Title: Hitting Their Stride
Product review: Most "true" R.E.M. fans, who define themselves as having purchased Murmur the week it was released, trash this album with regularity. The criticism is unjustified. This is one of the three definitive R.E.M. releases (together with Life's Rich Pageant and Automatic.) Sure, it was popular and earned massive sales and airplay, but don't hold that against it.This is a Tour De Force from start to finish. No clunkers here. "Losing My Religion" was so popular that it is easy to ignore, but has there ever been a more compelling song ever made? "Shiny Happy People" is the most misunderstood, ironic R.E.M. song. My personal favorite: the haunting "Half a World Away." This is R.E.M. at its peak.
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