Wikipedia

Green(R.E.M. album)

Greenis the sixthstudio albumby AmericanrockbandR.E.M.,released in the United States on November 8, 1988, byWarner Bros. Recordsand the following day in the UK and Europe. The second album to be produced by the band andScott Litt,it continued to explore political issues both in its lyrics and packaging. The band experimented on the album, writing major-key rock songs and incorporating new instruments into their sound including themandolin,as well as switching their original instruments on other songs.

Green
A golden yellow background with dark green impressions of leaves on it and the words "GREEN" and "R.E.M." written on top in black
Studio albumby
R.E.M.
ReleasedNovember 8, 1988(1988-11-08)
RecordedMay–September 1988
Studio
GenreExperimental rock[1]
Length41:01
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
R.E.M.chronology
Eponymous
(1988) 		Green
(1988) 		Pop Screen
(1990)
SinglesfromGreen
  1. "Orange Crush"
    Released: December 1988
  2. "Stand"
    Released: January 1989
  3. "Pop Song 89"
    Released: May 1989
  4. "Get Up"
    Released: September 1989
Greenpromo cover
A crimson cover with rough-hewn texture that has "GREEN" and "R.E.M." debossed on it in black
Promotional copies ofGreencame in a cloth case with adebossedcover. The dark colors and texture were meant to go with the album's message of environmentalism.

Upon its release,Greenwas a critical and commercial success. To promoteGreen,the band embarked on an11-month world tourand released four singles from the album: "Orange Crush","Stand","Pop Song 89",and"Get Up".

Background and recording

edit

With the release ofDocumentin 1987, R.E.M. fulfilled its contract withI.R.S. Records.Frustrated that its records did not see satisfactory overseas distribution, in early 1988 the band told I.R.S. head Jay Boberg that it was leaving the label.[2]GuitaristPeter Buckalso explained that his group felt it was being pressured to sell well by I.R.S., yet felt I.R.S.'s distributorMCA Recordsdid not consider the ensemble a priority.[3]R.E.M.'s management then approached any record companies that expressed interest in the band.[4]Though other labels offered more money, R.E.M. ultimately signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records—reportedly between $6 million and $12 million—due to the company's assurance of total creative freedom.[5]In light of its move to a major label, the band became defensive in interviews against accusations from some fans who claimed it wasselling out.[6]

R.E.M. began the album process by recording demos at Robbie Collins' Underground Sound Recording Studio in Athens, Georgia in March 1988.Bill Berry,Peter Buck andMike Millsrecorded the basic tracks in two configurations: (1) drums, guitar, and bass, and (2) percussion, mandolin, and accordion. The demos were mixed by Robbie Collins, Buren Fowler (guitar tech for Peter Buck and later member ofDrivin N Cryin), and David LaBruyere (later bassist for Vic Varney, Michelle Malone, and John Mayer) and presented to R.E.M. management. Two songs were recorded at the 1st of 2 sessions: “Song 1” (I Remember California) & “Song 2” (Eleventh Untitled Song). In April 1988 the band recorded more demos at John Keane Studios, also in Athens; some of these demos, including "Title," "Great Big," "Larry Graham" and "The Last R.E.M. Song," have never been commercially released. The demo "Larry Graham" was named forSly and the Family StonebassistLarry Graham,who was famous for his slap-bass style. "Larry Graham" has many similarities musically withOut of Timeopener "Radio Song."Title" was an older song which had been performed often on the Work Tour, but when demoed, was only recorded as an instrumental.

Just one month after signing with Warner Bros., the band recorded the basic tracks forGreenatArdent Studios' Studio A in Memphis, Tennessee from May 24 through July 5, 1988, with Scott Litt producing. Recording and mixing resumed later that month atBearsville Studiosin Bearsville, New York. Two new songs were recorded in Bearsville, one which became "Turn You Inside-Out" and one unreleased song. "Untitled" or "The Eleventh Untitled Song" was recorded under the working title of "Carnival" and even after the songs were mixed, still had the "Carnival" working title as late as 6 September 1988 before the band decided it wasn't to have a name on final release. "The Wrong Child" was recorded and mixed under the working title "Mozart." The Bearsville sessions continued until September 3, 1988 — barely two months beforeGreen's release.

Music

edit
GuitaristPeter Buckinterviewed in December 1988, shortly after the release ofGreen

Greenmarks the departure of thejangle popandcollege rockstyling of the band's previous albums.[7]In a 1988 interview, Peter Buck describedGreenas an album that didn't feature any typical R.E.M. songs. Describing the band's standard output as "Minor key, mid-tempo, enigmatic, semi-folk-rock-balladish things", the guitarist noted that forGreen,"We wrote major key rock songs and switched instruments."[8]Singer Michael Stipe had reportedly told his bandmates to "not write any more R.E.M.-type songs". Bassist Mike Mills argued thatGreenwas anexperimentalrecord, resulting in an album that was "haphazard, a little scattershot". Band biographer David Buckley wrote, "[S]onically,Greenis all over the place, the result being a fascinatingly eclectic album rather than a unified artistic move forward ".[1]In aRTÉreview of the 25th anniversary edition of the album, R.E.M. stated the album was full of "big dumbbubblegum popsongs. "[7]

Greenwas envisioned as an album where one side would feature electric songs and the other, acoustic material, with the plan failing to come to fruition due to a lack of acoustic songs deemed fit for release. David Buckley highlighted three main musical strands onGreen:"ironic pop songs" like "Stand" and "Pop Song 89", harder-hitting tracks such as "Orange Crush" and "Turn You Inside-Out", and "pastoral acoustic numbers" that had Peter Buck playingmandolin,with track 11 singled out as an anomaly. Buck had become fond of playing acoustic music with his friends in that period, and thus purchased an "oddly-shaped Italian mandolin-cum-lyre" in 1987; he would play the instrument on three of the tracks onGreen.From this period onward, R.E.M. would swap instruments among members, and onGreenthe group also incorporatedaccordion,cello,andlap steel guitar.[9]

Artwork and packaging

edit

The cover art was painted by New York City minimalist line painter Jon McCafferty. Promotional copies of the album were housed in a mauve, cloth-coveredDigipack,with the title and artist debossed and a number "4" embossed over both of the "R" s. The color and texture are made to imitatetree bark.

The original pressings of the album and cassette tape covers had the number 4spot varnishedover the R in both "Green" and "R.E.M." In return, "R. Stand" appears instead of "4. Stand" on the track list on the back cover. Allegedly, this was a product of an early typing mistake: due to "4" being a number very close to "R" on the keyboard, "Green" was once misspelled "G4een", and the mistake was adopted this way. The album was the first by the band to feature printed lyrics, although only the lyrics to "World Leader Pretend" appeared.

Greenis the first R.E.M. album to also be released in a special edition version, though it was only released as a promotional CD. R.E.M. would go on to create a special edition version of each subsequent album they released, with the exception of their final studio album, 2011'sCollapse into Now.

Release and reception

edit
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Chicago Tribune[11]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[12]
Los Angeles Times[13]
NME9/10[14]
Pitchfork8.4/10[15]
Q[16]
Rolling Stone[17]
Uncut9/10[18]
The Village VoiceB+[19]

Greenwas released on November 7, 1988, in the United Kingdom, and the following day in the United States. R.E.M. chose the American release date to coincide with the1988 presidential election,and used its increased profile during the period to criticizeRepublicancandidateGeorge H. W. Bushwhile praisingDemocraticcandidateMichael Dukakis.[20]With warm critical reaction and the conversion of many new fans,Greenultimately went double-platinum in the US, reaching number 12, and peaked at number 27 in the UK. "Orange Crush" became R.E.M.'s first American number one single on both theMainstreamandModern Rock Trackscharts. It was the band's first gold album in the UK, making it the quartet's European breakthrough. "What I love about it is the immensely unlikely lyrics," remarkedNeil Hannon,frontman ofThe Divine Comedy,"and, in the mandolin on 'You Are The Everything' and 'The Wrong Child', it's got a bit ofwhat comes laterbut in a much purer way. It's so small and intense, it's amazing. "[21]Village VoicecriticRobert Christgaupraised the first half of the album, calling it "rousing, funny, serious, elegiac" while panning the second half for "dubious poetry and heavy tempos."[19]

Some advance promo cassettes of the album, dating from September 1988, contained alternate mixes of "World Leader Pretend" (with different intro), "Turn You Inside-Out" (with different ending), and the untitled eleventh track (different drum mix). All of these mixes are otherwise unreleased.

The band would tour extensively in support of the album throughout 1989, before beginning work on 1991'sOut of Time.Greenhas gone on to sell four million copies worldwide.[22]

R.E.M. supported the album with its biggest and most visually developed tour to date, featuring back-projections andart filmsplaying on the stage.[23]The tour was much larger in scope than the "Work" tour that supported the previous album. This was especially true in venues outside of the United States due to Warner Bros. Records' ability to market the band overseas. On the final night of the 11-month trek to supportGreen,at the Fox Theater, in Atlanta, Georgia, the band performed their first full-length album,Murmur,in order, from start to finish, followed byGreen,in order, from start to finish. The night was concluded by an encore set performed by Microwave & the Melons—the road crew led by guitar tech Mark "Microwave" Mytrowitz. It marked the only live performance of "The Wrong Child," and one of the few live performances of "Hairshirt." After theGreentour, the band members unofficially decided to take the following year off, the first extended break in the group's career.[24]

Some songs fromGreen—such as "Pop Song 89" and "Orange Crush" —had appeared occasionally on the "Work" tour in 1987. Though the lyrics were embryonic, the melodies and arrangements were similar to those that appeared on the finished record. Similarly, the band began playing versions of "Low" and "Belong" in the later part of the Green Tour, both of which would appear on their next albumOut of Time.

Portions of the tour would be filmed for the band's first live video albumTourfilm.

The album was remastered in 2013 for its 25th anniversary, adding the bonus live albumLive in Greensboro 1989byRhino Records;was released on May 14.[25]Additionally, the EPLive in Greensboro EPwas released on April 20 as a promotion forRecord Store Day.

Nirvanasinger and guitaristKurt Cobainlisted it in his top 50 albums of all time.[26]In 1989,Soundsranked the album at number 62 in its list of "The Top 80 Albums from the '80s."[citation needed]In 1993,The Timesranked the album at number 70 in their list of "The 100 Best Albums of All Time."[27]In 2013,NMEranked it at number 274 in its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[citation needed]

Track listing

edit

All songs written byBill Berry,Peter Buck,Mike Mills,andMichael Stipe.

Side one – "Air side"

  1. "Pop Song 89"– 3:04
  2. "Get Up"– 2:39
  3. "You Are the Everything" – 3:41
  4. "Stand"– 3:10
  5. "World Leader Pretend" – 4:17
  6. "The Wrong Child" – 3:36

Side two – "Metal side"

  1. "Orange Crush"– 3:51
  2. "Turn You Inside-Out"– 4:16
  3. "Hairshirt" – 3:55
  4. "I Remember California" – 4:59
  5. "Untitled" – 3:10

Notes

  • Track 4 ( "Stand" ) is listed on the album as track "R".
  • Track 11, unlisted on the back cover and unnamed on the disc, is copyrighted under the title "11".[28]It is listed on the digital download version of the 25th anniversary edition as simply "Untitled". An extended instrumental version released as a B-side on certain editions of "Stand" is titled "(The Eleventh Untitled Song)"

Personnel

edit

R.E.M.

Additional musicians

Production

  • Bill Berry –production
  • Peter Buck – production
  • Thom Cadley –engineering(Bearsville)
  • Jem Cohen– photography
  • George Cowan – engineering (Bearsville)
  • Jay Healy – engineering
  • Tom Laune – engineering (Ardent)
  • Scott Litt– production, engineering
  • Bob Ludwig–mastering,at Masterdisk,New York City,New York, United States
  • Jon McCafferty – packaging and photography
  • Mike Mills – production
  • Frank Olinsky and Manhattan Design – packaging
  • Michael Stipe – production, packaging, and photography
  • Michael Tighe – photography

Chart positions

edit

Singles

edit
Year Song Chart Position
1988 "Orange Crush" BillboardModern Rock Tracks 1[36]
BillboardMainstream Rock Tracks 1[36]
"Pop Song 89" BillboardModern Rock Tracks 16[36]
"Stand" BillboardMainstream Rock Tracks 1[36]
BillboardModern Rock Tracks 1[36]
1989 "Pop Song 89" BillboardMainstream Rock Tracks 14[36]
BillboardHot 100 86[36]
"Stand" 6[36]
"Turn You Inside-Out" BillboardMainstream Rock Tracks 7[36]
BillboardModern Rock Tracks 10[36]
"Stand" UK Singles Chart 51[37]
"Orange Crush" 28[37]
"Stand" (re-release) 48[37]

Certifications

edit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[38] 2× Platinum 200,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[39] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[40] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[42] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

edit

In 2005, Warner Bros. Records issued an expanded two-disc edition ofGreenwhich includes a CD, aDVD-Audiodisc containing a5.1-channel surround sound mix byElliot Scheiner,lyrics, and the original CD booklet with expanded liner notes.

Green

Region Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom November 7, 1988 Warner Bros. vinyl LP WX 234
Compact Disc 7599-25795-2
United States November 8, 1988 Warner Bros. LP 1-25795
Compact Disc 2-25795
cassette tape 4-25795
Canada November 8, 1988 Warner Music Canada LP 1-25795
Compact Disc 2-25795
cassette tape 4-25795
Germany November 11, 1988 Warner Music Germany Compact Disc 7599-25795-2
Japan December 10, 1988 Warner Music Japan Compact Disc 25P2-2389
Argentina 1988 Warner Bros. LP WEA 80127
Brazil 1988 Warner Bros. LP 6708035
Greece 1988 Warner Bros. LP 925795-1
Israel 1988 Warner Bros. LP BAN 925773-1
Mexico 1988 Warner Bros. LP LXWB-6813
Peru 1988 Warner Bros. cassette tape cn-wbr-0257945-4
South Africa 1988 Warner Bros./Tusk LP WBC 1654
Compact Disc WBCD 1654
Australia 1995 Warner Bros. Compact Disc 9257952
United States 2005 Warner Bros. Compact Disc/DVD-AudioDualDisc 73948
United States May 14, 2013 Warner Bros. Compact Disc 8122796570††

Note

  • †† 25th anniversary edition, with bonus disc

Box sets

Region Date Label Format Catalog Notes
Australia 1995 Warner Bros. Compact Discbox set 9362460742 Packaged withOut of Time
Argentina 1998 Warner Bros. Compact Disc box set 9362 47180-2 Packaged withNew Adventures in Hi-Fi,entitled "Doble Dosis"
France 1998 WEA Compact Disc box set WE 872 Packaged withNew Adventures in Hi-Fi

References

edit
  1. ^abBuckley, p. 179
  2. ^Buckley, pp. 173–174
  3. ^Buckley, p. 176
  4. ^Buckley, p. 175
  5. ^Buckley, p. 177. Here, Jay Boberg claimed that R.E.M.'s deal with Warner Bros. was for $22 million, which Peter Buck disputed as "definitely wrong".
  6. ^Buckley, p. 178
  7. ^abCorr, Alan (June 2, 2013)."Review: R.E.M. Green 25th anniversary edition".RTÉ.RetrievedMay 29,2023.
  8. ^Halbersberg, Elianne (November 30, 1988). "Peter Buck of R.E.M.".East Coast Rocker.
  9. ^Buckley, pp. 179–180
  10. ^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas."Green– R.E.M. "AllMusic.RetrievedAugust 31,2015.
  11. ^Kot, Greg(March 24, 1991)."Traveling Through The Years With R.E.M."Chicago Tribune.RetrievedNovember 2,2015.
  12. ^Browne, David(March 22, 1991)."An R.E.M. discography".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon December 10, 2021.RetrievedAugust 30,2015.
  13. ^Boehm, Mike(November 6, 1988)."R.E.M. Falters, Doesn't Fall".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedNovember 2,2015.
  14. ^O'Hagan, Sean(November 12, 1988). "All American Aliens".NME.p. 39.
  15. ^Deusner, Stephen M.(May 14, 2013)."R.E.M.:Green:25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition ".Pitchfork.RetrievedAugust 31,2015.
  16. ^Gill, Andy (December 1988)."Positive".Q.No. 27. p. 135. Archived fromthe originalon April 21, 2001.RetrievedAugust 6,2022.
  17. ^Azerrad, Michael(January 12, 1989)."The greening of R.E.M."Rolling Stone.No. 543. pp.63–64.RetrievedAugust 31,2015.
  18. ^Scoppa, Bud (May 23, 2013)."R.E.M –Green25th Anniversary Edition ".Uncut.Archived fromthe originalon November 18, 2015.RetrievedJuly 24,2013.
  19. ^abChristgau, Robert(December 27, 1988)."Christgau's Consumer Guide".The Village Voice.RetrievedJanuary 19,2012.
  20. ^Black, pp. 155–156
  21. ^Thornton, Anthony(November 1998). "Neil Hannon's Record Collection".Q.No. 146. p. 67.
  22. ^Fletcher, p. 296
  23. ^Buckley, p. 184
  24. ^Buckley, p. 198
  25. ^"R.E.M. Celebrates 25th Anniversary ofGreen".USA Today.Gannett Company.2013-03-06.Retrieved2013-03-06.
  26. ^"Top 50 by Nirvana [MIXTAPE]".Archived fromthe originalon 18 October 2014.Retrieved8 May2013.
  27. ^http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/times100.ht[dead link‍]
  28. ^11 (Legal Title).BMI Repertoire. Retrieved on July 2, 2011.
  29. ^"Australiancharts.com – R.E.M. – Green".Hung Medien. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  30. ^"Charts.nz – R.E.M. – Green".Hung Medien. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  31. ^"R.E.M. | Artist | Official Charts".UK Albums Chart.Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  32. ^"R.E.M. Chart History (Billboard200) ".Billboard.Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  33. ^"Ultratop.be – R.E.M. – Green"(in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  34. ^"Top Selling Albums of 1989".Recorded Music NZ.RetrievedFebruary 16,2022.
  35. ^"Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1989".Billboard.Archived fromthe originalon January 24, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 16,2022.
  36. ^abcdefghijR.E.M. – Green: Charts and Awards — Billboard Singles.Allmusic.Retrieved on September 3, 2011.
  37. ^abcBuckley, pp. 357–358
  38. ^"Canadian album certifications – R.E.M. – Green".Music Canada.RetrievedJanuary 31,2020.
  39. ^"New Zealand album certifications – R.E.M. – Green".Recorded Music NZ.Retrieved2024-11-20.
  40. ^Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005).Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002(PDF)(in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 958.ISBN84-8048-639-2.RetrievedJanuary 31,2020.
  41. ^"British album certifications – R.E.M. – Green".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedJanuary 31,2020.
  42. ^"American album certifications – R.E.M. – Green".Recording Industry Association of America.RetrievedJanuary 31,2020.

Works cited

  • Black, Johnny.Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.Backbeat, 2004.ISBN0-87930-776-5
  • Buckley, David.R.E.M.: Fiction: An Alternative Biography.Virgin, 2002.ISBN1-85227-927-3
  • Fletcher, Tony.Remarks Remade: The Story of R.E.M.Omnibus, 2002.ISBN0-7119-9113-8.
  • Platt, John (editor).The R.E.M. Companion: Two Decades of Commentary.Schirmer, 1998.ISBN0-02-864935-4
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Green_(R.E.M._album)&oldid=1273317374"