I just thought it was a bit hit-and-miss. For me, the best of it comes out above all of Document -an album that I really like, I don't think anybody else does - but is not a scratch on "Lifes Rich Pageant"

i like them all up until a few songs into 'monster' and then they simply fell into mediocrity. 'document' is a great album in my mind, even with the sheen on the production. side one in particular is amazing.

life's rich pageant is good too. 'these days' is an overlooked classic.

I like this album, although it was never a favorite. When I was a kid I really into Reckoning and Chronic Town. I was a huge REM fan back then, and some of the first stuff I learned on guitar were those early REM songs. I admit that with Fables I started to think REM was slipping, or at least becoming less interesting from then onwards. Wasn't this the album Buck once described as "our Bryan Adams album"?

Anyhow, I certainly would rather listen to Fables than Out of Time or anything afterwards.

Oh, this is a wonderful record! Probably my favourite. I love the shimmering guitars on "Maps and Legends". Joe Boyd working at the console did wonders for the final product, I believe.
You know what's interesting (or maybe you don't care) is that they said during this album they almost broke up. They also said the same thing about Up, another great R.E.M. record (unlike the ones that preceeded/followed it). I think they should ALWAYS almost break up.

tommydski wrote:. 'document' is a great album in my mind, even with the sheen on the production. side one in particular is amazing.

"Sheen on the production"? Hrm, I remember when "Monster" came out and it was touted as a 'loud guitar album' but I always thought Document was their loud guitar album - maybe I'm just thinking of 'Oddfellows' and 'Lightnin' Hopkins', though...but in general, the guitars are loud and as abrasive as Buck ever gets, the drums are nice and loud, Stipe's voice is often front/center and gnarly....hrm.

"When you greet a stranger, look at his shoes.
Put your money in your shoes, put your trouble behind." WTF?

"...Keep your hat on your head." WTF?

This song "Good Advices," she is such good song with nonsensical lyrical genious.

This is only topped by "Auctioneer" - one of my all-time favorite R.E.M. songs. One I'd pay a million Pecos to see played live.

This album has had holes burnt into it by me as well.

Like a poorly-produced, backyard lawnmower shed recording, this album is so great despite its apparent shortcomings. Exactly why I love it so. Being imperfect is beautiful.

NOT CRAP.

6-4-3 wrote:"When you greet a stranger, look at his shoes.
Put your money in your shoes, put your trouble behind." WTF?

"...Keep your hat on your head." WTF?

This song "Good Advices," she is such good song with nonsensical lyrical genious.

The part that my teen-age self really related to was the bridge part when he sings:

The Stipe wrote:At the end of the day
When there are no friends
When there are no lovers
Who are you going to call for?
What do you have to say?

Come on. That is teen gold. Worthy of Morrissey.

6-4-3 wrote:This is only topped by "Auctioneer" - one of my all-time favorite R.E.M. songs. One I'd pay a million Pecos to see played live.

I have no comment regarding this record.

However, I will say that the mid-1980s version of R.E.M. produced a blistering and mindblowing live version of "Auctioneer (Another Engine)". Michael Stipe turned into a manic, coked up ringmaster on this song, which was and is very entertaining to me, and he spit out lines like "here take this nickel / make a dime" with this great venom that you really never heard from him on their records.

Perhaps that's worth a million Pecos to someone.

I really like the Jim Herbert/Michael Stipe videos ("Feeling Gravitys Pull", "Driver 8" and "Life And How To Live It") from this record.

6-4-3 wrote:This is only topped by "Auctioneer"

si! senor buck's lead guitar on this track, she would fit on 'red medicine'.

bradley spoilsport wrote:I have no comment regarding this record.

CRAP OR NOT CRAP BRADLEY R WEISSENBERGER?!
THERE CAN BE NO MIDDLE GROUND IN THIS FORUM!

c'mon mister.....waffle some for us.

tommydski wrote:

bradley spoilsport wrote:I have no comment regarding this record.

CRAP OR NOT CRAP BRADLEY R WEISSENBERGER?!
THERE CAN BE NO MIDDLE GROUND IN THIS FORUM!

c'mon mister.....waffle some for us.

Absolutely no one, particularly me, has any interest in hearing me prattle on anymore about R.E.M.

This is TRUE.