Automatic For the People - R.E.M. (CD 1992)

R.E.M are a most important band. The influence of their music is everywhere. Not only where they the frontrunners of the alternative music movement, they also influenced bands like Radiohead (look in the Hail to the Thief notes where Thom thanks people) and this album is their finest musical moment. It was released during a great time for rock/Alternative music when band like Nirvana and The Red Hot Chili Peppers were selling millions of albums and dominating musical thinking. This is another album that ruled the radio and album charts around that period and spawned at least three classic singles. But this is no single producing, filler filled album. No it s a classic piece of musical masterwork where every track is worth listening too.

If you didn t know already the band consists of:

Michael Stipe: Vocals, Lyrics
Peter Buck: Guitar
Mike Mills: Bass
Bill Berry: Drums

Michael is a great, if unconventional vocalist and his lyrics are very good although can occasionally be hard to decipher. Peter is an accomplished guitarist and he shows particular skill with the acoustic guitar, which he is required to play most often. Mike comes up with some truly imaginative basslines and is a consistent performer in all the songs. Bill is a very good drummer and has unfortunately left the band since this album and is missed a lot in some of the newer songs.

The tracks are: (Ratings follow at the bottom, dedicated to Jesse lol)

The album opener is Drive which starts with a typical moody acoustic guitar part. Michael starts with some random lyrics but when he gets into the proper lyrics it sounds great. The music is later backed up by strings and then an electric guitar. The song is maybe just a little overall but is a perfect opener and one that sets the mood for the whole album to follow. The bass and drums are also uniquely interesting.

Next we have Try not to breathe which although slightly less dark musically is about death as you can tell from the title. Michael sounds great on this song especially on the chorus, which really is the highlight of the song. The lyrics are good and so is the acoustic guitar once more, whilst the drums are also very interesting and are actively noticeable. An interesting track.

Next comes a classic and a song that only R.E.M could produce. The Sidewinder Sleeps tonite is an instantly recognisable track with the opening guitar and Michaels vocals. It is I think a parody of the song The lion Sleeps Tonite, complete with dodgy spelling. It changes the mood of the album being maybe the only proper upbeat song on the album. The lyrics are fairly random exploring such themes as the detestable 'cat in the hat'. The chorus lyrics are very hard to understand but I believe he is saying "call when you wake her up" which fits if you listen hard enough. A very famous song and one that fulfils a purpose in making this album slightly happy.

Following that is another absolute classic, in fact probably one of the top three R.E.M songs ever. Everybody Hurts is a masterpiece of simplistic, emotionally driven music. The guitar and bass are content with just keeping in the background and providing the slow melody that allows Michael to dominate this song with his lyrics and vocals. The lyrics are straight to the point (im sure everyone who reads this reviews knows what they are about) and I have been told by friends that they have helped them immensely in times of difficulty. The strings join to complete the crafting of this into an emotional rollercoster. If this isn t a good reason to adore this album then nothing is.

Track five is New Orleans Instrumental No.1 which as you can tell is a little instrumental number. Its purpose is really to serve as a break in the middle of the album and give you a short breather. It consists of some laid-back guitar work form Buck with a few synthesized noises in the background. The best part is where the guitar changes for a while in what could be described as the 'chorus' of the song. A good idea that is used well.

Following the instrumental is the track Sweetness Follows, which starts with some very noticeable bass and a very quiet acoustic guitar. Michaels voice floats above the mellow music with more sad, emotive lyrics about death and things like that. His 'oohs' are great when he does them just after the chorus. Theres a small part where a quiet electric guitar is used but never raises itself above the fairly calming standard of this song. A good chill out track.

Monty Got A Raw Deal starts with some fantastic acoustic guitar work from Buck, who produces a very pretty and complicated piece of guitar work. Michaels voice join and he again sounds great. The track gets slightly faster when the drums and bass enter and has a good overall rhythm to it. The lyrics are very good in this song and are again quite reflective and thought provoking. This is another song up to the amazing standard of this album, and it s worth it for Bucks guitar alone.

Ignoreland is only the second track to start quickly and keep up a fairly fast paced. It again starts with Buck's electric guitar going as wild as he is allowed to go on this album and some very nice drumming from Berry. Michaels voice appears to have effects put on it throughout this song which in my opinion detracts from the song slightly, but I suppose it gives you a break from his usual vocals. This would be one of the weaker tracks on the album but it still has some good points to it especially when it changes slightly towards the end.

Following this is a song that features the F word a bit for all you expletive lovers out there (they do exist trust me) Star Me Kitten. Its slow and doesn t have much in the way of music apart from a guitar and Michaels voice following the same pattern and very light drumming and bass in the background. Its another fairly weak track due to it being fairly samey and without much to keep the interest of the listener.

Next is the third real classic this album produced, the ode to Andy Kaufman Man on the Moon. This is a very famous song as it s easy to see why with its interesting bass and clever acoustic guitar noodlings as well as Michael s vague but intriguing lyrics. The electric guitar solo midway through is a stroke of genius and the electric guitar comes through to compliment its acoustic cousin in the choruses. The choruses themselves build up slowly and are marvels of musical preciseness, perfectly toned to work. A great song, and a certain classic.

We now move on to the beautiful piano ballad Nightswiming. Starting with a brief string breakdown, we are treated to a perfect piano tune played by Mills (Buck and Berry tack a break here) and moving vocals from Michael. In not sure how anyone can not like this song its just so melodious and relaxing and Michael shows us the amount of emotion its possible to convey in his voice which makes him one of the best vocalists to appear in a band for a fairly long time. The strings and what I believe is an oboe add to the wonderful sound of this song. If you love melodious music listen to this song!

The closing track Find the River does not disappoint. The acoustic guitar is as usual very good and the drums fit perfectly. The bass is very noticeable which is strange for a slowish song like this. The real piece of brilliance with this song is the chorus, which is definitely the best on the album. The background singing and piano add to a fantastic final chorus, which ends this album on a suitably perfect way.

1.Drive: 10/10
2.Try Not to Breathe: 9.5/10
3.The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite: 10/10
4.Everybody Hurts: 10/10
5.New Orleans Instrumental No.1: 7/10
6.Sweetnes Follows: 8/10
7.Monty Got A Raw Deal: 9/10
8.Ignoreland: 7/10
9.Star Me Kitten: 6/10
10.Man On The Moon: 10/10
11.Nightswimming: 10/10
12.Find the River: 10/10

Now this album is my favourite of all time. It s an epic, sad, melancholy, sometimes uplifting, beautiful piece of genius that I believe most people should own. If you are a casual R.E.M fan I recommend you buy this and can almost guarantee you will love it. If you are a hardcore R.E.M fan and you don t own this, then quite frankly what the hell are you up to, go get it now! If you have only heard a few R.E.M songs I would recommend you look into the greatest hits album In Time: The Best Of R.E.M 1988-2003 and if you enjoy that then this should be your first proper R.E.M album. Enjoy!