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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The world is collapsing around our ears..", February 18, 2003
The world might not have been collapsing around REM at the beginning of the 90s, but it was definitely changing. They'd moved beyond the distinct alt-rock that had gotten them known in the first place, they'd made two previous albums of stellar popcraft to die for (Document and Green), and it was time to try something new. So what did Out of Time have to offer? A veritable buffet of shiny songwriting gems, taken into new territory for this band. Outside the simple guitar/bass/drum alternative setup, this disc overflows with other little treats: mandolin, organ, slide guitar, strings and more vocal harmonies than they'd ever used before. "Radio Song" is a low-key groove embellished with some sweet violin and a guest spot by rapper KRS-One. (And though he chants some words, don't imagine that it's anything like the definition of 'rap' today. This is about as hardcore as vanilla pudding.) The mandolin-heavy "Losing My Religion" was an unexpected-yet-natural change from what had come before. "Me In Honey" is also sweet and remarkably bright, with Michael Stipe's heartfelt vocal delivery nicely complemented by Katie Pierson of the B-52s.Speaking of strings, they pop up in more places than ever before: the cheesy-but-fun "Shiny Happy People" (also with Katie singing - but you knew that already), the sublimely sweet "Endgame," and the stunning ballad "Half a World Away." If there was any justice in this world, THAT track would have been the smash hit that won the band a heaping armful of Grammys. It's been my single favorite song on the album for close to ten years now, and considering how much I love every minute of sugary perfection offered here.. that's really saying something. You may have noticed me using the word "sweet" more than is common, and.. well.. when talking about the quiet beauty of Out of Time, it's the adjective that comes to mind the most. "Near Wild Heaven" builds one simple riff into something that's positively endearing. "Belong" shows bassist Mike Mills speaking some vaguely hopeful words while a background chorus soars to the sky. He also takes a vocal turn on "Texarkana" (also with more of those beautiful strings), turning a regretful lament into one of the most driving tunes on the album. I guess it's inevitable that "Country Feedback" should seem a little out of place, since it's a sad half-dirge dropped amid a string of bright hopeful tunes. The earlier "Low" is saved from the same ill-fittingness: it's not dark so much as.. well.. just low. It's carried by a quiet organ and a vaguely disjointed batch of Stipe ramblings before a semi-harsh guitar burns things up for a brief moment. I could take well over my allotted thousand words describing how much listening enjoyment Out of Time has given me in the past decade, but I'd only end up repeating myself. It's simply classic; not because it sold loads of copies and contained a couple singles everybody now knows by heart, but because it's a strong, solid offering that hasn't aged or dated at all since its release. It's a treasure.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Out Of Time,Just in Time, February 9, 2000
Out Of Time is the double edge sword for REM.It brought them to superstar status yet it brought the wrath of longtime fans who thought they'd sold out.In retrospect it seems a little extreme since at the time,there was nothing like it.In the time that hairbands were soon to become an endangered species,and Nevermind was just around the corner,REM released an album that took chances when most acts at the time(heck even today)ran a formula into the ground. Losing My Religion led the way with its delicatly picked mandolin and understated string arrangement.But for those who played only the aformentioned track 2(and sometimes track 7<Shiny Happy People>)were missing out on a great album.Near Wild Heaven,Shiny Happy People,and Radio Song are bouncy pop songs that improve on the peppy tracks on Green.But songs like Low,Half a World Away & Texarkana have an air of melencholy about them.Country Feedback build in intensity as Michael Stipe sing the most personal pre-AFTP song,and Honey In Me brings both sad & happy together on the final track.Old fans could yell sell out all the want,but OOT came out at the right time which also helped pave the way for more daring music to be embraced by the mainstream and make the 90's a memorable decade in music
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
stipe is a genius, December 15, 1999
Ok funny story behind this one. My mom got me this album in 1991, I was 12 years old. I listened to Losing My Religion, and Shiny Happy People twice, amd then it ended up in a box for the next few years. Being 12 years old i wasnt a very good judge of brilliance. I forgot about the album until I found it in a suit case a few years ago. I kind of needed some money so I thought Id try and sell it. However, the CD was badly scratched, so no one would buy it. I decided to take it home and listen to it. Since I had matured a little, the lyrics started making sense, and I loved it! I bought Green and Automatic For the People soon after. Stipe is a true artist, And He is priceless in this day of Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. Stipe shows that music can be fun and still convey a message at the same time.
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