Out of Time by R.E.M.

Pros: A few truly great songs
Cons: Too many throw-away tracks

By the time 1991 rolled around, R.E.M. was an established band with a huge following. While R.E.M. was considered to be on the cutting edge in many circles in the early days, the band had broken into the mainstream and was well-entrenched by the time...

Pros: R.E.M. refine their signature sound for wider appeal while staying true to themselves.
Cons: I don't hate "Shiny Happy People" as much as most, but the song still sucks.

Athens, Georgia's R.E.M. had already transcended the "alternative"/"college rock" tag that hung over them at the time of Out of Time's 1991 release. The two albums that preceded it, "Document" and "Green", had each spawned Top 10 singles, and the ...

Pros: Diverse group of excellent songs
Cons: Many people hate "Shiny Happy People"

Throughout the 1980s, R.E.M. were college radio darlings, getting well-known without becoming mega-stars. But they couldn't stay that way forever. In 1991, they decided to cross over into megastardom on the back of an amazing single nestled inside an ...

Pros: The melodies! The polished instrumentation!
Cons: Weaker bits keeps it from being in-league with some of their previous works.

(Disclaimer: Those looking for a brief description of the album will find what their looking for in the "Review Body" section. The section titled "Track Reviews" is meant only for those who want to read detailed descriptions of the songs, and ...

Pros: Decent instrumentals, Moments of lyrics
Cons: Unchallenging or annoying vocals, virtually all of the best songs are available elsewhere

If I were not quite so lazy right now, I would actually bother to look it up. I am in the process of a big move and I have been falling a little behind on my reviews for the month. As a result, I have been listening to the same three R.E.M. c.d.s over ...

Pros: Some amazing fantabulous songs, "Country Feedback" is the best R.E.M. song ever.
Cons: Very inconsistent in song quality, only a few songs really stick out.

“Everyone who bought R.E.M.’s OUT OF TIME, step forward.

Okay, now everyone who bought OUT OF TIME for ‘Losing My Religion’ stay back there, and everyone else step forward. …Anybody? Anybody?”

This little pointless quote above...

Pros: A beautiful acoustic blend of sweet sounds, with an edginess underneath
Cons: Shiny Happy People,Shiny Happy People and Shiny Happy People

If I’d heard the backstory of the making of this record, I never would have bought it. See, the band was coming off a HUGE world tour for their previous effort “Green” which I really thought stunk. Lingering on the brink of burnout,...

Pros: Four excellent songs
Cons: Too much filler

Judging from the reviews on this site and other sources, this is widely regarded as R.E.M. second best album, but I can't really agree. The truth is, whilst this album features some classic, cornerstones tunes, it is as patchy and inconsistent an album...

Pros: Everything except 'Radio Song'
Cons: 'Radio Song'

I had this album for quite some time but never listened to it properly until a few days ago, whereupon I was dumbstruck that I had been in possesion of such astonishing music and yet had failed to notice for a number of years. Although I will doubtless...

Pros: Several great songs, unusual instrumentation
Cons: A couple bad songs, might consider some songs too poppy

This excellent album helped R.E.M. broaden its audience and leap into superstardom. Containing the radio mega-hit Losing My Religion, as well as solid singles Radio Song and Shiny Happy People, this 1991 record has many other gems,...

Pros: Great jangly pop and melancholia.
Cons: A couple of unexceptional tracks.

Having made their major label debut with "Green" at the end of 1988, R.E.M. went away for a while. And then, in early 1991, came back with this.

"Out Of Time" opens with two of its singles. First is the jangly pop of "Radio Song", with its...

Pros: R.E.M. makes a brilliant transitional album
Cons: "Shiny Happy People" can be annoying if its played a bunch of times

After the success of their first Warner Brothers release "Green", R.E.M. decided to abandon touring for a few years and work on a new album. For "Out Of Time", Guitarist Peter Buck decided to abandon the band's hard rock roots and go...

Pros: Songs don't all sound the same
Cons: A couple lame songs

I had heard many of the songs on "Out of Time" before I bought the CD, so a few of the songs weren't new to me. I didn't know that the whole CD was full of great songs. Guest singers with Michael Stipe made for great vocal solos and the music...

Pros: Poppy, moving and catchy as hell
Cons: May be a little to poppy for rock fans

The opening Radio Song lets you know that this is something different from R.E.M.. And special too. Michael Stipe's vocals are out of this world on this album. He goes from being low on Low to being high on Near Wild Heaven. This album also relies less...

Pros: Upbeat, light music includes some of REM's greatest hits
Cons: May be a bit too happy for fans of REM's latest album

One of my three favorite REM albums, Out of Time is the band's real break into the musical spotlight. The album features some of their biggest hits "Losing My Religion" and "Shining Happy People" as well as a good mix that compliments...