Out of Time

R.E.M.

Release Date: 11th Mar, 1991
Label: Warner Bros
Genre: Rock

REM’s career arc serves as a neat reminder to record labels ready to drop low-selling bands. Out Of Time was the Athens, Georgia band’s seventh studio album and the one that launched them into the stratosphere.

It took two colossal hits in ''Shiny Happy People'' and ''Losing My Religion'' to boot the enigmatic foursome from the US college rock ghetto into the blinding light of pop superstardom, but the rest of the LP is also a rewarding listen.

''Near Wild Heaven'', sung by bassist Mike Mills, is a glorious, good-time blast of sunshine that recalls both The Cure in a light mood and The Byrds. It’s like looking out of your window and seeing a perfect sunflower nodding at you in the summer breeze. ''Endgame'' on the other hand is an almost instrumental stroll down an auld English bridle path, assisted by mandolin and flugelhorn. But does this make the band court jesters?

Surpassing both of these is the almighty, desert thunder of ''Country Feedback''. It strolls into town on a tide of yearning pedal steel and exquisitely crafted feedback, like Neil Young sanding down Noah’s ark. If it was a man it’d wrangle horses and wear a cowboy hat, full of regret. When frontman Michael Stipe croons 'It’s crazy what you could have had', it’s hard not to sigh.

Unfortunately, there are other reasons to sigh. It’s a shame ''Low'' is so dreary and muted, like lethargy set in during recording. And ''Radio Song'' seems like a missed opportunity at this distance – why get then-massive rapper KRS1 to join you in the studio and then barely use him until the tune’s fade?

It’s certainly great but whether OOT is essential is down to which side of the fence listeners sit on regarding ''Shiny…'' and ''Losing…'' The truth is that both can be monumentally annoying in the wrong mood, but both are undoubtedly classic pop songs, the former as bright and fun as a day at the zoo, the latter a powerful string-drenched, mandolin-powered grapple with life, love, loss and belief. Between them the two sparkling 45’s provide the most accessible moments on the record, itself a brilliant jumping-off point for REM novices.

Reviewed by Lou Thomas

About The Artist

R.E.M.

Artist Homepage

R.E.M. were an alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, United States in 1980. The band originally consisted of Michael Stipe (vocals), Peter Buck (guitar, mandolin), Mike Mills (bass, keyboards, vocals) and Bill Berry (drums). Berry retired from the band in October 1997 after having suffered a brain aneurysm in 1995. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the group released its critically acclaimed debut album, Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M.'s 1994 release, Monster, was a return to a more rock-oriented sound. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Buck, Mills, and Stipe continued the group as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 21 September 2011, after over 30 years together, R.E.M. announced that they had split up.

View all

39 Comments

mutinyonark 08 Jan 2012

not their best album, but not their worst
shibuyadepunch 01 Aug 2011

Texarkana is the best song among them! [2] I completely agree! I love that track.
tjd9 05 Jul 2011

Take away Radio Song, Losing My Religion, and Shiny Happy People and you have seven of the most solid tracks of R.E.M.'s career.
boy_in_the_well 04 Jul 2011

"Radio Song" gets annoying at the second listen. That rapping kinda ruins the album. But other than that, I love Out of Time, mostly because of it's organic and profound sound. I love the use of organ in some songs for example. It's a special album in R.E.M.'s catalogue and everyone should hear it.
ressentimento 21 Apr 2011

My first great album.
mk741 22 Mar 2011

Some tracks are class, some tracks are forgettable, some tracks are terrible.
Vi_Nguyen1901 21 Feb 2011

Great Album :)
intheluminol 18 Dec 2010

Love love love love this album so much. One of my all time favorites. Classic R.E.M. and great lyrics throughout.... mixed with easily overlooked gems like Endgame and Belong, and Texarkana may be my favorite R.E.M. song of them all. The addition of Kate's voice on a couple tracks gives them such a richness.... this is just a great LP.
ciderman9000000 17 Nov 2010

im gay
Bolshevized 29 Sep 2010

This one is underrated. It's a nice change of pace and step up after Green, and serves as a kind of prelude to Automatic for the People. Except for a few moments of cheese, it's a nice mix of pretty, melodious pieces and a few experimental songs as well.
Langungon 17 Jul 2010

Nightswimming is on Automatic for the People^^
antoninvorno 04 Jul 2010

night swimming is a great song...
boo99 13 Apr 2010

it's a classic album
Colon 06 Apr 2010

what a record!! absolutely love this. classic.
tomorrowsparty 20 Feb 2010

i love this album so much
Terrasidius 04 Jan 2010

Not heard this one in a long time. Its great from what I remember.
chadmagic 03 Dec 2009

Texarkana is the best song among them!
percypecker 18 Nov 2009

I lost my religion top tunes
neoyit 24 Aug 2009

COUNTRY FEEDBACK ,the sidewinder sleps tonite ,man on the moon ,ignoreland ,drive,everybudy hurts!!! al hits!!
werty36 19 Aug 2009

90's rules, 1991 rules and this is one of best examples.. ;)
StreetDream 11 Aug 2009

loosing my religion
OfCourseKate 22 Jun 2009

i love rapid eyes movement.
pilihs65 24 Mar 2009

MIS FAVORITOS
lordkingfisher 02 Dec 2008

R.E.M.'s best Warner Bros LP (second only to Automatic). There is a sense that the album provides a long build up (with some undeniably great and beautiful moments) so that the listener can prepare for Country Feedback, which could well be their greatest recording to date.
diegocrusius 15 Oct 2008

their most famous album in my country.
MsSanguinarius 12 Jul 2008

Texarkana :O)
vigimael 03 Jun 2008

Some great tracks, some unbearable.
SenorAnderson 03 May 2008

This is easily their best album.
tomorrowsparty 06 Apr 2008

I love this album
franco_wonka 14 Mar 2008

Album Version!!!! LP Version!!!! Somebody fix this!!!!!
quietrob 24 Aug 2007

Aaah my album to watch the sun rise to.
joeybrown 23 Jul 2007

Played a cover of Losing My Religion with my band last week at a pub gig. Defo best song we've performed live!
joeybrown 23 Jul 2007

timeless music...:)
Cittadelledonne 10 Jun 2007

Lots of humour and love on this album.
Widmill 30 Dec 2006

:')
IamFlood 23 Dec 2006

My copy refuses to play :(
xTomer 27 Nov 2006

Belong is soooooooooooooooooooo good
Don_Diego 20 Jun 2006

The songs are erroneously listed in alphabetical order. The correct order of course is: Radio, Religion, Low, Heaven, Endgame, Shiny, Belong, Half, Texarkana, Country, Honey.