If There Is Some Confusion, Who's To Blame?

Monster - 1994

"And now for something completely different."

After exploring softer sounds on their last two records, R.E.M. do a complete 180° turn with Monster. This was the early half of the '90s, punk had made a triumphant return and grungy, loud guitars ruled the day. R.E.M. had become defacto elder statesmen of the alternative rock movement, and they decided that they could still hang with the kids. Some saw this move as an attempt to cater to the younger generation, while others took it as a desire to try something so radically different for a band that was continuing to evolve. Maybe it was a little of both. Either way, R.E.M. was putting all their chips on the line and banking on the goodwill that they had earned over the last four albums.

While I think that Automatic for the People is slightly overrated, I also believe that Monster is unjustifiable shafted. The record is full of some really great songs and the whole project is one big experiment in which R.E.M. continues to push themselves out of their comfort zone and explore some different sounds. At no time does the band not still sound like R.E.M.

If Out of Time was Mike Mill's record, than Monster is all Peter Buck. This being a rock album, the guitars are loud and in the front. At the same time, Buck is conscious enough to vary their tones and experiment with a variety of guitars, amps, and effects. In other words, he knows when to make the guitars wail, buzz, or crunch.

In some ways, Monster is actually a return to form for R.E.M. Many listeners that became fans with the last two records and had not ventured into the back catalogue may not have been aware of "R.E.M. the rock band" that used to play smelly bars. This is made even more evident by the first single and the album's lead off track, "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" Not only are the electric guitars and Bill Berry's booming drums back, but so is the incomprehensible nature of Michael Stipe's early singing style. "Star 69" is almost impenetrable due to delay effects on his vocals.

It's not all glammed out noise, either. "I Don't Sleep, I Dream" is a rolling meditation of shimmering guitars and "Tongue" is a vampy number that Stipe coos out in falsetto. "Strange Currencies" begins with a guitar line a little too similar to "Everybody Hurts", but grows into an "on bended knees" lover's plead.

While the first half of Monster is more up beat, even fun at times, things take a darker turn with the last half. Sex as a weapon is the focus of "Bang and Blame" (probably the weakest track on the record). "I Took Your Name" is a conflict of warring identities. "Let Me In" is obviously about Kurt Cobain's suicide, but is done with a tremendous amount of reverence and dignity. The album ender "You" is hypnotic and spooky. The real winner of this later batch of songs is "Circus Envy". Its buzzing and crunchy guitars are a perfect fit for the song's lyrics about self-incrimination, finger pointing (both directions), and jealousy.

With Out of Time, Stipe explored the idea of love and its various facets. Monster is about sex and sexual identity. It's very fitting that Michael Stipe transforms his public persona during this period. His shaved head, that first debuted with the "Kenneth" video, was just a physical manifestation of this change, while publicly Stipe became less ambiguous about his sexuality. Michael Stipe the quiet enigma was now gone. Here was a new louder, prouder Michael Stipe.

I won't begin to get into the subsequent tour that followed the release of Monster. The various health issues (number one being Berry's brain aneurysm) that plagued it are legendary. The tour as huge and successful, but for some reason, this is the one R.E.M. album that I always find in the used CD bins at record stores. Apparently, Monster didn't meet a lot of folks' expectations. This is sad, because under all the noise and holler lies a really good record.

8 out of 10