# What's the best song off of "Monster"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358 "2010-09-28T15:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/1 "2010-09-28T15:37:15Z")
A lot of people hate this one, and I used to be one of them, but it’s grown on me, especially after hearing some of the songs live. A solid album, IMO. I voted for “Tongue”, though I imagine “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” will take this one. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/2 "2010-09-28T16:03:46Z")
I voted for “You”, but I also very much like, well, almost every track on this thing (“What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” is a touch overplayed, but only a touch), which is a very different opinion than the one I had upon this album’s release (and for many years after). **Automatic for the People, _Part Deux_** this most certainly isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/3 "2010-09-28T16:06:21Z")
Darnit, for a second I thought someone had started a Steppenwolf poll! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/4 "2010-09-28T16:08:35Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Darnit, for a second I thought someone had started a Steppenwolf poll! 😃 Really. I was going to vote for “Power Play”. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/5 "2010-09-28T17:53:44Z")
Man, I hate this album, but Kenneth was a catchy song. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/6 "2010-09-29T01:16:20Z")
I voted for _Crush with Eyeliner_, great tune, but most of all for lines: _She’s a sad tomato She’s three miles of bad road._ This album was a disappointment when it came out, but I’m going to take it out and see if it’s aged well. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/7 "2010-09-29T01:21:00Z")
Yet another album I know I have…somewhere…that isn’t in my iTunes. So it’s been awhile since I’ve listened to it. I voted for “Strange Currencies”, which I recall enjoying. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Kerrman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/45deac/32.png) [@Joe\_Kerrman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Kerrman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/8 "2010-09-29T01:24:15Z")
I had this CD sitting in my rack for years untouched. I found in the samples bin at a publication I worked for. I pulled it out a few years ago and was sorry I didn’t play it sooner. Monster is one of my favorites. It’s in very heavy rotation for my daily commute. I voted for Crush with Eyeliner, and second **Blank Slate’s** comment about the “sad tomato” lyric. > [@](#): > > I voted for Crush with Eyeliner, great tune, but most of all for lines: > > She’s a sad tomato > She’s three miles of bad road. > > This album was a disappointment when it came out, but I’m going to take it out and see if it’s aged well. But I love the sound of that song, too. One of my favorite REM songs. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/9 "2010-09-29T01:43:04Z")
Just the guitar sound in Frequency should have won a grammy. I never knew REM had that in them. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/10 "2010-09-29T02:17:10Z")
There are no good songs on “Monster.” The only REM album I despise unreservedly. BTW, **Kyla** I own a copy of “Monster” that’s a bootleg I bought in Bulgaria. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/11 "2010-09-29T02:52:34Z")
Certainly their weakest album up to that point. I liked the sound but the songs just weren’t as good as their previous stuff. I went for I Don’t Sleep I Dream, one of the only two songs I really like (Bang and Blame being the other). Eyeliner, Frequency, Let Me In (mainly for being a Kurt Cobain memorial), King of Comedy, and Star 69 are OK. But in comparison to their next four albums it looks like a work of genius. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/12 "2010-09-29T03:27:28Z")
Really? Because I still think that **New Adventures in Hi-Fi** is the last great album that R.E.M. recorded. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/13 "2010-09-29T03:34:36Z")
Bang and Blame. It’s one of my favorite R.E.M. songs of all. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/14 "2010-09-29T03:49:42Z")
> [@MTCicero](#): > > Really? Because I still think that **New Adventures in Hi-Fi** is the last great album that R.E.M. recorded. I agree completely. I think if had to order them, _New Adventures in Hi-Fi_ would rank in the top four or five. After that one, I won’t even vote in these polls. I gave the albums a chance, but it just wasn’t working for me. To the OP, I hope when the individual album polls are done you’ll make one polling the best REM record. ---
**Author:** ![Molotok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-monster/555358/15 "2010-09-29T05:14:59Z")
I was going to vote, until I realsed I could only vote for ONE, which I simply couldn’t do. I like What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?, Crush, Let Me In, Strange Currencies, Bang… and Circus Envy. Great album, IMO.