Up (R.E.M. album)

Up is the eleventh studio album by American rock band R.E.M. It was released on October 26, 1998, through Warner Bros. Records. The album was the band's first without drummer and founding member Bill Berry, who retired from the band in October 1997. In his place, R.E.M. used session drummers such as Joey Waronker and Barrett Martin while also utilizing drum machines. The album was produced by Pat McCarthy, making it R.E.M.'s first album since Lifes Rich Pageant (1986) not to be produced by Scott Litt.

The songs on Up display a much larger electronic music influence than previous R.E.M. material, with extensive use of keyboards and drum programming. Among the ideas Stipe set out to explore lyrically were what he described as the "religious-spiritual versus science-technology-modern-age", in addition to an "automatic, unconscious" style. The making of the album was tumultuous, with the band later admitting to coming close to breaking up during the process.

While Up was commercially successful, reaching the top 3 in both the US and UK, its sales fell short of R.E.M.'s previous albums. Four singles were released from the album: "Daysleeper", "Lotus", "At My Most Beautiful" and "Suspicion". Both "Daysleeper" and "At My Most Beautiful" were top 10 hits in the UK, while the former reached the top of the US Adult Alternative Songs chart. Critical reception has been positive, with many considering it to be a transitional record for the band and praising its integration of electronic elements. The band toured throughout 1999 in Europe and the US in promotion of the album. In 2023, Up was reissued with bonus material for the 25th anniversary of its release.

Background

thumb|left|alt=Bill Berry performing with R.E.M. in the 2000s.|Up was R.E.M.'s first album without drummer [[Bill Berry.]]

In 1995, R.E.M. embarked on a tour for their ninth studio album Monster (1994), their first since the Green (1988) tour. While the tour was critically and commercially successful, the band was marred by health problems, including an aneurysm suffered by Berry at a show in Lausanne, Switzerland. After receiving emergency surgery, Berry made a full recovery, although the band had to cancel the rest of their spring tour. In the spring, the band parted ways with longtime manager Jefferson Holt due to allegations of sexual harassment. In September 1996, the band released New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which had been partially recorded live and during soundchecks from the Monster tour. The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number two in the US and number one in the UK. The band produced around 20 backing tracks at this time, and after these sessions they considered working with Litt once again. In Litt's place was producer Pat McCarthy, who had previously worked with R.E.M. as an engineer and had also worked with acts including U2 and Counting Crows. Despite a fast start, progress was quickly halted by Stipe's writer's block. He also sought an "automatic, unconscious" style inspired by Patti Smith. He felt the song would effectively introduce "the new R.E.M.", while also stating that "if [the listener] can get on board with this song starting the record, then you can get on board with everything else." Its music has been compared to the work of Brian Eno, while Stipe's vocals have been likened to Thom Yorke. Despite not participating in the writing of the song, singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen was given a writing credit for "Hope" due to its perceived similarities to Cohen's song "Suzanne". The writing of the song was spurred by Stipe coming up with the lyric "I found a way to make you smile" while sitting in traffic. who has also cited the song as having his favorite of Mills' basslines. Stipe was inspired to write the song after seeing a "daysleeper" sign in a New York apartment building. Tim Peacock of uDiscover Music cites "Diminished" and "Parakeet" as examples of the album's use of experimental instrumentation, with the former including "embellishments of vibes and tabla" and the latter utilizing "Pet Sounds-era organs." Additionally, "Diminished" includes a short hidden track entitled "I'm Not Over You". "Falls to Climb", the album's closing track, features a vocal performance by Stipe which has earned comparisons to Radiohead's "How to Disappear Completely", released on their album Kid A two years after the release of Up. It peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it their lowest-charting lead single since "Fall on Me" in 1986. However, it was more successful on the Adult Alternative Songs chart, where it stayed at the top for two weeks. "Lotus", the album's second single, was less successful, peaking at number 4 on the US Adult Alternative Songs chart and number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. Despite debuting at number three on the US Billboard 200 and selling 117,000 copies in its first week of release, its sales dropped in the following weeks. The album would be certified Gold by the RIAA on January 22, 1999, becoming their first studio album since Lifes Rich Pageant to not receive a Platinum certification. However, Up saw more success in Europe, with it topping the charts in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Norway and placing at number two in the UK, Ireland, and Sweden. This reissue included a second disc with the band's February 1999 live performance for the sitcom Party of Five alongside a DVD with music videos and other material.

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2score =

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3score = A−

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4score =

| rev5 = Los Angeles Times

| rev5score =

| rev6 = NME

| rev6score = 7/10

| rev7 = Pitchfork

| rev7score = 6.1/10 <br />6.9/10

| rev8 = Q

| rev8score =

| rev9 = Rolling Stone

| rev9score =

| rev10 = Spin

| rev10score = 8/10

Upon release, Up received generally positive reviews from critics. Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Mike Boehm found the album to be an improvement from New Adventures in Hi-Fi, praising its "resourceful and cohesive soundscape" and its "passionate take on end-of-the-century malaise".

The album's 25th anniversary reissue sparked renewed attention in the album and further positive reviews.

Although R.E.M. initially intended not to tour for the album, after many successful promotional concerts upon the album's release, the band quickly arranged a four-month arena tour of Europe and America during the summer of 1999. As of March 2007, Up has sold 664,000 units in the U.S.

Accolades

In 1999, Nude as the News ranked the album at number 74 in its list of "The 100 Most Compelling Albums of the Decade". That same year, Australian magazine Juice ranked it at number 38 in its list of the "100 Greatest Albums of the '90s". In 2005, journalist Jude Rogers included the album in The Words list "Hidden Treasure: Great Underrated Albums of Our Time", whose inductions were chosen by celebrities. It also appeared in at least 22 magazine lists of the greatest albums of 1998.

Track listing

All songs by Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, except where noted.

Upside

"Airportman" – 4:12
"Lotus" – 4:30
"Suspicion" – 5:36
"Hope" (Buck, Mills, Stipe, Leonard Cohen) – 5:02
"At My Most Beautiful" – 3:35
"The Apologist" – 4:30
"Sad Professor" – 4:01
"You're in the Air" – 5:22

Downside

<li value="9">"Walk Unafraid" – 4:31
"Why Not Smile" – 4:03
"Daysleeper" – 3:40
"Diminished" – 6:01
"I'm Not Over You" (hidden track)
"Parakeet" – 4:09
"Falls to Climb" – 5:06

Notes

Similarly to New Adventures in Hi-Fi, the vinyl release of Up is split over two records and so does not have custom side titles. The sides listed here refer to the cassette release.

B-sides

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ B-sides to Up singles

!scope="col"| Title

!scope="col"| Single

!scope="row"|"Emphysema"

|rowspan="3" |"Daysleeper"

!scope="row"|"Sad Professor" (live in the studio)

!scope="row"|"Why Not Smile" (Oxford American version)

!scope="row"|"Surfing the Ganges"

|rowspan="3" |"Lotus"

!scope="row"|"Suspicion" (live in the studio)

!scope="row"|"Lotus" (weird mix)

!scope="row"|"The Passenger" (live on Later… with Jools Holland)

|rowspan="3" |"At My Most Beautiful"

!scope="row"|"Country Feedback" (live on Later… with Jools Holland)

!scope="row"|So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) (live on Later… with Jools Holland)

!scope="row"|"Electrolite" (live on Later… with Jools Holland)

|rowspan="3" |"Suspicion"

!scope="row"|"Man on the Moon" (live on Later… with Jools Holland)

!scope="row"|"Perfect Circle" (live on Later… with Jools Holland)

Personnel

Personnel taken from Up liner notes.

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