Green by R.E.M.

Pros: A few great pop tunes, some experimentation.
Cons: The closing trio, it's not for everyone.

Although I think of R.E.M. as having made some great music, it occurs to me that I haven't been very nice to them around here. I wish I could say all that were about to come to an end right now, but not just yet. Gimme a few weeks/months/years ...

Pros: Great voices, great instruments, great tracks
Cons: A bit short, one not-so-good track.

Respect has always come relatively easy to R.E.M. Their critically acclaimed and popular career began over two decades ago in the music-conscious college town of Athens, Georgia.

Back in the dark ages…scratch that…1981, R.E.M. released their...

Pros: Turn You Inside-Out, Orange Crush, World Leader Pretend.
Cons: A tired sounding album.

Dating back to the time when Michael Stipe still had a sizeable amount of hair on his pate & the "bi" in front of his sexuality was still a question mark, Green was REM's first major label release. Released in 1988, the album was not very different from...

Pros: Not a bad album
Cons: Marks the end of a band that took some artistic risks

Before Green was released, Michael Stipe (frontman for R.E.M., of course) made a big deal about how this would be a great album because Warner Brothers gave the band the artistic freedom to record whatever it wanted. Indeed, this album is the...

Pros: Brings them into the public eye without changing what made them indie idols
Cons: A few songs don't match up to the quality of most of their early work.

I'll begin with a question that has puzzled me for ages. Why does everyone hate "Stand" so much? Not only is it one of the catchiest songs ever, I can still hear it today without getting tired of it. Maybe because it reminds me of the short-lived but ...

Pros: There are enough snappy songs on here to make it worthwhile
Cons: Some of this is actually ... er ... boring!

(Disclaimer: Those looking for a brief description of the album will find what their looking for in the "Review Body" section. The section titled "Track Reviews" is meant only for those who want to read detailed descriptions of the songs, and ...

Pros: Nice balance between silly and serious. The band is in fine form.
Cons: The silly songs are pretty silly, and not in a funny way.

I’d like to say that when I let other people who have a decidedly fixed and negative reaction to R.E.M. listen to Green, that I have a satisfying feeling when I display ample evidence of their wonderful craft.

I’d like to say that.

...

Pros: "You are the Everything", "Pop Song '89", and "Orange Crush".
Cons: The cover is orange......ha ha ha ha ha!

There is a simple answer as to why the cover of this album is not Green. It is the fact orange is the favourite colour of R.E.M.'s frontman, Michael Stipe. There, simple isn't it? But why have the cover orange, and not green? Personally, I think that...

Pros: Very Diverse
Cons: None

'Green' was R.E.M's follow up to the hugely successful 'Document' which had produced enough enthusiasm for 'Warner Brothers' to offer them a five album deal. With this being R.E.M's first release on a major record label (Their previous label being the...

Pros: Brilliant major label debut from R.E.M.
Cons: none

After the success of "Document" in 1987, R.E.M. had finished their years with the independent label IRS Records. The band signed to a new deal with Warner Brothers who were giving them creative freedom and things that IRS offered them in the...

Pros: Happy, bouncy, intelligent rock/pop
Cons: Disappointing end to a fine album

Green is what projected R.E.M onto the world stage in a rise to fame that saw them pick up awards by the crap-load. Those of whom were lucky enough to have followed the band in their IRS days were just treated to another brilliant album. Cleverly, Green...

Pros: one of the best albums released in 1988, catchy POP tunes
Cons: only 41 minutes of music :-(

In 1993, this album was ranked #39 in New Musical Express’s list of the 50 Greatest Albums of the 1980’s. I personally think that this high ranking is overly generous and is partly due to the fact the Green was released in 1988 and...

Pros: Great versatility, powerful lyrics
Cons: too depressing?

This album could potentially be one of the most depressing of all time. With the exception of the energetic "Stand" this album was extremely depressing. That's not to say it's not good, because this album is a modern rock classic, and was...

Pros: "Stand" and a lot of other great REM material
Cons: nothing absolutely spectacular except of course for "Stand"

REM's follow up to "Out of Time" is a quality release, although not quite as good as it's prequel or successor "Automatic for the People". It does contain some really quality material though, including the awsome song...

Pros: nothing else like late 80s REM
Cons: some inconsistency between songs

Where and When

Green by R.E.M. is best listened to while driving along a flat Nebraska highway at 3:45 in the afternoon in the middle of the summer, headed west with a woman that you think you love but who makes you feel unloved,...