In the five years after their debut (1983) REM had built quite a name on the alternative circuit, and with the single The One I Love (from ) even scored a modest hit. Green, their sixth album, released in 1988, was the band's first attempt to make a real pop album. Of course with a cool post-modern wink. For example, the ironically titled opener Popsong is in fact an indictment of everyday gossip
… ('should we talk about the weather / should we talk about the government?'). In contrast, Get Up, Orange Crush and especially Stand (for REM standards) are uncomplicated sing-alongs. For that reason the band members have afterwards spoken sparingly about Green. Undeservedly, because as often happens with unpretentious pop records, Green, unlike some of the more ambitious albums of the band, has lost little of its charm. Restrained songs like World Leader Pretend and Hairshirt also provide nice resting points. At the time, the album mainly offered the band a perfect repertoire to perform live. The Dutch audience also experienced this when the band closed Pinkpop that year. (MS)more
