New Adventures in Hi Fi - An Underrated Classic

So talking about Up in my previous post has me thinking that rather than move on to "Reveal" as I had intended, why not take a step back and look at Bill Berry's swan song with the band. After all, for as radical a departure as "Up" was for many fans, it was "New Adventures in Hi Fi" that really signalled that REM was no longer that rock band from Georgia that had conquered the charts.

By the time this album had come out, I think the mainstream was looking at "Monster", which was a hit album, and thinking "Ok, so now they are trying to sound grunge. Sellouts!" I don't really agree with that -- completely, that is -- and "Hi Fi" proved to me that the band I loved more than any other was still pushing their own boundaries and trying to make a record that challenged their fans.

Track 1 - How the West Was Won And Where It Got Us. A long title and a strange song. Sounds like something from a Clint Eastwood movie. I think this is one of the strongest songs on ANY of their albums, and a prime example of why it's criminal that so many people overlooked "Hi Fi."

Track 2 - A classic rocker. Much of this album was recorded 'live' during soundchecks and on the road. In some cases, it hurts what could be a great song, but here, it only adds to the vibe of the song. A great 2nd punch to the opener, and an essential track from the album. This one should have been a hit single.

Track 3 - New Test Leper. A pretty run-of-the-mill REM song. Not great, but good.

Track 4 - Undertow. Another song that benefits greatly from the 'live' atmosphere of the album. I think this is also one of their stronger tracks, and fit nicely when they played this on tour in support of "Monster". Like many of the better tracks here, it proves that REM can rock when they want to -- much better than any thing on "Monster" did.

Track 5 - E-Bow the Letter. One of the band's strangest singles ever. Choosing this as a first single is probably what killed interest for the album with the top 40 crowd. I know everyone in REM is a huge Patti Smith fan, so from that standpoint, it's kind of cool to hear her vocals. But, not being a fan of hers, it doesn't add much for me unless I'm in the mood for the song. I'd rank this as a 6.5/10. It is good, and I like the fact that it is not a typical REM song, but this one falls just short of essential in my book.

Track 6 - Leave. For a long time after I bought this CD, this was my least favorite track. It has grown on me over time, but clocking in over 7 minutes, it doesn't ever find that REM type groove that makes even their greatest departures good songs. Skipworthy when the ipod is on shuffle.

Track 7 - Departure. I like it, but sounds like a retread of track 4. This probably could have been trimmed from the album, but isn't exactly bad.

Track 8 - Bittersweet Me. A more classic sound, and also one of my favorites. As an aside, it is worth finding the CD single of this song to get the band's cover of "Witchita Lineman", which is fantastic. This is easily one of my favorite tracks from the album.

Track 9 - Be Mine. Many of my friends loved this song when we first heard the album. I don't hate it, but it's not a favorite. To me, this sounds like too obvious an attempt to write another "love" song that would make the crowd sway at a live show. This one merits a skip when the ipod's on shuffle.

Track 10 - Binky The Doormat. The title and Buck's guitar save this from the skipworthy pile. It's still far from essential, though.

Track 11 - Zither. I like this song, but it should have been a b-side.

Track 12 - So Fast, So Numb. A strong track, but does come off as extremely similar to Undertow and Departure. Fits the tone of the album well enough, though, that I'd rate it a bit higer on a scale of 1 to 10.

Track 13 - Low Desert. They went to the well one too many times and after track 12, this one just kind of fades into the mix and doesn't stand out. Much like "I Took Your Name" on "Monster", it's a rare REM track that is close to completely tuneless. Might have been better as a b-side as well.

Track 14 - Electrolite. My only real probablem with this song is that it does come off as a bit of a "Nightswimming" retread. It's a good song, and as I hear it on tour now, it does fit in well with the REM catalog.

Overall -- this is a much better album than it's given credit for. For a band that had produced 3 straight #1 albums, this is a gutsy move and you should tip your cap to them for trying to push in different directions rather than falling into a formula. My only real knock on this one is something that still stands out to me after 12 years....It was the first REM record I bought that just seemed too darn long. Trimming this one down to 12 tracks would have made it a classic. At 14 tracks and just over an hour long, it starts to lose you in the second half.

It's also hard to listen to now and not think of the fact that it seems to foreshadow a huge shift for the band. It's Berry's swan song, and as the band's "editor", you can already feel that his influence is slipping a bit. It is still well worth your time, but not the best of a great band.