R.E.M. IN ORBIT

It is easy to forget how many great songs R.E.M. wrote. Forty years on from their formation and a full decade after the band called it a day, the band’s legacy as one of the most successful indie bands of all time is assured. That legacy is in full view on In Time 1988-2003: The Best of R.E.M.

Those dates in the album title are important. They tell us that this two LP compilation does not start at the beginning of the R.E.M. story, but half a dozen albums in. There had been significant success previously, with early singles like "Radio Free Europe" (1981) and the glorious "Fall On Me" (1986) popular on American college radio and rising up the alternative charts. In fact, R.E.M. had been knocking at the door of mainstream success for a number of years. That door swung with 1987’s Document and was wedged open after Green was released in 1988. Green had two excellent singles, "Stand" and the super catchy "Orange Crush", both present on this collection.

R.E.M.’s first album of the Nineties was Out Of Time, boasting the memorable "Losing My Religion". The stripped back sound and strummed mandolin pointed to a new, reflective approach by the band. It was the path to Automatic For The People, a wistful, autumnal record released to great acclaim in the second half of 1992. Surprisingly, since Automatic is perhaps the best known R.E.M. album, it missed out on the #1 spot in the US and Australia (stalling at #2 in both countries) though it reached the chart pinnacle in the UK and New Zealand. Huge global success came on the back of four startlingly good singles, all of which featured Michael Stripe’s plaintive vocals to the fore. "Man On The Moon" (which almost missed the album’s deadline), "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Nightswimming", and the heartfelt "Everybody Hurts" soundtracked many a young adult journey through the first half of the Nineties. They have continued to do so in the years following and all are included here for either discovery or remembrance.

But the band from Athens, Georgia were not done. Monster followed. This murky sounding album with distorted guitars and a much rockier sound confused many, but the single on In Time is certainly an accessible track… "What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?" has a unique yet infectious groove that still sounds great.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996) and Up (1998) contribute two songs each, as does Reveal (2001). Add in "All The Right Friends" from the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise film Vanilla Sky and it is clear this collection provides a good introduction to the albums after Automatic For The People for those who drifted away, or perhaps were simply satisfied with that great work.

And this double album is not done yet. In Time 1988-2003: The Best of R.E.M. includes two new songs, "Bad Day" and "Animal". These were both released as singles in support of the compilation, making this something of a 'must' for R.E.M. fans.

Put this set together with 1991’s The Best of R.E.M. and you have a thorough survey of the best work of a memorable band, who retained credibility and respect while crafting dozens of outstanding songs rich with sparkling melodies and elusive, touching lyrics. Almost twenty years after its release, In Time 1988-2003 shows that R.E.M. are still not out of time.

© Bruce Jenkins 2022