ALBUM REACTION: R.E.M. - Out of Time

[@AlexHaitz]

More R.E.M. Reactions: Chronic Town EP: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHOvZGZ8mcSoqac Murmur: kzbin.info/www/bejne/maiao2eXor6Nipo Reckoning: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5DMfKSHbdyCqNk Fables of the Reconstruction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZibmJ57jb-cqaM Lifes Rich Pageant: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4uuXoVqdqd3gqM Document: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bn6ZeaSFo72DbLs Green: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f56wnIyboJtsi8U Automatic for the People: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npCtpnutadqqj7M New Adventures in Hi-Fi: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4CYaqeZpNKKaM0 Fall On Me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZicc2R8eqh7q7s Here I Am Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f56pnnmagJ6tqNE Nightswimming: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYaoiayKgM-VfM0 Tongue: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2XCqpiqe7Z5jtk

[@rickycalhoun5394]

My favorite is shiny happy people because I love Kate Pearson voice from the b52s and she sounds good singing with Michael stripe

[@MichaelBosley]

I was 5 when Out of Time came out and started my life long love of R.E.M. after hearing my mum playing it around the house. For me it will always be a special album. And Near Wild Heaven and Country Feedback are just some of their best.

[@samstevenson5328]

“Half a World Away” is not only my favorite off this album, but is the best precursor of what became their 1992 follow-up “Automatic for the People”

[@BL-mf3jp]

My favorite record by R.E.M. Country Feedback is the best R.E.M. song easily. "Hot line, wanted ad, crazy what you could've had" is such a great stanza. Country Feedback, Losing My Religion, Me In Honey, Low, Shiny Happy People are my favorites.

[@curly_wyn]

My forth favorite album of theirs. In certain moods it may be my my favorite. It’s amazing and I hate how it’s become cool to shit on it.

[@Iluvthosetightp]

I've always found this to be their third best album after Murmur and Fables. Very creative and varied. The string and vocal harmonies are the best here. I even like the cover art and the rap part in Radio Song (sorry). My fav songs are Near Wild Heaven, Endgame and Shiny Happy People - maybe stupid but who cares if you get these nice Disney-like melodies?! Love this!

[@Gboz90]

Hey Alex, I’ve been enjoying your REM journey and signed up to listen to the full unedited version, so here are my thoughts: To me, Out of Time is REM’s second best album, behind Automatic. It certainly sounds very much like the culmination of their first phase. Sonically and lyrically, OOT has always felt like the ideas from Document and Green in particular being fully realised. The songs feel more confident, mature even. There are some absolutely sublime moments, especially Near Wild Heaven, Texarkana, Half A World Away and Country Feedback. The two “hits” are to me some of their finest moments, especially Losing My Religion. I’ve also always had a soft spot for Me In Honey as well. The production on the album, to me retains that original “murky” sound from their early albums but combines it with lush string arrangements. This is particularly apparent on the brilliant “Low”. Anyway, I’m a little surprised you seemed quite lukewarm towards it! There is so much here to unpack and it certainly rewards repeated listens. Looking forward to you hearing Automatic and hell if you’re going up to New Adventures (which you should) then I’d encourage you not to dismiss Monster on the way. Cheers!

[@AlexHaitz]

I think that was mostly just me being out of it while recording. I warmed up to some of the tracks on re-listening while editing. So stay tuned for the eventual follow-up!

[@Iluvthosetightp]

Very decent comment!

[@annefrankenberry7914]

Radio Song is my favorite from the album, though the rap parts aren't my thing. There are alternate versions of the song, though, which negate that aspect. Can't wait to see your reaction to the next record. Automatic For the People is the best mainstream album from them, I feel.

[@kerristian3568]

I think this record hasn't aged well, compared to their earlier work. I remember at the time how excited I was to see what would follow up Green, and kinda convinced myself it was great for a while, but then the listens became fewer, and now I would only really listen to Country Feedback and Half A World Away - although my major gripe with the latter song is one that bugs me about the whole record; the use of strings. They seem too... sickly sweet and perhaps a tad formulaic. I think the reason for the gap between Green and OOT was half due to the Green World Tour which lasted a whole year, and they didn't tour again until Monster, so I think it took if out of them. It feels like they kinda lost their way a little. Glad you are doing New Adventures, tho. Behind Green and Murmur, it fills out my top three REM albums.

[@curly_wyn]

I love the sweetness of it. It just connects with me more. I also think this album is much more mature and more multifaceted than their early work and can’t be pinned down to one genre, like how Murmur is jangle pop. I like every song on it, and I hate that it’s become cool to shit on Out of Time. It was successful for a reason, and it’s great.

[@kylebolan602]

I love this record. Definitely have listened to this and Green over 50 times each.

[@CAdams6398]

Totally agree. The overt criticism is completely unwarranted! 😊

[@dontwildong]

Unlike many of their other albums Out of Time is pure fun and very well orchastrated. In a retrospective review Pithfork gave it a 8.3 out of 10. Correct rating.

[@tricolore31]

lets goooooo always great to see a new REM reaction

[@mattjohn4731]

I say props to Mills vocals. His and Stipe's vocal blend is essential to them, in my opinion. And Kate Pierson blended great too, and she's their old friend from Athens! So she makes sense. And KRS-1, I have come to discover is a classic MC with great knowledge and activism behind his artistry. His rap on Radio Song is not one of his great moments. But Book Song and My Philosophy are.

[@TwelveDeck]

I can't cop Mike as a singer even if his voice is clear as a bell and his diction is perfect.

[@TwelveDeck]

Listen, you won't be disappointed with Automatic. It's so much more complex and mature than OOT it's ridiculous. Apart from that, it just SOUNDS better. I'll put it to you this way, it's an album for grown-ups. To me, OOT is massively overrated, but a lot of people love it, but each to their own.

[@tron944]

My two favorite R.E.M. songs are sung by Mike Mills, Near Wild Heaven and Texarkana

[@joycehall4866]

Belong with all those beautiful harmonies. My favorite on the album.

[@joeschmoe487]

The first 3 REM albums are what I call "The Mythic South Trilogy". The next 3 are the "We're A Rock Band" trilogy. From here on out it's "We're no longer REM, we're a different band on every album" and I lost interest, not that there aren't still some good songs on each.

[@kevtruth]

Perfect description

[@kevtruth]

Radio Song followed by Losing My Religion is a head-scratcher of a start to the album for me. I don't know, some of the sequencing of the tracks feels off. Program directors at radio stations in the early 90s beat me over the head with Losing My Religion. Decent song, but I don't care to ever listen to it again. I initially liked the album, but never go back to it.

[@lukeroberts201]

Think of an album like a movie or a book. Directors and writers order their scenes and chapters in a very specific way to illuminate narrative and thematic content, and in any good film or piece of literature, each section builds off the others so that there’s a satisfying conclusion. But at the same time, it’s not something that calls attention to itself, since each part works together organically to make this seamless whole. Are album 💿 are like a movie 🍿 or book 📖 or only movie or book 📖 or both movie 🍿 🎥 and 📖?

[@MojoPin1983]

Out of Time is what the artist was when he forgot about his deadline for the cover art and hastily threw this together.

[@CAdams6398]

I don't play the cover!

[@Iluvthosetightp]

I like the cover. I've got the CD+DVD version of this and the digipak looks really nice! The booklet is fun as well.

[@jeffmaehre7150]

The cover captures the mood of a lot of the songs, particularly "Near Wild Heaven," "Half a World Away" and "Radio Song."

[@marcofalzone6469]

Fair review Alex👍. Yes upon reflection OOT seems a bit dull. Consider 1991 was a very very tumultuous and eclectic year for new pop music releases. Both in quality and genre. The music industry as a whole was repurposed.

[@jeffmaehre7150]

Good job, Alex. You convinced Marco to stop liking something that once gave him pleasure.

[@marcofalzone6469]

@@jeffmaehre7150 😂😂😂

[@aldo34]

Totally with you on this one...except...Me In Honey. Love that track.

[@dickeyekcib]

looking forward to my all time favorite ~ 《Automatic For The People》

[@lukeroberts201]

Automatic for the people is next.

[@rickycalhoun5394]

As much as i love the song losing my religion i think this is over played everybody reacts to it its like people think that's the only good song that they did even though they they put out alot really great songs

[@christinebakewell3475]

Sorry but you need to get yer ears waxed- me in honey is maybe the best or at least in the top 5 best songs that REM has ever done and definitely the best on this album ( just my opinion- which is never wrong 😂) Wendel gee best on fables ( just for the mentalness of the lyrics) .

[@AlexHaitz]

I didn’t mind it except for the fact that the riff felt a bit monotonous toward the end.

[@14gilbertst]

'Monster' is a good record. That's where my ability to follow them ended.

[@TwelveDeck]

Monster is a polarising album, but I love it. It's sooo unlike REM yet sooo damn good.

[@hannahjeangreen]

Half a world away was “pretty solid?” Cmon dude! Not sure you got that one! Maybe have another listen ;)

[@MojoPin1983]

Eric Metexarkana?

[@MarcoHeijligers]

Can’t listen to Losing my religion anymore. Radiostations killed it. Even Turn off the radio. Best tracks: Low, Country F, Belong, Endgame

[@janna2245]

Radio Song was meant to be dumb. They understood that we, their audience could take a joke. REM raps? No

[@gregorysanchez6903]

I used to like REM until someone said it sounds like he's singing through a soda can.

[@jsbach6529]

Agree with your analysis, 'Near Wild Heaven' is the only reason to return (assuming you can hear 'Losing My Religion' weekly on any alternative radio stream), a rather dismal release for a band at an alleged career apex. In truth, though I liked Fables as much as the second record, nothing beyond the first three is worth hearing, and their best tune remains 'Gardening at Night' from the first EP. An early peak, but quite an important peak nonetheless.

[@Gboz90]

That’s a rather gloomy analysis of a band with such a rich (in my opinion) oeuvre.

[@jsbach6529]

@@Gboz90 Understand the feeling, but it's about magic vs. competence

[@AlexHaitz]

I find it interesting how divisive Out of Time is among R.E.M. fans. Vastly differing opinions.

[@CAdams6398]

Totally ridiculous! How you are not singing the praises of the sublime 'Country Feedback' is a crime against music itself.

[@CAdams6398]

@@AlexHaitz They were on a great run when they made this album. @jsbach's inane rambling shows a rather confusing view of this important release!