Considering I left home for college in 1988, perhaps I was too young to appreciate R.E.M.'s really hip days, such as when "Fables of the Reconstruction" came out in 1985.

I was never the guy who dressed up in the funny Benny and Joon hat, who fancied himself the lost, thoughtful drama student, the Andrew McCarthy of a generation. However, I like quality music, quality writing, worthy art.

It's not so much that I like it, it's that I appreciate it. I liked Fergie's "London Bridge" two years ago. I liked that funny guy on YouTube (Tay Zonday) who sang "Chocolate Rain."

But I appreciate R.E.M. -- and in the group's new CD, "Accelerate", I really appreciate that they haven't forgotten how to rock like a college band.

A lot of times when I stay over at Toad and Joey's, I watch videos on the OU channel in my room. Yes, I have a room. LOL. I think it's something put together by MTV U, but all I know is that it's on super late at night.

It's a shame I can never really remember what I watch on it because the music is really good. Alas, R.E.M.'s latest effort is a musical essay on just how good the indie music scene was back in the day because it sounds like vintage R.E.M.

Personally, I think "Accelerate" is the early favorite for Album of the Year, high praise from a listener who doesn't fancy himself a fan of Michael Stipe and his bandmates.

However, listening to "Accelerate," I realized just what I fan I actually am by thinking back to earlier work. "The One I Love," "It's The End of the World As We Know It," "Man On The Moon" and "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" are four of my favorite songs of the past 25 years.

"Accelerate," is certainly more edgy than the band's most successful pop hits like "Losing My Religion." More guitar. More gruff. More like what the band did in the early 1990s, but less artsy than their 1980s work.

Unfortunately, the best of this CD is in its first three songs, by a mile. Not that the rest of the disc is bad, just that the first three songs -- "Living Well Is The Best Revenge," "Man-Sized Wreath" and "Supernatural Superserious" -- are super strong.

The latter of that trio is the song of the entire album.

Tracks like "Hollow Man," and "Mr. Richards" could grow on me rather quickly, but the true beauty of this CD is that it serves as a reminder to up-and-coming bands, the college bands of the day, if you will, that there is beauty in the album as a singular piece of work.

A collection of terrific songs that can stand alone as brilliant is fine, and that's what the current generation of pop and rock artists strive toward. On the other hand, a well-done album is by itself better and more artistically pleasing than the sum of its parts.

And to that end, I have to say R.E.M. hit a homer with this one.

The test to my hypothesis is whether or not one can feel satisfied just listening to the CD's tracks all shuffled up. I can't. I want to hear Track 1, followed by Track 2 and so on. Musically, there is progression there. There is order.

And to THAT end, "Accelerate" serves as a reminder that R.E.M. is not only one of the rockingest bands of a generation, it's also one of the most artistically savvy.

But another note about the band: They are one of the only bands to allow users to embed YouTube videos from their channel. It's crazy that more bands don't let Webizens do this, but -- again -- shows how progressive these cats are.

Here's "Supernatural Superserious," and remember that I told you: Expect R.E.M. to be a big part of the 2009 Grammy Awards.