Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
Lately I'm not able to get enough of this album. So I thought I'd do a little song by song review:
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
As soon as that distorted guitar intro kicks in, you know you're gonna be in for a kind of ride that you've never experienced before with REM. What a kickass song to open the album with! This track instantly takes me back to the times spent watching the strange, multi-colored, almost psychedelic video on MTV where one got the first glimpse of Stipe's new bald look. Oh, and that guitar solo at about two thirds into the song is to die for!
Fav lyric: I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed
Crush With Eyeliner
I am smitten. More like I was smitten as soon as I heard this cool as heck new REM song with a video featuring a bunch of asian guys on the subway??? (if I remember right) How random is that?
Just a fun, catchy song but god knows what the lyrics are about!
Fav lyric: We all invent ourselves and, uh, you know me
King Of Comedy
I didn't like this one much at the beginning. But soon enough, it grew on me. It's good fun to sing along to and the lyrics remind me of Pink Floyd's Animals, if you know what I mean.
Fav lyric: You can lie as long as you mean it
I Don't Sleep, I Dream
The pace slows down a bit with some gorgeous swirling guitar. Relaxing track, both musically and lyrically... are you coming to ease my headache? Last but not least, great falsettos here!
Fav lyric: I'll settle for a cup of coffee, but you know what I really need
Star 69
Now this is what I'm talking about! Hard driving, high speed, punky REM! Great drumming, addictive vocals.. 'I know you called, I know you called...', heavy bass, great overall track!
Fav lyric: Dunno. I didn't even know most of the lyrics until I looked at the lyrics online.
Strange Currencies
Very nice ballad to end Side A. Why I say this is cos I owned Monster on cassette for the longest time! The guitar work here really fills up the song beautifully.
Fav lyric: I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance, a word, a signal, a nod, a little breath just to fool myself, to catch myself, to make it real, real
Tongue
More falsetto! A lot more falsetto!!! This one came off boring at first but after a few listens, the beauty of this song sunk in. Especially that guitar at 2:14
Fav lyric: None
Bang And Blame
Yeah! Quite possibly my favorite track on this cd. I love everything about this song, the echoing guitar, the addictive beat, the 'really really fun to sing along to' lyrics, the quick tight guitar solo and the outro! Oh... and that reprise guitar at the end.
Simply awesome!
Fav lyric: You kiss on me, tug on me, rub on me, jump on me, you bang on me, beat on me, hit on me, let go on me, you let go on me.
I Took Your Name
Another kick ass song which is IMO almost as good as Bang & Blame but not quite. All points to that beautiful beautiful guitar in the chorus! And Stipe's vocals buried deep in the mix of course.
Fav lyric: If there is some confusion, who's to blame?
Let Me In
Okay, this is quite jarring on the album I have to admit. I wish they had produced this better. But inside that wall of distorted guitar lies a really nice song. I was fortunate enough to listen to a stripped down, acoustic (I think) version of it on a fan club only Christmas single from 2001. I would rip it for you guys but the CD is copy protected.
Fav lyric: None
Circus Envy
Here comes that awful feeling again!
Danceable rock? with a lot of distortion, effects and what not in the mix! Catchy as hell!
Fav lyric: None
You
Slow sludgy end, this song is like stirring molasses.
Despite the 'noise', nice vocals here by Mr. Stipe. This is another song I'd like to listen to in an acoustic setting without the distortion. I wonder if there is any version out there.
Nevertheless, that is my assessment of Monster, an album which I love to death maybe because it was really the first REM album I purchased and listened to at the same time that it came out. I'm glad that the band was brave enough to put so much distortion into an album and risk being called grunge followers. But in reality, this is not grunge. It is a sound of its own! So I don't care what the critics say, this album kicks solid ass!
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
As soon as that distorted guitar intro kicks in, you know you're gonna be in for a kind of ride that you've never experienced before with REM. What a kickass song to open the album with! This track instantly takes me back to the times spent watching the strange, multi-colored, almost psychedelic video on MTV where one got the first glimpse of Stipe's new bald look. Oh, and that guitar solo at about two thirds into the song is to die for!
Fav lyric: I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed
Crush With Eyeliner
I am smitten. More like I was smitten as soon as I heard this cool as heck new REM song with a video featuring a bunch of asian guys on the subway??? (if I remember right) How random is that?
Just a fun, catchy song but god knows what the lyrics are about!Fav lyric: We all invent ourselves and, uh, you know me
King Of Comedy
I didn't like this one much at the beginning. But soon enough, it grew on me. It's good fun to sing along to and the lyrics remind me of Pink Floyd's Animals, if you know what I mean.
Fav lyric: You can lie as long as you mean it
I Don't Sleep, I Dream
The pace slows down a bit with some gorgeous swirling guitar. Relaxing track, both musically and lyrically... are you coming to ease my headache? Last but not least, great falsettos here!
Fav lyric: I'll settle for a cup of coffee, but you know what I really need
Star 69
Now this is what I'm talking about! Hard driving, high speed, punky REM! Great drumming, addictive vocals.. 'I know you called, I know you called...', heavy bass, great overall track!
Fav lyric: Dunno. I didn't even know most of the lyrics until I looked at the lyrics online.
Strange Currencies
Very nice ballad to end Side A. Why I say this is cos I owned Monster on cassette for the longest time! The guitar work here really fills up the song beautifully.
Fav lyric: I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance, a word, a signal, a nod, a little breath just to fool myself, to catch myself, to make it real, real
Tongue
More falsetto! A lot more falsetto!!! This one came off boring at first but after a few listens, the beauty of this song sunk in. Especially that guitar at 2:14
Fav lyric: None
Bang And Blame
Yeah! Quite possibly my favorite track on this cd. I love everything about this song, the echoing guitar, the addictive beat, the 'really really fun to sing along to' lyrics, the quick tight guitar solo and the outro! Oh... and that reprise guitar at the end.
Simply awesome!Fav lyric: You kiss on me, tug on me, rub on me, jump on me, you bang on me, beat on me, hit on me, let go on me, you let go on me.
I Took Your Name
Another kick ass song which is IMO almost as good as Bang & Blame but not quite. All points to that beautiful beautiful guitar in the chorus! And Stipe's vocals buried deep in the mix of course.
Fav lyric: If there is some confusion, who's to blame?
Let Me In
Okay, this is quite jarring on the album I have to admit. I wish they had produced this better. But inside that wall of distorted guitar lies a really nice song. I was fortunate enough to listen to a stripped down, acoustic (I think) version of it on a fan club only Christmas single from 2001. I would rip it for you guys but the CD is copy protected.
Fav lyric: None
Circus Envy
Here comes that awful feeling again!
Danceable rock? with a lot of distortion, effects and what not in the mix! Catchy as hell!Fav lyric: None
You
Slow sludgy end, this song is like stirring molasses.
Despite the 'noise', nice vocals here by Mr. Stipe. This is another song I'd like to listen to in an acoustic setting without the distortion. I wonder if there is any version out there.Nevertheless, that is my assessment of Monster, an album which I love to death maybe because it was really the first REM album I purchased and listened to at the same time that it came out. I'm glad that the band was brave enough to put so much distortion into an album and risk being called grunge followers. But in reality, this is not grunge. It is a sound of its own! So I don't care what the critics say, this album kicks solid ass!
