Is there any specific reason that no other R.E.M. albums besides UP have the lyrics printed on them? Is it because Bill was always for putting lyrics on the album and they did it in honor of him? Or maybe Bill was the only one against it? Or maybe it was just another step in their metamorphasis? Help me!!!

-- kent stevens (smashingpete@yahoo.com), June 21, 2000

Answers

I thought (i may be wrong)that stipe said in an interview after the release of up that the reason they put the lyrics in was because they felt that up's lyrics were more readable than those of the other albums. He said for the all the other albums, the lyrics had been designed to be sung and heard but not read, and after up was written they all decided that having the lyrics on the album would work. Also, i think they were pleased with the lyrics, after all, they are pretty cool.

Hope this helps

-- mark (MarkStephenBell@hotmail.com), June 21, 2000.

well, I dont remember what interview they said it in, perhaps it was Falls To Climb, but the final touches were being made to the recording of the album, and Michael, as per usual, had all his lyric sheets taped to the wall - just so he knew which songs he had finished writing, and which he hadn't. Anyway, as the story goes, Mike was sitting beside them one day and began just reading them and said "Hey Michael, you know, these arereally great lyrics. Probably the best you've ever written...why not print them on the Album". Michael had worked hard on them, and they were making a new departure in their approach to things, that time around, and they'd never printed lyrics before (apart from World Leader Pretend, on Green). Basically (and I really hate that word) they just liked the lyrics, and felt that it was something different to put on the Album.

Kinda makes you think whats gonna be on the next album......

Bye,Bye

-- phons (phonzerelli@yahoo.com), June 21, 2000.

You should go to Historical -> Historical Forum -> "R.E.M. on Up" at this site. I distinctly remember transcribing an answer to that question from the 1998 BBC Radio 1 interview. Fascinating.

-- Craig (Craig@remrock.com), June 21, 2000.

They started not putting lyrics on their album without any motive and the went on till New Adventures In Hi-Fi...then,on UP,they wrote the lyrics...I think thay wrote them because they tryed to "re-invent" the band after Billy's leaving...i think that UP is a different album,with many changes and one of them is to put the lyrics inside. That's all ;)

-- Jadey (giadariceputi@libero.it), August 18, 2000.