Out of Time

The worldwide breakthrough: No. 1 in the United States and Britain, with Losing My Religion at its center.
R.E.M., 1991

Released: March 12, 1991
Recorded: mid-1990
Studio: Bearsville Studios, John Keane Studios (Athens) and Soundscape (Atlanta)
Label: Warner Bros.
Producer: Scott Litt and R.E.M.
Length: 44:08

Out of Time was recorded in mid-1990 at Bearsville, in John Keane's studio in Athens and at Soundscape in Atlanta. KRS-One raps on Radio Song, Kate Pierson sings on the record, and Mark Bingham arranged the strings and horns. It went to No. 1 in the United States and Britain and sold about 18 million copies worldwide. It won three Grammys in 1992. The band did not tour it.

Mills sings lead on Near Wild Heaven. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune called the album R.E.M.'s most consistent effort since Reckoning, and David Cavanagh of Select called it their finest to date. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly was less convinced and felt it never matched the vibrancy of the band's earlier work.

Track listing

Radio Song4:15
Losing My Religion4:28
Low4:55
Near Wild Heaven3:17
Endgame3:48
Shiny Happy People3:44
Belong4:03
Half a World Away3:26
Texarkana3:36
Country Feedback4:07
Me in Honey4:06

Personnel

Michael Stipe vocals; bass melodica and arrangements on Endgame
Peter Buck electric guitar, acoustic guitar; mandolin on Losing My Religion and Half a World Away
Mike Mills bass, vocals, organ, piano, harpsichord, keyboard strings
Bill Berry drums, percussion; bass on Half a World Away and Country Feedback
Peter Holsapple guitars, bass
Kidd Jordan saxophones, bass clarinet
KRS-One rapping on Radio Song
John Keane pedal steel on Texarkana and Country Feedback
Kate Pierson vocals
Scott Litt and R.E.M. producers

More from R.E.M.

Murmur (1983), Reckoning (1984), Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), Lifes Rich Pageant (1986), Document (1987), Green (1988), Automatic for the People (1992), Monster (1994)

Sources

Out of Time (album), Wikipedia
R.E.M., Wikipedia