S3
P1
EP
            ¤3¥2R.E.M.:¥1


Automatic For The People
(Warner Bros)¤1

Released: 1992
Overall rating: ¤385.5%¤1
Number of songs: 12
Best songs: ¤5Find The River    97%
            The Sidewinder... 95%
            Drive             94%
            Man On The Moon   93%¤1
Singles
released:   ¤5Drive¤1
(so far)    ¤5Man On The Moon¤1

Already their last album,  ¤2Out Of Time¤1
pointed  out the  direction  against a
new  kind of sound.  ¤2Automatic For The
People¤1 is the final proof for this new
softer sound.
  It's very  beautiful and I hope they
ð
will stick to this new style.
  R.E.M.  has moved  into  the concert
hall where the string orchestra lives,
and it was a total success.

The only  sad thing is that they won't
tour after this record either.


¤51. Drive  4:31                     94%¤1

This  was the  first  single from  the
album.  It's a very good song based on
a quite simple guitar riff.   It has a
great atmosphere.
  However,  it's exactly  the kind  of
song  MTV seems to  like destroying by
playing it ten times a day.   Shame on
you MTV! 

¤52. Try Not To Breathe  3:49        80%¤1

Quite standard R.E.M. song.   Actually
Ð
nothing more to say about it!

¤53. The Sidewinder Sleeps  4:05     95%
   Tonite¤1

This song makes you happy.
  The lyrics are strange though,  very
strange.     In some parts it's almost
impossible  to  hear  what   Stipe  is
singing.     Stipe himself seems to be
aware of this,  because  one  time  he
almost starts to laugh!
  A really great track!

¤54. Everybody Hurts  5:16           86%¤1

This is so damn beautiful!
  Everybody Hurts is a good example on
the fact that R.E.M. has changed their
music since the eighties.
  Put this  song on,  lay down in your
bed (a jacuzzi is fine too)  and flute
away.
ð
¤55. New Orleans  2:12               75%
   Instrumental No.1¤1

If you're a  clever guy you've already
understood    that    this    is    an
instrumental   song.    No,  no  horse 
Michael Stipe here.
  It's  very hard to  judge this song.
It has a nice rhythm and an even nicer
melody, but it just doesn't sound like
the old R.E.M. I'm used to.

¤56. Sweetness Follows  4:19         80%¤1

Hmmm,  what  do I say?  Another really
good track with instruments you didn't
know R.E.M.  used.

¤57. Monty Got A Raw Deal  3:16      85%¤1

A soft,  beautiful  and  very acoustic
tune. That's all I can tell you.
Ð
¤58. Ignoreland  4:24                72%¤1

Ignoreland is the only  real rock song
on this album.  It hasn't got the same
beautiful  sound  as  the rest  of the
songs, but it's good, so who cares?

¤59. Star Me Kitten  3:14            78%¤1

The same new style,  but not that good
as the others. It's soft and beautiful
but unfortunately also a bit boring.
            
¤510. Man On The Moon  5:12          93%¤1

A  real hit.  Perhaps a  bit too  much
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" in the lyrics
but  that's ok  when the  rest  of the
song is almost perfect.
  A very well composed song.

¤511. Nightswimming  4:15            91%¤1

ð
A great piano, some string instruments
and  Michael  Stipe.   These  are  the
ingredients for this tasteful  musical
dinner. And I say it again: Beautiful!

¤512. Find The River  3:49           97%¤1

A masterpiece!!  This is  probably the
best song R.E.M. has ever made.
  Find The River is the  perfect final
to a great album like this.
Ð