R.E.M. – Green (1988)

A recent charity shop visit unearthed the next trio, this one probably the most mundane, accessible (and cheapest) of the three.

It's REM's 1988, sixth studio album, the one before they became world megastars (7 of their next 8 albums were no 1 in UK), and the earliest one I've heard.

On first listening, I was unimpressed, and went in search of various "REM albums ranked" pages online, only to find that my reticence was shared by many other listeners, the album rarely featuring in the top half of the band's output.

However a second listen has me warming to the album a little. Let's get the moans out of the way first - The Wrong Child is a whiny piece of nonsense, Turn You Inside Out plods through four minutes, and Hairshirt feels exactly as the title says.

But there's also plenty of decent songs to enjoy. Opener Pop Song 89 is a bright rocking start to the album, followed by Get Up, similarly strong, and as a sign of things to come (testing out the mandolin) You Are The Everything hints at future 'greatness'. I like the anthemic Stand, and that's followed by the more melancholy World Leader Pretend, although I could do without the country steel guitar, but it's a dress rehearsal for Losing My Religion. Of the second half of the album, only single Orange Crush makes an impression.

This album, their first major label release, is viewed as a transition album between the early band and the later megastar band, and it's a mixed bag. But one with enough decent songs to make it a good listen.

Link to full album

3* - there's enough to enjoy on this mid-period REM album