Monster (R.E.M. album)

Monster
An album cover showing a blurred drawing of a bear's head in black against an orange background. The name of the album is in red text in the top-left corner of the cover and the band's name is in blue text on a black background in the top-right corner of the cover.
Studio album by
R.E.M.
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1994 (1994-09-26)[1]
RecordedOctober 1993 – May 1994
Studio
  • Kingsway, New Orleans
  • Crossover Soundstage, Atlanta
  • Criteria, Miami
  • Ocean Way, Hollywood
Genre
Length49:15
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
R.E.M. chronology
The Automatic Box
(1993) 		Monster
(1994) 		R.E.M.: Singles Collected
(1994)
Singles from Monster
  1. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
    Released: September 5, 1994[3]
  2. "Bang and Blame"
    Released: October 31, 1994[4]
  3. "Crush with Eyeliner"
    Released: January 23, 1995[5]
  4. "Strange Currencies"
    Released: April 3, 1995[6]
  5. "Tongue"
    Released: July 17, 1995[7]
25th anniversary edition

Monster is the ninth studio album by American rock band R.E.M., released by Warner Bros. Records in the UK on September 26, 1994, and in the US the following day.[1] It was produced by the band and Scott Litt and recorded at four studios. The album was an intentional shift from the style of their previous two albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), by introducing loud, distorted guitar tones and simple lyrics.

Led by the successful single "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", Monster debuted at number one in the United States and at least seven other countries, and received generally positive reviews.[8] Four more singles were released from the album, including the UK top-20 hits "Bang and Blame", "Strange Currencies", and "Tongue". That year, the band promoted the album with their first concert tour since 1989; although the tour was commercially successful, band members suffered several health problems. At the 37th Annual Grammy Awards, Monster was nominated for Best Rock Album, but lost to The Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge. The album's follow-up New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996) was primarily recorded during the tour.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference allmusic review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Peacock, Tim (September 27, 2024). "'Monster': How R.E.M. Unleashed Their Inner Rock'n'Roll Beast". Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. September 3, 1994. p. 27.
  4. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. October 29, 1994. p. 23.
  5. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. January 21, 1995. p. 31.
  6. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 1, 1995. p. 35.
  7. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. July 15, 1995. p. 31.
  8. ^ Staff (October 14, 1994). "Monster Smash". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2024.