R.E.M | AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE
R.E.M was a world-dominating household name when Automatic For The People was released, having conquered both the indie-college rock scene and transitioned into superstars via their smash hit “Losing My Religion.” As rumours spread about the band’s future and health after Out Of Time, what followed their Grammy-winning success was a dark rumination on mortality, loss, mourning, and nostalgia.
Armed with acoustic guitars, strings, and organ the group recorded 30 tracks for contention on Automatic. Their initial intent was to make a guitar-dominated rock album but instead found themselves disappearing into a world of sad contemplation and songs about death. Luckily for them the world responded with passionate celebration and elation. The minor key album opener “Drive” plays around with the David Essex song “Rock On” and puts a call out to the disaffected youth troubled by a new generation of angst and apathy. “Try Not To Breathe” is sung from the perspective of an elderly woman musing about her own grave. “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” pays homage to The Lion Sleeps Tonight and is the happiest colour the album gets to paint with during the quickly-sung lyrics “Call me when you try to wake her up” which was often mistook for “Calling Jamaica.” Lead singer Michael Stipe’s accidental laugh at then start of the third chorus is one of the best recorded mistakes in history, providing the slight crack of a smile before the album runs into tears.
The album’s most successful single was “Everybody Hurts” which was a radio and MTV mainstay for most of 1993. While not the album’s best song, it was able to make R.E.M’s new
The spooky organ chords on Sweetness Follows are beyond sublime. They conjure up moods of dark city alleys and distant rain soaked streets after-hours. Few songs capture such rich emotional overtones. The cello line digs at the heart while Stipe beautifully delay-effected voice sings about “Readying to bury your father and your mother.” It’s a funeral we don’t want to think about, a droning season that feels lost between the senses. The guitar feedback churns in the background creating a directionless feeling of being alone in the world.
The second half of the album opens with “Monty Got A Raw Deal”, a song about actor Montgomery Clift. Bazouki, accordion, and sleigh bells nod along to Stipe’s take on reality vs the movies. To be stuck in the middle of Automatic For The People is to have abandoned the need for a map and to cease paying attention to time. Before the final chapter of the album, the political rocker “Ignoreland” shuffles the feel of the album to allow the listener some time to ease off the intensity before whats to come.
“Star Me Kitten” is a masterpiece of ominous drone harmony, organ and lead guitar. It is arguably the most underrated song in the band’s catalogue. The band’s dissonance creates a strange lurking mist that engulfs the listener. Stipe muses on divorce and the demise of a relationship comparing it to a broken car; “The brakes have worn so thin that you could hear, I hear them screeching through the door from our driveway.” The eerie ride cymbal keeps time while the organ and voices quiver. The power in Stipe’s message is at its most understated yet most passionate as he sings “If keys are all that stand between, can I throw in the ring no gasoline, just fuck me kitten.” The sentiment of remaining sexual attraction in the afterbirth of a relationship is a rarely sung about experience; “You, me? We used to be on fire.” Scott Litt berries Stipe’s vocal deep inside the atmosphere creating a haunting effect as the performance is barely audible. Few bands can create an art piece this perfect.
In keeping perfect flow with the album, “Man On The Moon” jumps in with its baritone western guitar riff and Stipe’s intelligent cultural references of games and truck stops. The entire track celebrates the life of Andy Kaufman and was another huge hit for the band. “Andy are you goofing on Elvis, hey baby” brings the swagger back in the band’s step after a long mournful journey. “Nightswmming” relies on piano to sketch the innocence of summer nights and nakedness in the water as August burns deep under the moon, before September arrives to end the dream. It’s string orchestra, arranged by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin give some classical structure. Finally, “Find The River” continues the theme of water. The band seems re-organized and secure in themselves to walk onward into future territory. “I have got to find the river.” Perhaps it is the river of resolution and acceptance.
Selling over 3 million copies, the album remains a critical and commercial smash the likes of which very few are lucky to achieve. It is arguable the best album the band has ever recorded.
This riff on a New Orleans Sazerac cocktail replaces the Absinthe rinse with half a shot of Cynar. The drink is as strong and bitter as Automatic For The People’s mournful lament, while the molasses of brings a slow sweetness that follows the sting reflecting the band’s lyrical and musical journey.
1 oz rye whiskey
1 oz cognac
.5 oz Cynar
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1/4 teaspoon molassass
1 dash of cinnamon