Document | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 31, 1987 | |||
Recorded | March–May 1987 | |||
Studio | Sound Emporium, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:51 | |||
Label | I.R.S. | |||
Producer |
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R.E.M. chronology | ||||
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Singles from Document | ||||
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Document is the fifth studio album by American rock band R.E.M., released on August 31, 1987, [3] by I.R.S. Records. It was the first album by the band to be produced by Scott Litt.
Continuing in the vein of their previous album Lifes Rich Pageant , Document features more audible lyrics and a harder rock sound in comparison to the band's earlier releases. The album became R.E.M.'s greatest success at the time, giving the band their first top 10 hit ("The One I Love") and album, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200. [4]
Document was R.E.M.'s first album to be co-produced both by the band and Scott Litt; this was a collaboration that continued through the productions of Green , Out of Time , Automatic for the People , Monster , and New Adventures in Hi-Fi . The album's clear production and muscular rock riffs both helped to move the band toward mainstream success and built on the work done by Don Gehman, who had produced their previous album Lifes Rich Pageant . This release not only launched "The One I Love" — R.E.M.'s first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 9 — but also gave them their first platinum album.
"Strange" was originally recorded by post-punk band Wire on their debut album Pink Flag .
R.E.M. expanded their instrumentation somewhat on the album, adding a dulcimer to "King of Birds" and a saxophone to "Fireplace". [5] Steve Berlin was brought in to add his saxophone skills because of a prior relationship with producer Scott Litt. [6] This experimentation would lead to their adoption of the mandolin, which featured prominently on their subsequent albums Green and Out of Time; furthermore, the band's musicians began swapping instruments both in concert and the studio with an effort to create new sounds and avoid stagnation. [7]
The original sleeve for the album featured the message "File under Fire", a reference to what Michael Stipe considered to be the central lyrical theme of the album, and also references the chorus to "The One I Love". [8] A similar message ("File under water") could be found on the cover of the band's second album, Reckoning , as well as on the compilation album Eponymous ("File under grain") referring to the idea behind "Talk About the Passion", which was about hunger. [9] Two rejected suggestions for the title of the album—R.E.M. No. 5 and Table of Content—also appear on the sleeve artwork. [10] Other possible album titles included Mr. Evil Breakfast, Skin Up with R.E.M., and Last Train to Disneyland (the last one having been suggested by Peter Buck, who felt that America under the presidency of Ronald Reagan was beginning to feel a lot like the famed amusement park). [11]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
Chicago Tribune | [13] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A [14] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [15] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [16] |
Los Angeles Times | [17] |
Pitchfork | 8.2/10 [18] |
Q | [19] |
Rolling Stone | [20] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [21] |
Uncut | 9/10 [22] |
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice , Robert Christgau said the band had moved on from their past work's escapism and that "their discovery of the outside world has sharpened their sense of humor along with everything else", citing "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" as an "inspirational title". [23] Rolling Stone reviewer David Fricke felt that the album was R.E.M.'s "finest to date", and said that "Document is the sound of R.E.M. on the move". [20]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that "where Lifes Rich Pageant sounded a bit like a party record, Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made all the more indelible by its righteous anger." [12] Rolling Stone went on to include the album in their list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s (in 41st place), and then ranked it number 462 on 2012 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. [24] In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at number 17 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s". [25]
In 1999, the album was remastered by Bob Ludwig and re-released on Compact Disc by I.R.S. Records in the United States. This version came in a replica of the record sleeve made of cardboard. In 2005, Capitol Records (whose then parent company EMI at that time owned I.R.S. Records' catalog) issued an expanded DualDisc edition of Document which includes a digitally remastered version of the album on the CD side, a DVD-Audio, DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound mix of the album done by Elliot Scheiner on the DVD side, and the original CD booklet.[ citation needed ]
All songs were written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, except where noted.
Side one – "Page side"
Side two – "Leaf side"
1993 I.R.S. Vintage Years reissue bonus tracks
Note
25th anniversary bonus disc, recorded live at Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht, Netherlands, September 14, 1987
R.E.M.
| Additional musicians
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Production
Year | Chart | Peak position | Weeks on chart |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Billboard 200 | 10 [4] | 33 [26] |
1987 | UK Albums Chart | 28 | 5 [27] |
1987 | Australia (Kent Music Report) | 47 | 9 [28] |
Year | Song | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 16 [26] |
1987 | "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" | Billboard Hot 100 | 69 [26] |
1987 | "The One I Love" | Billboard Hot 100 | 9 [26] |
1988 | "The One I Love" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 [26] |
1988 | "Finest Worksong" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 28 [26] |
1988 | "Finest Worksong" | UK Singles Chart | 50 [27] |
1988 | "The One I Love" | UK Singles Chart | 51 [27] |
1991 | "The One I Love" | UK Singles Chart | 16 [27] |
1991 | "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" | UK Singles Chart | 39 [27] |
Organization | Level | Date |
---|---|---|
RIAA – US | Gold | November 2, 1987 [29] |
RIAA – US | Platinum | January 25, 1988 [29] |
BPI – UK | Gold | July 22, 2013 [30] |
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | September 1, 1987 | I.R.S. | vinyl LP | IRS-42059 |
Compact Disc | IRSD-42059 | |||
cassette tape | IRSC-42059 | |||
United Kingdom | September 14, 1987 | I.R.S. | LP | IRLD 19144/MIRG1025 |
Australia | 1987 | I.R.S. | LP | 460105 1 |
Brazil | 1987 | Epic | LP | 231111 |
Greece | 1987 | I.R.S./CBS | LP | ILP-460105 1 |
Japan | 1987 | I.R.S. | LP | 28AP-3382 |
The Netherlands | 1987 | I.R.S. | LP | ILP-460105 1 |
Zimbabwe | 1988 | CBS | LP | ASF-3174 |
Worldwide | 1990 | MCA | Compact Disc | 42059 |
I.R.S. | cassette tape | IRSC-42059 | ||
Worldwide | 1992 | Universal | Compact Disc | 19144 |
The Netherlands | May 11, 1993 | I.R.S. | Compact Disc | 7 13200 2 6† |
Brazil | 1993 | EMI | Compact Disc | 7 13200-2 |
Worldwide | 1993 | EMI | Compact Disc | 1508 |
United Kingdom | September 1, 1997 | I.R.S. | LP | 0777/CTMCD 337† |
Worldwide | 1997 | EMI | Compact Disc | 337 |
Worldwide | 1998 | Capitol | Compact Disc | 93480 |
Worldwide | 1999 | Capitol | Compact Disc | 21276 |
United States | 1999 | I.R.S. | LP | 724349946613-4 |
Compact Disc | 72435-21276-2-7‡ | |||
Europe | 1999 | EMI | Compact Disc | 13200† |
United States | 2000 | EMI | LP | 499466 |
United States | 2003 | Capitol | DVD-Audio | 90149• |
United States | 2005 | Capitol | DualDisc | 99398• |
United States | 2008 | Capitol | LP | 220591 |
United States | September 25, 2012 | Capitol / EMI | Compact Disc | 5099997200628†† |
Notes
Murmur is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on April 12, 1983, by I.R.S. Records. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its unusual sound, defined by lead singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bass guitarist Mike Mills's melodic basslines.
Automatic for the People is the eighth studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released by Warner Bros. Records on October 5, 1992, in the United Kingdom and Europe, and on the following day in the United States. R.E.M. began production on the album while their previous album, Out of Time (1991), was still ascending top albums charts and achieving global success. Aided by string arrangements from John Paul Jones and conducted by George Hanson, Automatic for the People features ruminations on mortality, loss, mourning, and nostalgia.
Monster is the ninth studio album by American rock band R.E.M., released on September 27, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by the band and Scott Litt and recorded at four studios. The album was an intentional shift from the style of their previous two albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), by introducing loud, distorted guitar tones and simple lyrics.
Chronic Town is the debut EP by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on August 24, 1982, on I.R.S. Records. Containing five tracks, the EP was recorded at the Drive-In Studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in October 1981, eighteen months after the formation of the band. Its co-producer was Mitch Easter, who produced the band's "Radio Free Europe" single earlier in 1981.
Reckoning is the second studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on April 9, 1984, by I.R.S. Records. Produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, the album was recorded at Reflection Sound Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, over 16 days in December 1983 and January 1984. Dixon and Easter intended to capture the sound of R.E.M.'s live performances, and used binaural recording on several tracks. Lead singer Michael Stipe dealt with darker subject matter in his lyrics, with water-related imagery being a recurring theme on the album.
Fables of the Reconstruction is the third studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released on June 10, 1985 through I.R.S. Records. It was the band's first album recorded outside of the U.S., with sessions taking place at Livingston Studios in London with producer Joe Boyd. The record displays a darker, murkier sound and lyrics drawing from Southern Gothic themes and characters. Additionally, more varied instrumentation is utilized, including string and brass arrangements and banjo.
Lifes Rich Pageant is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on July 28, 1986. R.E.M. chose Don Gehman to produce the album, which was recorded at John Mellencamp's Belmont Mall Studio in Belmont, Indiana. This was the only album the band recorded with Gehman, who moved them from the more obscure and dense sound of their earlier albums to an accessible, hard rock-influenced quality. The album was well-received critically.
Dead Letter Office is a rarities and B-sides collection by R.E.M., released in April 1987. The album is essentially a collection of many additional recordings R.E.M. made from before Murmur to Lifes Rich Pageant that were outtakes or released as B-sides to their singles internationally. Many of the tracks are favorite cover versions indicating the band's disparate influences and musical tastes, including three Velvet Underground covers, and songs by Aerosmith, Roger Miller, and fellow Athenians Pylon ("Crazy").
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was their fifth major-label release for Warner Bros. Records, released on September 9, 1996, in Europe and Australia, and the following day in the United States. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was the last album recorded with founding member Bill Berry, original manager Jefferson Holt, and long-time producer Scott Litt. The members of R.E.M. consider the recorded album representative of the band at their peak, and fans generally regard it as the band's last great record before a perceived artistic decline during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It has sold around seven million units, growing in cult status years after its release, with several retrospectives ranking it among the top of the band's recorded catalogue.
Eponymous is the first greatest hits album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1988. It was their last authorized release on I.R.S. Records, to whom they had been contracted since 1982, having just signed with Warner Bros. Records.
The Best of R.E.M. is a greatest hits album by R.E.M. released in 1991, shortly after the success of the band's seventh studio album, Out of Time, released by Warner Bros. The Best of R.E.M., however, was released by the band's previous record label, I.R.S. Records, and only includes tracks from their first five albums while the group was with that label. As such, it covers their output from 1982 to 1987.
R.E.M. In the Attic – Alternative Recordings 1985–1989 was the fourth R.E.M. compilation released by I.R.S. Records. EMI-Capitol, which acquired the entire I.R.S. Records catalogue upon the label's failure in 1996, released In the Attic in 1997 without the permission of R.E.M. The album failed to chart in the UK, and only reached #185 in the U.S. in its sole week on the chart. Most of the songs had appeared on the European reissues of the band's IRS albums, but this was their first official release in the US. There are two exceptions; these are "Gardening at Night", which was on Eponymous, and "Cant Get There From Here" which was on Singles Collected, both compilations having been released in the U.S.. Although they were also I.R.S. Years bonus tracks, "Crazy" and "Toys in the Attic" had also appeared on the band's b-sides compilation album Dead Letter Office.
"Finest Worksong" is the third and final single released from R.E.M.'s fifth studio album Document. It peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1988, at the time the group's highest-charting single in the UK.
R.E.M. Singles Collected is a compilation album from R.E.M. released in Europe by I.R.S. Records in 1994. The album includes the A-side and B-sides of singles spanning from their debut LP Murmur in 1983, right through to Document in 1987.
And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987 is a compilation album by American band R.E.M. It features songs from the band's years at I.R.S. Records. All tracks have been remastered, and the set was released 12 September 2006. A companion DVD, titled When the Light Is Mine, was released the same day.
Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 is a 2011 greatest hits album from alternative rock band R.E.M. Intended as a coda on their career, this is the first compilation album that features both their early work on independent record label I.R.S. Records in addition to their 10 studio releases through Warner Bros. Records. The double-disc retrospective was released through Warner Bros. on November 11, 2011, and was compiled by the band members; the existence of the compilation was revealed simultaneously with the group's announcement that they were disbanding on September 21, 2011.
Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions is a 2014 live album from alternative rock band R.E.M., released initially on vinyl recordings through Rhino Records for Record Store Day, and later made available on compact disc and digitally. The album is composed of two performances that the band made on the U.S. television show MTV Unplugged. Among the album's 33 tracks are 11 performances which were not aired on either broadcast. To promote the album, Mike Mills signed copies at independent record store Bull Moose in Scarborough, Maine. Video of the concerts was released later that year on REMTV.
Complete Rarities: I.R.S. 1982–1987 is a 2014 compilation album featuring songs released by alternative rock band R.E.M. during their time on I.R.S. Records. In addition to the band's I.R.S. material, this album also features the tracks from the band's first single, which was released in July 1981 on the Hib-Tone label.
Green is the sixth studio album by American rock band R.E.M., released on November 7, 1988, by Warner Bros. Records. The second album to be produced by the band and Scott Litt, it continued to explore political issues both in its lyrics and packaging. The band experimented on the album, writing major-key rock songs and incorporating new instruments into their sound including the mandolin, as well as switching their original instruments on other songs.
R.E.M. at the BBC is a 2018 live album box set by American alternative rock band R.E.M. released on October 19, 2018. The eight-disc compilation features sessions recorded between 1984 and 2008, including a bonus DVD of videos. Additionally, a two-disc best-of collection was released on the same day.