the 1994’s Monster album and subsequent long awaited return to the stage couldn’t have come at a better time for me as I had never been to real a concert before. So when one of the older “cool” kids at school asked me if I was interested in coming along I jumped at the occasion. Thus begun my love affair with the live show, hallelujah!
2 years later after re-signing with Warners for a ridiculous $80 million the band released New Adventures in HI-FI, the first album to be considered a commercial flop by their standards (it only went platinum). Those who didnt buy it missed out on one of the best releases of the decade.
The album crammed every trick R.E.M had learnt over the years into just over an hour of beautiful music. In spite of the significant inclusion of gadgets and new technologies the result was a coherent set of songs showcasing the quartets incredible songwriting talent. I still find myself enchanted by tracks such as ‘Leave’ and ‘E-Bow The Letter‘ (featuring the legendary Patti Smith) no matter how many times I have played them over the years.
That New Adventures turned out to be the last album Bill Berry drummed on, before his unexpected retirement to dedicate himself to farm life, makes this album even more of a milestone marking the end of an era. The band would never sound the same again but dip into any of the 14 tracks on display and you will see a band who were not frightened by the weight of expectations.
TRACKS:
R.E.M. – E-bow The Letter
