I do not think Monster is an overly bad album, it just is not what most people want from R.E.M. The main thing that I find irritating about the album is that Stipe felt the need to change his voice so much on certain songs. To me all of the best songs on the album are the ones where it doesn't seem like he is trying to make his voice sound like something it's not. The first, and maybe best, track is What's the Frequency Kenneth? is one where he sounds like he is singing like his usual self it's just the abundance of electric guitar that is different and that, the guitar, is not a bad thing. The second song Crush With Eyeliner is a perfect example of him trying to, in my opinion, do too much with his voice. My three favorite songs were What's the Frequency, Star 69, and Strange Currencies and all three of these song have Stipe singing in his normal voice. My two least favorites, Crush with Eyeliner and Tongue, are also the ones where he has changed his voice the most.
It is easy to see that R.E.M.'s goal was to rock out as hard as they could and create an album that would definitely be labeled rock instead of alternative. Maybe it was because the electric guitar was all but forgotten on AFTP, or maybe even more likely Stipe was bored of the quiet thing and decided the band should crank it up. Further to that point it's possible that they thought they would not be able to best their last effort so they went in a different direction all together. Either way Monster was an album that had the potential to be a great album, especially if Stipe would have sang with his normal voice for all of the songs.
Obviously Monster marked a departure from the most recent albums. In many ways it was a bigger change than was the pre-Green to Green change a few albums before. It certainly marked the end of the "mellow" mainstream phase of the band - Out of Time and AFTP.
If Document was political, Green environmental and AFTP about mortality, then Monster was REM's album about sex. Several of the songs, Crush, Tongue, Bang and Blame seem to talk not about love, but of seduction and obsession. The lyrics are at the same time somewhat choppy like the older albums, but delivered much more directly.
Stipe is undoubtedly front and center - even though his voice is manipulated and often low in the mix, he seems to be the driving force more than previous albums, not always a good thing in my opinion. Monster is often called REM's grunge or glam album, and I can see why. I'm not sure if that was their intent, and they certainly did not copy Sonic Youth or Nirvana or Pearl Jam, they put their own spin on things. But the music, while interesting in places does not hold your interest for the full album and to my ears has nowhere near the multiple complex layers of their earlier work. It's stripped down, basic and flat in some places. The combination of somewhat flat music and a little too much Stipe out front limits the album in my opinion.
Overall it's still a good listen. I certainly did not mind having it in my car for the last few weeks. I think Let me in, strange currencies and WTF Kenneth are all among their better songs.
There's a line at the end of King of Comedy that stuck out from my recent listening - "I'm not commodity" sung repeatedly over good old Peter Buck jangly guitar - the only time it's heard on Monster. It struck me perhaps that was REM's way of saying they were moving on from the old REM before they became just another product to be bought and sold and that their aim was to continue challenging their listeners, and if their more mainstream fans were not up for that - well, that was ok with REM.
I do not think Monster is an overly bad album, it just is not what most people want from R.E.M. The main thing that I find irritating about the album is that Stipe felt the need to change his voice so much on certain songs. To me all of the best songs on the album are the ones where it doesn't seem like he is trying to make his voice sound like something it's not. The first, and maybe best, track is What's the Frequency Kenneth? is one where he sounds like he is singing like his usual self it's just the abundance of electric guitar that is different and that, the guitar, is not a bad thing. The second song Crush With Eyeliner is a perfect example of him trying to, in my opinion, do too much with his voice. My three favorite songs were What's the Frequency, Star 69, and Strange Currencies and all three of these song have Stipe singing in his normal voice. My two least favorites, Crush with Eyeliner and Tongue, are also the ones where he has changed his voice the most.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to see that R.E.M.'s goal was to rock out as hard as they could and create an album that would definitely be labeled rock instead of alternative. Maybe it was because the electric guitar was all but forgotten on AFTP, or maybe even more likely Stipe was bored of the quiet thing and decided the band should crank it up. Further to that point it's possible that they thought they would not be able to best their last effort so they went in a different direction all together. Either way Monster was an album that had the potential to be a great album, especially if Stipe would have sang with his normal voice for all of the songs.
ReplyDeleteObviously Monster marked a departure from the most recent albums. In many ways it was a bigger change than was the pre-Green to Green change a few albums before. It certainly marked the end of the "mellow" mainstream phase of the band - Out of Time and AFTP.
ReplyDeleteIf Document was political, Green environmental and AFTP about mortality, then Monster was REM's album about sex. Several of the songs, Crush, Tongue, Bang and Blame seem to talk not about love, but of seduction and obsession. The lyrics are at the same time somewhat choppy like the older albums, but delivered much more directly.
Stipe is undoubtedly front and center - even though his voice is manipulated and often low in the mix, he seems to be the driving force more than previous albums, not always a good thing in my opinion. Monster is often called REM's grunge or glam album, and I can see why. I'm not sure if that was their intent, and they certainly did not copy Sonic Youth or Nirvana or Pearl Jam, they put their own spin on things. But the music, while interesting in places does not hold your interest for the full album and to my ears has nowhere near the multiple complex layers of their earlier work. It's stripped down, basic and flat in some places. The combination of somewhat flat music and a little too much Stipe out front limits the album in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOverall it's still a good listen. I certainly did not mind having it in my car for the last few weeks. I think Let me in, strange currencies and WTF Kenneth are all among their better songs.
ReplyDeleteThere's a line at the end of King of Comedy that stuck out from my recent listening - "I'm not commodity" sung repeatedly over good old Peter Buck jangly guitar - the only time it's heard on Monster. It struck me perhaps that was REM's way of saying they were moving on from the old REM before they became just another product to be bought and sold and that their aim was to continue challenging their listeners, and if their more mainstream fans were not up for that - well, that was ok with REM.