Which might be a good thing, too, considering the band’s massive worldwide popularity that grew from a small cult following made up mostly of fans in college. And that cult following caught on with the release of the band’s full-length debut album Murmur.

The 12 songs on this album have often been regarded as the band’s best collective effort (I think 1991’s Automatic for the People is the band’s real masterpiece), and with good reason. With fresh Byrds-like guitar plucking on songs like Radio Free Europe and 9-9 courtesy of Peter Buck and accomplished pop-song crafting all around, R.E.M. defined themselves as the premiere alternative rock act in the country back when alternative actually described something.

What really makes the album fun to listen to 15 years after its release is trying to decipher and interpret lead singer Michael Stipe’s often incomprehensible lyrics. Cowered in a hole, opie mouth/We in step, in hand, your mother remembers this, (huh?) he sings on Catapult.

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But for those who are pensively listening as Stipe says, I can hear you from Sitting Still, the meaning of the music and the message of the lyrics are clear.

Murmur displays some of pop/rock at its solemn and subtle best, and catches an immensely popular act as it laid the foundation for future radio staples such as Man On the Moon, The One I Love etc.