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R.E.M.
Up
(Warner Bros.)
First Appeared in The Music Box Online
on July 14, 1999
Written by John Metzger
Since releasing the magnificent masterpiece Automatic for the People in 1994, R.E.M. has
been stuck in a rut. Monster seemed to be created for the purpose of a large arena tour,
containing songs that virtually were loud retreads of the band's older material.
The group's next album
New Adventures in Hi-Fi offered a few more promising moments, but the
collective still appeared to be
struggling to find direction. In other words, over the course of the past
several years, it has been an extremely frustrating time to be an R.E.M. fan simply
because the ensemble's popularity has been growing exponentially, despite an obvious lack of creativity. It took
the unfortunate departure of Bill Berry for R.E.M. to cut loose and begin moving forward,
and while Automatic for the People remains
the collective's best outing, there are moments when its new album Up comes damn close to
surpassing it.
Losing a core member can cause groups to reexamine themselves. In essence, it's a litmus test for a band, and
while many fail to regain their composure, R.E.M. has come through in spades. On Up,
it explores a variety of new directions and it offers an array of dramatically different
effects. It also
doesn't hurt to have studio wizard Nigel Godrich along for the ride on half the tracks. Godrich
contributed significantly to Radiohead's OK Computer, and it's no surprise that he worked his
magic for R.E.M. on Up. A cosmic vortex of sounds
—
from the tempestuous Lotus to the layered
atmospherics of The Apologist
—
swirl throughout the album, and each song is a brightly colored sonic portrait.
In addition, the
band's music and lyrics meld together to create an overpowering ambience. For example, Airportman
is a dreamy excursion that conjures the disoriented mood that pervades the United Airlines terminal
at Chicago's O'Hare airport.
There's a playfulness, too, in the way that R.E.M. incorporates its influences into
Up's music. The band
borrows a line from The Mamas and The Papas' California Dreamin' for The Apologist,
following it with a perfectly timed pat of a tambourine. Two songs later, it appropriates that tune's
introduction for You're in the Air. On At My Most Beautiful,
the group liberally pulls from
Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, fusing beautiful harmonies with majestic piano chords.
In addition, Up may be R.E.M.'s finest lyrical outing, and the fact that
it actually
printed the words in the enclosed booklet can only mean that front man Michael
Stipe thinks so too. The songs deal with
a variety of topics from insecurity to Berry's hospitalization, and they hold a multitude of meanings within
meanings. It remains to be seen as to how R.E.M. will execute a tour in support of Up. Many of
the compositions on this disc are far too complex and subtle for the spacious acoustics of outdoor
amphitheaters. Nevertheless, it's good to see that the band is back on top of
its game with a
whole new bag of tricks. 
Up is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Up is also available as a CD/DVD-Audio
set from Amazon.com. The DVD includes a surround sound
mix of the album as well as extracts from the unreleased
film Uptake.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 1999
The Music Box
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