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| Accelerate (digipack) | 
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| List Price: £11.99
Buy New: £5.43
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 51 reviews)
Sales Rank: 28
Category: Music
Artist: Rem
Publisher: Wea
Studio: Wea
Manufacturer: Wea
Label: Wea
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 418620
UPC: 093624988588
EAN: 0093624988588
ASIN: B0013BNY2Q
Release Date: March 31, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Living Well Is The Best Revenge | | • | Man Sized Wreath | | • | Supernatural Superserious | | • | Hollow Man | | • | Houston | | • | Accelerate | | • | Until The Day Is Done | | • | Mr Richards | | • | Sing For The Submarine | | • | Horse To Water | | • | I'm Gonna DJ |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
At this stage in a band's career a Mojo front cover would seem more likely than actually getting their old mojo back. And at 14 albums young, REM's longevity had been taken as a byword for pale compliance--in spite of a melodic obedience, last album Around the Sun lacked the emotional vigour of their key works and was presumed by many to be no more than a footnote in their decline. Here then is where they break all the rules. Accelerate is exceptionally loyal to its title and marks a hefty return to their Document-era heyday, when their Byrdsian post-punk was beefed up to suit the arenas they were then beginning to fill. There's even a new "end of the world" song to back up that assertion--the excitable Stooges/B52s love-in "I'm Gonna DJ" ("Death is pretty final/I'm collecting vinyl/I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world!"). Michael Stipe's voice splinters scattered emotional punctuation, Mike Mills is as ever REM's secret weapon, drilling out bass-lines like rapid CPR and achieving more with a single backing vocal than many lead singers manage over a whole album, while Peter Buck deals out memorable guitar twists a-go-go evoking amongst others The Who, The Small Faces and Neil Young. To summon a cliche, this really does sound like a band--and a band half their age at that--playing live in a room, packed full of all the fire and nuances needed to feel at home in a club or the stadiums they now more regularly inhabit. --James Berry
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| Customer Reviews: Read 46 more reviews...
 The old REM are back! May 2, 2008
After a change of style over the last few years, REM have come back with a real corker. I am really enjoying this album and it grows on me each time I play it. A fabulous first track 'Living well is the best revenge', I just love the lyrics, it really gets the album off to a flying start. You ideally need to sit in a quiet room to recover once the album has finished. Brilliant!
Solid Effort April 30, 2008
I've recently bought a number of albums based largely on hype and lead singles - Foals, Wombats, Vampire Weekend, Guillemots - and been sadly disappointed by them all. Just as I was about to give up hope and dig out some of last years favourites such as Ian Brown and The Maccabees I went for one last throw of the dice by buying this on a whim, despite never being a big fan.
Blown away I wasn't but I was pleasantly surprised and wanted to hear more. After repeat listenings I now rate this very highly.
It gets off to a thumping start with 4 quality songs, including the brilliant single Supernatural Superserious.
I found that the three slower tracks were the definetely the weakest on the album (Houston, Sing For The Submarine and Until The Day Is Done - this reminded me of a Take That song!!).
Thankfully the end of the album follows a similar mould to the start including the bouncy "Mr Richards" and the thunderous last track "I'm Gonna DJ.
All in all not perfect - a bit short and a couple of weak tracks - but a very enjoyable listen that will get many repeat listenings..
 Decelerate - A more apt title methinks April 26, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I made the mistake of rushing out and buying this album on the day of release (as I used to with all R.E.M. albums). Turned out not to be such a smart move.
When Monster was released in 1994, it received a pummelling from the press and it seems that fans thought similarly, as sales were, to say the least, disappointing, certainly in the eyes of Warner Brothers, their record company who had just shelled out a record-breaking $80 million for the band's signatures on a new contract.
Now 14 years later, we get Monster part 2. Recorded way too loud with the sound ludicrously compressed. What on earth happened to the subtlety that was once R.E.M? Even Around the Sun, with all its faults, had a few high points. Peter Buck's guitar now just runs riot over most of the songs. To be fair, it is not without its merits, but after 4 years, these 11 tracks are all they can come up with? The R.E.M. I like to remember brought a certain elegance to their songs and often with an acoustic sensitivity. That has all but disappeared. I'm certain that I will be criticised for not 'moving on' with the band. Maybe, but they're not the band I used to love. I will be approaching their next release with a lot more caution.
Quality not quantity... April 24, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is R.E.M. And this is their fourteenth studio album. It has been a highly - anticipated release, indeed. And just by listening to the album's opener, `Living Well is the Best Revenge', you know that you're going to be giving your ears a treat.
This is very much a raw, stripped-down sound, very quick and very to the point. Stipe, Buck and Mills don't want to hang around and at 34 minutes and 32 seconds, you might be forgiven for thinking that it's not value for money. But nobody said that twenty years ago when you got albums circa the 30 minute mark. What you get here are eleven brilliant songs. What would you prefer - an average R.E.M. album which lasts 50 minutes - or a fantastic album which lasts 35 minutes?
I think I'll take the latter offering please.
And it sounds good. The opening three tracks are as good as anything R.E.M. have done. `Man-Sized Wreath' and first single, `Supernatural Superserious' are first class- I can easily say that it eclipses `Around the Sun' ten times over.
The following tracks could all be considered for release: Living Well is the Best Revenge, Man-Sized Wreath, Supernatural Superserious, Hollow Man, Accelerate, Mr. Richards, Horse to Water, I'm Gonna DJ.
That's eight out of the eleven tracks.
This is as good as anything they have ever done. And if you love R.E.M., like myself, then buy it. For goodness' sake, you need this album. I figured that. Ignore the fact that you could copy this twice over on a blank disc.
It's quality not quantity sometimes. And with this album, it couldn't be truer.
So here are the individual ratings (out of 10):
Living Well is the Best Revenge: 9.5/10
Man-sized Wreath: 9.5/10
Supernatural Superserious: 9.5/10
Hollow Man: 9/10
Houston: 8.5/10
Accelerate: 9/10
Until the Day is Done: 9.5/10
Mr. Richards: 8.5/10
Sing For the Submarine: 9/10
Horse to Water: 9.5/10
I'm Gonna DJ: 9/10
The only fuss here is how bloody good the album is. Highly recommended and most certainly one of the runners for album of 2008.
Believe it.
Good points: Cohesive, sharp, tight musicianship, Stipe's uncanny lyrics, the rather surprising aggression throughout. I like the raw, stripped-down sound. If this is the `new direction', then I look forward to what's next!
Bad points: It's a bit too short. Another ten minutes would have done, spread over about three more songs. Thirty-five minutes is a bit short. But that's all. All songs are of a brilliant standard.
Go buy it!
REM are back. April 21, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I must say I was surprised by this album. To say that the last couple of REM albums were disappointing would be an understatement. So I was relieved by this album (which I only bought out of long-term loyalty). It is the first album of theirs that I've really enjoyed since "Hi Fi". And better than that it is a ROCK album. The record is short, punchy, and very addictive. And as others will note there is both a return to form, and a welcome revisiting of some of their hey-day material. A new hey-day? Let's hope so!
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