What does it sound like?:
In 1994, an extremely large audience eagerly awaited the next R.E.M. album. The jangly pop of Out Of Time and the fragile melodies of Automatic For The People had established the band as mainstream, making all four members multimillionaires. Monster, when it came, gave their fans was a migraine of brutal guitar noise. Even so, sales held up well, the tour was a hit and two singles made the UK top ten but, overall, the reaction was mixed and Monster marked the beginning of their commercial and artistic decline.
If the transition between Out Of Time to Automatic For The People represents that between life and death, Monster is an act of self-harm. It quite deliberately turns away from the pin-sharp clarity and adulation of its predecessors and embraces distortion, obfuscation and artifice. Michael Stipe was bereft from the recent loss of his friends, River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain, and his writing contribution was blocked. He spent most of the time in a corner of the studio, away from his colleagues, contemplating his sexuality and his place in the world, his voice buried deep in the mix. Stipe came out during the album’s promotion but one listen to I Don’t Sleep I Dream, Bang And Blame or Tongue, reveals as much as anyone needs to know. Meanwhile, Peter Buck enjoyed a grungefest, crunching T.Rex riffs with raw punk attitude. He sounds as though he’s having the time of his life, stamping on effects pedals with abandon. Mike Mills and Bill Berry add garage band power to their natural musicality. Berry was the most keen to rock and tour again. Mills, health wise, struggled to keep up, the slowing towards the end of What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? being caused by his near collapse from appendicitis. There were bitter, nasty rows. Relationships were badly strained. Monster is the sound of a band, irritated with each other, losing their sense of direction but still able to tap into certain elements that made them great in the first place.
Whereas Automatic For The People is emotionally involving, Monster is detached. Its lyrics drip with creepy, transactional sex without a single iota of sexiness. Apart from Crush With Eyeliner, a convincing attempt at New York Dolls Glam, Stipe’s ironic wit is sadly absent. The basic tracks were recorded as live but the rhythm section seems disconnected from the guitars. The song structure is the grammar of punk, three chords, heavy riffs, no real melody, but they don’t actually rock. The tone is pitched mostly at sneering defiance but the result is largely weary and care-worn. Buck described it as ‘Rock in inverted commas’, almost as though R.E.M. were too inhibited, too self aware to go full garage. The two quietest tracks are the most odd. Strange Currencies uses the same chords as Everybody Hurts to create its desperate, ugly sister. Tongue, as a piano ballad, is incongruous enough but its falsetto vocal takes it into outright weird territory. Let Me In, a tribute to Kurt Cobain, is the only track that truly resonates. Monster is not an easy album to love. Even the most ardent R.E.M. fan is unlikely to have revisited it often over the last twenty-five years. Tension within band members can often lead to great art. Not in this case.
The anniversary superdeluxe package is five CDs and a Blu-Ray: the remastered album, a Scott Litt remix, a disc of fifteen largely instrumental demos that bear little relation to the tracks on the album, two discs of live recordings from the Monster tour and the Blu-Ray of 5.1 Surroundsound, hi-resolution stereo plus six videos of the singles and the 1996 concert film, Road Movie. Chris Bilheimer revisits his cover art, turning it blue. Mathew Perpetua writes new sleeve notes, including interviews of the band, especially Stipe, attempting to explain themselves. The remix, by original producer, Scott Litt, pushes the guitars back and the vocals forward, which somewhat misses the point. It is clean, emphasising the Pop hidden within the Rock, sounding more ripe for the radio. It is, at least, quite different to the original mix and is far less likely to induce a migraine. The live performances are really good. R.E.M. were a very effective band who knew how to make the most of live theatre. The Monster songs are so raw, they almost bleed, so much so that the older, better songs come as a blessed relief. The live discs deserve a stand alone release. Vinyl fans have to make do with a double LP of the remaster as one disc and the remix as the other. There’s also an equivalent 2CD set. These come with a fold-out poster. There could have been an additional disc of the singles’ B sides which were instrumentals and different live performances. Only a true completist might complain.
Overall, it’s a disquieting package, a bit like the album itself. It has good intentions but only some of it works, like an expensive three course meal where the starter and side dish are more than satisfactory but the rest is average. In that sense, the superdeluxe box is a fitting representation of the album.
What does it all *mean*?
R.E.M. are a band whose heyday coincided with peak CD and CD, as a format, must still be a going concern in America.
Goes well with…
The Monster 25th Anniversary set is the biggest of all the R.E.M. Anniversary sets so far. If it has a purpose, it needs to be on the shelf nestling with the others.
Release Date:
1st. November 2019
Might suit people who like…
CDs, R.E.M. and loud guitars.
Tiggerlion says
What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? (2019 remix)
Boneshaker says
WTFK? is probably the remixed track that sounds most like its original self. The rest of the album sounds a little gutless, and the remix to these ears rather pointless.
Tiggerlion says
Try Crush With Eyeliner instead…
Lando Cakes says
Ooh that *is* different. OK, now I’m interested.
Diddley Farquar says
“A migraine of brutal guitar noise” I don’t really hear that, not when you compare it to metal or Nirvana, Pixies, Stooges or Sonic Youth. It’s really quite tame in relation to properly noisy bands. The guitar is actually relatively tasteful and restrained.
Tiggerlion says
Maybe I was exaggerating for dramatic effect but it did come as a shock compared to all of their previous work. It’s not just the loudness of the guitars, it’s that they seem dislocated from the rest of the band. Not many tunes to whistle, either.
Diddley Farquar says
I don’t think it’s so hard to love or like. Tunes that one can whistle often pall anyway. The review is a good read as ever.
retropath2 says
Oddly it is the most frequently played of their later records in my house, the 2 predecessors having become too ubiquitous. And Let Me In is my favourite track of the band, a harrowing howl of a song that frightens me with the goosebumps it gives me.
atcf says
Sales may have held up well, but I recall seeing a lot of 2nd hand copies in record shops in 1995/6. See also Be Here Now in 1998.
Diddley Farquar says
Those who came on board with Losing My Religion and Everybody Hurts (‘the squares’ as Noel G put it in relation to Oasis) probably found it puzzling but not so much those who had been listening to the band since the early years and were familiar with their more punky stylings.
dai says
In North America every charity store that does not have at least 3 copies available is fined.
It’s a great EP, 4 or 5 excellent tracks. And some absolute lows (King of Comedy). “Kenneth” is awful
Always more convincing as a jingly jangly folky band than a rock “monster”. Berry on his way out too (collapsing on this tour) meaning it was the beginning of the end for the true line up. Never quite the same afterwards.
Rigid Digit says
My top REM album – Kenneth and Currencies are my “go to” REM tracks.
It’s just better than Out Of Time and Automatic Fro The People (a phrase that gets people looking at me like a weirdo).
IRS REM vs Warners REM are 2 different beasts, and this was the best of the Warners stuff
Tiggerlion says
You have a point about Warners v IRS. The albums subsequent to this are diminishing returns. My favourites are mainly IRS.
Rigid Digit says
After a clutch of splendiferous elpees on IRS, the first Warners outing – Green – just sounded a bit “flat”.
Monster sounded closer to that era (which is probably why I like it)
dai says
It”s just worse than Automatic (their greatest album) and Out of Time (patchy but inspired). Monster is both patchy and uninspired. New Adventures was a significant improvement before Berry left and they drifted into irrelevancy.
paulwright says
Funny how taste differs. The two REM albums I play the most are Reckoning and Monster. Automatic and OOT I like but have heard enough.
Never have understood New Adventures.
The later albums I own, have listened to, and can’t remember a thing about apart from that clever video for one of the songs (which I think illustrates my point).
dai says
I like everything (more or less) up to Automatic. Murmur is possibly my 2nd favourite.
Tiggerlion says
Murmur is my favourite.
Moose the Mooche says
I like the fact that Radio Free Europe features motorik drumming and yet, despite its title, isn’t at all political.
Perfect Circle – gorgeously poignant.
Talk About the Passion – “Not everyone can carry the weight of the world” – I have no idea what that line means, but I will carry it to my grave.
Diddley Farquar says
On Mumur Stipey is somewhat submerged which is for the best. Out Of Time is preferable to Automatic I think. Texarkana is superb. The early years are best though.
Freddy Steady says
Texarkana… flipping ace!
Tahir W says
I own both Murmur and Monster. The latter is my favourite of all their albums I know. To me in fact it’s the definitive 90s rock album. Murmur I just don’t ‘get’.
dai says
The definitive 90s rock album? Wow.
Mike_H says
There we have a possible explanation of why I don’t reckon much to ’90s rock.
MC Escher says
“An act of self harm.” This is a common theme among alternative bands that go stellar. File alongside “In Utero” by Nirvana and “13” by Blur.
“Monster” is still a great racket if not as consistent as some of their LP’s, and still gets a listen at Escher Mansions.
Moose the Mooche says
Great review, of course. Never liked it but I admired the bloody-mindedness of it. Using your mega status to get a song that sounds like Kenneth on mainstream pop daytime radio is a good thing. Monster’s become the professed choice of men (always men) who are very keen to let you know that they aren’t civilians – like Tusk.
retropath2 says
Monster: Great
Tusk: Tosh……..
Go figure.
Tiggerlion says
Funnily enough I really like Tusk. I love the contrast between male and female.
Jackthebiscuit says
I must dig it out as I haven’t listened to it for ages.
Great album imho.
bobness says
Taste’s a strange thing isn’t it?
Another vote for Monster as one of my fave REM albums. Let me in is a spine tingler of a track.
Lando Cakes says
Played with Kurt Cobain’s guitar, ISTR.
dai says
Here’s your EP:
1. Crush With Eyeliner
2. I Don’t Sleep I Dream (prefer live version that showed up on a single)
3. Tongue
4. Bang and Blame
5 Let Me In
Can’t decide between 1 and 4 so I made it a 5 track version.
Boneshaker says
One of my favourite REM albums, along with the underrated New Adventures In Hi-Fi. The 2-CD boxset has just dropped on the mat, courtesy of the Dodgers, but I can’t currently play it in all its migraine-inducing splendour as the neighbours are in. Nice review by the way.
MC Escher says
Kenneth is one of my go-to dance round the kitchen wig-outs to get me in the mood for a wild night to come (i.e in bed after eleven p. m).
Tiggerlion says
You dance around in bed after 11pm, then go out? The horizontal mambo would make me go to sleep.
Moose the Mooche says
After 28 years I cannot, cannot, cannot understand the reverence for Out of Time. I loved Green and felt slightly annoyed that the “Reem” ,as we used to call them had finally hit big with…. this record.
Seriously… “Radio Song” with that awful faux-funk and interventions from pompous wobble-bottom KRS1? It’s rubbish.
dai says
Yes it is, but Losing My Religion, Country Feedback, Low, Half a World Away, Belong and Texarkana are wonderful.
DanP says
Great review!
My main problem with the album is that, for all the “glam/rock/recorded on a soundstage standing up” bluster on its release, the drums and bass sound sonically tame to me. Lots of guitars and low in the mix vox, but undermined by a kinda brittle sound overall (something I don’t imagine Scott Litt redressing on the new mix).
Also, the ‘beginning of the end’ narrative that seems to have passed into folklore with this album ignores the sterling (but perhaps overlong) New Adventures in HiFi which is, in spirit I think, the LP that Monster *should* have been. It’s a career high IMHO. Great songs, great sound, rough around the edges. (And for the record, Life Rich Pageant is perhaps my favourite of all). (I also think the Road Movie film flatters the Monster sings far more than the album itself).
I admired the ‘reinvention’ (which most long term fans had come to expect anyway after Out of Time/Automatic), but just didn’t think they walked the walk sonically.
dai says
It really started to fall apart on the subsequent tour (their first since the Green one 5 years earlier) Berry having an aneurysm in Switzerland (the night before I was supposed to see them in Zurich), New Adventures was mainly recorded during the tour and after it was released Berry was gone. New Adventures has some awesome stuff for sure.
ClemFandango says
Sounds like they had the same issues a lot of bands have when they try and strip things back to basics. Any decision in the mix makes a huge difference and its easy to get lost, or end up settling for a comprimise especially if you’re on a deadline to get everything finished.
dai says
Btw 6 Music played a show from the Monster tour last night. Still available to get_iplayer if you would rather get a free concert instead of paying the high cost for a box set you will probably play only a couple of times.
dai says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009t0n
bobness says
Am I a total Luddite or is there any way to download this to keep?
dai says
https://github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer
@bobness
Lemonhead1981 says
This concert was officially released as part of the ‘REM At The BBC’ boxset last year. You should be able to download it from itunes, Amazon etc.
duco01 says
Mrs duco got the 2CD highlights version of the big ‘REM At The BBC’ boxset last year. It really is absolutely splendid.
dai says
Didn’t know that but as most of that box set seemed to be from post Berry era it didn’t interest me too much.
Black Celebration says
I saw them in the mid-80s when “Stand” was a hit single. In those days if I liked a live band I would get all obsessive but that didn’t happen with REM even though I really like them. I have dipped into the LPs but have never really connected with them enough to warrant a second play.
“Kenneth” is my favourite REM song though – I never seem to get tired of it.
dai says
Would have been late 80s. Stand came out in 89 (Green album), saw them on that tour in a small venue. Very memorable show.
They didn’t tour again until after Monster came out.
MC Escher says
Anyone noticed that the verses of Bang & Blame are basically the same as the verses of Losing My Religion?
dai says
And Strange Currencies is a re-write of Everybody Hurts?
Thegp says
Monster has 4 great tracks on so always worth a listen but like most of their work I find they have too much filler.
New Adventures is great and I think probably unlistened too by many but Leave, Be mine, So fast so numb are fantastic. If they’d just trimmed the filler it would be their best
After Bill left they largely lost it musically. Up had some good songs but just sounded lame compared to some of the live versions (walk unafraid for example was great live)
After that I didn’t find anything of merit. Surprise how the drummer leaving made them so mediocre
fatima Xberg says
“The drummer” also wrote some of their best (and most successful) songs. And he arranged the vocal harmonies on lots of their recordings.