New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Occupation
Drums: Bill Berry Bass: Mike Mills Guitar: Peter Buck Vocals: Michael Stipe
New Adventures in Hi- Fi is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock band REM It was published on 6 September 1996 with the major label Warner Brothers. At the same time it is the last album of the band in its original line-up; Drummer Bill Berry announced his retirement in 1997.
Genesis and production
The songs were mostly on the world tour that saw the band after the release of the previous album Monster in 1995. The musicians took the soundcheck before the concerts to develop new songs. Each song was recorded, so that at the end of the tour templates many hours of material. Some songs were taken directly from the live recording of the sound checks on the album. The final production of the album, where some songs were re-recorded, took place in Seattle at Bad Animals Studio. Responsible was Scott Litt, who had already produced the previous five REM albums. For the song E -Bow the Letter sang Michael Stipe idol Patti Smith backing vocals.
Cover / Artwork
Cover and artwork of the album are decorated throughout in black and white. The photographs show mainly landscapes, partly in fuzzy settings (for example, by Michael Stipe from the tour bus photographed ).
Music style
On New Adventures in Hi- Fi, there are some classic rock songs that are maintained in a similar style as the majority of the previous album Monster ( The Wake -Up Bomb, Departure, Binky the Doormat ). However, are also represented with songs such as Electro Lite, the ballad Be Mine or the instrumental piece zither quieter numbers. Overall, most of the songs are characterized by a medium tempo and minor keys.
Topics
As already hint at the legislative history and the cover, the songs on the album deal primarily with the motifs of travel and being on the road, but also the related topics of the change or loss. Michael Stipe says that some lyrics were struck him during a bus ride or during a flight.
Title list
All the songs on New Adventures in Hi- Fi submitted by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.
Reception
New Adventures in Hi- Fi received mostly positive reviews; Nick Reynolds of the BBC described it later as well, even as the last great REM album. Mark Kemp praised the spontaneity of creation and called it in the U.S. edition of Rolling Stone the most ambitious work of the band.