Around the Sun

Around the Sun is the thirteenth studio album by the American band R.E.M., released in 2004. "The Outsiders" features a guest appearance by rapper Q-Tip, recalling a similar appearance by KRS-One on "Radio Song" from their 1991 album Out of Time. When performed live, Michael Stipe carries out the rap, as he does on a later b-side release of the song. "Final Straw" is a politically-charged song, reminiscent in tone of "World Leader Pretend" on Gre... more

Around the Sun is the thirteenth studio album by the American band R.E.M., released in 2004. "The Outsiders" features a guest appearance by rapper Q-Tip, recalling a similar appearance by KRS-One on "Radio Song" from their 1991 album Out of Time. When performed live, Michael Stipe carries out the rap, as he does on a later b-side release of the song. "Final Straw" is a politically-charged song, reminiscent in tone of "World Leader Pretend" on Green (though Stipe has often mentioned the latter's very personal lyrical themes of "using military terms to describe a battle within.") The version on the album is a remix of the original version, which was made available as a free download on March 25, 2003 from the band's website. The song was written as a protest of the American government's actions in the Iraq War. Around the Sun is also the first R.E.M. album to contain a title track. Around the Sun generally received lukewarm reviews, and despite hitting #1 in the UK, it became their... less