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FROM REVIEWS:
Chronic Town – Clearly, this young band had three strengths that they could either develop or waste: (1) a great guitarist in Mr. Peter Buck – the king of jangly arpeggiated chords, (2) a singer who, although a bit mic-shy at times, still had the kind of voice that you don’t get sick of – low, but not in a pretentious way, and (3) actual songwriting talent! These are five songs that have not been written before! The style is simple (folk-rock), but the melodies are new.
MURMUR – Murmur, home of the uptempo college rocker “Radio Free Europe.” The overall mood of this album is much more subdued and microphone-shy than on Chronic Town, but the songs are still full-to-slambangin’ with clever, unforgettable melody. Personal favorites include the mean “West Of The Fields,” yearning “Pilgrimage,” bizarre noise-driven “8-8,” piano-gorgeous “Perfect Circle,” and “Kool Thing”-foreshadowing “Moral Kiosk.” The questionable mix (wherein loud drums and laconic vocals often drown out the folksy guitarwork) result in a few songs dragging more than they should, but there is much real beauty to be found here. Just don’t ask me what in God’s name Stipe is muttering about.
RECKONING – I used to accuse the first three REM LPs of being “too slow,” but now that I listen to them again, many many years later, I can easily see my error. Most of the songs aren’t slow at all; the problem is that (a) the production style and instrumental tones are very muted so there are no great explosions of energy like on Chronic Town or their later work, and (b) Michael Stipe sings everything like it’s a guide vocal. He sounds bored out of his mind, and it really affects the feel of the songs. Listen to “7 Chinese Brothers,” for Christ’s sake. The band is playing nice mid- to uptempo folk-rock piece, and Stipe’s just muttering and talk-singing his way through it like he hasn’t even learned the song yet! Still, how can one deny the grandiose worthiness of songs as harrowing as “So. Central Rain,” cheerily rockin’ as “Pretty Persuasion” and hypnotically beautiful as “Time After Time?”
DOCUMENT – This is a solid ROCK record. Quite a varied one too! Gigantic hits were found in the person of fast as hell “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It,” evil anti-ballad “The One I Love” and slow ringing rocker “Finest Worksong,” and the non-hits brought out tougher, moodier sides of the band as well.
