songs on this album, let's get this straight. This is not the scathing attack on Dubya that it seemed to be heralded as, at least not on the surface. Lyrical directness has never been Michael Stipe's style, and although these songs are doubtless loaded with metaphorical messages about the leader of the free world, only a handful of songs, most obviously Final Straw, tackle him head on. Perhaps the blueprint was something along the lines of Springsteen's meditation on 9/11, The Rising, but Stipe is simply not in Bruce's league in terms of lyrics. Unfortunately, that's not the only department in which this album is a let down. By R.E.M.'s high standards of yore, this is average fare. That's still decent compared to most bands it must be said. However I say as a word of warning, casual fans of R.E.M. may wish...

ThierryHenryisGOD 20.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of Around The Sun - R.E.M.

R.E.M.: Out Of Time

Advantages: Diverse, creative, catchy alternative rock.
Disadvantages: Very slightly patchy.

...The major label breakthrough for the band who started out playing their new style of rock in pizza parlours and rundown churches. 11 years after forming, the greatest musical talent ever to grace the planet (in my humble opinion) are recognised by the world. Out Of Time is as diverse as any other R.E.M. album, and while not their best work, should definitely be heard. The album starts on a funky note with help from rapper KRS-1. This was the first time any rock band had teamed up with a rap artist, and the guys pulled it off well, Mills' sliding bassline complimenting Buck's chiming arpeggios. This is followed by what is perhaps the bands best known work to date: Losing My Religion. An effortlessly catchy slice of folk-rock with off-kilter instrumentation by the wonderfully talented Peter Buck. Sandwiching this pop triumph is Low...

Aufwiedersehen 15.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Out Of Time - R.E.M.

R.E.M.: Dead Letter Office

Advantages: Hidden R.E.M. gems that were never released....until now!
Disadvantages: Doesn't play like an album

...In 1987, after five years at I.R.S. Records, R.E.M. finally got their big break with the offer of a place at Warner Bros. Records. The deal was done. But before they upped and left I.R.S., they felt the need for a 'spring clean' of their song inventory. And here is the 'rubbish' they managed to find down the edge the sofa, hidden in the attic (ha!....excuse the pun) and brushed under the carpet. The liner notes by Peter Buck (guitar) tell us that 'it's not a record to be taken too seriously. Listening to this album should be like browsing through a junk shop'. Let's browse.... 1. Crazy - The opener is a cover of a song by Pylon, another band to attach themselves to the burgeoning post-punk scene. It's a strange, slightly psychedelic track with hypnotic repetition (hence the name) that suits all four members styles down to...

Aufwiedersehen 17.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Dead Letter Office - R.E.M.

Really Excellent Music (Automatic For The People - R.E.M.)

Advantages: Tremendous lyrics, awesome melodies, Cracking album
Disadvantages: None

......

thejazzyj 14.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Automatic For The People - R.E.M.

Reveal's R.E.M Still Have That Magic

Advantages: R.E.M back to their old selves
Disadvantages: Can be a bit Gloomy

...Finally R.E.M are sound comfortable being R.E.M again. After Automatic for the People R.E.M made a conscious decision to deconstruct their sound and go for heavier guitar based rock tunes. First with the average, disappointing Monster, then with the slightly better, but still not great, New Adventures in Hi-FI, and finally with Up, a good album in it’s own right with a few great tunes e.g. At My Most Beautiful. This is the final step back to times when songs like Losing my Religion, Everybody Hurts, and Country Feedback. Reveal is a masterpiece in my mind, not just on its song merits, no, it makes me feel like its 1991 again, and I’m kicking back listening to Out of Time. This album has quite a lot of, as another dooyooer so eloquently put it, non-songs (basically songs with out the chorus to verse to chorus to verse...

Fitzerman 25.01.2002 · Read review
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Review of Reveal - R.E.M.

R.E.M.'s watershed pop album

Advantages: Massively catchy and groundbreaking songwriting
Disadvantages: Occasionally rough around the egdes

...After several years cultivatingly an growing fanbase, with 1988's "Green" R.E.M. finally made the transition to world-beaters. The album was the first to be recorded after the band's massive $80 million deal with Warner Brothers, and it shows. For starters, "Green" was by far the band's most commercial work at that time, and laid the foundations for the out-and-out pop classics "Out Of Time" and "Automatic For the People" which subsequently followed. Known in early years for their trademark awkwardness, "Green" marks the point at which the band appear able to take themselves less seriously - openers "Pop Song 89" and "Get Up" exude breezy fun, whilst "Stand" is laugh-out-loud silliness. That said, the band still maintain emotional depth - Stipe's lyrics are amongst the best of his career, as on the heart-rending mandolin-laden "You Are...

gold_soundz 07.02.2005 (08.02.2005) · Read review
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Review of Green (+DVDA) [Digipak] - R.E.M.

R.E.M Reveal Beauty and Melody

Advantages: Beautiful , melodic , immense and soft
Disadvantages: A few more Harmonies from Mike Mills would be nice.

......

Eatmealice 22.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Reveal - R.E.M.

IT WAS ALL REVEALED TO ME update

Advantages: Great lyrics and design
Disadvantages: none

...R.E.M. are without a doubt one of the great bands that came out of the 20th century, so how does their new album fare, there first one of the 21st century and it comes 20 years since their first release. Its called Reveal if I had to reveal that to you or any thing. ~ History ~ The band recorded and released their first album in 1981. Since then they have 12 albums, the most recent being Up and others recent albums include Monster and Automatic For The People. Although it has been 11 years since their rise to world fame their 20 years in the business has been consistent but experimental and so they don't really get the acclaim they deserve, they are a superb three piece band and there latest album is a testimony to that. ~ So what's on the album ~ The full list of tracks is as follows (in running order): 1. The Lifting 2...

eljimbob 15.06.2001 (30.10.2008) · Read review
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Review of Reveal - R.E.M.