This is the Thread Where You Bash <b>REM's Monster</b>

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I'm pretty sure it did recieve mostly positive reviews initially (RS gave it 4 1/2 stars and it was among SPIN's albums of the year).

I can understand to a degree why some may consider it a mediocre effort, but it wasn't even considered good enough for mediocre reviews - from what I gather, most reviews written after 1994 called this among the worst albums of alltime, and the biggest mistake REM has ever made. It's almost gotten to the point where bashing this album is the equivalent of praising Sgt Pepper.

I enjoy nearly every song, and it's certainly among my 3 favorite REM records.

― billstevejim, Monday, 10 November 2003 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought it was great at the time but I was also drunk that entire year. I don't think I ever listened to it after I sobered up.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 10 November 2003 08:36 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hmm, tremelo sounds good on this song. Hmmm, tremelo sounds good on this other song. let's do it. Hey, you know, some tremelo would sound good on the new song we're recording here. I say, tremelo gets the thumbs up"

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 10 November 2003 09:13 (twenty-two years ago)

The Samson theory: REM went bad when Stipe lost his hair.

― Jonathan Z., Monday, 10 November 2003 09:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I love "let me in". very MBV-ish, love the simple keyboard melody coming in 1/3 of the way through. and stipe's voice breaking out of its mumble to unleash a WAIL. moving stuff, but a lot of this album is just clunky rock.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 10 November 2003 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"I like New Adventures in Hi-Fi a lot more. Reveal is truly a dog.
-- Keith Harris (kharris3...), November 10th, 2003."

Here Here, Keith!
(it's an injoke, folks.)

― musicmope (musicmope), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Monster received amazingly good reviews at the time of its release. I can't recall a negative one (though admittedly I have better things to do with my time). I suspect that when people say they hate it what they're really saying is that they hate the way White people sounded in 1984.

― musicmope (musicmope), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

That's 1994, of course. In 1984 everyone here who was old enough was listening to "Urgent" and loving it. No wait, I mean Chronic Town...

― musicmope (musicmope), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:29 (twenty-two years ago)

No, Monster was a huge letdown for me at the time. My friend Chris and I taped it off the radio--some Seattle station played it the midnight it was released or some such stunt--and we were both all underwhelmed shrugs.

By the way, what's the injoke. I don't get it? Did I make it?

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 10 November 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

evidently you CAN get

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/11.05.98/gifs/rem-9844.jpg
there

from

http://www.sem20.com/15-minute-interlude/rem.jpg
here

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

stipe's in a b-boy stance

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

And Buck looks like a vampire roadie for the Damned.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"Monster received amazingly good reviews at the time of its release. I can't recall a negative one (though admittedly I have better things to do with my time). -- musicmope

Monster got great hype before it came out. Don't they always? I can't recall ANY REM album ever getting a bad review, generally speaking, until, probably, Reveal (maybe UP too but I seem to remember the consensus generally being positive on that one too).

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I really like the first few songs - "Crush With Eyeliner," especially.

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Great songs on Monster - Kenneth, Crush With Eyeliner, Strange Currencies, Let Me In. Everything else strikes me as being soulles, contrives, naff or all three in one.

Crush With Eyeliner is particularly great as you get the sense that REM *knew* it was the one song that encapsulated everything they were trying to achieve on that record yet nonetheless spent the rest of the album chucking out pale Xeroxes of it.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean, the tremolo, the swagger, the exaggerated faux-sexuality - it's all there - but try putting on I Took Your Name or Bang And Blame and feeling the same thing.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:20 (twenty-two years ago)

anybody see that documentary from the Monster-era where they're all excited SNL is gonna let them play "Bang And Blame," like it's some kinda coup? Jesus. I was crazy for that shit back when I was 15, but I don't know what Eric Weisbard's excuse was.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

(x-post with Anthony)

Yeah, that's putting it well.

They should have just released "Kenneth"/"Eyeliner" as a single and been done with it!

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know if there are any great songs on "Monster" as I haven't heard them. I can hear Michael Stipe mumbling something behind all that guitar noise, but it is to low in the mix for me to decide whether the songs are good or not.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:25 (twenty-two years ago)

This album's sleeve smelled like dirty socks when it was new. I remember my dad buying it. Really Embarrassing Music. REM.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Can we have a little more love for "You" please?

That is one of the most powerful songs REM have done.

― dog latin, Tuesday, 11 November 2003 02:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know if it's THAT powerful but I'll happily toss a bit of love at it.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 02:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I can hear Michael Stipe mumbling something behind all that guitar noise, but it is to low in the mix for me to decide whether the songs are good or not.

Songs = lyrics? Gier continutes to make claims that are just plain inscrutable.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 02:25 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

I heard "Crush with Eyeliner" when I was at the gym yesterday and I thought: this sounds kind of like a Roxy Music song (structurally), and: oh, this must be one of those new new wave-ish bands. Actually, I hard it three times in a row. There was some sort of problem with the Health Club Music Network, or whatever it is called, and a couple other songs repeated as well. I'm pretty sure I heard this album when it came out, but I didn't remember the song. (In fairness to myself though, I probably only listened to the album once or twice and I've never really paid much attention to R.E.M.)

― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Monday, 16 May 2005 12:58 (twenty-one years ago)

They certainly talked up Roxy Music when "Monster" came out: "Street Life" specifically.

This is still one of my favorite REM albums, and has aged better than "Up" or "Reveal."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:04 (twenty-one years ago)

3-4 great songs isn't too bad (I think there're a lot more)

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's a great album. The wash of distortion of "let me in" is just wonderful, and fits the lyrics so well, the swagger of Crush with Eyeliner... what's to hate?

plus, they redid Everybody hurts in Strange Currencies, only better!

― AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Taking Sides: ACHTUNG BABY by U2 VS. MONSTER by R.E.M

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Am I the only one on here who finds this thread title to be dirrrrrty?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Sadly, it marked the final time the boys would turn up their amps.

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I think "Up"'s better btw (I think it's aged a lot better too, if only cos it hasn't had much chance to age at all, tho "Monster" has aged in a really great YAY 95 type way (was "Monster" even 95?))

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Also while I'm talkin bout UP, I'd completely forgotten how great a song "Hope" was (and is). Michael's a good groundlevel humanitarian.

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

The marriage of diffuse "postrock" sounds w/diffuse "this modern life, it blows" lyrical concerns was fucking genius

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"Parakeet", I'd forgotten that one too (in a bad way)

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

why did they sing the verse of "losing my religion" when they were singing "bang and blame ?
b and b has a great hook/chorus.

― kenneth jnr, Monday, 16 May 2005 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

nine months pass...

It's not one of their best albums, but it's by no means a dud. Apart from Kenneth and Crush, they don't really convince as a kick ass sleazy rock n roll band. Scott Litt probably wasn't the best producer to bring that out of them. Star 69 was great live cos Stipe went nuts over it, but it's a little stiff on record. A shame, cos the riff is cool. Stuff like I Took Your Name almost works - there's that wee riff Buck brings in before the chorus which would have benefitted from being brought up more - but it's too lumpen as a whole.
There's more to it than straight ahead rock. You takes REM's angular art-rock ballad thang (cf Feeling Gravity's Pull, I Remember California) into the 90s, Let Me In is great, Tongue lovely, and King of Comedy has that gloriously cheesy Leonard Cohen style casio-electro groove goin' on.
It was the last time REM had any alt rock cool. The trashy Japanese karaoke vid for Crush is teh awesome.

― stew!, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 15:14 (twenty years ago)

Monster includes one of my favorite R.E.M. songs of the 90's (maybe ever), "You," which is buried as the last song. It has all of the classic R.E.M. "mystery" mostly lacking from the rest of the record (though I love the rest of the record anyway). It includes another classic Peter Buck "doom-psych" guitar riff (a la "Feeling Gravity's Pull," "Oddfellows Local 151," etc.). Buck hasn't tossed one of those on a record post-Berry, as far as my ears can tell.

― James, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 15:51 (twenty years ago)

whoops, stew!, I didn't realize until after I posted that you had made a similar comment about "You." And "I Remember California" is another record with one of those Buck riffs I was thinking of.

― James, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:00 (twenty years ago)

"King of Comedy" is far more entertaining than King of Comedy.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:07 (twenty years ago)

"Circus Act" might be their heaviest rock song. Maybe "Just a Touch" is. Whatever. This album seems to be the one where the over-evaluation by the masses of Out of Time and Automatic for the People matches the earlier fans' disdain for corporate REM. People's appreciation for it will probably grow, like appreciation for Green has.

― rapid eyes, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:07 (twenty years ago)

"King of Comedy" is far more entertaining than King of Comedy.

i'll only excuse this comment under two circumstances: (1) you've never heard the song; or (2) you've never seen the movie. if neither of these apply, you're only other excuse is a complete lack of taste.

― i am a grammar boy. as such, i am fierce! (grammaboy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:29 (twenty years ago)

(3) I'm funnier than you.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:32 (twenty years ago)

i had no idea.

― i am a grammar boy. as such, i am fierce! (grammaboy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:37 (twenty years ago)

Monster has heavy college connotations for me. Big surprise there.

I think the surprising thing is how many of the songs on Monster I love, given the "different" nature of the album.

"Kenneth" has to be a classic. It's so straight-ahead, so rock-n-roll, but it's not plain. And that groove! Mike Mills rocks the melodic bass. And it's a song where Berry's work proves that drummers can be artists.

And another thing: ever notice how every single one of R.E.M.'s albums is both widely hated and widely loved? Seriously, for every Fables lover or Up apologist or OOT devotee, there is another person saying it's crap. Same for Monster. Is it like that for other artists whom I don't follow as closely?

― Justin, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:55 (twenty years ago)

And it's a song where Berry's work proves that drummers can be artists.

Dude, he proved that on Murmur! (and so did Ringo, in 1963)

R.E.M. are overrated and underrated. Their last few albums would force the haters to claim the former.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:59 (twenty years ago)

Dude, he proved that on Murmur! (and so did Ringo, in 1963)

Well, I said it's *a* song. Not *the* song.

R.E.M. are overrated and underrated.

Is there another band comparable to R.E.M.'s under/overratedness?

Or is that a too-broad and dumb question? I can never tell on here.

― Justin, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:04 (twenty years ago)

when i saw them on the 'hits' tour -- which, barring some kind of miraculous recovery on their part will probably end up being the last time i see them -- they opened with "Finest Worksong" and followed with "Kenneth", and when those first few chords started I nearly went through the roof. Still kind of a kick-ass song, esp the double-time live rendering they've been doing lately.

― PeopleFunnyBoy (PeopleFunnyBoy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:12 (twenty years ago)

dont know if this has been mentioned before but monster had that cool orange cd tray thing.. the first one of those id ever seen.. ill always associate it with fondness with that first summer i went from tapes to cds.. making prank phone calls and listening to monster.. even tho i didnt really like it that much at all it still give me good memories of 1995..

― GW, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:02 (twenty years ago)

Strange Currencies is my favorite track on Monster. I think of it as REM's Stax ballad. Berry's drumming always seemed to extend from Al Jackson Sr., so I guess it wasn't too much of a stretch. Plus, I love the residual guitar feedback at the beginning, as if it's saturating through the previous track.

― someteenpartying (someteenpartying), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 19:49 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

apparently one of the least-wanted cds on earth:

http://product.ebay.com/Monster_UPC_093624574026_W0QQfvcsZ1226QQsoprZ3162438QQssPageNameZFavMerch_SO:BACK

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 15 June 2006 20:37 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 459 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Sonic Youth opened for REM on the Monster tour date that I saw (KC) and similarly upstaged them. REM had a lot of sound problems with the mix that night too, I don't know if that was atypical

― erasingclouds, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 13:35 (two years ago)

i was at that show!

― andrew m., Wednesday, 4 October 2023 13:52 (two years ago)

I saw REM on the Monster tour with Radiohead, at Milton Keynes Bowl (?), and "High and Dry" was the most out-of-tune vocal I've ever heard, like literally a whole field of people wincing. Great show though

― Chuck_Tatum, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 14:01 (two years ago)

As in, "Don't leave me [much too high] highhhhh, don't leave me [much too low] dryyyyyyyy"

― Chuck_Tatum, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 14:02 (two years ago)

Blur opened on one of the Milton Keynes dates. Bit weird to think about imo.

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 14:37 (two years ago)

from what I read on Wikipedia, bill berry was really influenced by Echobelly for the Monster guitar sound. I think maybe they did that tremolo thing too?

― brimstead, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 16:09 (two years ago)

five months pass...

Surreally, Dan Rather interviewing the band and even performing a bit of "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96ucWfkML7g

― paisley got boring (Eazy), Tuesday, 2 April 2024 14:33 (two years ago)

the cover art is the worst thing about this album, in retrospect

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 13:54 (two years ago)

special 12" remix of Dan Rather singing "Kenneth."

― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 14:10 (two years ago)

Banged by Blame

― pplains, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 14:44 (two years ago)

Warner Bros - release the Rather mixes, you cowards....

― my opinionation (Hamildan), Thursday, 4 April 2024 11:51 (two years ago)

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This is the Thread Where You Bash REM's Monster