Around The Sun
by R.E.M.
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 112 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 74 out of 112
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 112
  3. Negative: 14 out of 112

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  1. EQ
    Oct 23, 2004
    0
    Wow... This band use to be the sh*t. I wore out my record, tape, and CD players playing REM in the 80s and early 90s. Chronic Town through Automatic for the People were ALL classic albums. I am a firm believer Monster was the demise of the band. I saw them on that tour and they were horrible. They looked out of place as an arena rock band. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was acceptable... but Wow... This band use to be the sh*t. I wore out my record, tape, and CD players playing REM in the 80s and early 90s. Chronic Town through Automatic for the People were ALL classic albums. I am a firm believer Monster was the demise of the band. I saw them on that tour and they were horrible. They looked out of place as an arena rock band. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was acceptable... but still not a classic. Then Bill Berry left. Ever since then, this has been a really cr@ppy band. A real embarassment, considering that these guys were the best band in the world at one point. Up, Reveal, and Around the Sun is just terrible. I can't believe how bad they are. Warner must be puking at the fact that they signed these guys for $80 mil at the start of their decline. The album sales are terrible. REM. PLEASE RETIRE BEFORE YOUR LEGACY GETS RUINED BEYOND REPAIR! … Expand
  2. Bagheera
    Oct 6, 2004
    3
    Sadly, REM seem to be afflicted by a kind of aural torpor at the moment. It may be offred as "atmospheric" and "experimental" and it is nowhere near as far down that road as Radiohead have gone in recent years, but with every release we get further away from their ear catching guitar driven best. I have followed them since Lifes Rich Pageant (still their best work) and sadly my Sadly, REM seem to be afflicted by a kind of aural torpor at the moment. It may be offred as "atmospheric" and "experimental" and it is nowhere near as far down that road as Radiohead have gone in recent years, but with every release we get further away from their ear catching guitar driven best. I have followed them since Lifes Rich Pageant (still their best work) and sadly my anticipation, borne out of a belief that "Bad Day" was signalling a return to form, was sadly withered away, even after my third play. Bring out a retrospective of rarities and give fans a taste of historic treasure still to be enjoyed. 3/10 I'm afraid… Expand
  3. Markp
    Feb 2, 2006
    3
    I expected more after the superb lead-off single ("Leaving New York" is in my top 3 REM songs) but the album is drab and lacklustre. You feel the fire has gone out of their bellies and the expected lp-every-two-years routine has killed their creativity. They need to take a couple of years and stockpile some better material. And up the tempo a little. Away with the middle-age malaise
  4. Brett
    Oct 5, 2004
    3
    this album flat out sucks.
  5. JaceN
    Jan 31, 2006
    3
    The pre-release word on this album was "Primitive and Howling" and we all thought "Good...no more experimental weird tinkering with organs...and stuff from the 70s like the bands attire and cover art in the UP days of 1998". ...post release we see its yet another pop, click buzz & beep festival with a slow, dragging pace and tired half-asleep vocals. Cmon...COME ON...yell Mr Stipe...we The pre-release word on this album was "Primitive and Howling" and we all thought "Good...no more experimental weird tinkering with organs...and stuff from the 70s like the bands attire and cover art in the UP days of 1998". ...post release we see its yet another pop, click buzz & beep festival with a slow, dragging pace and tired half-asleep vocals. Cmon...COME ON...yell Mr Stipe...we know you can! Ditch this whispering falsetto and spaceman kaleidescope background music and make us remember why we loved Monster and New Adventures In Hi-Fi!… Expand
  6. MM
    Oct 4, 2004
    3
    A serious disappointment - the first REM record with nothing to recommend it. A dud.
  7. ZacharyF
    Oct 8, 2004
    0
    Pathetic. I listened to this pap on myspace.com (thanks for saving me the 15 bucks!) and only made it to track 8. What an embarrasing effort. For a band that was once so unique, vibrant, and vital (see Chronic Town - Automatic for the People) to see them produce this bland and boring offal is a sad thing indeed. Give it up, Stipe. I guess the only thing to do is TALK about the passion, Pathetic. I listened to this pap on myspace.com (thanks for saving me the 15 bucks!) and only made it to track 8. What an embarrasing effort. For a band that was once so unique, vibrant, and vital (see Chronic Town - Automatic for the People) to see them produce this bland and boring offal is a sad thing indeed. Give it up, Stipe. I guess the only thing to do is TALK about the passion, because it's obvious that it left your songwriting over a decade ago.… Expand
  8. fatwam
    Nov 16, 2004
    1
    As rem releases go, I too am dissappointed with this offering. Once the mystery of m.stipe was removed the downward spiral proceeded. I have not been impressed with rem for some time, but this is going to be their new low water mark. I don't understand what the boys are trying to do here. I think MONEY & COMPLACENCY have taken its toll. Why should they give a f*ck. They clearly As rem releases go, I too am dissappointed with this offering. Once the mystery of m.stipe was removed the downward spiral proceeded. I have not been impressed with rem for some time, but this is going to be their new low water mark. I don't understand what the boys are trying to do here. I think MONEY & COMPLACENCY have taken its toll. Why should they give a f*ck. They clearly don't have a connection with vitality whatsoever. A big dissappointment is an understatement. … Expand
  9. JimR
    Dec 19, 2004
    0
    Never a big REM fan here, but at least there music was not coma inducing before, like this crapola is.
  10. johnbobs1
    May 29, 2017
    3
    I loved ''Leaving New York'' and so bought this. I soon wished I hadn't...
    As an avid REM fan, I was hugely disappointed by this. This is undoubtedly the lowest moment of their musical career. All of the Stipe-Esque lyrical style is there, but much of the lyrics seem to make little sense; perhaps only to the band themselves. They sound like Stipe wrote them whilst drunk.
    Musically, the    I loved ''Leaving New York'' and so bought this. I soon wished I hadn't...
    As an avid REM fan, I was hugely disappointed by this. This is undoubtedly the lowest moment of their musical career. All of the Stipe-Esque lyrical style is there, but much of the lyrics seem to make little sense; perhaps only to the band themselves. They sound like Stipe wrote them whilst drunk.
    Musically, the album does little better. There are a few brighter moments - Leaving New York, the Outsiders and Final Score being among them, though they are hardly true classics.
    Even the Outsiders is ruined by a dreadful rap from Q-Tip (heard of him? me neither...) which has been inserted towards the end of an otherwise perfect and atmospheric tune.
    Other than these songs, the rest of the album really is a bore; full of plodding, slow paced and poorly written material.
    Avoid this at all costs, even if you're an avid REM fan...    … Expand
  11. Max_Kadillac
    Oct 26, 2014
    1
    I love virtually all REM albums. Some are greater than others, but there's none that I'd writeoff wholesale. Apart from this.
    I bought this on CD (remember those?) and desperately spun it, looking for any hint of the genius of the band who'd made Murmer, Automatic for the People, New Adventures, Green. Nope, nothing.
    I went to sell it back to a second hand shop, but they seemingly had    I love virtually all REM albums. Some are greater than others, but there's none that I'd writeoff wholesale. Apart from this.
    I bought this on CD (remember those?) and desperately spun it, looking for any hint of the genius of the band who'd made Murmer, Automatic for the People, New Adventures, Green. Nope, nothing.
    I went to sell it back to a second hand shop, but they seemingly had entire tables full of this album, from others who had recognised its inner drabness immediately, so i walked out and just stuck the entire disc in the bin.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Most Discussed Album of 2004
52
#52 Most Shared Album of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27
  1. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    The first REM album to really disappoint. [2 Oct 2004, p.60]
  2. ShakingThrough.net
    56
    Its sporadic pockets of accessibility aside, it's difficult to listen to Around the Sun without hearing it as a holding pattern, or worse, a piece of product released simply to keep the R.E.M. brand out among the public.
    Read full review
  3. Playlouder
    70
    R.E.M. still have the remarkable distinction of never once producing a bad album, but this is perhaps the biggest example yet of the group merely treading water, whereas once they majestically swam.
    Read full review
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