R.E.M. - Automatic For the People (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This album is a bit too paced and musically heavy handed for me. It's an interesting sound and when it works it works very well, but on too many of the songs the heavy strings, strong keyboards, and strumming guitar is all a bit much. Songs like "Drive" stand out because they are able to pull off this orchestral sound, but still keep a sense of life and melody structured around Michael Stipe's voice.