So why is R.E.M.’s Reveal on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
New AdveNew Adventures in Hi-Fi, released in 1996, conjures feelings of movement and travel, while Up (1998), R.E.M.’s first post-Bill Berry album, focuses on moody keyboard sounds and electronic experimentation.
Then we get Reveal in 2001, which feels more like a mystic journey in many ways, a journey into oneself, perhaps. It’s a dreamy-feeling album that reminds me of the desert, and it’s also one that feels a bit more self-assured versus Up.
“Imitation of Life” is the song that most people might remember from Reveal, and it’s the most upbeat and pop oriented on the record. It’s also outstanding, easily one of the band’s very best from the post-Berry era.
And it also boasts one of R.E.M.’s very best music videos of all time, in league with “Losing My Religion.” It’s bizarre and artsy and oddly addictive and kind of funny and super cool all at once.
I was lucky enough to catch R.E.M. in concert just once in my life, and it was magical, a summer outdoor concert at the iconic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. When Reveal came out, I enjoyed “I’ve Been High” well enough but didn’t really give it much consideration past that.
That opinion changed based on Michael Stipe’s showstopping performance of it during the concert. It wasn’t flashy at all, just a simple spotlight and arrangement that allowed his voice and personality to shine. And it blew me away. Ever since, I’ve viewed the studio version of it quite differently and continue to adore it to this day.
“All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)” feels to me both like a road song and a mystic journey song, and perhaps its shoutout to Reno, Nevada is partially why I think of Reveal as having desert vibes. It also has a dreamy feel, meshed in with R.E.M.’s unique pop, rock, and electronica sensibilities during this era.
“I’ll Take the Rain” is a drop-dead gorgeous pop number, quiet and sweet and then powerful and emotional.
And meanwhile, “She Just Wants to Be” is the song that compels repeat listens for me in recent years.
Some stats & info about R.E.M. – Reveal
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Pop Music, Alternative Pop
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3 out of 5 stars
- When was Reveal released? 2001
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #220 out of 1,000
R.E.M.’s Reveal on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from R.E.M.’s Reveal that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
You want the greatest thing, the greatest thing since bread came sliced.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.