Released on 12 March 1991 "Out Of Time" was the 7th., studio album by US alternative rock band R.E.M. With Out of Time, R.E.M.'s status grew from that of a cult band to a massive international act. The record topped the album sales charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, spending 109 weeks on U.S. album charts, with two separate spells at the top, and spending 183 weeks on the British charts, including one week at the top. The album spawned four singles "Losing My Religion", "Shinning Happy People", "Near Wild Heaven", & "Radio Song".
The release of the album was preceded by the release of "Losing My Religion", which became R.E.M.'s biggest U.S. hit, Out of Time gave them their first U.S. and UK No. 1 album. The band did not tour to support the release, although they did make occasional appearances on television or at festivals.
The album first part called Time Side opened with "Radio Song" featuring KRS-One which begans with a spoken-word introduction by KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions, rather than with instrumentation or vocals from the band. This marked a departure from the group's typical introductions, which often feature Bill Berry's drumming, Peter Buck's guitar, Mike Mills' bass, or Michael Stipe's vocals. The inclusion of KRS-One, who expanded his contribution beyond what was originally requested, is cited by members of the band as a significant factor in the track's development. Berry noted that the song, while built on a strong groove, lacked impact prior to the addition of KRS-One's performance. The song's lyrics addressed radio programming practices, specifically the repetition of formulaic content. Although the tone of the lyrics includes critique, Stipe later stated that the intent was partly humorous and self-referential. Then the massive worldwide hit "Losing My Religion" emerged from an initial idea by Buck. He experimented with a mandolin while drinking beer and watching a baseball game, recording the result on a boom box. During rehearsals, the band worked on this initial idea, with Berry initially playing bass before switching to drums. The song developed into a full band arrangement, with Buck on mandolin and electric octave guitar, Mills on bass and keyboard strings, Berry on drums and percussion, and Holsapple on acoustic guitar. The strings, arranged by Bingham and Mills, were performed by members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Soundscape Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, in October 1990.
Despite its title, the song does not reference religion in a literal sense. According to Stipe, the phrase "losing my religion" is a Southern expression meaning to be at the end of one's patience or composure. Stipe described the song as secular and categorized it as an "obsession song". The origins of the phrase were initially met with skepticism by Buck, who considered it potentially a fabrication. "Low" was characterized by a subdued and somber tone. The composition centers on Mills' organ part, described as reminiscent of a funeral parlor, which serves as the song's primary melodic and atmospheric foundation. The recording features contributions from all members of the band: Berry played congas, Buck handled guitar, and Holsapple provided the bass part. The arrangement is augmented by a bass clarinet performance from Jordan and another string arrangement conducted by Bingham. Lyrically, "Low" includes a critique of conventional love songs. Stipe expressed a longstanding aversion to love songs, describing them as "horrible and manipulative".
Near Wild Heaven" featured Mills as the primary vocalist, one of only two such instances on the album. According to Buck, the track functions as a duet between Mills and Stipe, with both contributing to the lyrics. The song exhibited a strong influence from the Beach Boys. Buck cited the release of Capitol Records' Beach Boys reissues during the Out of Time recording sessions, specifically the Smiley Smile and Wild Honey editions, as a factor in shaping the track's direction. "Endgame" was an instrumental composition characterized by orchestral textures and minimal vocal elements. Although the piece includes "la la la" vocalizations by Stipe, it does not contain lyrics. According to Buck, the track was originally conceived as "End Title Sequence," intended to evoke the feeling of a film's closing credits. Stipe described the mental imagery associated with the piece as that of Buck seated on a large stage, surrounded by classically trained musicians, with his guitar playing integrated into a broader orchestral context.
The Time side opened with "Shiny Happy People" marked R.E.M.'s first collaboration with Kate Pierson of the B-52s. The song, which featured Pierson on guest vocals, was described by Stipe as an "abortion", while Mills characterized working with Pierson as a highlight. According to Mills, although the band was familiar with Pierson and her work, they had not collaborated with her prior to this recording. Stipe also expressed admiration for her, referring to her as "probably my favorite female singer". Stipe, offered a contrasting interpretation, at one point describing "Shiny Happy People" as a sincere composition and "the happiest song" he had written. He cited its lyrical sounds, particularly the abundance of "E" vowels, as contributing to its upbeat tone. "Belong" drawed structural and stylistic influence from the earlier R.E.M. recording "Voice of Harold", a reinterpretation of "7 Chinese Bros" featuring Stipe reading gospel liner notes in place of the original lyrics. While "Voice of Harold" was conceived as a humorous outtake, "Belong" employs a similar spoken-word vocal approach in a more serious context. Stipe's vocals in the song were not recorded in a professional studio but rather on a Walkman in a garage. Unsatisfied with the clarity of the initial studio recordings, he opted for a more ambient approach. "It was too clear, it was too studio", he said during a Rockline interview. Borrowing producer Litt's Walkman, Stipe recorded his vocal part in the garage of a rental home. He described the acoustics of the three-car garage, where he noted the presence of a large tank of unidentified gas, as providing the ideal reverberation for the track. The song's arrangement prominently features background vocals by Mills and Berry.
"Half a World Away" continued the album's "bittersweet tone". The composition features a blend of organ, acoustic guitar, and mandolin, with Stipe beginning the song with the line, "This could be the saddest dusk I've ever seen." In live performances, Stipe has introduced the song by stating, "This may well be the saddest song ever written." The musical arrangement reflects influences drawn from Buck's experiences outside of R.E.M. at the time. Although the lyrics appear to express longing, Stipe has stated that the narrative of the song is entirely fictional. "Texarkana" featured a notable shift in vocal duties within R.E.M., with Mills performing lead vocals while Stipe provides background vocals. The title of the song references Texarkana, a city straddling the border between Texas and Arkansas with separate municipal governments in each state. However, the lyrics of the song make no reference to the city, and the content is unrelated to its name. According to Buck, Stipe initially began writing a song that included the name Texarkana in its working title but was unable to complete it.
"Country Feedback" was developed in a spontaneous and informal manner during early recording sessions. According to Buck, the song originated without a predetermined structure. Buck entered the studio with a four-chord progression, which he recorded while Berry played bass. Stipe's lyrical approach to "Country Feedback" involved a stream-of-consciousness technique that he described as "projectile vomiting". Buck recalled that Stipe arrived the following day and delivered the vocal part without written lyrics, using only two small drawings as reference—an Indian head and an arrow. The vocal delivery was largely improvised, and the band offered limited input or revision. The lyrics convey a sense of emotional turmoil, and Stipe characterized the song as a desperate expression focused on the end of a relationship. He referred to it as a love song told from what he described as the "uglier side." Buck, reflecting on Stipe's performance, considered the lyrics to be authentic to Stipe's mindset at the time of recording. "Me in Honey" originated from a minimal musical idea built around a single chord. According to Buck, the foundation of the song was a one-chord riff that Mills played once. Buck added a guitar line over it, and Berry contributed a drum pattern. The initial idea, which was approximately 30 seconds long, was placed at the end of a cassette containing five other tracks. Stipe then developed the lyrics by writing and revising lines on paper. Buck expressed surprise at the lyrical depth Stipe derived from a single-chord idea. Thematically, Stipe has described "Me in Honey" as a response to 10,000 Maniacs' "Eat For Two", written by his friend Natalie Merchant. He characterized the song as presenting a male perspective on pregnancy, involving conflicting emotions.
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