If someone REALLY likes R.E.M., that person loves "Fables..." The other "fans" are just mainstream zombies that like "Monster" or "Out of Time" because they were hits (these are really really great albums, 5 stars too, but not nearly their best). The true R.E.M. spirit is showed completely on "Fables...". If you like smart lyrics, eerie sounds that gives you goosebumps and a feeling of being lost (they were missing home when they recorded it in London) - tell the critics to "GO TO HELL" and buy this album now, run to your stereo, turn off the lights, put on the 1st track and wait for the first guitar lines of "Feeling Gravity Pulls" to hit your spine! BANG! You're hypnotized and there's no return - you're a true REM fan and their songs will be the soundtrack of the rest of your life. Standout tracks? "Auctioneer", "Feeling Gravity Pulls" and "Maps and Legends". (Oh! And don't forget to buy "Murmur" and the new CD "Up")