Product Description

This fourteenth studio album from the veteran indie rockersis the follow-up to 2004's 'Around The Sun' and comes just six months after their 'Live' CD/DVD stopgap. The brusquest,most amped-up and aggressive album they have made in decades, the eleven songs on 'Accelerate' flash by in a scant 34 minutes and mark a return to the harder post-punk sounds of their pre-major label days, whilst not disregarding the infectious melodies that have made their name. Includes the single 'Supernatural Superserious'.

Track Listing

1. Living Well Is The Best Revenge
2. Man Sized Wreath
3. Supernatural Superserious
4. Hollow Man
5. Houston
6. Accelerate
7. Until The Day Is Done
8. Mr Richards
9. Sing For The Submarine
10. Horse To Water
11. I'm Gonna DJ

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-31
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
At this stage in a band's career a Mojo front cover would seem more likely than actually getting their old mojo back. And at 14 albums young, REM's longevity had been taken as a byword for pale compliance--in spite of a melodic obedience, last album Around the Sun lacked the emotional vigour of their key works and was presumed by many to be no more than a footnote in their decline. Here then is where they break all the rules. Accelerate is exceptionally loyal to its title and marks a hefty return to their Document-era heyday, when their Byrdsian post-punk was beefed up to suit the arenas they were then beginning to fill. There's even a new "end of the world" song to back up that assertion--the excitable Stooges/B52s love-in "I'm Gonna DJ" ("Death is pretty final/I'm collecting vinyl/I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world!"). Michael Stipe's voice splinters scattered emotional punctuation, Mike Mills is as ever REM's secret weapon, drilling out bass-lines like rapid CPR and achieving more with a single backing vocal than many lead singers manage over a whole album, while Peter Buck deals out memorable guitar twists a-go-go evoking amongst others The Who, The Small Faces and Neil Young. To summon a cliché, this really does sound like a band--and a band half their age at that--playing live in a room, packed full of all the fire and nuances needed to feel at home in a club or the stadiums they now more regularly inhabit. --James Berry

Customer Reviews

Good album spoiled by atrocious mastering.
This album is not as good as it could be. Like most other reviewers I agree this is the best REM album for some time. However, my beef is with the mastering. I can only listen to about three songs in a row due to the sonic bludgeoning that this CD inflicts on me. It really is physically tiring to be subjected to a virtually constant volume level on every song. Like others I'm frustrated at how this recording has been mastered. Every song is the same volume, every part of every song is the same volume, every guitar part is the same volume, thrashy guitar chords and guitar arpeggios are the same volume. Can't we have some light and shade? This is particulary draining to listen to. The whole recordings been turned into some sort of liquidised sonic mush where there's no lumpy bits and everything's the one gloopy texture. No doubt guitar/drum/bass etc parts were compressed when they were recorded, compressed further when they were mixed, and then the whole mix was probably compressed. .. leading to a unpleasant listening experience.

It would be better if the songs were allowed to breathe and not suffocated. Please let's have some music recorded with natural dynamics instead of squashing everything.

Most of the songs are great by the way...

The old REM are back!
After a change of style over the last few years, REM have come back with a real corker. I am really enjoying this album and it grows on me each time I play it. A fabulous first track 'Living well is the best revenge', I just love the lyrics, it really gets the album off to a flying start. You ideally need to sit in a quiet room to recover once the album has finished. Brilliant!

Solid Effort
I've recently bought a number of albums based largely on hype and lead singles - Foals, Wombats, Vampire Weekend, Guillemots - and been sadly disappointed by them all. Just as I was about to give up hope and dig out some of last years favourites such as Ian Brown and The Maccabees I went for one last throw of the dice by buying this on a whim, despite never being a big fan.
Blown away I wasn't but I was pleasantly surprised and wanted to hear more. After repeat listenings I now rate this very highly.
It gets off to a thumping start with 4 quality songs, including the brilliant single Supernatural Superserious.
I found that the three slower tracks were the definetely the weakest on the album (Houston, Sing For The Submarine and Until The Day Is Done - this reminded me of a Take That song!!).
Thankfully the end of the album follows a similar mould to the start including the bouncy "Mr Richards" and the thunderous last track "I'm Gonna DJ.
All in all not perfect - a bit short and a couple of weak tracks - but a very enjoyable listen that will get many repeat listenings..