R.E.M. – New Adventures In Hi-Fi

 

R.E.M. – New Adventures In Hi-Fi

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You’ve formed a band and grown it beyond what anyone could’ve imagined. At the peak of your popularity, you cease touring and become a studio project. But desire to tour soon returns and you’re back on the road. What could go wrong? As it turns out, everything.

So was the situation for R.E.M. in 1995. The Athens, GA quartet had gone from cult college rockers to international superstars thanks to singles such as “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts.” The band had just resumed touring for their 1994 album Monster after a five-year hiatus from the road.

However, it was not an easy time. Health issues plagued the band throughout the tour. Bassist Mike Mills had additional complications from a bout of appendicitis the previous year. Singer Michael Stipe suffered from a hernia. But most serious was what happened to Bill Berry.

The drummer collapsed onstage one night and was swiftly diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Berry would make a full recovery, but the event put a damper on the proceedings, and informed writing sessions the next album.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi is different from previous R.E.M. records in multiple ways. But perhaps the most noteworthy is the way it was recorded. Rather than using a traditional studio as the band – and virtually all bands – had previously done, they utilized a new mobile recording unit which they brought on tour with them in 1995.

R.E.M. got the idea from Radiohead, who opened for them that year. The Oxford band had recorded “My Iron Lung” live in front of an audience for their album The Bends. But R.E.M. took it a step further, recording the bulk of the album live, either in front of the audience or at soundchecks on their Monster tour.

There was also a familiar face aiding them along. On this album, R.E.M. were joined by sideman Scott McCaughey. The Young Fresh Fellows singer and bassist played a supporting role on the Monster tour as rhythm guitarist and keyboardist. And now he was recording as a member of the highly influential band.

But questions still remained – could R.E.M. continue their hot streak? And would the recordings still sound as good as those made in a traditional studio? When New Adventures In Hi-Fi was finally released in September of 1996, fans were finally able to take stock of the material.

The album opens on a slow, eerie note with “How The West Was Won and Where It Got Us.” Subtle drums from Bill Berry and a melodica introduce the track. Stipe sings in his lowest, gravelliest register. It has the effect of sounding like waking up in the morning after a long night out.

The song is oddly comforting despite the odd placement on the album. The lyrics seem to describe western imperialism and the damage it has done to our planet, as well as its population. Stipe had always been politically active, but his lyrics were always cryptic. He never explicitly referenced events that would date the albums, and that is to everyone’s benefit.

“Wake Up Bomb” recalls the glam rock sound of Monster. Lyrically, the song is firmly tongue-in-cheek. Stipe takes pleasure in praising his sense of fashion. He seems to be poking fun at the attitudes of the time with regards to image.

The guitars and organ in the chorus help elevate what could have been a middling idea to a strong rocker. “Wake Up Bomb” succeeds because of it’s live sound as well as its excellent production.

“New Test Leper” recalls the sounds of MTV’s Unplugged program. The acoustic guitars are out in full force, and – barring a heavily reverberated lead in the chorus – is as close to folk as R.E.M. got. Stipe’s love of irony shows in the lyrics, denouncing Christianity while using biblical references.

“Bittersweet Me” is – somewhat ironically – a track where R.E.M. borrow a bit back from Miracle Legion. The jangle of the guitar in the verses with a bit more bite in the choruses recalls the work of Ray Neal on “Country Boy.”

The lyrics show Stipe trying to break from the mundane in life, saying that he doesn’t know what “[he’s] hungry for.” This is a song where the “live” sound is especially beneficial. As it is a relatively stripped back recording, it sounds organic and fresh – and likely will for a long time to come.

Switching instruments had become a favorite pastime for R.E.M., dating back to 1988’s Green. On “Be Mine,” Mike Mills plays guitar while Peter Buck plays bass. It’s quite sweet musically, lacking drums, and allowing the subtleties of the guitars to breathe.

It feels like a bedroom recording, recalling the dreamy atmospheric quality of “Let Me In” from Monster in 1994. A fairly stripped back track, the lyrics describe love in unconventional terms. Stipe sings that he wants to be his partner’s “Easter bunny” and his “Christmas tree.”

But perhaps the most unconventional song is “Leave.” A seven-minute track complete with hip-hop beats, turntable scratches, and Buck’s distinctive e-bow it is swirling and hypnotic. Lyrically, Stipe is cryptic as ever, describing breakdowns in communication in a way which only he can.

The listener is never sure if he’s talking to a lover or making a statement on the stresses of modern life. Either way, the track proves that R.E.M. can be experimental, hypnotic, and catchy at the same time.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi broke ground by stretching the definition of “studio album” to its limit. No longer would bands be limited to recording in tight rooms in front of a mixing board. However, this would just be a footnote if the music wasn’t as excellent as it is.

The world at large may not have understood what R.E.M. was trying to accomplish here, but it has stood the test of time. As a final hurrah to the classic lineup, New Adventures In Hi-Fi is most satisfactory.

Warner Bros./1996