Document
The first record with Scott Litt, and the one that turned a cult band into a hit act.
R.E.M., 1987
- Released
- August 31, 1987
- Recorded
- March to May 1987
- Studio
- Sound Emporium, Nashville
- Label
- I.R.S.
- Producer
- Scott Litt and R.E.M.
- Length
- 39:30
Document was the first R.E.M. album produced by Scott Litt, made at Sound Emporium in Nashville in the spring of 1987. The band widened its instrumentation, with Buck on dulcimer on King of Birds and a saxophone from Steve Berlin on Fireplace. The sleeve carried the phrase File under Fire, which Stipe considered the central lyrical theme, and the two sides were labelled Page side and Leaf side.
It reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200, No. 28 in Britain and No. 13 in Canada, and went Platinum in the United States and Canada. The One I Love hit No. 9 on the Hot 100. Rolling Stone's David Fricke gave it five stars and called it their finest to date, and Uncut gave it 9 out of 10. NME ranks it fifth among the band's albums and says it was so nearly R.E.M.'s finest hour.
Track listing
- Finest Worksong3:48
- Welcome to the Occupation2:46
- Exhuming McCarthy3:19
- Disturbance at the Heron House3:31
- Strange2:31
- It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)4:06
- The One I Love3:17
- Fireplace3:22
- Lightnin' Hopkins3:20
- King of Birds4:09
- Oddfellows Local 1515:21
Personnel
- Michael Stipe vocals
- Peter Buck guitar, dulcimer
- Mike Mills bass, vocals
- Bill Berry drums, vocals
- Steve Berlin horns, saxophone on Fireplace
- Carl Marsh Fairlight CMI
- Scott Litt and R.E.M. producers
- Bob Ludwig mastering
More from R.E.M.
Murmur (1983), Reckoning (1984), Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), Lifes Rich Pageant (1986), Green (1988), Out of Time (1991), Automatic for the People (1992), Monster (1994)
Sources
- Document (album), Wikipedia
- Every R.E.M. album ranked, NME