Monster changed my life. It came out right in the middle of high school, and it opened my ears and eyes to exactly what music could sound like. The thick, fuzzy guitar styling of Peter Buck opened me up to so much music that I never thought I’d listen to before, giving me bands like Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, and, weirdly Motorhead. It’s also the REM record you are most likely to find in the dollar bin at a used CD store.
So, for the 25th Anniversary of the album, the record’s original producer decided to do something unexpected and remix the entire album, pulling back Buck’s monsterous guitars, and bringing Stipe’s vocals to the forefront. For the first time, every lyric to “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” is easily discernible. My adolescent brain is screaming with the excitement of learning what Stipe was singing about.
For comparison, here’s the original video:
The expanded, deluxe edition of this record comes out November 1st, complete with the original album remastered, as well as the remix in a two record set, or a CD box set with outtakes, b-sides, a blu-ray of different mixes, and a full live set from the legendary Monster tour. Ask anyone born between 1977-1981 about how life changing that tour was.
