Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 01/27/1998
Run Time: 39:34
R.E.M. began to move toward mainstream record production on
Lifes Rich Pageant, but they didn't have a commercial breakthrough until the following year's
Document. Ironically,
Document is a stranger, more varied album than its predecessor, but co-producer
Scott Litt -- who would go on to produce every
R.E.M. album in the following decade -- is a better conduit for the band than
Don Gehman, giving the group a clean sound without sacrificing their enigmatic tendencies.
"Finest Worksong," the stream-of-conscious rant
"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," and the surprise Top Ten single
"The One I Love" all crackle with muscular rhythms and guitar riffs, but the real surprise is how political the mid-tempo
jangle pop of
"Welcome to the Occupation," "Disturbance at the Heron House," and
"King of Birds" is. Where
Lifes Rich Pageant sounded a bit like a party record,
Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made all the more indelible by its righteous anger. In other words, it's not only a commercial breakthrough, but a creative breakthrough as well, offering evidence of
R.E.M.'s growing depth and maturity, and helping usher in the P.C. era in the process.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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