Out of time

"Out of Time received rapturous reviews upon release, but doesn't often seems to get mentioned as anyone's favourite R.E.M. record. There's any number of reasons why that might be: its eclecticism, for starters: it's not an inconsistent listen, but it's difficult to characterise ... It is inevitably overshadowed by the following year's monumental Automatic for the People".

Read review

"If anything, the album now sounds more like the masterpiece it felt just short of at the time, a work nearly on par with its more universally regarded, nocturnal sequel Automatic for the People. Warner Brothers' anniversary reissue gives the album the usual deluxe treatment, with a second disc of demos mostly of interest for the glimpse they provide into the band's process ... Much more worthwhile is a third disc included on pricier versions of the reissue: a live, Unplugged-esque performance for a West Virginia public radio broadcast".

Read review

"I 1991 [blev R.E.M.] et verdenskendt band, som med "Out of Time" i den grad udvidede sit udtryk. Man gik - groft sagt - fra at være et alternativt rockband til at blive altomfattende med "Radio Song" som et oplagt eksempel. I det nummer rumsterer The Byrds, Buffalo Springfi-eld, funkbas, strygere, blæsere og ikke mindst rapmusik i skikkelse af KRS-One. Alle mulige blev inviteret inden for hos de fire bandmedlemmer, der kastede sig over forskellige instrumenter, og som med producer Scott Litt som en vigtig skikkelse i stor udstrækning formåede at konvertere eksperimenterne til iørefaldende musik ... Det næste album, "Automatic for the People" (1992) (...) betragtes som R.E.M.'s mesterstykke. Men bandet var aldrig nået dertil uden den mentale og kunstneriske renselsesproces på "Out of Time"".

Read review