Green (Orange) (Green - R.E.M.)

Member Name: davepridd

Product:	Green - R.E.M.
Date:	02/08/00 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A classic album, no bad tracks, very emotional

Disadvantages: None

This was REMs first major label release after Micheal Stipe had decided to sign to Warner Brothers because of Bugs Bunny (!) After 2 rock albums the group decided to do something more gentle and acoustic. Peter Buck had recently learnt how to play mandolin which led the way for one of REMs more folk-based albums. In a way 'Green' is quite similar to its follow-up 'Out of time' in that the music is largely split between melancholy folk music and cheerful pop songs, but here the production is not so glossy with none of the string sections and backing vocals that the group were to introduce later.

Although the instrumentation is often quite minimal, the sound is fantastic with the music always backing the meaning of the song very well. Three tracks ('The wrong child', 'You are the everything' and 'Hairshirt') are just duets between mandolin and voice, and both the instrument and Stipe seem to sound optomistic, but with a hint of sadness; for example when Stipe sings 'I'm not supposed to be like this...but it's OK' on 'The wrong child', he sounds almost desperate, and you are not sure whether to believe that it is 'OK'. 'You are the everything' is a beautiful love song and is almost a match for 'At my most beautiful' on the 'Up' album.

The pop songs are somewhat different in mood, as they are genuinely cheerful; although REM are considered a serious group (whether you call them folk, pop or rock is up to you), but there seems to be no hint of irony in pure pop songs such as 'Stand' or the untitled song which closes the album; these tracks sound fantastic and easily stand up to the rest of the material on offer here.

Micheal Stipe had originally intended 'Green' to be a very up album, but whilst this does hold with the songs I have already described, it is not true on some of the more negative tracks of the album. Songs such as
'World leader pretend' and 'Orange Crush' are very impressive, but they present an imagery which is almost like the nightmare vision of '1984', and are obviously seen as a threat to the ecological feel that the rest of the album has. Titles such as 'I remember California' are deceptive as this is not a Beach Boys type song but a minor key track with quite a vague lyric which is about the shallowness of California or perhaps remembering the world after some sort of disaster.

I really reccomend this album as there is not a single weak track and at 40 minutes the album is about perfect length, and still manages to explore a whole range of emotion. Even if you don't like some of REMs other stuff it is still worth considering as every REM album is different.

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