I can understand to a degree why some may consider it a mediocre effort, but it wasn't even considered good enough for mediocre reviews - from what I gather, most reviews written after 1994 called this among the worst albums of alltime, and the biggest mistake REM has ever made. It's almost gotten to the point where bashing this album is the equivalent of praising Sgt Pepper.
I enjoy nearly every song, and it's certainly among my 3 favorite REM records.
― billstevejim, Monday, 10 November 2003 07:52 (twenty years ago) link
― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 10 November 2003 08:36 (twenty years ago) link
― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 10 November 2003 09:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Jonathan Z., Monday, 10 November 2003 09:33 (twenty years ago) link
― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 10 November 2003 10:43 (twenty years ago) link
Here Here, Keith!(it's an injoke, folks.)
― musicmope (musicmope), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:08 (twenty years ago) link
― musicmope (musicmope), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:26 (twenty years ago) link
― musicmope (musicmope), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:29 (twenty years ago) link
By the way, what's the injoke. I don't get it? Did I make it?
― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 10 November 2003 12:20 (twenty years ago) link
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/11.05.98/gifs/rem-9844.jpgthere
from
http://www.sem20.com/15-minute-interlude/rem.jpghere
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:26 (twenty years ago) link
― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:30 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:32 (twenty years ago) link
Monster got great hype before it came out. Don't they always? I can't recall ANY REM album ever getting a bad review, generally speaking, until, probably, Reveal (maybe UP too but I seem to remember the consensus generally being positive on that one too).
― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 10 November 2003 22:57 (twenty years ago) link
― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:07 (twenty years ago) link
Crush With Eyeliner is particularly great as you get the sense that REM *knew* it was the one song that encapsulated everything they were trying to achieve on that record yet nonetheless spent the rest of the album chucking out pale Xeroxes of it.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:19 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:22 (twenty years ago) link
Yeah, that's putting it well.
They should have just released "Kenneth"/"Eyeliner" as a single and been done with it!
― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:23 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Monday, 10 November 2003 23:50 (twenty years ago) link
That is one of the most powerful songs REM have done.
― dog latin, Tuesday, 11 November 2003 02:14 (twenty years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 02:23 (twenty years ago) link
Songs = lyrics? Gier continutes to make claims that are just plain inscrutable.
― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 02:25 (twenty years ago) link
― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Monday, 16 May 2005 12:58 (nineteen years ago) link
This is still one of my favorite REM albums, and has aged better than "Up" or "Reveal."
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:09 (nineteen years ago) link
plus, they redid Everybody hurts in Strange Currencies, only better!
― AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 16 May 2005 13:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:53 (nineteen years ago) link
― kenneth jnr, Monday, 16 May 2005 15:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― stew!, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 15:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― James, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 15:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― James, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― rapid eyes, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:07 (eighteen years ago) link
i'll only excuse this comment under two circumstances: (1) you've never heard the song; or (2) you've never seen the movie. if neither of these apply, you're only other excuse is a complete lack of taste.
― i am a grammar boy. as such, i am fierce! (grammaboy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― i am a grammar boy. as such, i am fierce! (grammaboy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
I think the surprising thing is how many of the songs on Monster I love, given the "different" nature of the album.
"Kenneth" has to be a classic. It's so straight-ahead, so rock-n-roll, but it's not plain. And that groove! Mike Mills rocks the melodic bass. And it's a song where Berry's work proves that drummers can be artists.
And another thing: ever notice how every single one of R.E.M.'s albums is both widely hated and widely loved? Seriously, for every Fables lover or Up apologist or OOT devotee, there is another person saying it's crap. Same for Monster. Is it like that for other artists whom I don't follow as closely?
― Justin, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:55 (eighteen years ago) link
Dude, he proved that on Murmur! (and so did Ringo, in 1963)
And another thing: ever notice how every single one of R.E.M.'s albums is both widely hated and widely loved? Seriously, for every Fables lover or Up apologist or OOT devotee, there is another person saying it's crap. Same for Monster.
R.E.M. are overrated and underrated. Their last few albums would force the haters to claim the former.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 16:59 (eighteen years ago) link
Well, I said it's *a* song. Not *the* song.
R.E.M. are overrated and underrated.
Is there another band comparable to R.E.M.'s under/overratedness?
Or is that a too-broad and dumb question? I can never tell on here.
― Justin, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― PeopleFunnyBoy (PeopleFunnyBoy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― GW, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― someteenpartying (someteenpartying), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 19:49 (eighteen years ago) link
http://product.ebay.com/Monster_UPC_093624574026_W0QQfvcsZ1226QQsoprZ3162438QQssPageNameZFavMerch_SO:BACK
― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 15 June 2006 20:37 (eighteen years ago) link
Sonic Youth opened for REM on the Monster tour date that I saw (KC) and similarly upstaged them. REM had a lot of sound problems with the mix that night too, I don't know if that was atypical
― erasingclouds, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 13:35 (eleven months ago) link
i was at that show!
― andrew m., Wednesday, 4 October 2023 13:52 (eleven months ago) link
I saw REM on the Monster tour with Radiohead, at Milton Keynes Bowl (?), and "High and Dry" was the most out-of-tune vocal I've ever heard, like literally a whole field of people wincing. Great show though
― Chuck_Tatum, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 14:01 (eleven months ago) link
As in, "Don't leave me [much too high] highhhhh, don't leave me [much too low] dryyyyyyyy"
― Chuck_Tatum, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 14:02 (eleven months ago) link
Blur opened on one of the Milton Keynes dates. Bit weird to think about imo.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 14:37 (eleven months ago) link
from what I read on Wikipedia, bill berry was really influenced by Echobelly for the Monster guitar sound. I think maybe they did that tremolo thing too?
― brimstead, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 16:09 (eleven months ago) link
Surreally, Dan Rather interviewing the band and even performing a bit of "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96ucWfkML7g
― paisley got boring (Eazy), Tuesday, 2 April 2024 14:33 (five months ago) link
the cover art is the worst thing about this album, in retrospect
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 13:54 (five months ago) link
special 12" remix of Dan Rather singing "Kenneth."
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 14:10 (five months ago) link
Banged by Blame
― pplains, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 14:44 (five months ago) link
Warner Bros - release the Rather mixes, you cowards....
― my opinionation (Hamildan), Thursday, 4 April 2024 11:51 (five months ago) link