REM - Monster, 1994 - Warner Brothers
Ah, "Monster". Considered by many to be a terrible album, I find comfort in knowing that there's always going to be a copy available at a used CD store for a dollar or less.
"Monster" was a hit record : "Star 69", "Bang and Blame" and "What's The Frequency Kenneth?" were mega-hits for REM when the album was released in 1994. But then, the returns came pouring in. People didn't like it, they thought it was too angular, too weird, too experimental. Tracks like "Crush With Eyeliner", "Tongue", "King of Comedy" all sounded out of place on what could have been a straightforward rock album. But that, my friends, is this record's saving grace.
Had "Monster" simply been REM-goes-rock, it wouldn't have had the same flavor. Something about the off-kilter vocals on "Crush.." and the robo-Talking Heads vibe of "King of Comedy" speak to me. Then there's the bizarre-o Prince vibe of "I Don't Sleep I Dream", the washed-out Kevin Sheilds-ish "Let Me In" and the fuzzed-out Nirvana-esque "I Took Your Name" (which features Michael Stipe butching it up in big bold strokes). Hell, even the songs that sound like REM, don't sound like REM. "Strange Currencies" harkens back to "Everybody Hurts", but is more like that song's evil twin in some alternate universe.
"Monster" is not an album that goes down smooth, by any means. There's all manner of weirdness, songs that meander, lyrics that make no sense ... and it's either because of, or in spite of, these things that I have to call it a Desert Island Record.
