"A masterpiece first time out. Murmur was the album that revitalised '80s American rock, it's enigmatic concerns and anthemic melodies combining to form a seamless dreamlike whole that both acknowledges and extends upon its rock-historical antecedants. A modern classic."
-5/5, Q magazine
"Reckoning is the guitar-band album par excellence, on which Peter Buck works out his Byrds fixation and the band as a whole extend their songwriting portfolio to cover country-rock, songs about coats and seven Chinese brothers."
-5/5, Q magazine.
"Don Gehman's production helped R.E.M change gear from being a jangly-guitar band to a more direct and hard hitting rock band."
-4/5, Q magazine
"Green was probably the album that catapulted R.E.M. from the vanguard of college rock to chart-dismantling rock legends; as seen in their switch from IRS to Warner Bros. Along with Out of Time and Automatic, it represents that period when R.E.M. were untouchable in the crtitic's eyes; and irresistible among hordes of consumers looking for something a bit more satisfying than the usual bland 80's pop.
However, Green, just like the rest of the Warner Bros releases of the period, produced radio-friendly singles, but refused to concede a single jot of artistic credibility. They may lean to being 'pop' songs, but these are damned good songs as well.
The tone is pitched halfway between the 'jangly' and 'angular' guitars of the post-murmur IRS outings, and what they would become in Out of Time.
Opening with two energetic tracks, Buck's guitar threads a upbeat course over R.E.M. instrumentation and vocals reminiscent of Life's Rich Pageant. A touching paean in the form of 'You Are The Everything' slows the pace for a moment before launching into the irritatingly catchy 'Stand', with funky wah-wah guitar and chirpy Stipe vocals a la 'Shiny Happy People'. This is not pop, it's rock losing all pretence to taking itself seriously and having a really good time.
The album has been good so far, but after four tracks where R.E.M. are merely proving they are superlatively good, they then teasingly raise the standard a little more. World Leader Pretend is the 'serious' centrepiece of Green; evocative and engaging: a lovely steel guitar, sharp, rapid beats and an enigmatic vocal. The Wrong Child fails to follow this act, but is interesting with a uncomfortably off-kilter vocal.
Then come two pounding rock songs - Orange Crush and Turn You Inside Out, brilliant ringing guitars and fine vocal hooks. 'Hairshirt' gives a measure of relief - another touching ballad, before 'I Remember California' - a dark alluring performance with brooding strumming, intense Stipe vocals and a threatening main riff: sheer brilliance.
Incidentally, there is a secret track - not bad - but, hey, you're not meant to know that!
In conclusion, then, don't fall for 'Stand', this matches evocative pieces like 'World Leader Pretend' and 'I Remember Califonia' with playful energy - 'Stand' and 'Get Up' seamlessly, and with the odd ballad thrown in as a bonus.
R.E.M., teetering on the edge of mass market appeal, then. An exciting moment in their careers, and an exciting album: in many ways the archetypal R.E.M. LP. Close to genius.�girls are in control. That's obvious."
- Chris Stokes '98
Mmmmmm. Lovely, pass the boiled sweets, will you, darling. Oh look, Little Chef two miles ahead. Let's stop for a lovely pancake. Soon be there, darling, your father and I have booked a room at the Travelodge. The rooms are lovely and clean, you know. What's this on Radio Humberside? Oh REM! You like REM, don't you, darling?
AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH. Apologies but this record provokes horrific Proustian reconstructions within your correspondent's delicate psyche of eternal intolerable middle-class adolescent airless car journeys. The soundtrack to these Mondeo Miseries was inevitably one of the popular compilations of the 1970s' 'Hooked On Classics'. Here we have the late-'90s version.
What's wrong with these people? Not content with your Mozarts and Beethovens, the Philharmonic have now plundered the REM back catalogue. Admittedly their choices are from the wimpy era of Athens' finest, mostly from 'Out Of Time' and 'Automatic For The People'. Entirely instrumental, of course, so at least we're spared some obese Italian crooning, "Hey kids/ Rock'n'roll/Nobody tells you where to go", over the charming viola solo during 'Drive'.
These pompous knobs have managed to strip REM of all their artifice and mystique and created music which is only of interest to the mysterious Mr Big who DJs in the world's lifts, supermarkets and departure lounges.
- 0/10, NME, 12/11/99
