Lost on the shelves: R.E.M – Accelerate (2008)

I kept buying R.E.M albums long after I cared about them. Accelerate falls into this period. I probably listened to it 5 times. Eight years have passed and as I listen to it tonight I can’t recall a single song (I have listened to it 3 times tonight – makeing up for lost time).

Today I was listening to Alec Baldwin’s Here’s The Thing and Michael Stipe was on.  Stipe mentioned one of the songs he is most proud of is “Supernatural Superserious” from Accelerate.   Not surprisingly I had no recollection of the song.

The song reflects on teenage angst and innocence. What seemed so important back then is forgotten. But if you ran into you today you would be touched by the beauty.

This

Inexperience, sweet, delirious.

Supernatural, superserious.

Inexperience, sweet, delirious.

Supernatural, superserious,

Wow.

Wow indeed. What a great song I missed.

 
The whole album is pretty good in hindsight. This was their 14th studio album and their second to last. It was not one of their masterpieces, but for a band as great as R.E.M. even their end of the day material stands up and exceeds the norm. They had not lost their sense of adventure and most importantly they rocked. This was one great pop band. Accelerate alternates between punk and Jethro Tull like folk rock. But through it all – as always – it unmistakably R.E.M. I wonder how many more gems are lost on my shelves?