Shiny Happy People? Not quite........ (Out Of Time - R.E.M.)

Member Name: Red Devil

Product:	Out Of Time - R.E.M.
Date:	16/08/00 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Losing My Religion, Country Feedback and the fact that the album is playable time after time

Disadvantages: not many that i can see - maybe that shiny happy people is seen as a highlight when it is far from the best

Along with 'Automatic For The People', 'Out Of Time' (released in 1991) is R.E.M.'s most well known album to date. The album is arguably the groups strongest and probably just has the edge over 'Automatic For The People' as my own personal favourite R.E.M. album.
'Losing My Religion' put R.E.M. on the pedestal they deserved and cannot be doubted as one of the songs of the decade. Still, in my opinion, one of their very best, it has both a depressing and uplifting feel at the same time and is the highlight of an excellent album. The other 'big time' song on the album is not typical of R.E.M. but its commercial appeal helped sell the album and 'Shiny Happy People' is THE uplifting track on what is otherwise a very downbeat album. Two of the songs on the back-end of the album rank as two of the groups most depressing; noteably 'Half A World Away' and 'Country Feedback' see all band members at their best, although these tracks can only truly be appreciated live and lose their edge on an album. However, they are still exceptional songs and sandwiched between, 'Texarkana', gives a welcome break whilst still maintaining the flow of the album. Similar to 'Texarkana', 'Near Wild Heaven' is a song which is very catchy and on first listen will grab you most.
One of the advantages this album has over 'Automatic For The People' is that the instrumental, 'Endgame', is much stronger than the equivalent on 'Automatic...' and, although not of primary importance, it does demonstrate how 'Out Of Time' has somewhat more style than the album which followed it.
All in all one of the best albums of the nineties and R.E.M. at the best during the middle phase of the groups existence.

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