ALBUM: R.E.M. - Up revisited 20 years on

Exactly 20 years ago today on 26 October 1998, R.E.M. released their 11th studio album 'Up'. Without a doubt one of the band's most underrated albums, it was actually the first one that I purchased, which is possibly something to do with why it's still one of my favourites. 

You can listen to the album in full below via YouTube. If you appreciate the music, we encourage you to support the artists by buying their music digitally or physically online or from your local record shop.

With subtle hints of electronics and more effective use of arrangements, this was the group's first album following the departure of drummer Bill Berry the previous year. In his place were drum machines and session drummers. Apparently, the group almost split while recording 'Up'. A good job they didn't since it's a fine record.

Following the weird, electronic-tinged opener 'Airportman', the irresistible 'Lotus' is a classic R.E.M. rocker, contrasting nicely with the sweet mysteries of the gently alluring 'Suspicion'. 
Bustling electronics drive 'Hope', which has a melody remarkably similar to Pulp's 'Glory Days', but is more likely influenced by Leonard Cohen's 'Suzanne'

I am hopeless at picking 'favourite' songs by bands with such vast back catalogues, but the R.E.M moment that has the biggest impact on me is the astonishing piano ballad 'At My Most Beautiful'. An album and career highlight, a big, Brian Wilson-influenced piece that was released as a single in 1999, reaching number 10 in the UK singles chart. Of the line, 'I found a way to make you smile', Stipe later recalled, "I just thought, that's the most beautiful thing in the world." It took him a year to write the song's verse after putting his full thought into what could make a loved one smile. Known for writing ironic love songs, Stipe wanted a change, and delivered "the most romantic song I'd ever written".

'The Apologist' brings an ominous shuffle of percussion, a dark ambience and another one of those earworm melodies that the band were well known for, while 'Sad Professor' wouldn't sound out of place on 'Automatic For The People' were it not for its fierce guitars. The cinematic, melancholic 'You're In The Air' offers funk percussion and flourishing strings, and 'Walk Unafraid' is typical of 'Up''s darker, more introspective outlook. Some unexpected breakbeats even enter the mix during the chorus. Elsewhere, the wonderful 'Why Not Smile' is driven by unusual keys and the patter of drum machines, again recalling the work of the Beach Boys. 

Released as the album's lead track, the wondrous 'Daysleeper' went to number 6 in the UK singles chart. Charming pastoral flavours guide the song's gorgeous melody through spells of introspection and joy. One of their best and most underrated singles. Michael Stipe explained: "I was in New York, putting together a book of haikus that I worked on with several dear friends of mine over the course of a year, and I was walking down the steps of this building. It was probably four o'clock in the afternoon, and I come to a door—it's apartment 3-D or something—and there's a sign on it that says "Daysleeper," and I walked a lot more carefully, quietly down the steps, thinking about that poor person who's trying to sleep, and me and my big old boots interrupting her sleep. So I wrote this song about a daysleeper that's working an 11–7 shift and how furious the balance is between the life that you live and the work that you have to do in order to support the life that you live."

The shadowy, spacious 'Diminished/I'm Not Over You' rises into another glowing chorus before ending with a ghostly, delicate acoustic outro, while 'Parakeet' stands as another fine example of songwriting, and impresses with its imaginative instrumentation, even if 'Up' is starting to seem overlong by this point. Buzzy synth chords and organ accompanies Stipe's wondrous vocal on the beautiful closer 'Falls To Climb', a satisfying conclusion.

Their previous LP 'New Adventures In Hi Fi' and 'Up' saw the group moving into interesting, subtly experimental territory while retaining their accessible appeal. 'Up' entered the UK charts at number 2, but wasn't as well received by the public as their previous, more high profile releases. In both the UK and the US, 'Up' resulted in the band's lowest sales in years. "The things that we have to do creatively for the band may not be the most commercial things," said bassist Mike Mills. "That isn't the point. The point is to keep it fresh and interesting and alive.

"There are certain things I set out to do," Stipe said. "Rough ideas that I wanted to play around with. One of them was the religious-spiritual versus science-technology-modern-age. There are several songs on the record that, to me, address that. I don't know how other people are going to take them. It's taking off a little bit from 'Undertow' and 'New Test Leper', with the freedom of 'E-Bow the Letter' and 'Country Feedback' – songs that just come out. What I really wanted was more of that automatic, unconscious stuff… greatly inspired by Patti Smith and various others… Bert Downs said the record's about people falling down and getting back up again. He said there's a lot of that imagery. I'm like, 'Really?'"

Three years later, R.E.M decided to take a step backwards with the more commercial 'Reveal'. More albums would follow, until the band's split in 2010.