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REM

Monster

Warner Bros / Rhino | 1994 | Album

Biography

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As a reaction to the acoustic- and string-dominated phase of Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), R.E.M. recorded Monster (1994), a full-on electric rock affair. Group member Peter Buck cranked his guitar up to 11 and fired the album’s opening salvo with “What’s the Frequency Kenneth?” (a reference to the incident that happened to soon-to-be departing anchorman Dan Rather) complete with backwards guitar solo. With an emphasis on noise and a touch of glam, R.E.M. created the arena-styled rock sound that ironically the group had tried to distance themselves from ten years earlier. Some of the album’s memorable hightlights include the propulsive “King of Comedy,” the soulful ballad “Strange Currencies,” and the garage-inspired “Crush with Eyeliner.” The most poignant track on the record is “Let Me In,” a eulogy to Kurt Cobain, who died a few months before the record’s release. Monster proved that the group was still relevant in the era of grunge and a barometer of how far this band had come. This newly reissued version comes with a companion DVD-A featuring the entire album in surround sound, promo film, and photo gallery.

David Chiu