After being inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame last year, R.E.M. recently mastered what could be their most important and defining album, “Accelerate.”
R.E.M. is just like wine and cheese; it gets better only with time. And their new album proves just that. While many critics and early fans have complained over the years about the past three albums of the post-Bill Berry era (their drummer who left after suffering a brain anyeurism), R.E.M., living up to their album’s name, accelerated their recording sessions to put out what many are calling the album that sees R.E.M. resurrected and raised from the abyss.
But as Stephen Colbert mentioned while he had R.E.M. on his show, “The Colbert Report,” they haven’t gone anywhere. Their past three albums were above average, despite the low number of sales. Money doesn’t always translate into music quality.
Still, the success of R.E.M. is attributed to their live performances. Many of the songs of their latest album were cut during live-band takes and were rehearsed in front of fans in Dublin, Ireland last summer, in what they called Working Rehearsals.
The album, clocking in at 35 minutes is filled with 11 tracks that manages to sum up quite well the studio and live R.E.M. that we have listened to previously in their 13 albums catalog.
The first song of the album, “Living Well is the Best Revenge,” is reminiscent of the old political, yet musical R.E.M. that we grew up with and loved. The angry frontman and political figure, Michael Stipe, is still hopeful, as he was after the Vote for Change tour of 2004. He calls out to the new generation to take control of the injustice served by the government (the future is ours/and you don’t even rate a footnote).
The same mood can be felt in “Houston.” While upset at the reactions of the government in accordance to Hurricane Katrina, the song manages to fill its listeners with hope.
The one defining aspect that was missing in the previous three albums, is the reappearance of Peter Buck’s hard-hitting guitar riffs. Long time fans couldn’t picture Buck flaring around the studio like he used to in the old days with the previous three albums. But as shown in the Working Rehearsals, as well as many appearances on their promotour, Buck is center stage once again. Bassist Mike Mills, true to his form, keeps up with Buck and Stipe and completes the trio well.
With the help of producer Garret (Jacknife) Lee, former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin, and backup guitarist Scott McCaughey, R.E.M’s new album has created hope for a band that was at the crossroads. A crossroad that saw them either breaking up or working to produce a new steady album. Fortunately for us, as well as themselves, R.E.M. stepped on the pedal and continued to make music, and not looking back.
