Up (R.E.M. album)

Up
The album cover has a series of squares
Original cover art. The 25th anniversary release opts for a maroon and pink color scheme.
Studio album by
R.E.M.
ReleasedOctober 26, 1998 (1998-10-26)[1]
Studio
Genre
Length64:31
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
R.E.M. chronology
R.E.M.: In the Attic – Alternative Recordings 1985–1989
(1997) 		Up
(1998) 		Man on the Moon
(1999)
Singles from Up
  1. "Daysleeper"
    Released: October 12, 1998[5]
  2. "Lotus"
    Released: December 7, 1998[6]
  3. "At My Most Beautiful"
    Released: March 8, 1999[7]
  4. "Suspicion"
    Released: June 28, 1999[8]

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.[9] 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.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference amg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference pitchfork25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference stereogum was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "R.E.M.: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982–2011 Album Review – Pitchfork". pitchfork.com.
  5. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. October 10, 1998. p. 29. Misprinted as September 12 on source.
  6. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. December 5, 1998. p. 23.
  7. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 8 March, 1999: Singles". Music Week. March 6, 1999. p. 25.
  8. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 28 June, 1999: Singles". Music Week. June 26, 1999. p. 25.
  9. ^ "R.E.M. Talk About Loss Of Drummer Bill Berry". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.