R.E.M.
In Time (The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003)

I only knew them by reputation, and until some time ago I never thought they could interest me. Then, almost by chance, I came across one of their songs, "Bad Day": a nice rock track that's very catchy, with a riff and chorus that's truly overwhelming. This great song sparked my curiosity, which then ignited into a fire after having the chance to listen to and appreciate "Losing My Religion," "Leaving New York," and "Supernatural Superserious." I decided to buy an album from these notorious R.E.M, and, torn between "Around The Sun" (for its rock-bottom price) and "Monster" (for its stunning cover), I opted for the more rational route, which was this best of: 18 songs, representing eight different albums, with "Bad Day" as a notable added value, a DVD included, and an affordable price nonetheless.

It took me a while to fully digest and understand the value of some songs, but in the end, my verdict is more than positive: I've discovered a great band capable of writing good lyrics and very simple songs with a very melodic rock style and a strong predisposition for ballads, which make up the majority of the tracks included in this best of. Naturally, the troubled "Losing My Religion," the turning point of their career, is included, striking for its unmistakable mandolin arpeggio and the beautiful video that was made for it, as well as four songs taken from "Automatic For The People," a 1992 album considered by many to be their greatest masterpiece (after hearing these pieces, I have no trouble believing it and have already planned to buy this album). This includes the visionary "Man On The Moon," the very sweet "Nightswimming," "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite," with its characteristic upbeat and somewhat drunken mood, and "Everybody Hurts," breathtakingly beautiful. From "New Adventures In Hi-Fi" of 1996, another album considered among their highest expressions, come "E-Bow The Letter," a beautiful slow song that's very dreamlike and almost spoken, in duet with Patti Smith and the more traditional but equally moving and well-executed "Electrolite." The pair of extracts from "Reveal" in 2001 is also excellently crafted, namely "Imitation Of Life," which is certainly one of the songs that struck me most in this collection, a small masterpiece with its underlying sadness expressed through an enchanting melody (the use of violins is spot on) and a deep and absolutely catchy chorus at the same time. Overall, "All The Way To Reno" is also excellent, very dreamy and psychedelic, where the very discreet yet distinctive use of keyboards can be noticed. If these are the premises, "Reveal" must certainly be a great album, far from a minor episode...

A special mention certainly goes to "The Great Beyond," which initially left me quite puzzled, perhaps because of its very slow and subdued pace, or maybe only because of its juxtaposition with "Man On The Moon," with which it inevitably loses the comparison, despite still being a beautiful song, whereas I just couldn't get myself to like the two tracks from the 1998 album "Up," namely "Daysleeper" and "At My Most Beautiful," which, despite their intrinsic value, turn out to be not very direct and compelling, somewhat vacuous and incomplete.

The more rock-oriented side of R.E.M. manifests itself in the remaining six songs: besides the aforementioned "Bad Day," there are other significant tracks like the vibrant "Orange Crush" from 1988 and the dreamlike ride "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" from 1994, which win the Oscar for the best bass line and the best riff on the album respectively, while there's little to say about the other unreleased track, "Animal," a somewhat ugly song that gives me a headache due to the overabundance of choruses and vocal overlays. Pleasant diversions include the cheerful nursery rhyme "Stand," also from the "Green" album of 1988 and "All The Right Friends," whose composition dates back to 1979, a nice slightly punkish piece.

Overall, I can say I've hit a nice 5+1 in the Super Enalotto, a band that perhaps doesn't evoke the same enthusiasm and emotion as my "beloved children" Muse, but still a great trio of quantity and quality that has fully earned my trust.