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R.E.M.
DELIVERING LIVE
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R.E.M.’s new Around the Sun (Warner Bros.) is a good album. It rocks more than their previous two discs, which compensated for the retirement of drummer Bill Berry by dipping into sonic experimentation and conceptual exercises. But there’s a vitality that’s still missing. The single "Leaving New York" and even the political numbers "The Outsiders" and "Final Straw" lack an edge. Chiming guitar and keyboard melodies and Michael Stipe’s laid-back vocal approach keep things smooth. Q-Tip’s guest rap on "The Outsiders" sounds more like a mere rational opinion than like the personal stand it’s written to be. Listening to R.E.M.’s Berry-less recordings, you might think they’ll never yell "fire" on an album again. R.E.M. are, however, still shouting "fire" in crowded theaters. Well, maybe not crowded. When the band who sprang from Athens to put their mark on post-punk music came to Boston last Friday, the FleetCenter was half full. Nonetheless, they played full-on, cranking the new material up with the double-guitar attack of charter member Peter Buck and touring R.E.M.-er Scott McCaughey. And Stipe hit the stage with plenty of energy, doing a mad-puppet mamba as he delivered revved versions of new tunes as well as old hits like "The One I Love" and "What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?" and fan favorites like "World Leader Pretender," with its lyrics tweaked a bit to tweak our own straw-man president. Even the ballad "Losing My Religion" was delivered on a sturdy rocking frame, propelled with absolute commitment by Ministry/Pigface drummer Bill Rieflin, who’s been added to the live line-up. So new-found power — at least in concert — and, occasionally, politics emerged as the night’s themes. Stipe repeatedly urged the audience to vote and made a few plugs for John Kerry. Less convincing were evocations of the Red Sox’ victory couched in the admission that he isn’t much of a sports fan. He doesn’t need to be. Rock and roll is Stipe’s and his mates’ playing field. And though R.E.M. no longer seem to be in their championship season, their Boston performance assured their fans that they’re still in the game.
BY TED DROZDOWSKI
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