Re: R.e.m.
I may be in the minority here, but I think by far their best material is on their first 4 albums. I like the next 3 or 4 OK, but after that I lost interest. I really liked the ambiguous nature of most of the earliest material. You could never understand Stipe's vocals (he was rumored to occasionally ask concert-goers what they thought the lyrics were, and then sing their versions). The first two records were sort of like a gothic (that's gothic, not Goth) version of the Byrds. Chimey guitars, but usually in minor keys, and when you could understand the lyrics, you couldn't really understand them.
I highly, highly, highly recommend the remastered "deluxe" editions of Murmur and Reckoning. Try to listen to them with fresh ears, imagining you're hearing this weird, dark-but-jangling music for the first time. It's impressive. Don't listen for a lot of pop hooks like they became known for with songs like "Man on the Moon," "Shiny Happy People," "Stand" and "Losing My Religion," because for the most part they aren't there. There are hooks, to be sure, but not of that kind.
Then, when you think you've got them pegged, try the third album, Fables of the Reconstruction (or Reconstruction of the Fables, depending on how you read the jacket and who's discography you reference), where they adopt a much, much harder edge and really assault you with the guitars.
Then, IMO, they blend the best attributes of all three of those records in Life's Rich Pagaent, my own personal favorite REM album. It contains what I still maintain is the best song they've ever created (and the one that Stipe said for years was his favorite), "Fall On Me."
Unfortunately, IRS (their original label) is taking their own sweet time with the remasters. Only the first two are done now, and Fables is due out this year, with Pagaent not following until next year sometime.
