portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Friday, September 28, 2018

Now we're talking! A great album and angry guitar sounding angst is key! 
This man is a poet and truly creative talent   . . . . . the band are as tight as a gnats chuff too!


On this day in music history: September 27, 1994 - “Monster”, the ninth album by R.E.M. is released. Produced by Scott Litt and R. E.M., it is recorded at Kingsway Studios in New Orleans, LA, Crossover Soundstage in Atlanta, GA, Criteria Studios in Miami, FL, Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, CA from April - May 1994. Marking a dramatic shift away from the quieter tone of the bands two previous albums, “Monster” features more loud, aggressive guitar driven material. The band experiences numerous set backs during the recording sessions, with drummer Bill Berry and bassist Mike Mills becoming ill on different occasions, bringing a halt to recording. Once recording starts again in Miami, sessions are stopped once again when lead singer Michael Stipe has to have emergency dental surgery. These events put the band way behind schedule in completing the album, leading to tensions that nearly cause R.E.M. to break up. The first single “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” (#21 Pop, #1 Modern Rock, #2 Mainstream Rock), whose title is inspired by an incident in which CBS news anchor Dan Rather is victim of an unprovoked attack by two mentally disturbed men shouting the phrase at him. The album spins off three more singles including “Bang And Blame” (#19 Pop, #1 Modern Rock, #3 Mainstream Rock) and “Crush With Eyeliner” (#33 Modern Rock, #20 Mainstream Rock). “Monster” spends two weeks at number one on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 4x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

thanks to Jeff Harris' blog

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