but it’s primarily because of “Orange Crush” and it being the first R. E. M. album I purchased on CD (because of, again, “Orange Crush,” which I was addicted as hell to around 1999 or so)

That being said, I don’t quite think R. E. M. have a truly wonderful 3 album run, I could pick 1982-84 if Chronic Town counts, or 1983-85, or 1984-86, 1988-92, anywhere in there. Document and Monster would be getting in the way of any great runs in there, and Reckoning, while very good, isn’t an album I ever considered “masterful.”

Document has my all time favorite song on it, and it came out the year R. E. M. were crowned America’s Hippest Rock Band by Rolling Stone…but its best songs should’ve been combined with Green’s, for sure. It goes to crap after “The One I Love.”