Around The Sun has Michael's voice mixed high up, and while the synthesisers of Up and Reveal remain, many traditional instruments are used as well. Mike's piano features a great deal, especially on the brilliant Boy In The Well.

The record is lush and emotional, full of the band's political outrage after the recent American elections, and the lyrics reflect the band's political stance; Final Straw and I Wanted To Be Wrong are their most overtly political songs to date.

The band also explore some new musical territory, with The Outsiders' trip-hop drum beat heralding the first rap on an R.E.M. album since Out Of Time in 1991, as Q Tip guests.

Many of the songs are growers, and I must admit that I was slightly disappointed with the album after the first listen. Just give it a chance, it gets more beautiful every time it passed through you. Buy this album, you won't regret it.

Long love R.E.M.


It's a shame.....   November 16, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

....but it's hard to say that this album has not left my CD player since i bought it, because it has. I've been an REM fan since i was 10 years old, and own everything they've ever released that i can feasibly get hold of. But for me, this album has missed the mark. It's still a good album, but 'good' is the best superlative i can use. Over the years, Michael Stipes voice has mellowed somewhat, and subtle changes have crept in. He's still as distinctive a singer as you'll find today, but the voice has changed in a way i cant even describe. Unfortunately, it's not the same. All bands change, but it's a shame that (hopefully just for a short time) gone are the REM who threw "Whats The Frequency Kenneth?" at us, or who exalted the joys of skinny-dipping in Nightswimming, or who (going back a lot further) talked about 'Laocuon and her two sons' in "Laughing". The band still have the great songs to back them up when playing live, but in recent years, and with the departure of Bill Berry, things have slowed down. NAI Hi-Fi was a criminally underrated album, Up was a bit of a downer, Reveal was fantastic but had weak fillers such as Beachball, and now Around The Sun. Don't get me wrong, i'll still be going to see them live in Bebruary, and i'll still be buying their stuff. REM are still one of the biggest bands on earth, but after hearing this album, i wonder if they are still one of the most important.
I shouldn't go without mentioning the music, which is what we buy albums for. Wanderlust is a genuine treat, as is the single Leaving New York, with it's quirky piano line. The Outsiders however, is something of an anomaly. For the most part, it's glorious stuff, but then the whole song changes with that most ill-fated of things, the 'rap-in-a-rock-song'. Suddenly, it's like someone has turned your REM CD off and thrown a "Puff-Daddy-&-Faith-Evans" track on. Some will love it, but i'm sorry but not me. Make It All OK goes a long way towards recapturing the REM of old, and does have a certain "Automatic For The People" era feel to it. Final Straw will be regarded by some as REM-goes-country, and it does have that feel at times, but its an interesting number. The problem is, with much of the album, that the songs are just that, interesting but not for as long as you'd like.

To sum up (i havent got time to review the rest of the album), i would say tht this album, like so many, has its highs and lows, but has slightly too many "ordinaries". It'll be perfect background music to revise to, or to play in the car late at night, but at times you just wish that they would put the synth strings away and come up with something a little more upbeat.

P.S. If you do buy the album, and i think its worth buying (it got 3 stars off me), then go for the Limited Edition. The poster pictures inside are fantastic, a really worthy addition, and a touch of class too.


I know i should....   November 16, 2004
....but it's hard to say that this album has not left my CD player since i bought it, because it has. I've been an REM fan since i was 10 years old, and own everything they've ever released that i can feasibly get hold of. But for me, this album has missed the mark. It's still a good album, but 'good' is the best superlative i can use. Over the years, Michael Stipes voice has mellowed somewhat, and subtle changes have crept in. He's still as distinctive a singer as you'll find today, but the voice has changed in a way i cant even describe. Unfortunately, it's not the same. All bands change, but it's a shame that (hopefully just for a short time) gone are the REM who threw "Whats The Frequency Kenneth?" at us, or who exalted the joys of skinny-dipping in Nightswimming, or who (going back a lot further) talked about 'Laocuon and her two sons' in "Laughing". The band still have the great songs to back them up when playing live, but in recent years, and with the departure of Bill Berry, things have slowed down. NAI Hi-Fi was a criminally underrated album, Up was a bit of a downer, Reveal was fantastic but had weak fillers such as Beachball, and now Around The Sun. Don't get me wrong, i'll still be going to see them live in Bebruary, and i'll still be buying their stuff. REM are still one of the biggest bands on earth, but after hearing this album, i wonder if they are still one of the most important.

I shouldn't go without mentioning the music, which is what we buy albums for. Wanderlust is a genuine treat, as is the single Leaving New York, with it's quirky piano line. The Outsiders however, is something of an anomaly. For the most part, it's glorious stuff, but then the whole song changes with that most ill-fated of things, the 'rap-in-a-rock-song'. Suddenly, it's like someone has turned your REM CD off and thrown a "Puff-Daddy-&-Faith-Evans" track on. Some will love it, but i'm sorry but not me. Make It All OK goes a long way towards recapturing the REM of old, and does have a certain "Automatic For The People" era feel to it. Final Straw will be regarded by some as REM-goes-country, and it does have that feel at times, but its an interesting number. The problem is, with much of the album, that the songs are just that, interesting but not for as long as you'd like.

To sum up (i havent got time to review the rest of the album), i would say tht this album, like so many, has its highs and lows, but has slightly too many "ordinaries". It'll be perfect background music to revise to, or to play in the car late at night, but at times you just wish that they would put the synth strings away and come up with something a little more upbeat.


Pure listening pleasure...   October 5, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

BUY ME NOW!

I've been waiting for this album for so long that I had become worried that the boys couldn't live up to my expectations; how wrong was I!?!!

The distinctive REM style is obviously there; the lyrics are brilliant, music is even better! There are also interesting experiments to embrace other styles of music (take 'The Outsiders' - Track 3 - as an example).

Stipe's vocals seem to get better and better; depth and passion seem to come so effortlessly. I guess this is partially due to the fact that he's singing about concepts and ideas that are really relevant to him, personally, as evident from his usual honesty.

The Special Edition features are pretty cool too - huge box for just one CD, and a poster for each of the tracks, created by artists within inspiration from the music. Easily worth the extra!

You might want to pick up a few other REM albums whilst you buy this one! Can I recommend 'UP' (feat. Daysleeper, At My Most Beautiful, and Walk Unafraid) and also 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi'. Or, just buy them all! An investment that nobody with a soul could regret!