{$R.E.M.} began to move toward mainstream record production on {^Lifes Rich Pageant}, but they didn't have a commercial breakthrough until the following year's {^Document}. Ironically, {^Document} is a stranger, more varied album than its predecessor, but co-producer {$Scott Litt} -- who would go on to produce every {$R.E.M.} album in the following decade -- is a better conduit for the band than {$Don Gehman}, giving the group a clean sound without sacrificing their enigmatic tendencies. {&"Finest Worksong,"} the stream-of-conscious rant {&"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),"} and the surprise Top Ten single {&"The One I Love"} all crackle with muscular rhythms and guitar riffs, but the real surprise is how political the mid-tempo {\jangle pop} of {&"Welcome to the Occupation,"} {&"Disturbance at the Heron House,"} and {&"King of Birds"} is. Where {^Lifes Rich Pageant} sounded a bit like a party record, {^Document} is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made all the more indelible by its righteous anger. In other words, it's not only a commercial breakthrough, but a creative breakthrough as well, offering evidence of {$R.E.M.}'s growing depth and maturity, and helping usher in the P.C. era in the process. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide