More fun with R.E.M. albums -- Let's Talk About "Up"

I'm having fun with this whole track by track idea, and since no one is reading this anyway, might as well give myself an excuse to waste space until I can come up with something more important to write about.

So, I've spent some time looking at some recent albums, and going through them track by track and giving my thoughts. Now that we have Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" in our sweaty little hands, there's not much coming out in the next few weeks that I'm really excited about. I have continued to be on a bit of an R.E.M. kick, still think "Accelerate" is a good record, and find myself listening to some of their other recent outings in the 'aftermath' of their concert here in Chicago. So here is my track by track take on their first drummerless album, "Up", which hopefully will tell you a bit more about the album, given that it's now pushing 10 years old.

First off, I'd like to say that this is one of the more unfairly trashed albums they have released. No, it is not in a class with anything from the IRS years, much less the heyday of "Automatic..." and "Out of Time." It does have some interesting work, and unlike many of their releases since "Automatic", it does have a bit more cohesive sound.

Track 1 - Airport Man. This is/was the first signal that you were listening to a new REM. They had never put out something so atmospheric and synth heavy. On one hand, it's a nice way to set the mood for what follows, but at 4:14, it's a touch long. They used this to open the show as they took the stage when they toured for "Up", and from that point on, I liked it a bit more than I had just listening to it on album.

Track 2 - Lotus. The albums only rocker. It sounds REMish, but it doesn't. Initially, this was my favorite track. Over time, it has lost a little luster, but still holds up and fits in with my personal "Best of..." mix. There is a nice reference to "It's the End of the World..." in the lyrics, and has typically cryptic lyrics from Stipe. I feel a bit like this song morphed a bit after Berry's departure from the band, but probably would have wound up on this album in one form or another if the classic lineup had stayed in tact.

Track 3 - Suspicion. Aside from the electronic drums, I think this one fits in very well with the typical REM sound as well. From this track forward, the album takes a decidedly downbeat turn. The song structure here isn't a radical departure for the band, but the instrumentation gives it a unique feel. All in all, probably one of the stronger tracks on the album (at least in my opinion).

Track 4 - Hope. The first track on the album that feels like a Stipe solo effort. It is a bit peppier than many of the tracks, and not a terrible song, but the fact that it feels like a solo song hurts it a bit in the end.

Track 5 - At My Most Beautiful. Beautiful is a good way to describe this song. It's one of the few REM songs that is such an obvious 'Love Song'. Anyone who has read up on REM knows that Buck, Mills and Berry were huge Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fans, and that Stipe has never shared that passion. This was Stipe's way of tipping his cap to Brian Wilson sound, and he nails it head on. REM is not a band that is known for the vocal harmonies, but they sound fantastic on this track. To clarify that last comment, Mills's backing vocals have long been an integral part of the band's sound, but they've rarely taken the harmonies to this level.

Track 6 - The Apologist. The first track of the album that lets you know this one won't rank up there with most of their other work. It's an interesting song, but takes the downbeat mood a bit too far, and doesn't offer up the kind of interesting musical atmospherics to hold your interest. Skipworthy, unless you are in a specific mood for this album.

Track 7 - Sad Professor. This is Wendall Gee for a new age. Here, the vocals and music mix to create that kind of mood that REM conjures when they are at their best. Yeah, it's a slow, funeral dirge, but its a good one.

Track 8 - You're In The Air. I'd say this is the second occurrence of what I described for track 6. I do like this one a little bit better, but it's still not the high point of the album.

Track 9 - Walk Unafraid. I have mixed emotions on this track. Speaking purely of the track as it's heard here, I'd say it's a 5.5 on a scale of 10. It's just this side of leaning towards good. But, I've heard it live a few times, and it also appears on "REM Live", and hearing it sped up a bit and played by a full band gives it an urgency that shows it's a good song, but could have been better on album. I'd put this in the class of "Good if you're in the mood for 'Up', but not essential."

Track 10 - Why Not Smile. Another one that sounds like Stipe solo effort. Fits the ablum, but you'd skip it in any other context.

Track 11 - Daysleeper. It's easy to see why this was the choice for the first single. This one has great lyrics, too, once you get past the fact that it's an obvious nod to the days of "Automatic...". I'd say this one belongs on any "Best of" collection as well.

Track 12 - Diminished. The dark lyrics for this one give it a slight nudge to where it's also a 5.5 or 6 out of 10.

Track 13 - Parakeet. My least favorite on this disc, and by this point of the album, you're wishing that Lotus or Hope fit later in the track list.

Track 14 - Falls to Climb. Another forgettable track. Actually, it's not terrible, and might even fill a spot with some other classic album closers such as Wendall Gee, Find the River and Electrolite. Honestly, if they'd have trimmed this down to a 12 track album and made this track the closer following "Daysleeper", then the album would be much stronger, and this song would probably resonate with me more than it does. As it is, this is the "Oh yeah, this is the song where they say 'boney maroney' somewhere in the song."

So like I said -- this is an album that I think is panned a bit unfairly for what it isn't, rather than taken for what it is. I think there is some great stuff here, and this is not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination. But, with Bill Berry's departure and a melancholy sound to even the most cheerful tracks on the album, it's hard to look at this as anything but a step down from a band that has produced some great albums.