Automatic For The People - R.E.M.

Advantages: Pretty much everything
Disadvantages: That's it's not longer

I have a habit of not being able to connect bands with what songs they wrote. I'm constantly being surprised when someone puts on a CD and I think 'Wow! I didn't know this song was by U2!" I know the band, I know the song, but I'm just unable to put a name to a face, as it were. And so it was with R.E.M. The other day I was at a friend's house when he put on this CD. "Wow!" I screeched. "Is this REALLY R.E.M.?" "Uh, yes" He said. "Who did you think ...
...one with the front man who is now a politician in Australia and is really evil."* "No, that's Midnight Oil." "So THIS is R.E.M." I said in wonderment. So now I actually know who they are, I've been obsessed with them for the last month or so. It doesn't help that in the shop I volunteer at I get to choose the music, and there's an R.E.M CD in the collection. I play "Automatic for the people" as much as I can possibly get away with. I'm sure that ... Read review

Advantages: Good mixture of songs, beautiful voice
Disadvantages: Some songs are a bit dull.

Automatic for the people by REM has got to be, by far, their best album. I was created in the early 90s, but don't let that put you off. Their style is original and Michael Stipe's voice is amazing. DRIVE ----- This song starts with a guitar solo, which is joined by Michael after four bars. The guitar plays a big part on all of REM's music. The verses are quite mellow, and slowish. The drum beat comes in half way through the verse, but it isn't ...
...violins really make the song sound full. Also, the electric guitar comes in (the first guitar is also electric but I think it's probably an electro-accoustic.) This song is quite a good track to start the album with, because it is quite mellow, but is stronger in parts. It's quite a good guide of what REM are like but it can be a bit monotomous, especially if you listen to it over and over again. TRY NOT TO BREATH ----------------- I really like ... Read review

Advantages: you'll still be listening to it in 30 years time
Disadvantages: needs one or two more tracks

If I had to chose this would be my personal FAVOURITE album. As I said on my ‘reveal’ review I just couldn’t state how good this album really is. I bought it six or seven years ago and I can honestly say it is worth every penny of the £15.99 I paid for it then. I will start with the disadvantages: The only mediocre track is ‘new Orleans instrumental no.1.’ The only change I would make would be to swap that with REM’s ...
...the other eleven tracks are brilliant. To me, this is probably the greatest album ever made. It is so soulful, touching, mesmerizing, that I can't listen to it enough. It’s probably been in and out of my CD player more times than any other album I own. The ‘best album’ ever made also contains the best song ever made: everybody hurts. I agree that sometimes Stripe’s lyrics can seem odd and abstract but ‘everybody hurts’ ... Read review

Advantages: Fantastic, great, superb songs! Love it!
Disadvantages: None, absolutely none.

Everyone loves the songs of R.E.M - yet all too few people know that it is R.E.M behind it all. I was one of these people - but no more. Of course I knew the song 'Everybody hurts' and 'Man on the moon' because these are among the most famous and popular. I didn't really associate R.E.M with these tracks until I heard this album at my friend's house (his cheer-up happy song is 'Everybody hurts'!). As the album progressed I realised there wasn't ...
...had to get this album. And now I have it, and I love it to bits. It is the ultimate in easy listening, background music, mood music, or just listening to normally. Those of you that have read a few of my other opinions will probably have realised I'm a bit of a hifi buff so I absolutely love decent music like this. The album is a compilation of some of their greatest hits, and also some of their less well-known tracks, which is a shame in my opinion ... Read review

Advantages: truly beautiful, intelligent music
Disadvantages: no-one seems to really understand it...

...the Moon, which is truly colossal live. However, there’s so many people out there who are appreciating Automatic for its surface beauty, instead of delving deeper and seeing the hope lying not too far underneath. I hope you’ll all take another listen and fall deeper in love with this album. ... Read review