1994 In Review: R.E.M. - "Monster"

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In recent years, R.E.M.'s ninth album has undeservedly earned a somewhat tarnished reputation as a black sheep of their discography; in some circles Monster is regarded as a derivative grasp at "grunge", a crass deviation from their classic sound that reached into a cookie jar it had no business with. Is it derivative? Sure, a little; but, in the context of the band's career, Monster makes a lot of sense. 

On their eight previous LPs, R.E.M. had already covered a lot of ground, from their beginnings as scrappy "college rock" vanguards to their mastery of the intelligent Americana from 1992's Automatic For The People (still hailed by a majority as not only their finest album but one of the all time greats). Following up such a substantial commercial and critical success was a game they couldn't possibly win; they were bound to face an undue amount of scrutiny no matter where they took their sound. 

That they took it to such a comparatively loud place rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way. And, it's fine if you don't dig Monster, but at least credit R.E.M. for drawing up a play and seeing it through; those who heard lead single What's The Frequency, Kenneth? and assumed it to be an anomaly far removed from the album's representative sound were soon to discover that this was the rule rather than the exception. Nearly every nook and cranny is filled with raw energy and distortion; even some of the album's quietest moments, like the tender and affectionate Strange Currencies or the sultry I Don't Sleep, I Dream, course with buzzing guitars and/or squelching feedback. 

Given its perception as Automatic For The People's brash and inferior follow-up, it often gets lost in the shuffle that this was the work of a band at their creative peak. As weird and shocking as it was upon release, What's The Frequency, Kenneth? remains one hell of a song. As distorted and jagged as it can be, Bang And Blame is still the result of top notch songwriting. Monster also contains Circus Envy which, if you'll allow a shred of favoritism, is my favourite R.E.M. song even to this day. It's about the least indicative song you could ever point to when describing what this band was, but damn if it doesn't hit my sweet spot on a purely visceral level.

R.E.M. could have responded to their biggest success by churning out more of the same, which would have definitely been safer and probably not nearly as exciting. Monster is the product of a band that was many things to many people over their three decades and change, but afraid was never one of them.

September 27, 1994 • Warner Bros.
Highlights What's the Frequency, Kenneth? • Strange Currencies • Circus Envy

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