The world might not have been collapsing around REM at the beginning of the 90s, but it was definitely changing. They'd moved beyond the distinct alt-rock that had gotten them known in the first place, they'd made two previous albums of stellar popcraft to die for (Document and Green), and it was time to try something new. So what did Out of Time have to offer? A veritable buffet of shiny songwriting gems, taken into new territory for this band. Outside the simple guitar/bass/drum alternative setup, this disc overflows with other little treats: mandolin, organ, slide guitar, strings and more vocal harmonies than they'd ever used before. "Radio Song" is a low-key groove embellished with some sweet violin and a guest spot by rapper KRS-One. (And though he chants some words, don't imagine that it's anything like the definition of 'rap' today. This is about as hardcore as vanilla pudding.) The mandolin-heavy "Losing My Religion" was an unexpected-yet-natural change from what had come before. "Me In Honey" is also sweet and remarkably bright, with Michael Stipe's heartfelt vocal delivery nicely complemented by Katie Pierson of the B-52s.

Speaking of strings, they pop up in more places than ever before: the cheesy-but-fun "Shiny Happy People" (also with Katie singing - but you knew that already), the sublimely sweet "Endgame," and the stunning ballad "Half a World Away." If there was any justice in this world, THAT track would have been the smash hit that won the band a heaping armful of Grammys. It's been my single favorite song on the album for close to ten years now, and considering how much I love every minute of sugary perfection offered here.. that's really saying something.

You may have noticed me using the word "sweet" more than is common, and.. well.. when talking about the quiet beauty of Out of Time, it's the adjective that comes to mind the most. "Near Wild Heaven" builds one simple riff into something that's positively endearing. "Belong" shows bassist Mike Mills speaking some vaguely hopeful words while a background chorus soars to the sky. He also takes a vocal turn on "Texarkana" (also with more of those beautiful strings), turning a regretful lament into one of the most driving tunes on the album. I guess it's inevitable that "Country Feedback" should seem a little out of place, since it's a sad half-dirge dropped amid a string of bright hopeful tunes. The earlier "Low" is saved from the same ill-fittingness: it's not dark so much as.. well.. just low. It's carried by a quiet organ and a vaguely disjointed batch of Stipe ramblings before a semi-harsh guitar burns things up for a brief moment.

I could take well over my allotted thousand words describing how much listening enjoyment Out of Time has given me in the past decade, but I'd only end up repeating myself. It's simply classic; not because it sold loads of copies and contained a couple singles everybody now knows by heart, but because it's a strong, solid offering that hasn't aged or dated at all since its release. It's a treasure.

On Out Of Time, R.E.M. moved into the slot of the biggest rock band in the world. The album was an unqualified success on all fronts and R.E.M. showed that they could mix up their sound, have a big commercial hit and still retain their artistic credibility. The one sound that is strongly utilized on Out Of Time is Peter Buck's mandolin. It drives many of the songs including the album's smash hit "Losing My Religion". That song became the band's most successful single ever, peaking at number 4 and the accompanying video has become an all-time classic. Despite its hit status, the song sounded nothing like any of the songs on Top 40 radio at the time and quite frankly since. They incorporate hip hop into the album's opening song "Radio Song" as Boogie Down Production's KRS-One provides his biting commentary to the song and his deep and rough voice melds perfectly with Michael Stipe's softer sound. "Half A World Away" is a beautiful song driven by a haunting harpsichord while "Low" is a deep, pulsating track. Fellow Athenian Kate Pierson from The B-52's provides vocals on two tracks. The first is "Shiny Happy People" which is just as upbeat and bouncy as the title suggests. The song was the second top ten single from the album peaking at number 10. The second is the album's closer, the much more intense "Me And Honey". The song has a driving guitar and Ms. Pierson provides a moaning background vocal. "Near Wild Heaven" is a gorgeous track with layered vocals that reminds you of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. "Belong" is a spoken word song that is built around a thumping bass line and a soaring chorus of "whoahs" being layered together. "Endgame" is a guitar rich instrumental, "Texarkana" has a lead vocal from Mike Mills and "Country Feedback" has ringing guitar work from Mr. Buck. Out Of Time also finds the band juggling instruments where drummer Bill Berry plays bass or guitar on some songs, Mr. Mills works alot on keyboards and Mr. Buck tries his hand on the skins. Out Of Time became the band's first number one album despite the fact that they did not have an extensive tour to support it. The success was based on the fact that it quite simply was a tremendous album by a band who had clearly grew into their creative peak. Out Of Time has the curious distinction of being the number one album on Billboard's first Sound Scan chart (which more accurately reflects sales) and the only album to hit number one pre and post Sound Scan eras. The 5.1 mix is excellent and the documentary is a revealing look into the recording of the album. The landmark video for "Losing My Religion" is also included.

Most "true" R.E.M. fans, who define themselves as having purchased Murmur the week it was released, trash this album with regularity. The criticism is unjustified. This is one of the three definitive R.E.M. releases (together with Life's Rich Pageant and Automatic.) Sure, it was popular and earned massive sales and airplay, but don't hold that against it.

This is a Tour De Force from start to finish. No clunkers here. "Losing My Religion" was so popular that it is easy to ignore, but has there ever been a more compelling song ever made? "Shiny Happy People" is the most misunderstood, ironic R.E.M. song. My personal favorite: the haunting "Half a World Away." This is R.E.M. at its peak.

Adhering to the still-true adage that the very best records perfectly capture a time and feeling, and can still recreate that place and moment upon each listening, "Out Of Time" succeeds as another of those REM records that returns you to the best of an era. The idea of music sounding "dated" is ridiculous to me. Music is the soundtrack to your life, and should never be so generic as to simply to fit in to any decade, year or trend. "Out of Time" stands as the testament to the public in general of what the fans had known since before "Chronic Town"; that REM was, and is, America's best band.

"Losing My Religion" is impeccably haunting. "Near Wild Heaven"'s (Brian) Wilsonian counterpoints are stunning. "Radio Song" and "Shiny Happy People" are a blast. The album tracks ("Texarkana", "Me in Honey", "Half a World Away") are consistently strong. That's 2 works of genius, 2 excellent tracks, and a strong compliment of tracks. If that's not a 5-star record, then there is no way of determining what a 5-star rock record is.

The R.E.M. fans calling this a sell-out are just nursing their sour grapes. This record is radically different from any contemporary rock records, and continues, 20 years later(!) to sound as innovative as it did the day it was released. As far as I know, the medieval-rock soundscape in this record has yet to be evoked as effectively by any other artist. This record is the opposite of a sellout. It's a shame that a small/vocal contingent of their original fan base presumes to "own" R.E.M. as well as the right to dictate to R.E.M. how they should sound. I'm convinced that most critics of mid-period REM (*Green* to *Monster*) would be hailing these records as masterpieces had another band made them. As it is, it is left to the rest of us to overwhelm this vocal minority.