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"... has a spooked, fragile stillness to it. The songs are built around humming, gently throbbing electronic keyboards ... Up is the sound of the band trying to reshape its sound and vision ... R.E.M. put on a brave face in the wake of Berry’s departure (and questions about their relevance in 1998), but Up is revealing in ways they may not have intended: It enters the future, but with a heavy heart. A-." - Entertainment Weekly "Four Stars ... the Berry-less (but not entirely drummerless) R.E.M. may have bought a floor ticket to music's latest overplayed trend, electronica. But the mellotron, harpsichord and other groovy effects on Up never overwhelm the band's mighty sense of self ... Peter Buck and Mike Mills approach the synthetic pop landscape just as they did the thief's playground of rock & roll; they combine mostly vintage influences, here easy listening and 1960s pop, within elegant song structures designed to complement Stipe's pensive phrasing and the band's penchant for graceful flourishes. Always more intense when laying back than when rocking out, R.E.M. find their confidence on Up by taking it slow." - Rolling Stone R.E.M.'s 1998 release Up marked the band's first recording without founding drummer Bill Berry, who decided to leave the group the year before. As a result the sound on Up relies more than ever on electronics, notably drum machines. While Up failed to yield any significant US singles, the band scored three hits in the UK with the top 10 songs Daysleeper and At My Most Beautiful and the top 30 Lotus. "The things that we have to do creatively for the band may not be the most commercial things. That isn't the point. The point is to keep it fresh and interesting and alive." - Mike Mills