R.E.M.
Up

"He no longer wanted to be part of a band, now he wants to do what he pleases, he doesn't want to go on tour anymore. He did what he wanted. Now he wants to buy a house on a tree, a computer, and live in peace."

These were the words spoken by Michael Stipe after the departure of the band's historic drummer Bill Berry. Behind his thoughts lies bitterness, disappointment, but above all resignation. R.E.M. suffered greatly from Bill Berry's departure. After this event, the three remaining members never wanted to add another permanent member to the group. It was said that the band, reduced to a trio, did not know whether to continue or not. Stipe fell into depression, Mills disappeared for months, and Buck devoted himself entirely to his family. Rumors of a possible permanent breakup of the group began to circulate.

But great artists are defined in difficult moments. They decided to continue as a trio. "It was a hard, painful decision; after Bill's departure, we were devastated, but music took us by the throat and made us continue. The passion for music pushed us to move forward." These were the words of Peter Buck announcing that R.E.M. would continue as a trio.

To record "Up", they used various additional musicians, but mostly electronic drums and various percussion. Somehow they had to replace Bill Berry. Even during the recording of the album, Stipe himself admitted that Bill Berry's contribution was especially missed in the arrangement of the songs, with his ideas and intuitions. But none of this frightened R.E.M. in the slightest, and they recorded stunning songs. For live performances, the group relied on Joey Waronker on drums, who was not Bill Berry, but certainly an excellent drummer.

The name of the album suggests how the band chose the name precisely to say up, to be optimistic, positive. The album is rich in electronics, a territory previously unexplored by R.E.M. But the result is uniquely beautiful, with splendid songs.

The album opens with "Airportman", which already hints at the sound of the entire album. Highly refined electronic sounds and melodic and intimate songs. The song is characterized by keyboards present throughout the track. "Lotus" is the first single released from the album. Stipe uses a strange effect for his voice, resulting in a very sensual track. The album is elevated by other songs, like "At My Most Beautiful", a love song with various sentiments that Stipe dedicates to a girl from his past. The song features a very sweet text. "The Apologist" speaks of a man in trouble who regrets his actions and asks for forgiveness. "Walk Unafraid", the most rock song on the album, shows that Stipe hasn't lost his songwriting vein. "Daysleeper", another single from the album, features a protagonist, a man forced to do humble work at night. This man sleeps during the day and thus cannot live like everyone else. At his workplace, he tries to replicate urban sounds, but especially the sound of the sea with a photocopier. "Why Not Smile" in which Stipe encourages a person, a woman, to smile, but she cannot smile. This song is a crescendo of strong and intense emotions. "Falls To Climb" closes the album and is a masterpiece of sweetness and strong emotions. A very romantic, sad, and melancholic track that concludes the album worthily.

This album opens another chapter in the history of R.E.M. A history that continues to this day. For the band, it was a very difficult period to overcome, but they came out great, releasing this splendid album, in which the band from Athens manages to venture into unknown territories. The band succeeded in adapting electronics to the group's genuine sound, bringing to light a superb and excellent work.