You wore our expectations like an armored suit

Continuing my trip across the output of Athens' finest...

Monster (1994)

After the highs of Automatic For The People, we have - well, this.  It's fair to say it's a very different proposition and one that was extremely disappointing for me at the time.  With hindsight, I actually think there are some great tracks on it but it will be interesting to give it my first full listen in years and judge it both on a track-by-track basis and as an overall album.

Side one – "C Side"

1. What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
The opening track was also the lead-out single and I like it - I think people thought it was an interesting progression from AFTP and hence contributed to a heightened sense of anticipation.  Some pop trivia for you - the title comes from a disturbing incident where Dan Rather, the US journalist, was attacked in the street by two assailants shouting "Kenneth, what is the frequency?".  And some more trivia - the song slows down towards the end because they were recording it live and Mike Mills slowed things down so they all followed him.  It was only when they'd finished that they realised he'd slowed down because he wasn't feeling well - it turned out he had appendicitis and had to be rushed to hospital.

2. Crush With Eyeliner
This is another one I like - this album is very front-loaded, isn't it?  It also has some very bizarre lyrics "She's a sad tomato - she's three miles of bad road".

3. King Of Comedy
I can kinda see what they're trying to do here - it sounds quite U2ish from that era, but it's all a bit sludgy.  It also doesn't go anywhere.

4. I Don't Sleep, I Dream
I don't mind this one, but the vocal is just a smidgen too low in the mix which is kinda annoying.  There's some impressive falsetto from Michael on it though - but it also suffers from a lack of progression

5. Star 69
Fine, I guess but a bit of a mess.  It does just feel like they're following the fashion for grunge at the time, rather than treading their own path which I always felt they've done up until this point.  Trivia fact for you - *69 is/was the last call return number on US telephones.

6. Strange Currencies
This is more like it - some nice Stipesque lyrics which you can actually hear.  I didn't mind this at all - it was a top ten single in the UK, which makes it a good Pointless answer for me.

Side two – "D Side"

1. Tongue
This is a bit bizarre - it's a falsetto ballad with an organ backing.  It's quite nicely odd though, but would probably get a bit too much if you listened to it on repeat.  Some important R.E.M. trivia for you around this song - it was the one they were playing live when Bill Berry had to leave the stage with a headache which turned out to be a brain aneurysm.

2. Bang And Blame
This was the other track on the album that I knew I liked before I revisited it - it builds nicely to the chorus.  It also sounds particularly fine played loud - they particularly liked it in Canada because it was (surprisingly) the band's only #1 single over there.  They've never had a #1 over here - you get 20 points if you can tell me their highest charting single in the UK (and the fact that you're getting 20 points tells you it's a tricky one!).

3. I Took Your Name
This is just dull, with the vocals being too low in the mix again.

4. Let Me In
And this is very similar - it just sounds like they ain't trying.

5. Circus Envy
This is a bit better, but not by a huge amount.

6. You
And this is a slight improvement again because it has a bit more variation in it.

For an album I think I'm quite down on, there's quite a few tracks here that are actually quite good.  Before I listened to it, I'd have imagined it would be a three track album at best - but "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?", "Crush With Eyeliner" and "Bang And Blame" are easy picks without even thinking about things.  And then Wikipedia confuses matters..

...in a way that I totally wasn't expecting.  As part of the 25th anniversary, Scott Litt decided to remix the tracks because he was pissed off with repeatedly seeing the album in charity shops so he thought he's clean things up somewhat - interestingly the band gave him their blessing without dissing the original album (it was "exactly who we were at that moment in time").  And, you know what, a lot of those tracks (for me) are way better (it's also got an amusingly more in focus album cover) - if I complained previously that the vocals were too low in the mix, then Scott has lifted them up.  So, do I consider them?

You know what - I don't think I can. I think "I Don't Sleep, I Dream" and " I Took Your Name" both stand a strong chance of breaking into my faves with the remixes, but I do think, as the band says, they were who they were at that time and if I let remixes in then it's all going to go horribly wrong.  BUT - if you don't like (or think you don't like) Monster then listen to the remix (and be aware that it's at the end of the remix album) because I think it's a lot better than the original.   Seriously, it's considerably better imho.

The other thing I have to talk about from the Wikipedia entry is the tour details because, for probably my favourite band ever, this was the only time I ever saw them live and it really wasn't the best experience for anyone.  It's my only (so far) visit to MK Bowl and generally I would say it was OK - Blur were supporting with their Parklife period tracks and they were great.  But R.E.M. just didn't seem to give a shit - Michael gave us a few words between each track and the sound just didn't work. When you read all the shit that went down with the band on this tour, it's maybe not that surprising - but for me it was a massive disappointment that I still carry to this day.

The critics were nice enough about the album but they really can't be relied upon when it comes to follow ups to massive successes (Attack Of The Clones syndrone) - but with hindsight I actually think this album warrants repeated listens and a critical ear.  Which the public didn't really give it - they bought it in their droves because of Automatic For The People, but I think it's fair to say they didn't listen to it too many times.  But, nine million sales globally is nothing to be sniffed at now, is it?

And finally we come back to their highest charting single in the UK.  I'd have gone for "Shiny Happy People", but that's in equal fourth place along with "Daysleeper" and "Imitation Of Life" (which I like) which all reached #6.  In third place is "Leaving New York" which reached #5 and in second place is a somewhat surprising "E-Bow The Letter" (which we'll be meeting soon) which reached #4.  And their highest charting single, which got to #3, was one I'd never remember on Pointless - "The Great Beyond".  It's a perfectly fine single but not really their best effort - it's possible its association with the Man On The Moon film resulted in it getting a bit more promotion than their usual efforts, but I can't remember the film really taking over anyone's lives at the time.  It probably also helped that it didn't appear on any album either.

Well that was a long entry, wasn't it?  Particularly for one of my least favourite of their albums - but I actually think I've given it a bit of a critical reappraisal.  There are some decent tracks on there and the remix certainly (for me) does a good job in improving the other ones.  All in all, an interesting and unexpected outcome.

Automatic For The People - Their finest hour?
New Adventures in Hi-fi - A woefully under-appreciated album