Review: R.E.M. Illuminates a Challenging Yet Fulfilling Turning Point in Its Legacy 

R.E.M.
Up (25th Anniversary Edition)
(Craft Recordings)
4 out of 5 stars

R.E.M.’s first album without drummer/founding member Bill Berry, who left the band in 1997 just before Up’s recording, was, by all accounts, a heavy lift. 

The remaining threesome, never ones to repeat themselves musically, was now forced to (again) reinvent their methodology, and generate an identifiable sound without Berry’s involvement. The resulting album was tough to create, and, according to Michael Stipe in a 15-minute documentary included in this expanded reissue, nearly broke them up.

They persevered, though, and in 1998, with the assistance of co-producer Pat McCarthy, crafted an hour-long, 14-song opus (their 11th studio set) that remains one of the more controversial offerings in the R.E.M. catalog. 

Berry is replaced predominantly by retro, analog drum machines, and Mills, Buck, and Stipe recorded their parts separately. That musical isolation yields fluid, amorphous, and atmospheric songs, with only “Lotus” and “Daysleeper” conforming to R.E.M.’s signature approach. The remaining selections are alternately chilly and often lack the structure provided by recognizable choruses, bridges, or memorable melodies. But repeated playings over the course of a quarter-century show Up to be a rewarding, if difficult, experiment. 

This beautifully assembled, book-sized, two-CD/Blu-ray anniversary release features a thorough essay describing each song along with new band interviews. An audio-only dozen-song studio concert combines older material with a chunk of new Up tunes in a raw but charming performance. 

Also included are six Up tracks artfully filmed and played live on a UK soundstage with close-ups, stylish shadow-heavy lighting, and innovative camera work as the trio, augmented by three additional players, performs these songs without overdubs. A sumptuous 5.1 surround mix on the Blu-ray expands the album’s sound field, revealing sonic details initially obscured in the stereo version due to the disc’s layered, multifaceted sonics. 

Like R.E.M., this package is classy and creatively designed. It illuminates a challenging yet fulfilling turning point in the group’s impressive and influential legacy. 

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage