For a while I was a pretty big R.E.M. fan. How could one not be starting university in 1991. Around the time of Monster a freind of mine came up with the concept of a WWF style title belt for the best band in the world. If I remember correctly you had to have five good-to-great albums in a row to even qualify (although we reserved the right to wave that rule for newer bands). At the release of Monster, with all the hype that surrounded its release (and with the "help" of Zooropa) we declared R.E.M. the title holder. This was the beginning of the end for R.E.M. (Monster, not us giving them the title, I am not that delusional, almost, but not quite). In retrospect Monster was a pretty week album. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was worse. Up was a bit better, but the downward spiral had already begun.
In Aaron Wherry's review in todays Post he quotes that the album sounds "lifeless, as if the air had been sucked from the band's lungs". Well to be fair, stumping for Senator Kerry would do that to anyone.
