Reveal | 
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| Artist: R.e.m.
Label: Warner Brothers
Category: Music
List Price: £15.99
Buy Used: £0.02
You Save: £15.97 (100%)
New (64) Used (67) Collectible (4) from £0.02
Rating:  83 reviews
Sales Rank: 33126
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 47946
UPC: 093624794622
EAN: 0009362479462
ASIN: B00005BL29
Release Date: May 14, 2001
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: unwanted collection
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| Tracks:
| • | Lifting | | • | I've Been High | | • | All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star) | | • | She Just Wants To Be | | • | Disappear | | • | Saturn Return | | • | Beat A Drum | | • | Imitation Of Life | | • | Summer Turns To High | | • | Chorus And The Ring | | • | I'll Take The Rain | | • | Beachball |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
REM have no right, at this advanced stage in their career, to be making such spirited and beautiful music as that on Reveal. Twenty years after "Radio Free Europe", they're still jiggy as year-old pups. Reveal is the sound of a band who have moved beyond feeling the need to change or to prove themselves to each new generation, but still want to make music that expresses a passion for life. Michael Stipe's voice has never been more evocatively beautiful than it is on "I've Been High", and Peter Buck's eclectic tunesmithery has continued in the highly accessible vein it was mining on their previous album, Up. Those who yearn to hear the Stipe of old, mumbling incomprehensibly behind murky Byrds-u-like chords, will remain disappointed by his increasing emergence as an upfront vocalist whose lyrics, if never entirely self-explanatory, now make ingenious use of phrases, images and vignettes that anybody can identify with. Hovering over much of the album is the spirit of Brian Wilson, whose melodic and harmonic genius is echoed in "Beachball" and almost transcended in the astonishingly plangent "Summer Turns to High". With so much to live up to from "Losing My Religion" to "Man On the Moon", it's not far short of astonishing that REM can still come up with a song like "Imitation of Life", whose gorgeously chiming and shimmering chorus sets the heart soaring and the eyes misting over. That song alone would be worth the price of admission but, fortunately, from the first synthesiser swirls of the album's opener, "The Lifting", there's not a dud to be heard in the entire dozen cuts. --Johnny Black
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| Customer Reviews: Read 78 more reviews...
 Hmmmmm May 22, 2008
bumble76 (Norfolk, England)
I thought it would be interesting to see what customer rating this album has after looking at all the 'return to form after the last two disappointments' reviews of Accelerate. I like Accelerate but I prefer this one, it having several standout songs for me, including The Lifting, She Just Wants To Be, I'll Take The Rain and Beat A Drum. It's just how I feel of course, so it might not be any use to you and I'm sure others are more descriptive, but the album as a whole to me feels like a familiar, claustrophobic summer - but more pleasant than that sounds. Check out the version of Beat A Drum on the Best Of REM double CD if you like the standard version on this album. I like it even more...
 UnderEstimation - Easily one of the Best July 31, 2005
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I'm glad no-one under-estimated She Just Wants to Be, which is one of my personal faves (besides Losing my Religion, Lotus, the Outsiders, Make it All OK, Final Straw, The Apologist, Wanderlust, Half a World Away, You're in the Air, Aftermath, Walk Unafraid, High Speed Train, Man on the Moon, Why Not Smile, The Worst Joke Ever, Nightswimming, Parakeet, Falls to Climb...), but why why why do you people underestimate Imitation of Life? Its upbeat rhythm and easily rememberable lyrics put it in the league of Losing my Religion, and if it's one of my favourites, you can tell how I like this song. I love almost all REM, but this album is easily a favourite. Miss it at your peril!
 Mind-numbingly boring June 25, 2004
Sam Jeffreys (Poole, UK)
6 out of 23 found this review helpful
First of all, I'd like to say that I'm a big R.E.M. fan, and I've really liked all of their albums, with the exception of 'New Adventures' and, now, this one. Whereas previously, R.E.M. have introduced a new sound on practically every album, 'Reveal' remains firmly rooted in 'Up' territory. However, 'Up' had a lot more variety and much better tunes. This is just a 54 minute mire of plodding, incredibly boring songs. Michael's voice, while using a better range than on 'Up,' sounds mainly weak and too light. The first few tracks certainly showcase good tunes, but go on too long. The album drags, and the tempo rarely lifts. The *only* high point on the album, the only song which kicks into a higher tempo and therefore sticks out like a sore (but very welcome) thumb is the first single, 'Imitation of Life' which is a pop gem. After that, the tracklisting returns to the same dreary, fluffy-light pedestrian pace it was at before. The album is *way* too long, and could have easily lost a couple of tracks, for example, 'Chorus and the Ring,' which is one of the most boring things I've heard in recent memory.
R.E.M. sound bored and tired on this record, but not as bored and tired as I became, listening to it.
REM brings us a beautiful sun-kissed album February 5, 2003
J. Day (UK)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
You could be forgiven for noting the similarities between Up and Reveal as they are both feature mainly slow tempo yet stirring, almost chill-out numbers. However, Reveal seems to have a prominent Summer feel to it especially in blissed-out 'Summer Turns to High', the care-free 'Beat a Drum' the shining 'The Lifting' and the shimmering 'All the Way to Reno'. Also worth a mention is the song 'Beachball', which feels a little odd even for REM, but has a nice holiday-island style sound to it.
Also featuring on the album is the brilliant yet catchy 'Imitation of Life', the true to life 'She Just Wants To Be' and 'Disappear', and the sombre yet defiant 'I'll Take the Rain'.
Although a slightly unorthodox sound for the band (as they seem to be exploring just about every type of instrument, synth and sound effect possible), still one of the most moving and unique REM albums available. Words simply cannot do it justice.
Back to their best January 1, 2003
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Having ben an REM fan since I could barely spell the name I have followed with interest their rise to fame, super stardom and then begin the descent from n.o 1 band in the world to having a cult status as opposed to being evryone's favourite band of the moment. Throughout this illustrious career they have produced classic albums such as murmur, document and automatic for the people. I would have to (without a hint of bias) put reveal on this list of classic rem albums. There is the atmosphere of the experimental up mixed with the melodies of automatic for the people. Opener Lifting sets the tone for what is probably rem's most cheery album, at least from a lyrical point of view. Imitation of life is a typical rem song drivin with pete bucks jangly guitar and stipes obscure lyrics. Standout track She Just Wants to be, builds up to an explosive climax. This album whets the appetite. Go buy this album then see them live and you will begin to get a fuller picture as to why this band are one of the best in the business.
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