Accelerate | R.E.M. | REM is back

Accelerate | R.E.M. | Stepping On The Gas....

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Accelerate

	Accelerate R.E.M. Warner Bros / Wea, 2008 average customer review:based on 204 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In the decade since the departure of drummer Bill Berry, R.E.M. could seem at times schizophrenic. Their albums of the era, which veered from the experimentalism of Up and reaffirmation of Reveal to 2004's more diffuse, reflective Around the Sun, often stood in stark contrast to the vibrancy of their live act. But here the alt-rock godfathers have resolved that dichotomy with their most focused and satisfying album in over a decade; a collection that doesn't so much revisit the bracing ethos of the band's '80s coming-of-age, as boil it down to its essence and supercharge it with the energy of their contemporary stage shows. That sensibility is evident from the opening track, "Living Well's the Best Revenge," where Peter Buck's aggressive, distortion-drenched riffs and Michael Stipe's gruff snarl set the tone for "Mansized Wreath," "Horse to Water," and "Supernatural Serious"; rockers that bristle with the abandonment and aggressive energy of a band half their tenure. Yet it's no mere blast-from-the-past. The inclusion of the band's recent touring musicians (Scott McCaughey on second guitar and drummer Bill Rieflin) into the session mix, as well as working out much of the material live onstage in Dublin, has yielded something more sonically akin to R.E.M. 2.2. Stipe's penchant for the lyrically opaque has been largely supplanted by an edgy, articulate passion that variously explores "Houston'"s displaced Katrina refugees, the bluegrass-tinged "Until the Day is Done," and the more typical, quiet self-examination of "Hollow Man," before exploding in the album's unlikely, upbeat elegy "I'm Gonna DJ," where singer and band find renewed hope in not only music, but themselves. --Jerry McCulley

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REM is back

I can't say I'm a huge fan of REM but I recently picked up this CD and would rate it as very good. Like their old stuff.

Starts off strong with this rocking "Living Well Is the Best Revenge". Continues strong with "Man-sized Wreath" and "Supernatural Superserious". Slows down into a melancholy track - (I've become a) "Hollow Man".

Next track, "Houston", is solid:

"Houston is filled with promise
Laredo is a beautiful place
and Galveston sings like that song that I loved
Its meaning has not been erased"

I really liked this CD. A good effort by a great band. Good to hear that they have produced a solid CD.

The songs average about three minutes in length and the entire CD is short at approx only 35 minutes.

I don't there is a bad track on this CD.

Recommended if you are at all a fan of their past work.

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Stepping On The Gas....

So when we last left the boys they had just given us AROUND THE SUN, a somber, lackluster, lackadaisical trudge through synthesizer/overproduction hedes. Welcome the polar opposite, or shall we say, classic mode of R.E.M.. Don't have your volume up too high, as the mastering of this album is LOUD! Rightly so, as it's 90% electric! While the lyrics that Michael and the gang recite aren't the greatest in their catalogue, they also aren't their worst and are pretty good. "Supernatural Superserious" is a great song and a rightful tune for pop radio overplay. "Houston" flaunts a bit of high-powered organ that only comes up to breathe every few beats, but it adds to the humidity of the song. "Mr. Richards" is destined to become a forgotten classic. The downside on ACCELERATE is "Until The Day Is Done." It's a protest song, and it's unfortunate because you can tell 10 seconds in that it's a protest song. Aside from "...day is done", this is a mighty fine highway listen (or a workout soundtrack). Welcome back to the late 80s, R.E.M..

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Accelerating away from Around the Sun

crap sound notwithstanding, this album is not only a return to form, but it rocks! and theres not one song to skip in the bunch. a top album from beginning to end. the band can't let an album go by without some political whining. surprised will they be that hurricanes will hit during the mccain administration too. but it's not overbearing. the album flies by so quick, you don't realize how good it is until you realize you've spun it a few times in a row.

my top three: living well is the best revenge, until the day is done, hollow man.

too bad the lyrics aren't included. welcome back r.e.m.
we missed you.

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R.E.M. Returns To Rock, But Michael's Voice Is Frayed!

I was really excited to hear that R.E.M. had returned to a more Rock 'n' Roll style of music. However, other than the loud guitars, a staple of R.E.M. music became very strained on "Accelerate." That would be Michael Stipe's voice. He was never a crooner or a screamer for that matter, but he really seemed to struggle to sing along with the accompanying chiming guitars on this album. The only song that would negate that statement would be the beautiful "Until The Day Is Done." On that track, a break from the guitar racket, Michael sings very well about the current state of affairs in this country, the USA. Overall, I appreciate the album, and that track makes "Accelerate" worth every penny I paid for it. I think the worst sung track on this cd is "Hollow Man," oddly during the calmer parts of the song.

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