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R.E.M. is the one band which I can associate best with.
Their strength is their adaptability.
R.E.M. performs equally well using synths and distorted guitars
as when they perform acoustic numbers with a mandolin, a banjo, and a piano.
Members of the band switch freely between many intruments.
Gorgeous three part harmonies are not uncommon. And tunes vary
from country to hard rock, to calm acoustic numbers, to piano and orchestra compositions.
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Automatic for the People
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For those not familiar with R.E.M.'s work, the first
album I would recommend would be this one.
This acoustic album is perhaps their finest work. Many of the songs
are accompanied by a full orchestra. The mood of this album is darker than previous albums.
Members of the band regard this album as coming from one of their most creative periods.
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New Adventures in HiFi
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This album mixes acoustic and electric numbers freely.
Some cuts were recorded live on tour, and have amazing energy.
R.E.M. begins to experiment with more piano in this album as well, but on the whole, this is a rock album.
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Life's Rich Pageant
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This album was the culmination of R.E.M.'s early work.
You'll notice it has more fingerpicking, and much more of a country feeling to it.
This upbeat album balances its cheerfulness with
a move towards more political songs.
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Reveal
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After the loss of their drummer, the group went first through
an experimental phase in Up. Learning from some failtures of Up,
the Reveal album showcases R.E.M.'s new style. This new approach
successfully blends new electronic sounds with R.E.M's traditional
jangley guitar sounds. The piano is sucessfully used in this album;
alone, and in conjunction with other instruments. We see
more Beach Boys and 70's style musical influences.
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Out of Time
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The group's most famous song, "Losing My Religion" is on this album.
However, the other songs on this album are just as powerful, such as
"Half a World Away". The cheesy-pop "Shiny Happy People" counterbalances
the serious tone of much of the rest of the album.
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Green
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As their first record with a major label, this album
begins the journey away from pure rock. Although
"Pop Song 89" and "Stand" are the two favorites from this album,
several interesting features like "The Wrong Child" foreshadow
some experiments the group will perform in the future.
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Document
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This album signals the acceptance of R.E.M. to the mainstream.
The popular rock tunes "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World"
make their debut here. This album is less country, but continues in
the strong, yet down-to-earth rock tradition of previous albums.
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Monster
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As a preparation for an upcoming tour, Monster was intended to rock.
The album is all distorted guitar. The band proves they
still knows how to rock, after a long acoustic hiatus.
Sadly, a few songs are quite dry. But 80% of the album is
interesting, with creative basslines, and nice use of tremolo.
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Reckoning
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Reckoning could perhaps be called R.E.M.'s most country album.
The lyrics begin to become more concrete as well. Perhaps
a handful of the songs are noteworthy, and still refreshing to hear today.
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Murmurs
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The first full R.E.M. album features the catchy "Radio Free Europe".
Much of the album's lyrics are quite mysterious to attempt to interpret.
Features many fun, happy little numbers.
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Up
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An experiment from the beginning, the band had to cope with the loss
of their drummer during this album's production. The style changes
to use much more of a synthetic sound. Unfortunately, this style
change was too abrupt; too many drum machines and synths ruin a few tunes.
For example, Lotus is too distorted to sing along to; when the distortion is
removed during a live performance, the song becomes excellent. A notable
exception is the amazing Beach Boys style love song "At My Most Beautiful."
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Fables of the Reconstruction
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The album could also be called Reconstruction of the Fables.
The band was apparently quite stressed when this album was written.
Some tunes are fun to hear once in a while, and Driver 8 is always fun to play.
It shows signs that the band was still developing at this stage.
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Mods are a music format similar to MIDIs, except that samples are stored
in the file, guaranteeing that the music sounds identical on all computers.
I created a few R.E.M. mods during my freshman year at college, so that I could
have an accompaniment to my acoustic guitar.
Another R.E.M. fan was kind enough to convert these .mods to the midi format.
It seems those midi files have scattered thoughout the net to several sites.
So if you encounter such a midi file that sounds strikingly similar to a mod below,
you know the original source was here.
Download
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