R.E.M.

R.E.M.
GREEN (1988)
320 KBPS

Green catapulted R.E.M. from campus cult favorites to rock stars of the highest order. The album contains three of the Athens, Georgia, quartet's most popular radio hits ("Pop Song 89," "Stand," and "Orange Crush"), punching up the big rock hooks and letting the spooky independent production slip away. Some diehard fans cried "Sellout!" but that's a strange attitude given singer Michael Stipe's environmental activism. "I'm very scared of this world," he sings above jangling mandolins on "You Are the Everything." It's still unclear what he's trying to say, but at least we can understand the words this time.

1. Pop Song 89
2. Get Up
3. You Are the Everything
4. Stand
5. World Leader Pretend
6. Wrong Child
7. Orange Crush
8. Turn You Inside-Out
9. Hairshirt
10. I Remember California

MONSTER (1994)
320 KBPS

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. "Strange Currencies", "Bang and Blame", and "I Don't Sleep I Dream" are my favourite songs on this album that is usually regarded as a poor delivery from the boys of Athens, something I disagree with.

1. What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
2. Crush With Eyeliner
3. King Of Comedy
4. I Don't Sleep, I Dream
5. Star 69
6. Strange Currencies
7. Tongue
8. Bang And Blame
9. I Took Your Name
10. Let Me In
11. Circus Envy
12. You