After the Bill Berry left the band, R.E.M. had to make the biggest adjustment of their 18 year career. Previous reinventions happened on their own time, and at their own discretion. The shifts into clearer lyrics, into softer instrumentation, and into cocky rock were nothing compared to losing 1/4 of their band. The album that resulted from this labor, Up, nearly broke them up. But it shifted their sound into something more electronic and more produced. Does it stick the landing, or is it twisting in the wind?

Links:

• Radiohead W/ Michael Stipe - Lucky - YouTube

• R.E.M. - E-Bow the Letter (with Thom Yorke) - YouTube

• Country Feedback (with guest Neil Young) - YouTube

• Neil Young & REM - Ambulance Blues - Bridge Benefit, 1998 - YouTube

• R.E.M. - Falls To Climb (1999 Documentary) - YouTube

• REM Why Not Smile Oxford American version - YouTube

• Emphysema - YouTube

• Surfing The Ganges - YouTube

• REM Lotus (Weird Mix) - YouTube

• Leonard Cohen - Suzanne (Audio) - YouTube

• Draggin' the line by R.E.M. - YouTube

• R.E.M. - Lotus (Official Music Video) - YouTube

• R.E.M - Suspicion - YouTube

• R.E.M. - At My Most Beautiful (Official Music Video) - YouTube

• R.E.M. - Daysleeper (Official Music Video) - YouTube