R.E.M. - Monster

R.E.M. pushed the jangle out of the picture with Monster, replacing it with reverberating snaps, crackles, and pops. An album that wraps itself to '70s glam finery while reaching out to the flannel-clad post-Nirvana throngs, it largely succeeds at demonstrating that these Georgians still know how to rock. The MTV fave "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" kicks things off on a high note as Peter Buck's distorted power chords set the tone for the 12-song set. "Strange Currencies" may be alarmingly reminiscent of the Automatic for the People hit "Everybody Hurts," but it's actually the superior song. "Let Me In" is a heavily distorted nod to the fallen Kurt Cobain. While Monster is far from R.E.M.'s most consistent effort, it stands as a ragged and risky respite from safe and sound alterna-rock. --Steven Stolder Amazon.com

CD Arrived On Time hahaha

CD arrived on time, in perfect condition. Except for a scratch on the CD case. I will make sure I recommend you to all my family and friends. JUST KIDDING!

I hated this album the day it came out. HATED it. Listened to it yesterday in order to test my resilience to all things relevant and to my suprise I loved it. All of those selling this for a penny (Im talking to you used CD store owners with a boatload of copies of this CD)-- I ould suggest just handing them out in any parking lot you may happen to find yourself in. Going to get groceries? --see that kid over there? He doesnt have a copy of REMs Monster.... September 30, 2008

I prefer This album instead of "Accelerate"

Monster is a more complete album than accelerate,more styles and more melody.Monster have Ballads and Rock songs.Accelerate only Rock songs.Monster(49 min) have more music than Accelerate(this only 28 min) April 12, 2008

Monster is a very underappreciated album

Monster is definitely a departure from R.E.M.s formulaic sound but it's not necessarily a change for the worse either. Monster is, by far, R.E.M.'s loudest, sexiest and most aggressive album by far. With "Strange Currencies", "Bang and Blame", and "I Don't Sleep I Dream" being my favorite songs on the CD. April 6, 2008

Scratch That Name on The Record Player

After the brilliant Automatic for the People, R.E.M. could have chosen to rest on their laurels and made a similar sounding album, or chosen to tour in support of AFTP. Instead, they took an adventurous left turn into the land of dirty guitars and snarling vocals, emerging from the studio with this 12 song set.

Peter Buck's Big Muff equipped guitar is given center stage here, but other effects and instrumentation give each track its own unique sound. Reverb, echo, tremolo are all employed to add color to the distorted landscape. Michael Stipe's vocals range from Iggy Pop-esque glam/punk rock to tender balladeer depending on the mood of the song.

There are so many incredible songs on this CD, but standouts are the achingly beautiful "Tongue", the heartfelt Kurt Cobain-inspired "Let Me In", the eastern flavors of "You", and the mysterious "I Don't Sleep I Dream." I also really enjoyed "Bang and Blame" which features a tremolo drenched guitar part that almost seems incomplete, giving the song an odd sense of urgency. But in truth, there really aren't any songs on this album I dislike. I tend to skip the opener, "What's The Frequency Kenneth?" as you couldn't turn on MTV, VH1, or the radio without hearing it when the album was released.

The sound is turbulent and the lyrics are enigmatic, sometimes borderline ridiculous, but that's part of what makes this album so great. This is the sound of a band enjoying playing together, which must have been very cathartic after the intricate production that went into the previous album. Some of AFTP's songs boasted guitar parts alone in the double digits, so I imagine this album to be their way of blowing off steam after such a labor of love. In the process, they created an album equally as engaging, just for different reasons. February 13, 2008

Much Maligned Album Actually Reveals Itself To Be Incredible

I remember Michael Stipe saying that if the album "Up" came out from a brand new band who the public knew nothing about people would go hog wild for it. That's how I feel about Monster. I think if this album existed in a vacuum, without any of R.E.M's history and context to shade people's reactions, it would be regarded as a masterpiece. Every song has an original, exciting melody that fits surprisingly well in the gigantic swamp of guitars that frames each song (I know it's R.E.M. heresy but I believe these melodies are on par with those found on Murmur). It's actually quite surprising Stipe's voice is so clear and up front in these songs. That's a testament to the recording and mixing quality. The lyrics reach a perfect crossroads of Slogans & Poetry here on Monster. It's a beautiful album that vibrates you into bliss with distortion. February 10, 2008

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