Reveal (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Reveal
Type = Studio album
Artist = R.E.M.


Released = May 14, 2001
Recorded = May 2000
Vancouver, BC, Canada
August–October 2000
Dalkey, Ireland
October 2000
Athens, GA, USA
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 53:43
Label = Warner Bros.
Producer = Patrick McCarthy and R.E.M.
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A3mkmu3x0anxk link]
*Blender rating|2|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=1153 link]
*"NME" (7/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/8071.htm link]
*Pitchfork Media (5.0/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/21315-reveal link]
*PopMatters (Favorable) [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/r/rem-reveal.shtml link]
*Robert Christgau (B-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1140&name=R.E.M. link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/114215 link]
*"Slant" rating|2.5|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=168 link] | Last album = "Up"
(1998)
This album = "Reveal"
(2001)
Next album = "Around the Sun"
(2004)

"Reveal" is the twelfth album by the American band R.E.M., released in 2001 on Warner Bros.. After having adjusted to former drummer Bill Berry's departure and releasing "Up" to mixed response in 1998, R.E.M. released the more upbeat "Reveal", which was co-produced with long-time collaborator Patrick McCarthy.

In 2002, R.E.M. allowed each track of the album to be remixed by different producers and members of the music industry. The resulting remix album, r.e.m.IX, is available as a free download from R.E.M.'s official website. In 2005, Warner Bros. Records issued an expanded two-disc edition of "Reveal" which includes a CD and a DVD, as well as the original CD booklet with expanded liner notes.

Music

The lead single, "Imitation of Life", became another UK Top 10 hit as well as their first number one single in Japan, but floundered at the bottom of the U.S. singles charts. Further singles from "Reveal" are "All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)" and "I'll Take The Rain". Building on examples from earlier albums, "Beat A Drum", "Summer Turns To High" and "Beachball" are musical homages to The Beach Boys, of whom both Mike Mills and Peter Buck are major fans.

The opening track, "The Lifting", is a prequel to "Daysleeper" from R.E.M.'s 1998 album, "Up", and features the same character. [As stated by Michael Stipe on "Later... with Jools Holland" in 2001.]

Reception

Although it was promoted as a return to form, with early comparisons to "Automatic for the People", "Reveal" actually sounds more like a cross between the sunny sounds of "Out of Time" and the electronica of "Up".Fact|date=March 2007 R.E.M. has since been accused of trying a little too forcibly on "Reveal" to recreate what had come naturally to the group in the past.Fact|date=March 2007 However, the critical reaction to "Reveal" was warmer than the notices which greeted "Up" in 1998, particularly in the UK where it reached #1 with healthy sales. In the United States, "Reveal" peaked at #6 (with 10 weeks on the Billboard 200) and went gold, still selling below expectations. As of March 2007, "Reveal" has sold 415,000 units in the U.S. [ cite web | url= http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-03-07-REM-rock-hall_N.htm | title= R.E.M.: A 25-year rockin' role | last= Gunderson | first= Edna | publisher= USA Today ]

"When a band that's been around as long as R.E.M. are still doing their best work, that's really unusual," said U2's Bono in 2003. "I think "Reveal" is one of the best records they've ever made: beautiful melodies, beautiful singing, and really evolved songwriting." ["The South Bank Show", May 12, 2003.]

Later on, when famous critics such as Jon Pertwee began to re-review it, they found an intense dislike of the album. This was not posted online, so it did not hurt metacritic.

Track listing

All songs by Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

# "The Lifting" – 4:39
# "I've Been High" – 3:25
# "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" – 4:43
# "She Just Wants to Be" – 5:22
# "Disappear" – 4:11
# "Saturn Return" – 4:55
# "Beat a Drum" – 4:21
# "Imitation of Life" – 3:57
# "Summer Turns to High" – 3:31
# "Chorus and the Ring" – 4:31
# "I'll Take the Rain" – 5:51
# "Beachball" – 4:14

"Reveal" version 1.0

The February 2001 master of "Reveal" differed from the March 2001 master of the album, which ended up being the final version. Compared to the official, the differences of the "Reveal Version 1.0", as it is nicknamed, include:

* Two tracks that never made it to the finished version: "Fascinating" and "Free Form Jazz Jam".
* An alternative version of "Beat a Drum" called "All I Want".
* A longer version of "Imitation of Life".
* A version of "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" with an alternate ending, and simply titled "Reno".
* Slightly different mixes and/or instrumental changes in "I've Been High" and "She Just Wants to Be".

Neither of the unreleased tracks or any of the alternative mixes have ever been released commercially. However, the band allowed the [http://www.murmurs.com/ Murmurs.com] fan community to offer downloads of "Fascinating."

Charts

Album

References

External links

*MusicBrainz album|id=167ef62c-43b5-4d2a-b932-1c0d0d619087|name=Reveal

succession box
before = "Survivor" by Destiny's Child
title = UK number one album
years = May 26 2001 – June 8 2001
after = "Hot Shot" by Shaggy