R.E.M. – Up
Since I just saw the Pixar film of the same name, I thought this album was apropos.
This is, in my opinion, the beginning of the end of R.E.M. It is a sad state of affairs, but it is true. This is the album after their drummer left them, and they lost some of their magic as a result (their songs were always credited as all four members, an unusual standard for musicians). I apologize for the brief history lesson – here’s what Up is to me.
Up is about moving on, appropriate to R.E.M.’s circumstances. It can be relaxing, it can be intense, and it can be beautiful. Its soft piano solos tell of love and lost love, and retrospectively, it seems a natural progression into their next album, Reveal.
With R.E.M., lyrics mean a lot. In “Diminished,” Stipe sings, ” I watched you fall; I think I pushed.” I love the themes, like this one, presented throughout the album, of wanting to hurt those who hurt you, or learning how to act once abandoned. It’s a pretty commonplace sentiment without the standard diluted musical treatment.
5/8
well, i enjoyed murmur, and although this one sounds like it’s going to be different, i’ll go for it. album art: you know the drill