This is possibly my favourite R.E.M. album, although I don't like all of it. Although I'd call myself a fan, I don't think there's a single album I like all the way through.
Radio Song: pretty good, but a prominent guitar part is pretty much missing from the mix, and the guitar on the outro doesn't sound very good. Great bass
Losing My Religion: generally good, great bass again. Mike Mills backing vox almost absent. Lesser known keyboard part nicely prominent in the rears.
Low: Excellent. Fills the space nicely, and the vocals aren't too bare. Good atmosphere, and slightly brooding.
Near Wild Heaven: Excellent-. First verse and chorus retains feel of the stereo mix, some intrusive string stuff on the first half of the second verse. Mike's vocal a bit over exposed for my liking on some choruses.
Endgame: Generally excellent. Over panning to rear left channel for the sax (or whatever it is) for my liking. (Like the triangle on Stand.)
Shiny Happy People: Not so good. String intro starts of fine, but then into the main track and the track shifts jarringly more to the front, and some guitar is far too quiet. Mike's vocals too loud in the chorus. Some prominent acoustic guitar in the rears, which is nice, but where is the electric guitar?! Tambourine sits nicely in the front rather than rear left. Lacks some of what the stereo mix has. Quite dry.
Belong: Very good. Loads of reverb on Michael's spoken verses, which some might find surprising at first. More of a room filler than the slightly dry Shiny Happy People, and certainly more cohesive. Sounds like a (different) edit on the second chorus?? Part of Michael's vocal perhaps hidden more by the stereo mix sounds a bit strange on the chorus
Half a World Away: Excellent. Prominent percusion in the rears, but it is on both sides! Organ lower in the mix than the stereo, harpsichord higher. Some may miss the organ, but again this is a cohesive mix that fills the space well.
Texarkana: Okay. Generally quite good, but inconsistent quality brings it down. Peter's guitar over tamed in the verses. Mike's backing vocal very very quiet in the chorus. Fills the space well, but sounds a simpler/more sparse in the choruses. Middle eight promising, but then the strings seemed mixed too far back for some of it.
Country Feedback: Excellent. A track I've never played much, so taken far more at face value than the others. I really like the distorted guitar and the feedback in this one. The mix works for me, and fills the space it has well.
Me In Honey: Excellent. Another I've not played a huge amount, so taken at face value with no real comparison to the stereo mix. A good space filler again. Some may find Kate's vocal to be too low in the mix for their liking in places.
Again, such a short time before the intrusive menu audio leaps in, so the end of the album can't be savoured and thought about until one is ready to move on, unless you're quick with a pause button.
23 minute promotional documentary video.
A strong 7 from me. Way better than Green in terms of the 5.1 mix.
