Track Listing

1. What's The Frequency Kenneth
2. Crush With Eyeliner
3. King Of Comedy
4. I Don't Sleep I Dream
5. Star 69
6. Strange Currencies
7. Tongue
8. Bang And Blame
9. I Took Your Name
10. Let Me In
11. Circus Envy
12. You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10919 in Music
• Released on: 1994-09-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
R.E.M. pushed the jangle out of the picture with Monster, replacing it with reverberating snaps, crackles, and pops. An album that wraps itself to 1970s glam finery while reaching out to the flannel-clad post-Nirvana throngs, it largely succeeds at demonstrating that these Georgians still know how to rock. The MTV fave "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" kicks things off on a high note as Peter Buck's distorted power chords set the tone for the 12-song set. "Strange Currencies" may be alarmingly reminiscent of the Automatic for the People hit "Everybody Hurts," but it's actually the superior song. "Let Me In" is a heavily distorted nod to the fallen Kurt Cobain. While Monster is far from R.E.M.'s most consistent effort, it stands as a ragged and risky respite from safe and sound alterna-rock. --Steven Stolder

CD Description
MONSTER has nothing in common with the elegant, mannered sounds R.E.M. has been producing since GREEN. While you can discern allusions to hard rock icons from Neil Young and Mott The Hoople through Television and Nirvana, MONSTER is neither a faddist grunge album nor a laundry list of influences--but certain subliminal references seem to spark R.E.M.'s muse, inspiring a dozen powerhouse songs.
The classic R.E.M. sound is churned through a meat grinder and served up raw and bleeding on MONSTER. From the opening power chords of "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" through the desperate raga rockof "You", Peter Buck is the hero of MONSTER. Buck's pealingrhythm guitar and bassist Mike Mills' melodic counterpoint are mixed front and centre, so that vocalist Michael Stipe has to shout to be heard...imagine a typical P.A. arena mix.
Meanwhile, the enigmatic Stipe experiments with a varietyof new vocal guises. He plays a haughty rock star on the prowl with a droll Bowie delivery on "Crush With Eyeliner", while unveiling a Gabriel falsetto on "I Don't Sleep, I Dream", Southern soul mannerisms on "Tongue", and Jaggerish menaceon "I Took Your Name". But the best thing about MONSTER is that in their quest not to repeat themselves, to push the envelope on their performance style--to change their sound--R.E.M. has dipped back into their roots and emerged with a truly classic rock album.

Customer Reviews

Monsterously Good
Probably REM's most underrated album.

I guess that following on from such 'great' albums as 'Out of Time' and 'Automatic for the People' was an almost impossible task, and that anything other than the greatest album of the decade would have been a dissapointment, but I feel that 'Monster' showes REM at their most courageous.

Abandoning the soft, melodic acoustics of the previous two albums, Berry, Buck, Mills and Stipe retraced their roots to produce songs more remeniscant of 'Lifes Rich Pageant' and 'Document' than 'Out of Time'. The thunderous guitars on 'What's the Frequency, Kenneth?', 'Crush with Eyeliner', 'Star 69' and 'I took your name' give the songs real energy, while the rock-solid rhythm section ensure that the songs never get out of hand. The vocals are pushed further back into the mix (so they aren't as clear as on the last two albums)but the lyrics are every bit as complex as in 'Automatic for the People', with Stipe dealing with image, authenticity and fame.

'Star 69' is simply a great tune, while the drum beat in 'Crush with Eyeliner' gives it a woozey, sexy feel that is complimented by the Stipe's singing. 'Strange Currencies' and 'Tongue' bring a period of calm to the middle of the album, with the latter being one of the most beautiful songs that REM have ever written. The weakest track is 'You', which never really goes anywhere, and arguable the album faulters after track 7; but nevertheless this is a fantastic piece of work.

One of their best albums!
I have to say I think 'Monster' is one of REM's best albums simply for the fact that it's raw rock with some amazing guitar rifts which are a joy to listen to again and again. This is probably as heavy as REM will ever be. I think this album has to be isolated from their previous (and later) albums to be appreciated. Bang and Blame, Crush with Eyeliner, Let Me In and What's the Frequency, Kenneth? are the best tracks which each feature a great guitar sound. Strange Currencies is one of REM's best love tracks, perhaps just overshadowed by Everybody Hurts. I Don't Sleep I Dream, I Took Your Name, You and Star 69 are also very good numbers with good rythyms, the latter has a nice quick beat. Tongue is the slow ballad song which is one of their best in my view. As with many REM albums there are a couple of poor tracks, namely Circus Envy and King of Comedy which are rather dull. This album is not as downbeat as you may be led to believe, I think 'Up' is a much more depressing album. You need to give it a real good listen to appreciate the guitar rythyms. I still listen to it regularly now 10 years after it's release.

R.E.M. turn the Guitar amps right up to mixed results.
Following up an album like Automatic for the People was always going to be hard, so instead of releasing an Automatic for the Peopl Vol.2, they decided to release a 'Guitar' album, while Automatic was full of String Arrangements, this albums sees Peter Buck turning his Amp up full blast and showing the world how talented a guitarist he is. One of the main problems with Monster is that it is very inconsistent, some great songs and some absolute stinkers, most of the songs sound the same and it doesn't have the same effect on the listener that Automatic for the people had, while there are some great songs like 'What's the Frequency,Kenneth?, 'Star 69', 'Let Me In' and 'Strange currencies', there are some very poor songs like 'King of Comedy, 'Circus Envy' and 'I Don't Sleep,I Dream'. These poor songs ruin the flow of what could've been a really good album , some of the songs are great and it is different than any other albums they had released, but maybe despite the change, they should've carried on releasing Automatic for the people like albums.

Key Tracks:What's the Frequency Kenneth?, Crush with Eyeliner,Star 69, Let Me In,Strange currencies

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