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Amazon.co.uk Review
Not quite as flawless as a masterpiece should be--what's the slight "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" doing among such remarkably grounded material?--Automatic For The People still deserves its reputation as one of REM's best. Another link in the band's chain of 90's classics, it hits each mood--the glum teen-spirit report of "Drive", the sensual wash of "Star Me Kitten" and the gorgeously transcendent "Find The River,"--perfectly. Fittingly, Michael Stipe's lyrics are among his most coherent and empathetic. This will be recalled, and listened to, as a great work long after REM have packed it in. --Rickey Wright
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I remember getting this on tape when it first came out and was blown away (amazing, as I was only 7!) Seldom does a band release and album where every track is amazing, but REM seem to have done that right up until the departure of Bill Berry on 'New Adventures in Hi Fi'. Its very difficult to say which are the highlights on this album, but three personal favorite songs are The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Ignoreland and the beaufiful Find the River. This is possibly the greatest song ever written. Every time I hear it, it means something different to me, and I find myself moved emotionally.
On listening to this record, it feels like you are listening to a greastest hits album. Every track you will be singing along to and I guarantee it won't leave your CD player for weeks, if months...
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
... and possibly my favourite album of all. It's impossible to put into words what I really feel for this record, because it's far beyond reason.
Like most of my all time faves, this disc didn't have me hooked from the start. In fact, I thought it was the most overrated piece of junk ever! But back then I was a spotty teenager who'd recently picked up the guitar and found that I could play all the songs with out any trouble (while I struggled to get to grips with anything by Brain May, Slash, Hendrix and Page)... I thought that if music was simple an understated, it was bad music. Buck, Berry, Mills and Stipe taught me that there was more to making great music than blistering musicianship. Over the months of listening to it, I found that I gradually got to love the tracks outside of the core singles "Drive", "Everybody Hurts", "Man on the Moon" and "Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite". But that took time.
Out of Time was the first album I had of theirs, and I was immediately won over by its warmth and accessibility, but AFTP was so stark in comparison. However, something made me pick it up and put it on again (mostly the singles that I did like) - and after a few weeks "Try not to Breathe" and "Find the River" became the most special tracks for me. One by one, other tracks followed, until I couldn't fault a single note (although, it really is the notes they don't play, the dead air, that makes this record so different). With the passage of many months, this band went from zeros to heroes in my eyes until I wore out my tape and had to replace it with a CD.
You'd think I would have learned from this experience, but when I first heard their follow-up, Monster, I absolutely hated it with a passion. Of course, within a month I'd reversed my opinion completely. Then I went through their back catalog and reveled in their awesome and prolific collective talent. I won't rave on about all their other albums here, but suffice to say their work has been consistently brilliant from the very start up until they released Around the Sun, where it took a dip. Not to end on a negative note, I believe that The Worst Joke Ever is one of the most earcatching melodies I've heard in a long time.
Oh, and one last (and very important) thing - AFTP is not, by any means whatsoever, depressing in any way (as many claimed at the time). It is one of the most hope-filled, comforting beautiful records you could ever own - so hurry up and click "Add to Basket" right now and make your world a little brighter :-)
Like most of my all time faves, this disc didn't have me hooked from the start. In fact, I thought it was the most overrated piece of junk ever! But back then I was a spotty teenager who'd recently picked up the guitar and found that I could play all the songs with out any trouble (while I struggled to get to grips with anything by Brain May, Slash, Hendrix and Page)... I thought that if music was simple an understated, it was bad music. Buck, Berry, Mills and Stipe taught me that there was more to making great music than blistering musicianship. Over the months of listening to it, I found that I gradually got to love the tracks outside of the core singles "Drive", "Everybody Hurts", "Man on the Moon" and "Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite". But that took time.
Out of Time was the first album I had of theirs, and I was immediately won over by its warmth and accessibility, but AFTP was so stark in comparison. However, something made me pick it up and put it on again (mostly the singles that I did like) - and after a few weeks "Try not to Breathe" and "Find the River" became the most special tracks for me. One by one, other tracks followed, until I couldn't fault a single note (although, it really is the notes they don't play, the dead air, that makes this record so different). With the passage of many months, this band went from zeros to heroes in my eyes until I wore out my tape and had to replace it with a CD.
You'd think I would have learned from this experience, but when I first heard their follow-up, Monster, I absolutely hated it with a passion. Of course, within a month I'd reversed my opinion completely. Then I went through their back catalog and reveled in their awesome and prolific collective talent. I won't rave on about all their other albums here, but suffice to say their work has been consistently brilliant from the very start up until they released Around the Sun, where it took a dip. Not to end on a negative note, I believe that The Worst Joke Ever is one of the most earcatching melodies I've heard in a long time.
Oh, and one last (and very important) thing - AFTP is not, by any means whatsoever, depressing in any way (as many claimed at the time). It is one of the most hope-filled, comforting beautiful records you could ever own - so hurry up and click "Add to Basket" right now and make your world a little brighter :-)
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The simple fact is that this is one of the best albums of the 1990s and, for me personally, my favourite album ever. Obviously, the one thing that you cannot ignore on this album is "Everybody Hurts", an absolutely classic of a song that you can listen to forever and still get a shiver down your spine with each play.
But that said, it is one of the few albums I have ever heard without a single weak moment. Personally, discounting New Orleans Instrumental #1 (I always discount instrumentals; don't ask me why!), "Man On The Moon" is probably my least favourite song and, given that it's an amazing all-time classic, that probably tells you all you need to know about the quality of the songs on here.
Elsewhere, "Star Me Kitten" is an astonishing piece of work and one of only a few songs (Radiohead's "Creep" amongst the others) that turns a certain four letter word beginning with F amazon won't let me write into the most beautiful sounding word in the English language. "Nightswimming" has the odd ability to make you feel nostalgic for a time you never actually experienced while "Find The River" is almost spiritual.
Elsewhere, the lyrical content "Try Not To Breathe" and "Sweetness Follows" helps prove that, although REM are dismissed by some of the alternative set as radio-friendly and simplistic, they, like Nick Cave, actually visit far darker places than virtually any band of the cut-out-and-shock amongst the metal brigade while "Sidewinder..." is an upbeat slice of simple pop music; but simple pop music done so splendldily.
Elsewhere, "Drive", "Monty Got a Raw Deal" and the political rock of "Ignoreland" round off an excellent album and an amazing achievement.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The time and the place.
This is an album that for me defind R E M. like pepper for the beatles, dark side for floyd,and so on,if you remember where you were and what you were doing at that time when it... Read more
Published 8 months ago by charley
Hugely over-rated
This is just not a great album. So much guff has been written about how great AFTP is that is has almost become heresy not to hail it as a classic. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Marchespie
Good Album
This is quite a good album overall with a few very good tracks. For the price you get an okay quality album.
Published 11 months ago by Robert
Take 40 minutes from your busy life, sit and listen
After digging out my vinyl collection and blowing off the 20 years of dust and realising that I haven't bought a NEW vinyl album for 20 years, I thought I'd buy something with a... Read more
Published 11 months ago by J. J. Osgood
REM's greatest effort - one of the great albums of all time.
REM got everything right on this album.
It is made of the most beautiful, moving and absorbing stuff. It is also so cohesive. Read more
It is made of the most beautiful, moving and absorbing stuff. It is also so cohesive. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Rebel
Just brilliant
This is another short and sweet reviews and straight to the point. This is a magnificent album. There are lots of well written and they sound brilliant. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ben Nicholson
Stop The Violence! No...The Violins!
I know now why so many people love this album and declare it to be R.E.M' s best work. It is because it has strings.
Yes, there are many R.E. Read more
Yes, there are many R.E. Read more
Published on 27 May 2010 by N. Messenger
Oh no its their second wobble
After the album Out of time I hoped when this was released it was every thing back to normal. But I feel this still falls short of their best work IE Green, Document, Lifes Rich... Read more
Published on 26 April 2010 by Stephen
US Music
One of the first albums I bought, I got it on tape, but I thought I'd type a review for it anyhow. Two favorites on here "Man on the Moon" and "Find the River". Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2009 by WJR
......Modern Classic..............8 Stars....( Again)
Automatic for the People.......Stellar!!!......Carries On Where The Legendary " Out Of Time" Left Off..... Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2009 by Tommo 18/7 ©
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