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AROUND THE SUN
by: R.E.M.

List Price: $19.98

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Used Price: $81.27
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Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks Binding: LP Record
EAN: 0081227842215
Label: Rhino Records
Manufacturer: Rhino Records
Number Of Discs: 2
Publisher: Rhino Records
Release Date: October 26, 2004
Studio: Rhino Records
Sales Rank: 160238

Disc 1:

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Editorial Review:

Album Description:
Around The Sun, R.E.M.’s first new studio album since 2001's gold Reveal, is as emotional and ulti- mately uplifting as its "Leaving New York" single. With a renewed band dynamic and songs influenced by world events, Around The Sun surprises and satisfies and is both political and poignant. Says Michael Stipe: "Even the most depressing R.E.M.song is going to have a glimmer of hope." For fans of one of rock's most acclaimed bands, hope revolves around R.E.M.

Amazon.com:
Having delivered their last great album with 1992's haunting Automatic For the People, R.E.M. spent more than decade attempting all kinds of reinvention, from the pointlessly noisy Monster to the painfully dull Up. But with Around the Sun it feels like the band is getting its bearings back. Not only is it the Georgia trio's most consistent album since the 1997 departure of drummer Bill Berry, but it also sees the return of the lush imagery and intricate playing of the band's vintage years. There are trains, mandolins, Man Ray skies. More importantly, it seems heartfelt. Witness the gorgeous disquietingly dark opener "Leaving New York," the rapturous folk of "I Wanted to Be Wrong" and the solidly intense "Boy In the Well." At 13 generous tracks, it's far from perfect but--just when everyone thought R.E.M. was down for the count--Around the Sun is an unexpected bruiser of a comeback. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Re-visited.
The album should of been titled "Around the Sun" by Michael Stipe. Peter Buck's guitar chimes through here and there but you can tell his heart just isn't into it. Half of the album sounds "similar" and may induce drowsiness. Also by the end you may want to throw Stipe off of his 'High Speed Train' as his lyrics which used to be sublime are now so upfront that they are annoying.

With that said Around the Sun does have some beautiful melodies buried within. After quickly burning out on Accelerate I decided one evening to re-visit this album. Wow, it's like nectar to the ears. Accelerate is produced in such a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am manner that repeated listenings are somewhat painful. Around the Sun on the other hand washes over you like a chrysanthemum bath of notes. ... Read More

Rating:

- am i missing something?
im always surprised by the mixed reviews for this album. i think r.e.m. lost its fan base because they started doing krautrock on Up and Stipe came out which pissed off their mostly yuppie/ex-frat hetero fan base they picked up with Out of Time, but its not because the music started to suck. There are moments on this album that equal that of any r.e.m. album which is saying a lot. "The Outsiders" is a brilliant song, along with "Electron Blue", "Boy in the Well" and "Worst Joke Ever" - the entire album is stunning in that almost every song sounds like it was effortlessly written and recorded plus the melodies are really imaginative and catchy. I think some of these critics are spoiled by the high quality of r.e.m.'s work and if they're not emotionally overwhelmed after listening to a new ... Read More

Rating:

- May cause drowsiness
There are 2 amazing songs ("Leaving New York" and the title track) on this album. "Electron Blue," "I Wanted To Be Wrong" and "Ascent of Man" are also extremely good. The remaining tracks are all also solid and could fit easily as a change of pace tune onto even the best REM albums. Why only two stars then? "Around the Sun" is a collection of change of pace songs. Throw them together, and you have a beautiful, long snooze fest.

Rating:

- Bad...check out Accelerate instead
Not much to say about this one. The band itself thinks it's crappy! Nuf said. So much better available from REM. I'm a fan from their earliest days, but also like their early to even mid 90's stuff, so I am a fan...but this should never have been released (given the fact that they were not happy with it, knew it was bad).

Rating:

- Underrated and discarded unfairly
There are a handful of today's working bands who have created a legacy years ago, and though they continue to make music (because once you start, it is impossible to stop), their past work which comprises their legacy and created their fan base is often used as the foundation for decrying whatever new record they put out. One example that comes to mind involves U2's most recent records being called "corporate" and "out of touch" in comparison to their more politically charged 80s output. Another example is, of course, the last decade of R.E.M. records when compared to everything that came before "Automatic for the People."

Bottom line: such comparisons are unavoidable; critics do it all the time - in fact, they almost have to in order to seem elite and all-knowing. Hating on new ... Read More

Music : AROUND THE SUN