R.E.M. celebrates ‘a very radical departure’ 25 years ago with their album ‘Up’

NEW YORK — Twenty-five years ago, an R.E.M. “Up,” the band’s 11th album which dropped in the fall of 1998, was a curious and challenging collection that split fans and critics alike but reveals more interesting things with each listen. There are some powerful moments.” The Detroit Free Press called the album “one of the most gorgeous, enchanting works in the groundbreaking group’s two-decade body of work.” But Pitchfork was unmoved, saying it was a “distant, impersonal record.” The San Antonio Express-News said it needed time to digest: “Though darker and less hook-y than any R.E.M. record to date, ‘Up’ will reward listeners whose attention span is longer than the average Top 40 single.” Stereogum at the albums 20th anniversary said it was “one of the more flawed and fascinating documents of R.E.M.’s music.” “I expected people to be shocked and surprised,” said Mills. This just happened to be a very radical departure.” A deluxe 2-CD or Blu-Ray edition of “Up” out Friday also includes the band’s previously unreleased set from a guest appearance on the TV series “Party of Five,” which includes “Man on the Moon,” “Losing My Religion,” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.” “Up” relied primarily on drum machines, loops and synthesizers, creating dreamlike moments akin to the band Radiohead, also experimenting with sounds and distortions at the time.