Automatic Machine Guns For the People
Overall Album Score: 9.2 out of 10 Everybody and their dogs tell me that R.E.M.'s Automatic For the People is some type of rock'n'roll godsend ... This album, for whatever reason, garners more fanaticism than any other R.E.M. album of their career. And why not? It's surely the most grandiose undertaking that the band had tried. The only other one that would come close is Murmur ... and that sure isn't as grandiose as Automatic For the People. (Honestly ... people's dogs tell me that they think Automatic For the People is the greatest thing to happen to them since peeing in shoes.) Nevertheless, even though this might be R.E.M.'s most grandiose undertaking, I'm not enjoying it like I probably ought to! ... The only explanation I can come up with is that the music is too danged serious! ... My favorite R.E.M. album, Lifes Rich Pageant, was as enjoyable as the dickens!! Automatic For the People still has excellent songs in it, but I don't really enjoy listening to it. However, I do enjoy this album, so there's nothing for me to really complain about. I think the songs on here are all quite brilliant ... if they're brilliant for no other reason, it's for the arrangements, which are all quite impressive. Anyway, I just saw R.E.M. on an episode of The Simpsons! Woowoowoowooooo! Overall Album Score: 9.2 out of 10 (The band set their sights high on this one, and made an absolutely solid album! ... Perhaps their most "solid" album of their career. However, that doesn't mean it's their most enjoyable.) Average Song Score: 9.2 (This is another utterly solid set of tunes from our favorite alternative-gone-mainstreamy band R.E.M.) Album Tilt: 9.0 (Well ...... this isn't nearly as endearing as other R.E.M. albums, but it's still pretty solid.) Artist Rating: 9.5 (Indeed, R.E.M. created a solid piece of work here! I give them a 9.5 here because this is easily their most serious and grand undertaking ... even though, this isn't my favorite R.E.M. album.) Track Reviews Drive 9.5/10 The song is very low key, I think. ... I mean ... It's not very exciting. But I suppose that it's not supposed to be exciting! ... The song is lush and moody ... it certainly has a nice driving force ... inertia ........ great atmosphere ...................... It's all very very solid, but it's not all that enjoyable, is it. Try Not to Breathe 9/10 Very good ... The instrumentation and the atmosphere seem utterly flawless. The melody doesn't have that many hooks in it, but that's all forgivable. The instrumentation is wonderful! ... Again, I don't think the song is all that excitement, but it's SOLID. I can appreciate the SOLIDNESS of this song. SOLID. Like a piece of iron. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite 10/10 ...Michael "Can't Spell For a Piece of Crap" Stipe realized that he misspelled a sort of MAJOR word in that title, didn't he???? ... Oh wait ... A lot of people misspell "tonight" like that. What a lemming. ... Anyway ... I like this song quite a lot. It has a really great melody. The instrumentation is superb (again) and ... yep. This is just a really great song!! R.E.M. are the KINGS of GREAT ... SONGS! Everybody Hurts 10/10 ...Now this is pop music! (...Yep ... R.E.M. is no longer artsy.) This is certainly one of R.E.M.'s most well known songs; it's slow, dramatic, and kind of moving! I think the melody is really good here, particularly, and the arrangements are practically awe-inspiring. A real gem, this. New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 8/10 Uhhhhhh ... well, this instrumental certainly isn't bad. It just doesn't seem to have much of a purposeful aura about it. Really, if you're going to make an instrumental, you must have a purposeful aura about it!!!!!!!!!! GEEZ, DUDE, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING????? Sweetness Follows 9/10 You know ...this song is really nice. Again, I cannot fathom any song that was arranged with so much care and precision than this. (Yup, it sounds sloppy with all those weird squeaky distortion noises, but believe me ... it was done with precision!) It's a very alluring song ...... and it's just awesome like that. (And this is totally different from what R.E.M. used to be doing ... they were never this dark!) Monty Got a Raw Deal 9/10 More upbeat! Hooray!!! The melody is really rather catchy here and WHOAH they sure outdo themselves with that arranging. Michael Stipe must have locked himself in a basement for a month, or something, to get these songs done. I'm quite impressed, but ... why don't I get the feeling that these songs are "priceless." I could really care less about this! It's a super song, though. Real super. Duper wuper. Ignoreland 9/10 Wow! ... Well, this is certainly a loud song, and technically it's immaculate. But I'm not really enjoying it all that much! I could care less about it! ... Ooooooo... What's wrong with me???????????????????? (Is it the drugs?) Anyway, the song is certainly an interesting type thing to listen to, and it's super solid. Star Me Kitten 8/10 Very slow ................................ Very dark and moody ....................... Surprisingly solid and not a huge waste of time. Man On the Moon 10/10 Hey! I know this song! It was on that Jim Carrey movie about that crazy guy who was on "Taxi!" (...Of course, I've seen that movie before listening to this album ... Yes, I'm a communist.) This song is a bit, jangly, too, reminding me more closely of R.E.M.'s old days more than anything else on here. ... And, heck! R.E.M. doing the stuff of their olden days was a super idea! The melody is great, the instrumentation is super, and ... this is a touching tribute, indeed. Nightswimming 9/10 This piano-based dramatic-type song makes a pretty good listen! The musical backing is a symphony!! ... Whoah ... R.E.M. doing symphony stuff. Whattayaknow. Find the River 9.5/10 The final song of the album (obviously!) and they sure made it a nice one! It's a pleasant song that's dramatic and touching. The melody is really nice and, again, the arrangements are just flawless, practically! ... Another splendid splendid splendid R.E.M. song. And a splendid album, as well. Send me eight bucks here! slb23@shaw.ca (Simon B.) received August 15, 2004 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE is my favourite R.E.M. album
(loosely tied with LIFES RICH PAGEANT), not to mention, IMO, one of the best
albums of the 90's (up there with OK COMPUTER by Radiohead). There is a
kind of dark, serene beauty to AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE, sad yet
slightly hopefull at the same time. It deserves all the praise it gets. A
classic.
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All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. He's got gastural instestinal issues.
