R.E.M. pushed the jangle out of the picture with Monster, replacing it with reverberating snaps, crackles, and pops. An album that wraps itself to 1970s glam finery while reaching out to the flannel-clad post-Nirvana throngs, it largely succeeds at demonstrating that these Georgians still know how to rock.

The MTV fave "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" kicks things off on a high note as Peter Buck's distorted power chords set the tone for the 12-song set. "Strange Currencies" may be alarmingly reminiscent of the Automatic for the People hit "Everybody Hurts," but it's actually the superior song.

"Let Me In" is a heavily distorted nod to the fallen Kurt Cobain. While Monster is far from R.E.M.'s most consistent effort, it stands as a ragged and risky respite from safe and sound alterna-rock. Steven Stolder Review A confident, sublimely delivered collection of miniature masterpieces laid out in three chords and four minutes, Monster puts R.E.M. onto the musical map of the mainstream. The band's ninth full-length recording is their most convincing stab at the conventional 'rock' album format.

it's essentially a two-man show As Michael Stipe's laconic vocals slug it out with Peter Buck's garage-band guitar, the rest of the band effectively count the minutes till quitting time.

With Let Me In a self-declared message to the recently-deceased Kurt Cobain, R.E.M. locks themselves once and for all into the world of everyday traditional rock 'n' roll. Previous production habits conspire to lend much of the set a messy, confusing mix, and deciphering the lyrics is still mostly mind-bending difficult but, by opening with a brace of hook-filled killer tracks, and releasing both as pop-charting singles, the band manages to capture the attention of a new audience.