I Am Not the Type of Dog That Could Keep You Waiting

Green - 1988

Green is kind of an odd album when you start to look at it in the context of R.E.M.'s entire catalogue. It should be noted that this was the first record by R.E.M. on a major label, Warner Bros., resulting in even more exposure. To this end, Green can be looked upon as a transitional album for the band. Also, there are songs on this album that sound unlike anything R.E.M. has ever produced.

There are two types of songs on Green: those that would not be out of place on the previous record, Document, and other songs that hint at what the band's next effort, Out of Time, would sound like. "You Are The Everything", "The Wrong Child", and "Hairshirt" are the three songs (all beautiful and haunting) that display a dramatic change in instrumentation and style for R.E.M., as well as foreshadow what's to come. Drummer Bill Berry is moved over to the bass for these tracks, freeing bassist Mike Mills to play the organ and piano. Also, guitarist Peter Buck switches out his axe for mandolin. Pedal steel guitar, another instrument that would be effectively utilized on Out of Time, makes an appearance on "World Leader Pretend", but that song is sonically in keeping with the more Document sounding tunes.

The bulk of the record is made up of songs that take advantage of R.E.M.'s success with Document. Most of these tracks are rockers and perfect for the year long arena tour that the band was about to embark on. Hit single "Orange Crush" practically copies the format of the previous record's smash hit, "The One I Love". Despite not having an energetic guitar solo like "The One I Love", "Orange Crush" has one verse that is repeated twice and a wailed, incomprehensible chorus. I guess if it worked once, it may work again. Well, it did, since the song went to #1 on the U.S. mainsteam rock and the modern rock charts.

Another big hit was "Stand", which was too ridiculous to ignore or dislike. It feels like a children's nursery rhyme that got beefed up with loud guitars. This is a song that begins with a merry-go-round inspired organ part and culminates into an incredibly silly, but fun, wha-wha guitar solo. It's not surprising that the song was used as the theme for Chris Elliot's equally goofy, yet strangely appealing, short-lived television show, Get a Life.

Lyrically, the songs either take a conversational form (Stipe addressing someone, giving directions, etc.) or are expressed from the view point of a character that is not necessarily Stipe. It's hard to get anymore conversational than "Pop Song '89". It's basically a conversation about making conversation. "Get Up", "Stand", and the untitled, last track take more of a directional format, telling the listener what to do. In other words, there is a "you" being addressed in each of these songs.

The character driven tracks are more "me" oriented. "The Wrong Child" gives voice to a handicapped child, where as "Orange Crush" seems to be delivered by someone that has taken part in some sort of conflict. "World Leader Pretend" has a monologue that must be so important to Stipe, that it's the first song to ever have its lyrics published in the liner notes of an R.E.M. album.

In experimenting with new instrumentation while still creating songs that are not too dissimilar to their previous work, R.E.M. has begun to prepare their listeners for the many transformations that the band will undertake sonically over the next decade. With this new freedom to experiment, even larger success was just an album away.

8 out of 10