One such album is R.E.M.'s seventh studio album, Out of Time. Yesterday it reached it's 25th Anniversary since it's release (12th March 1991). Their previous album Green (three years before) had begun the process (much to the dislike of many of their earliest fans) of the Athens, Georgia band reaching a larger fanbase around the globe, like me for instance. The first time I saw the band live was when they toured on the back of the album. Up until the release I wasn't overly fond of them, there were a few songs I liked here and there scattered among their early recordings, but Green blew me away the moment I first heard it playing in a record store in the heart of London and bought it straightaway.
When Out of Time was released it was like dyanmite exploding because all of a sudden this was a truly massive album. The groundwork was laid for dominion when they released Losing My Religion as a single in February 1991 and it seemed to take over MTV, the US Charts, and whilst it was not a massive seller in the UK, it did make the Top 20 (stalling at #19).
There's a heap of really good tracks on the album as well. Musically they really got their act together writing and recording songs using instruments like the mandolin rather than just adding them to the mix afterwards and so songs like Half a World Away that also features Mike Mills on the harpsichord come out sounding just so glorious.
The one point I was not overly impressed with though was that the label saw fit to release a further three singles from the album. I thought that maybe two at most would have been suitable enough (though I have to say I did love Radio Song). Shiny Happy People was a huge single, released a month after the album came out. It is probably one of their most commercial songs ever! Kate Pierson of The B-52's features on it (and also on Near Wild Heaven and Me In Honey). It's a daft song but you can't help but smile everytime you hear it. I must say I do love the version they did for Sesame Street - Furry Happy Monsters!
It would have been great to see the band perform live at this precise point in their career but they had taken a long break after the Green Tour and didn't tour for this album. They did release This Film is On which contained a video for every song on the album and some of those songs/videos can be found in the links posted below.
Out of Time - R.E.M.
Warner Bros
Produced by Scott Litt and R.E.M.
Released 12th March 1991
US Chart #1
UK Chart #1
#1 also in Canada, Italy, Austria, Holland and France.
Side one – "Time side"
01. "Radio Song" (feat. KRS-One) – 4:12
02. "Losing My Religion" – 4:26
03. "Low" – 4:55
04. "Near Wild Heaven" – 3:17
05. "Endgame" – 3:48
Side two – "Memory side"
01. "Shiny Happy People" – 3:44
02. "Belong" – 4:03
03. "Half a World Away" – 3:26
04. "Texarkana" – 3:36
05. "Country Feedback" – 4:07
06. "Me in Honey" – 4:06
01. "Radio Song" (feat. KRS-One) – 4:12
02. "Losing My Religion" – 4:26
03. "Low" – 4:55
04. "Near Wild Heaven" – 3:17
05. "Endgame" – 3:48
Side two – "Memory side"
01. "Shiny Happy People" – 3:44
02. "Belong" – 4:03
03. "Half a World Away" – 3:26
04. "Texarkana" – 3:36
05. "Country Feedback" – 4:07
06. "Me in Honey" – 4:06
Personnel
R.E.M.
Michael Stipe - lead vocals, bass melodica and arrangement on "Endgame", backing vocals on "Near Wild Heaven" and Texarkana"
R.E.M.
Michael Stipe - lead vocals, bass melodica and arrangement on "Endgame", backing vocals on "Near Wild Heaven" and Texarkana"
Peter Buck - electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin on "Losing My Religion" and "Half a World Away"
Mike Mills - bass guitar; backing vocals; organ on "Radio Song", "Low", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Country Feedback"; piano on "Belong"; harpsichord on "Half a World Away"; percussion on "Half a World Away"; lead vocals on "Near Wild Heaven" and "Texarkana"; keyboards and arrangement on "Losing My Religion" and "Texarkana"
Bill Berry - drum, percussion, congas on "low", bass guitar on "Half a World Away" and "Country Feedback", piano on "Near Wild Heaven", backing vocals on Near Wild Heaven", "Belong"
Additional musicians
David Arenz – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Ellie Arenz – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Mark Bingham – string arrangements on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
David Braitberg – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Andrew Cox – cello on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Reid Harris – viola on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Peter Holsapple – bass guitar on "Radio Song" and "Low"; acoustic guitar on "Losing My Religion", "Shiny Happy People", and "Texarkana"; electric guitar on "Belong"
Ralph Jones – double bass on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Kidd Jordan – baritone saxophone on "Radio Song" and "Near Wild Heaven", tenor saxophone on "Radio Song" and "Endgame", alto saxophone on "Radio Song", bass clarinet on "Low" and "Endgame"
John Keane – pedal steel guitar on "Texarkana" and "Country Feedback"
Dave Kempers – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
KRS-One – rapping on "Radio Song"
Scott Litt – echo-loop feed on "Radio Song"
Elizabeth Murphy – cello on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Paul Murphy – lead viola on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Kate Pierson – vocals on "Near Wild Heaven", and duet on "Shiny Happy People", "Me in Honey"
Jay Weigel – orchestral liaison on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Cecil Welch – flugelhorn on "Endgame"
Bill Berry - drum, percussion, congas on "low", bass guitar on "Half a World Away" and "Country Feedback", piano on "Near Wild Heaven", backing vocals on Near Wild Heaven", "Belong"
Additional musicians
David Arenz – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Ellie Arenz – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Mark Bingham – string arrangements on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
David Braitberg – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Andrew Cox – cello on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Reid Harris – viola on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Peter Holsapple – bass guitar on "Radio Song" and "Low"; acoustic guitar on "Losing My Religion", "Shiny Happy People", and "Texarkana"; electric guitar on "Belong"
Ralph Jones – double bass on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Kidd Jordan – baritone saxophone on "Radio Song" and "Near Wild Heaven", tenor saxophone on "Radio Song" and "Endgame", alto saxophone on "Radio Song", bass clarinet on "Low" and "Endgame"
John Keane – pedal steel guitar on "Texarkana" and "Country Feedback"
Dave Kempers – violin on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
KRS-One – rapping on "Radio Song"
Scott Litt – echo-loop feed on "Radio Song"
Elizabeth Murphy – cello on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Paul Murphy – lead viola on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Kate Pierson – vocals on "Near Wild Heaven", and duet on "Shiny Happy People", "Me in Honey"
Jay Weigel – orchestral liaison on "Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", and "Texarkana"
Cecil Welch – flugelhorn on "Endgame"
Singles from Out of Time
Losing My Religion / Rotary Eleven
Released: February 19, 1991
Losing My Religion / Rotary Eleven
Released: February 19, 1991
US Chart #4; UK Chart #19
Shiny Happy People / Forty Second Song
Released: May 16, 1991
US Chart #10; UK Chart #6
Near Wild Heaven / Pop Song 89 (Live Acoustic Version)
Released: August 5, 1991
UK Chart #27
Radio Song / Love Is All Around (Live)
Released: November 4, 1991
UK Chart #28
Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!
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