[Jahn]

Just asking because the iTunes previews show to be bad fidelity, bah. I like 2-3 songs just from those snippets tho, so i'd get the CD if it's better fidelity!

 

[ralphp@optonline]

Hi Jahn,

I can't believe that you would even think to use an iTunes preview as basic for the fidelity of any given recording is quite shocking.

But all kidding aside, I picked up the CD while in Italy over the weekend and when I got back to Den Haag earlier this evening the first thing I did was pop it into the computer, rip it to flac and I have been listening to "Accelerate" ever since. I'm on my third time through and I'm really liking it. I've been listening to it through my Headroom Desktop amp and my Ultrasone PROline 2500's and it sounds very carefully crafted and well recorded. It's definitely a good R.E.M. record but only time will tell if it's a classic R.E.M. record.

 

[TKO]

That is definitely not the verdict on Steve Hoffman's Music Forum where the CD was universally panned for very bad sound quality...

Cheers.

 

[Dhw]

I just got "Accelerate" today - it seems to be another victim of the loudness wars (especially when I flipped between a 256 kb/s track I ripped from an earlier R.E.M. album and a track from the newest).

That being said, after tanking up on coffee, the first track made me want to kick a hole in the wall - in a good way.

 

[gorman]

Definitely victim of loudness wars. The content is good, the container... not so much, really.

It's sad to see a good, powerful band, fall victim of stupid stuff like this.

 

[Pangaea]

I agree, I think it sounds very harsh. Especially with good HPs. Its great music but better enjoyed in the car than on a high end analytical set up.

 

[Dave1]

Thin and badly recorded. I thought at first that they were going for a different sound, but after listening for a while I think that it is just disappointing.

 

[sno1man]

I agree that it's not well recorded, just loud and compressed.

Which is doubly bad because this their best album in years, at least since monster. It has a feel similar to Green which is my favorite REM album.

Living well is the best revenge, the title track and man sized wreath are my favorites so far.

If you can get past the sound the music is really strong

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

I agree with everyone above. I bought it with high hopes. And though the songs themselves are good, the recording is crap and I really can't listen to it. Sad.

A_Sr.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

yeah, i just bought the dvd-a of Automatic for the People which sounds stunning, and then I heard Accelerate...ugh!

 

[nor_spoon]

Heard the album for the first time yesterday. Made me wanna throw the phones off my head, even with the senns. Disappointing.

 

[Heyyoudvd]

During loud segments it does sound like it's been hurt by the loudness war but during softer segments (for example, the intro and verses in Hollow Man), I find it sounds quite good.

Of course, considering the fact that most of the album is fairly loud, the overall sound quality isn't very good. I've heard plenty of much worse sounding albums (ie. it's definitely not on the same level as something like RHCP's Californication or Muse's Black Holes & Revelations) but it's still not a very good sounding album throughout most of it.


Also, I don't think the album is very good musically, either. It seems like a very 'safe' album to me. It doesn't have any overtly bad songs but it doesn't have any overtly good songs either. It's consistently decent from beginning to end but never great. And it's extremely forgettable.

 

[CJ Scudworth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heyyoudvd /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, I don't think the album is very good musically, either. It seems like a very 'safe' album to me. It doesn't have any overtly bad songs but it doesn't have any overtly good songs either. It's consistently decent from beginning to end but never great. And it's extremely forgettable.

I had a similar reaction to the one song I've heard from it, which I saw REM perform on "The Colbert Report." I guess I'd call myself a "casual fan" of REM, and my reaction to the latest song (I guess it's probably the first single from the album?) was basically "yep, that's an REM song."

 

[ElephantTLK]

This album is really bad sounding album. When i started to listening my reaction was: What??? Really bad sound.

 

[Beyerfan70]

Yeah this album is excellent,but the cd really sounds awful when its played on good equipment
It sounds much better on a dap rather than at home with top headphones
And that's a great shame because it's the best album from them in years but as stated already its better listening to it out or in the car
Really they should not have released it like this