Monster - R.E.M.

It is perhaps characteristic of REM that with the world baying for another AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE, their much anticipated follow-up turned out to be a hard rock album almost guaranteed to alienate half of their newly expanded fan base. Indeed the critical and public reception to MONSTER was lukewarm, and it remains one of their most awkward and unwelcoming albums. It begins well enough with the storming single 'What's The Frequency, Kenneth' and the bizarre 'Crush With Eyeliner', but as the album wears on it becomes clear that there is no real theme or direction here except a general urge to make a bit of a racket - which was no doubt the ...  Read the complete review

Monster sees REM heading off in a different direction after Michael Stipe's own promise that the albums following Automatic For The People would be rock. This is somewhat ironic as Monster features songs in the same style that the country-folk pop rock REM of the early 1980s sought to rise against. As an album it is very good, but as an REM album it lacks the edge of earlier and later efforts. The album sees REM going for the world sound that the public demanded after the success of their previous two massive selling albums (out of time, automatic for the people)...and the devastatingly unfortunate world tour that accompanied the monster album suggests ...  Read the complete review

R.E.M reinvented themselves after their highly successful (both critically and commercially) Automatic For The People. Most of the people who said that they can only write and sing songs in acoustic backgrounds and with up-lifting vocals were pretty much surprised when Monster came out in September 1994. Peter Buck's style of playing was electric, more electric than ever. The lead-single 'What's The Frequency Kenneth?' is the perfect example of how different the songs were on this album. While it's one of their better albums, Monster is sometimes slow and too weird, not all of the songs are amazing. There are some songs that are OK and some that are great. It ...  Read the complete review

This was the last REM record I added to my collection thanks to the bad press it got-but despite that, it is one of my favourite REM albums, (bar Green, Reveal, and New Adventures). The opening track is absolutely brilliant, and if you know the words it's even better. Crush With Eyeliner brings it down a bit by sounding the same at the beginning, and I dislike King of Comedy. Star69 and Bang and Blame are excellent, but by far the best tracks on this album are What's The Frequency, Kenneth?, Strange Currencies and Tongue. Strange Currencies may sound like Everybody Hurts, but the lyrics are fantastic, and the almost spoken-word singing is typically REM. Tongue, ...  Read the complete review

This is the REM CD you're most likely to see in a bargain bin, and if you do see it cheap, buy it. It, but it has the usual quota of classic songs The collection may not be their best, it is rather 'experimental', heavier, perhaps less cohesive than their other CDs, with a plethora of styles, but it has a high quota of classic songs. The only track I habitually skip is King of Comedy - which would sound OK on an INXS album, but just seems out of place here. Opener "What's the Frequency Kenneth" grabs your attention - and that backwards guitar solo is weird compelling. ; On "Let me in", Stipe's vocal is ...  Read the complete review