R.E.M.:
Automatic For The People
(1992)

Album Information:

Genre: American Rock with a touch of Alternative.
Produced By: Scott Litt & R.E.M.
Record Label: Warner

This is R.E.M.'s best album ever. There is no doubt in my mind about this, and even though their 1996 effort "New Adventures In Hi-Fi" was up there as well, it never came close to overtaking the top spot. It's mostly the newer R.E.M. that I like. This means part of "Out Of Time" and on, but they have done great stuff in the past. It's just more uneven. Songs like "Shiny Happy People" annoy the shit out of me and I'm definitely more to R.E.M. in their more depressed moods. There we have it again - me and my preference for the more sentimental and melancholic stuff. But in the case of R.E.M., it definitely holds true. Take "Everybody Hurts", "Man On The Moon" and "Find The River" and compare them to "Shiny Happy People" and Yes (!) - I can see you agreeing with me out there in front of your screen. Long live melancholy!!

Overall Rating (on a scale from 1 to 10):10

Better Than Ezra, Grant Lee Buffalo, Live, Toad The Wet Sprocket.