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New Adventures in Hi-Fi is a 1996 album by R.E.M.. It is notable for being the last album with original drummer Bill Berry, who would amicably leave the band in 1997.
New Adventures in Hi-Fi was recorded during and after touring engagements for the preceeding Monster album in 1995 and up until a few months before its release. The critical reaction of the album was very strong, despite the fact that there were hardly any obvious hit singles to be heard, leaving listeners with the impression that the album was meant to be experienced as one long piece. R.E.M. themselves have gone on record as naming New Adventures in Hi-Fi as their finest album, a view echoed by many in their fan base.
"E-Bow The Letter", featuring an appearence by Patti Smith - a major hero of Michael Stipe's - became the band's biggest UK hit yet (reaching #4), yet surprised many by not scaling the US charts (stopping at #49), where they often had their biggest hits with their lead singles. "Bittersweet Me" and "Electrolite" were the follow-ups.
Although it reached #2 in the US and #1 in the UK, New Adventures in Hi-Fi marked the beginning of R.E.M.'s gradual commercial decline, especially in the US, where the alternative/grunge movement, popularized by the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and R.E.M. themselves, had begun to lose appeal with their aging fans. The unconventional choice of lead single in "E-Bow The Letter" has also been cited as the reason radio began to give R.E.M.'s contemporary releases limited airplay time, adding to the curbing of their US sales.
Nonetheless, New Adventures in Hi-Fi is still a highly respected R.E.M. release, and in 1998 Q magazine readers voted it the 59th greatest album of all time.
In 2005, Warner Bros. Records issued an expanded two-CD edition of New Adventures in Hi-Fi.
Track Listing
All songs by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.
- "How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us" - 4:31
- "The Wake-Up Bomb" - 5:08
- "New Test Leper" - 5:26
- "Undertow" - 5:09
- "E-Bow The Letter" - 5:23
- "Leave" - 7:18
- "Departure" - 3:28
- "Bittersweet Me" - 4:06
- Written for the Italian film Stanco e Nudo
- "Be Mine" - 5:32
- "Binky The Doormat" - 5:01
- "Zither" - 2:33
- "So Fast, So Numb" - 4:12
- "Low Desert" - 3:30
- "Electrolite" - 4:05
- Published in 1996 by Night Garden Music and administered on the surface world by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Personnel
- Michael Stipe - vocals
- Peter Buck - guitar
- Mike Mills - bass, backup vocals, keyboards, organ, piano
- Bill Berry - drums, percussion
- Patti Smith - does vocals with Michael Stipe on "E-Bow the Letter". She appears courtesy of Arista Records.
- Scott McCaughey does the Arp Odyssey on "Undertow" and "Leave", the Farfisa on "Binky the Doormat", the autoharp on "Zither", and the piano on "Bittersweet Me", "So Fast, So Numb", and "Low Desert".
- Nathan December does guitar on "How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us", "The Wake-Up Bomb", "Undertow", "Leave", "Departure", "Binky the Doormat", slide guitar on "Low Desert", the tambourine on "Zither", and the guiro on "Electrolite".
- Andy Carlson does the violin on "Electrolite"
- Seattle engineer: Adam Kaspar
- Assistant Seattle engineer: Sam Hofstedt
- Additional recording and mixing: John Keane Studio
- Athens engineer: John Keane
- Assistant Athens engineer: William Field
- Louie's Clubhouse, Los Angeles engineer: Pat McCarthy
- Assisant Louie's Clubhouse, Los Angeles engineer: Victor Janacua
- Mixed by: Scott Litt, R.E.M., John Keane
- Tour recording engineers: Joe O'Herlihy, Jo Ravitch, Jeff Wooding
- Technical assistance: Mark Mytrowitz
- Drum tech: Bill Thomson
- Digital editing: Eric Stolz
- Mastering: Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering
- Packaging: Chris Bilheimer, Michael Stipe
- Photo printing: Ian McFarlane
- Warner Bros. ally: Tom Recchion, Marcel Duchamp
