REM are on automatic (Automatic For The People - R.E.M.)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Automatic For The People - R.E.M.
Date:	05/03/08 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some good tracks

Disadvantages: Some bad tracks, low nature of the music

REM is an American band with a distinct sound formed in 1980. Fronted by lead singer Michael Stipe, they have enjoyed multiple successes both critically and commercially, at the same time as riding the criticism of them being too depressing with their music, both lyrically and with the tone of the musical production. However, they have continued to churn out the hits.

'Automatic For The People' is their 8th offering as an album, from 1992, and contains a few hits such as 'Drive', 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight', and what is perhaps their signature tune 'Everybody Hurts'. There are 12 tracks on the album.

These are the tracks:

1. Drive
2. Try Not To Breathe
3. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight
4. Everybody Hurts
5. New Orleans Instrumental No.1
6. Sweetness Follows
7. Monty Got A Raw Deal
8. Ignoreland
9. Star Me Kitten
10. Man On The Moon
11. Nightswimming
12. Find The River

I find it easy to appreciate the musical quality on offer here, yet I am not that enamoured with the album. I am among those who find that Michael Stipe's voice, brilliant as it is, is a bit wearing after a while, and the natural tone of REM's music requires that I listen to only a few tracks at a time.

The unfortunate thing about this album is that there are a string of commercially unknown tracks in the middle, This, combined with the inability I have to be able to sit through a whole REM album, makes me skip to the familiar tracks most times. Within those middle tracks, there are a couple of very good tracks, and lyrically 'Monty Got A Raw Deal' is very clever, but there are a couple of clangers. 'Sweetness Follows' is a song I can safely say I don't want to listen to. If I am preoccupied and it plays and I don't notice it coming on, then I will have listened to it, but if I am paying attention to what is on, I skip it without question.

'Man On The Moon' is a tribute song to Andy Kaufman the comedian from Taxi, and is a great track followed by what I consider to be the best on the album, 'Nightswimming'. It is a very powerfully emotionally charged ballad that will remain one of my favourite songs for a long time.

I rate this album at 3 stars. Yes, there are a couple of good hits, and as I said, 'Nightswimming' is one of my favourite songs of all time, but there are too many indiscrepancies in the middle for a higher rating for me.

The album is currently available from amazon.co.uk for £4.98 new, £0.49 used.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: REM's 8th album, 1992