Up

Up is the eleventh album by alternative rock band R.E.M., released October 26, 1998. It is the first album without former drummer Bill Berry. The album had a lot more electronic influences than any previous R.E.M. record, including drum machines and keyboards.

Background[]

After the successful New Adventures in Hi-Fi, Bill Berry decided to quit the band to pursue his own musical interests. He did not want R.E.M. to quit, and if that would be the result, he would not leave the band.

Recording[]

They canceled their scheduled recording sessions because they did not know what to do to replace the drums. Finally, the band came to a compromise. Without Berry, they would use drum machines in his place. It actually worked out pretty well, considering they wanted a new sound.

The album was produced by Pat McCarthy, assisted by Nigel Godrich. Their last producer, Scott Litt, was decided not to produce the album because they wanted a different sound than their last six albums, all of which he produced.

Release[]

The album was released on October 26, 1998 worldwide. The album reached #3 on the US, and #2 on the UK charts. Despite being high on the charts, it is the lowest sales out of all the R.E.M. albums at the time. The album came in a standard clear jewel case. The imagery in the album is mostly consisting with lots of arrows pointing up, along with the word "up" being used multiple times.

Critical Reception[]

The album received mixed to positive reception. Allmusic gave it a 2.5/5 stars, saying the songs are "simply well-crafted tracks that are easy to admire, but hard to love". The magazine Q gave the album 4/5 stars, saying "those who only own Automatic For The People will find this album strange, though this is R.E.M. after all. We didn't even hear the lyrics until album five."

Up

Contents

Background[]

Recording[]

Release[]

Critical Reception[]

Track Listing[]

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