Accelerate is still an excellent record..

I would rank their post Berry output as follows:

-Accelerate
-Up

-Collapse into now

-Reveal
-Around the Sun

Collapse Into Now and Accelerate are probably my two favorite REM albums. There is tons of good stuff to choose from though. The chronic town albums and New Adventures in Hi-Fi are great too.

Been listening to both Collapse Into Now and Accelerate recently. I'd give the edge to Accelerate.

Accelerate is certainly the more consistent record. There isn't really a bad song on it, and collapse does have a few mediocre moments.

I've only listened to Accelerate once. But I thought it was pretty mediocre.

I LOVE Collapse.

Yeah I only listened to Accelerate a few times and I feel the same way.

Same here. I found "Accelerate" timely and reinvigorating; I thought "Collapse" sounded a little like REM on life support. There were some fine songs on it but in a lot of ways I think it's their least interesting record.

All I know is, if someone wanted to upload a high quality version of the "In Time: The Best of REM" bonus disc, I would download it right now.

Dropbox is a wonderful thing. Check your email, Kevin.

You're a king, Pete.

That's fair--it is certainly the most derivative of the records. And there are a bunch of mediocre songs on there.

But the middle stretch of that record is really strong

Uberlin, Oh my Heart, It Happened today, Mine Smell Like Honey and Alligator/Aviator... are all kind of derivative but they are excellent late period versions of classic REM sounds. And Every Day Is Yours to Win and Walk it Back are both pretty fresh

i want this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/REM-new-adventu ... 4d08f1d4e5

Not until "Around the Sun" is wiped from existence.
I feel that one is the only black mark on an otherwise exemplary career.

I need to go back and give more serious listens to the post-Up output.

My 2000's rankings would be as follows....

Accelerate
Collapse
Reveal
.
.
.
.
ATS

collapse
accelerate
<death valley>
reveal
<mariana trench>
around the sun

I used to have one, but without the box.

Accelerate is definitley at the top by a wide margin. It is the only one of these records I'd rank amongst their very best work.

Reveal and Collapse are close. There are probably more songs I like on Collapse, but Reveal is probably a better listen as an album from start to finish

I still like around the sun, and with a few exceptions most of the songs on there were pretty good and took on a new life in a live setting (high speed train in particular) but there is something so frequently lifeless about the album versions of too many songs.

Reading this just brought back the memory that the first time I listened to Around the Sun I cried. I was so sad that I didn't like it and realized that I might be growing away from my first "favorite band". It was like losing a dear friend. I still think its my least favorite REM album.

Reading this made me seek out one of the last really fond memories I have of r.e.m

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLgeLR4boGs

I still Love them,but this was the last time they, you know, really fucking moved me.

I adore the studio version too, but this rendition slays me.

Wow, what an intense reaction. I didn't have quite the same thing, but at least they rebounded with two fantastic records to close their career.