Ten To Hear Again: R.E.M., 1988-1993
Listen To The List: R.E.M., 1988-1993 – Ten To Hear Again
If the R.E.M. you know best from their second phase of 1988-1993 are songs like “Losing My Religion”, “Stand”, “Shiny Happy People” and “Man On The Moon”, here are ten to hear again (or for the first time):
The years 1988-1993 saw R.E.M. become international superstars on the backs of their first three albums for a major label. And while it’s undeniable that these albums have a different tone and feel than their earlier albums it is definitely not because R.E.M. chose to play it safe or conform. While R.E.M. did occasionally still rock out most of their music during this time was of the lush, pastoral, acoustic variety and found the band trying out new instruments and textures just as the sound and style they helped to pioneer became mainstream. R.E.M. too found mainstream success during this period on the backs of moody ballads (“Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts”), goofy pop songs (“Shiny Happy People” and “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”), maudlin ruminations (“Man On The Moon” and “Drive”) and the occasional rocker (“Orange Crush” and “Pop Song 89”) and the years 1988-1993 became the band’s golden era of success. However, R.E.M. was always a band that took albums seriously as an art form so if you primarily only know their hits then you are missing a big part of their story. So, if the R.E.M. you know best from 1988-1993 are songs like “Losing My Religion”, “Stand”, “Shiny Happy People” and “Man On The Moon”, here are ten to hear again:
- “You Are The Everything” – From the album Green
“You Are The Everything” is a mandolin based, acoustic ballad found on R.E.M.’s first major label release Green. Perhaps a little out of place on Green which is an album full of strange arena rock and pop music parodies “You Are The Everything” points the way toward the sound the band would pursue much more wholeheartedly on their next album Out Of Time. From the opening sounds of insects buzzing, both the words and music of the song wrap themselves around you and make you feel safe and protected. “You Are The Everything” is a warm and enveloping love song from a band that does not generally do love songs and whether Michael Stipe is singing to a lover or Mother Earth herself doesn’t really matter.
- “Near Wild Heaven” – From the album Out Of Time
Technically released as the third single from Out Of Time “Near Wild Heaven” never really caught hold with radio or MTV which is somewhat surprising because it is both an absolute pop gem and a jangle pop masterpiece that harkens back to both R.E.M.’s early days and their 1960’s influences like The Byrds. Guitarist Peter Buck’s Rickenbacker rings and chimes like it rarely has done since the band’s earliest days and bass player and usual background vocalist Mike Mills steps up and does a masterful lead vocal performance that adds a sweetness and naiveté that works perfectly for the song.
- “Belong” – From the album Out Of Time
“Belong” is one of those songs that tends to divide people; they either love it or hate it. It is one of my personal favorites, both from Out Of Time and in general. I love the way Stipe’s vocals switch from the almost emotionless narration of the verses to the wordless wail of pure emotion in the chorus and how that seems to be enough to make the point. “Belong” could be bleak, yet in spite of what the words seem to imply, something about this song always feels uplifting and inspiring to me.
- “Monty Got A Raw Deal” – From the album Automatic For The People
Automatic For The People is a maudlin and funereal album, although not necessarily a bleak one. Much of its tempo is slow and most of its lyrics deal with change and death. One of the (sort of) exceptions to that is the mid-tempo rocker “Monty Got A Raw Deal”. Loosely inspired by the tragic life of actor Montgomery Clift “Monty Got A Raw Deal” provides a little needed musical muscle to the middle of Automatic For The People while Stipe offers up a lyric that is both sad and defiant. Automatic For The People is an album full of classics album tracks and big hits, so perhaps because of that “Monty Got A Raw Deal” doesn’t get the attention it deserves, which is really too bad because it is a great song that would be a clear highlight if it was the work of almost any other band.
- “World Leader Pretend” – From the album Green
Green was released on Election Day in the USA in 1988 and had as the centerpiece of the album the song “World Leader Pretend”. The lyrics to “World Leader Pretend” were also printed in the album jacket, the first time R.E.M. had ever included the lyrics in the album. Thirty years later it is amazing how well the song holds up in both its music and message as politicians of all stripes fight to stay in power and serve their own interests rather than the people they are supposed to represent. “World Leader Pretend” is a chilling and powerful look into political leadership that finds it wanting.
- “Country Feedback” – From the album Out Of Time
“Country Feedback” may well be R.E.M’s very best song. Musically weary, yet strangely gripping, “Country Feedback” draws on elements of rock, folk and country and twists them into something unique and visceral. Stipe’s lyrics are powerful and evocative, calling up images of rural poverty, environmental ruin and personal loss all at once without ever specifically mentioning any of those things. R.E.M. themselves have said on multiple occasions that “Country Feedback” is their favorite song and I can see why. It is an absolute masterpiece.
- “Half A World Away” – From the album Out Of Time
While “Half A World Away” does have the feel of a road weary and dusty travelogue, it is also surprisingly warm and hopeful. A song that seems to say that all will be alright in the end if we just do our best. Like “You Are The Everything” and “Losing My Religion”, “Half A World Away” is a product of Peter Buck’s new found fascination (at the time) with the mandolin and serves as a sonic cousin of sorts to those two excellent songs while also being a great track in its own right.
- “Fretless” – From the motion picture soundtrack Until The End Of The World
Released in December of 1991, just before Nirvana and grunge/alternative rock revolution changed the alternative music landscape, the soundtrack to the Wim Wenders’ film Until The End Of The World serves as a “last great hurrah” of sorts for the first wave alternative acts of the 80’s. While the movie came and went rather quietly Wenders’ idea for the soundtrack was quite interesting. He approached some of the biggest acts in the alternative music world (still largely underground at this point although on the cusp of changing) and asked them to compose a new song that would sound like what the artist predicted their music would sound like ten years in the future – the year 2000 – when his movie was set. With music from notable 80’s acts like like R.E.M., Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, U2, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave and Lou Reed, Until The End Of The World is, at least and interesting experiment. And that gets us to “Fretless”, R.E.M.’s contribution and one of the better songs on a very good soundtrack. “Fretless”, like most of the songs written during this same period for Out Of Time, is an acoustic based ballad but where most of the songs on Out Of Time are warm and lush “Fretless” feels bleak and menacing, with a moody sense of darkly apocalyptic atmosphere that is enhanced by perfectly placed backing vocals provided by The B-52’s Kate Pierson, who also sang on Out Of Time’s “Shiny Happy People” and “Me In Honey”.
- “It’s A Free World, Baby” – From the motion picture soundtrack The Coneheads
Despite its terrible title and its inclusion on the soundtrack for an even worse movie, another excellent outtake from the Out Of Time recording sessions is wonderful “It’s A Free World, Baby”. Alternating between its somber, percussive verses and its melodic, ringing chorus that features superbly placed counterpoint vocals from Mike Mills, “It’s A Free World, Baby” is something of a lost classic. In fact, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck has expressed regret that both this song and “Fretless” were not included on Out Of Time as additional tracks or possible even in place of some of the songs included.
- “Sweetness Follows” – From the album Automatic For The People
An interesting song sonically, “Sweetness Follows” is built off of a droning cello part and contains no drums. This gives the song a feeling of being lost or adrift that perfectly matches Michael Stipe’s lyrics about mourning the death of a loved one. In spite of the seemingly bleak topic “Sweetness Follows” is, in fact, a song of peace and hope; a song about moving forward and finding joy in the little connections and memories made in life.
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