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Monster [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
by
Monster [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] Image
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

  • Summary: The five-CD and one Blu-ray disc set includes a remastered of the 1994 album; a new remix of the album by original producer, Scott Litt; 15 previously unreleased demos; a two-disc unreleased live recording from the 1995 Monster Tour; and a Blu-ray disc containing the concert film Road Movie,The five-CD and one Blu-ray disc set includes a remastered of the 1994 album; a new remix of the album by original producer, Scott Litt; 15 previously unreleased demos; a two-disc unreleased live recording from the 1995 Monster Tour; and a Blu-ray disc containing the concert film Road Movie, six music videos and 5.1 surround sound high resolution audio.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. PopMatters
    Nov 1, 2019
    90
    A lavish, deluxe six-disc version of this highly misunderstood and absolutely essential entry in the R.E.M. canon.
  2. Pitchfork
    Nov 4, 2019
    81
    It’s hard to determine how Monster got this way and the demos included with this reissue aren’t edifying. The band declined to throw in any embryonic versions of songs that actually appear on the record. ... But the 1994 Monster as-released tends to outright reject R.E.M.’s past.
  3. Rolling Stone
    Nov 1, 2019
    80
    A new, six-disc anniversary box set offers a holistic look at the album with demos, a completely remixed version of the record, and a live recording.
  4. Uncut
    Nov 1, 2019
    80
    This anniversary reissue is less concerned about the album as it is and more curious about how it might have sounded. ... Arguably the most revealing aspect of this reissue is Scott Litt's bold remix of Monster. [Dec 2019, p.40]
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  5. Classic Rock Magazine
    Nov 13, 2019
    80
    Live, earlier material, Welcome To The Occupation and Me In Honey especially, benefits from an increased aural muscular density, while several songs from Monster itself pack a greater punch than the studio versions. [Dec 2019, p.90]
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  6. The Line of Best Fit
    Nov 6, 2019
    70
    For those who already love the album, the remix works best when Litt’s touch is relatively light. An intriguing aspect of the remix is the renewed focus on Stipe’s vocals. ... The remix aside, this reissue should be a chance for those previously sceptical of Monster to give it another try.
  7. American Songwriter
    Nov 1, 2019
    60
    The live 25-song audio concert is a solid performance, but the just above bootleg sound is compressed and tinny. The band plays only a few songs from their IRS days while reprising all but three Monster tunes. The hours worth of mostly instrumental demos, where a Stipe-less trio tests riffs and grooves without actual songs behind them, are pleasant but forgettable. ... Fans will be intrigued by the crisper sound of the [remix] where Stipe’s vocals and Peter Buck’s guitar – cranked up for the majority of the disc – are better defined.

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Batters
    Feb 23, 2022
    9
    Отличный альбом! Экспериментальная запись пошла группе только на пользу. Очень драйвовый в начале и крайне мрачный в конце.Отличный альбом! Экспериментальная запись пошла группе только на пользу. Очень драйвовый в начале и крайне мрачный в конце.
  2. Olicomix
    Nov 14, 2019
    9
    While it's certainly not as focused or as diverse as it's predecessor, "Monster" still succeeds in many ways with it's excellent structure,While it's certainly not as focused or as diverse as it's predecessor, "Monster" still succeeds in many ways with it's excellent structure, great composition and production, and overabundance of memorable material, making it, arguably, the most criminally underrated album by R.E.M., as it's not only goofy, but heartfelt when it needs to be. Mix that with the hard rock sound, and what you've got is a record that's not only fun, but also effective. Sure, it'll take some time to grow on you since it is wildly different from anything the band has ever done with it's more light-hearted and much harder tone, but once it does, this is one hell of an album that will stay with you for a long time. It's a hidden gem from the mid 90s that no fan of music from that era should pass on. It’s catchy, in-your-face, and one monster of a good time, and if you mix that with the amount of awesome extra content here, and what you’ve got is something that no fan of R.E.M. and/or hard rock in general should pass up.… Expand

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