Listening to R.E.M. this morning, it irks me to think is album is 39 years old. To put that in perspective, an album that came out 39 years before Document would have been released in 1948, predating rock n’ roll entirely.
And yet this album feels so current. Michael Stipe was many years before coming out, but was feeling confident enough to not mumble so many lyrics. “What we want and what we need has been confused.” “Welcome to the Occupation” “Exhuming McCarthy.” It’s like the Reagan era never left us.
“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” was a huge song to teenage me. The desperation, the absurdity, the struggle between rage and acceptance. Plus it’s, as the kids say, a bop. The same theme returns in “Fireplace” with a massive sax solo (if there’s one thing I can’t resist it’s a massive sax solo).
The only skip on the whole album is “Lightnin’ Hopkins” but at least it keeps the energy up. Whether this record is tinged with nostalgia for you or not, I highly recommend a listen.