R.E.M.
Out Of Time

LA RECENSIONE

Why am I reviewing this album?
Because I want to backtrack: in the review of “Murmur” I said that the works of REM deserve 5 stars regardless; well, I'm here to correct myself.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you “Out Of Time”, the album that represents the turning point, the money, the popularity and (say what you will) represents the exception that proves the rule. Let's clarify that the success of this CD is 80% due to the mega hit “Losing My Religion,” the blessing and curse of ours.
Another point: it's not a poor work, but, darn it, they have done much, much better (see the successor “Automatic For The People”); but unfortunately, what came out after did not contain “Losing My Religion”: thus this album is so far the most well-known, the most loved, the most sold and honestly it has nothing more compared to the others, maybe something less.
It's arranged in a “baroque” style as many like to say, there are strings, the usual mandolins, vocal interplays etc. “Radio Song” is a nice song, almost funk style, participation of a rapper, but it doesn't give emotions: it's not what one wants to hear after three years of waiting. No comment on track two, everything has already been said. "Low" is a nice piece, in the verse there's the low tone of Michael accompanied by a sleepy guitar, an organ, the bass and a violin; in the chorus, the guitar “wakes up” and in the wonderful ending the violin and Stipe’s voice also awaken; definitely one of the best tracks of the album.
“Near Wild Heaven” is sunny, cheerful, sung by both voices; the guitar arpeggiates as usual; irresistible the “Pa pa pa paaa pa paaa” in the finale. A sort of “Pa pa pa…” also holds up the instrumental “Endgame” which turns out to be nice, well done but useless and also boring.
And here we are at the song that competes for the prize of “dumbest track” together with “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da”: “Shiny Happy People” could very well have been the theme of the “Smurfs.” In “Belong” the lyrics are recited (and they're not that great) and only in the chorus do the voices sing simple “Oooh, oooh” that deserve to be heard. “Half The World Away” is a nice song that brings back memories of the semi-acoustic REM of the past (the track copies “You Are The Everything” from “Green”) even if the result isn't the same: it's predictable, lacking novelty, verve. “Texarkana” is desert-like, on the road: it would have fit well in “New Adventures In Hi Fi,” it's sung (and composed) entirely by the bassist; a good track, especially nice is the bridge. “Country Feedback” is a 100% REM track in the style of “Low”: there’s a guitar played in feedback throughout and the tone of the voice is higher, a gem! “Me In Honey” tells the joy of a man about to become a father: the whole track is based on two notes and the chorus is performed together with the singer from the B52’s (as in “Shiny Happy People”); here Michael Stipe brings out a beautiful high note.

An album nonetheless interesting and a must-have, but please let's stop dedicating so many compliments and (undeserved) attention to it!