R.E.M.’s album “Up” turns 25 years of age this year, and Craft Records are celebrating with a series of expanded and remastered reissues, out November 10th. The R.E.M. reissue its 1998 album the first following the departure of original drummer Bill Berry, for its 25th anniversary.
“Up” found R.E.M. struggling to overcome the loss of Berry, who left the band in 1997 after suffering a brain aneurysm two years earlier on stage in Switzerland. “Bill said that if he was going to be the guy who made R.E.M. break up he would stay and be miserable, but it was clear that wasn’t what he wanted,” frontman Michael Stipe said “We’ve always said R.E.M. was the four of us; now there’s three, so what the hell do we do? We had this intense chemistry that we had to find as a three-piece. It took us the better part of one and a half records. And we fucked it up a lot. With “Up”, I couldn’t even sing because my chest was so tight. I was really in a complete freak-out mode.”
There is a deluxe 2-CD/1 Blu-ray edition is housed in a 32-page hardcover book, which includes new liner notes from journalist and Talkhouse Executive Editor Josh Modell plus new interviews with the band members. The set features the newly-remastered original album, plus a previously unreleased 11-song live set from their 1999 appearance on the hit TV series, “Party of Five“.
The accompanying Blu-ray features HD music videos “Daysleeper,” “Lotus,” “At My Most Beautiful”, a six-song performance from the era (titled Uptake), plus the album’s original EPK, all in stunning hi-resolution with 5.1 surround sound audio.
R.E.M.’s appearance on “Party of Five” (which launched the careers of Matthew Fox and Neve Campbell, among others) remains a fond memory. “The intersection of visual and musical art is always interesting, so it was cool to be a part of TV,” recalls Mills.
The intimate concert, recorded at Los Angeles’ Palace Theatre, was populated by R.E.M. fan club members and served as an opportunity for the band to rehearse their latest material—plus beloved hits—ahead of touring. “There are dozens of great R.E.M. live sets out there, but nothing quite like this up-close oddity,” writes Josh Modell. “Loose and happy, the band runs through a good chunk of “Up” in front of a small crowd…Stipe is chatty, telling stories about accidentally ripping off Billy Corgan (and telling Corgan about it), playing with the Human League on a funny stage at that very venue, and more.”
The 25th Anniversary Edition of Up, the band’s 11th studio album, is OUT NOW! The newly-remastered album, featuring favorites “Daysleeper,” “Lotus,” and “At My Most Beautiful,” is available on 2-CD + Blu-ray, 2-LP, 2-CD, digital, and hi-res audio formats.
Additionally, the expanded reissue will be available in 2-CD, digital, and hi-res. The 2-CD includes an exclusive 24” x 24” poster and four collectible postcards, as well as a booklet featuring new liner notes. The 14-track, 2-LP album will be reissued on 180-gram vinyl.
The remastered version of “Daysleeper” and the band’s never-before-released performance of the song from the “Party of Five” can be downloaded now.
The Deluxe 2-CD + Blu-ray set features the remastered original album, plus a previously-unreleased 11-song live performance from the band’s 1999 appearance on Party of Five, while the Blu-ray features HD music videos, a 6-song performance recorded in London, and a 60-minute EPK film (This Way Up), alongside hi-resolution and 5.1 surround-sound audio. It’s all housed in a 32-page hardcover book which includes liner notes from writer Josh Modell and new interviews with Peter, Mike, and Michael.
The remastered original 14-track album is also available on 2-LP vinyl
The Fat Angel Sings 