New Adventures in Hi-Fi
| R.E.M.
New Adventures in Hi-Fi
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was their fifth major label release for Warner Bros. Records, released on September 9, 1996, in Europe and Australia and the following day in the United States. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
Welcome to the new beginning.
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Stereogum
It’s an album about movement in ways physical and abstract, spiritual and chronological. Those are the albums you take with you.
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uDiscover Music
Arguably less immediate and less accessible than previous R.E.M. landmark LPs, New Adventures In Hi-FI was a sprawling, “White Album”-esque affair clocking in at 65 minutes.
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Diffuser
At the height of the band’s popularity (at least in the U.S.), R.E.M. was a mess. And they delivered a beautiful, messy record to prove it.
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A.V. Club Music
It's not just that it was recorded in numerous bizarre locations during the band's last tour; it's that it displays that restless movement on a creative level as well.
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BBC
Remove the filler and this is a very good album, perhaps even the last great REM album.
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Salon
A road album without borders.
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Sputnik Music
Some killer more filler.
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Albumism
New Adventures sold poorly, but record sales be damned. The performances exceed those heard on its most immediate precursor Monster, yet lack the narrative its other two predecessors, Out of Time and Automatic for the People, constructed.
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Vinyl Me, Please
At its dystopian zenith, all the players come together in shivering waves of songcraft and sorrow.
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All Music
New Adventures in Hi-Fi may run a little too long -- it clocks in at 62 minutes, by far the longest album R.E.M. has ever released -- yet in its multifaceted sprawl, they wound up with one of their best records of the '90s.
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Steve Hoffman
An underrated classic.
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Sean is Here
If you want a good estimation of what R.E.M. were driving at in the 90s, New Advenutres is a decent place to start.
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Louder than War
NAIHF is like leaving a Polaroid in an abandoned darkroom – slowly it reveals its secrets and imagery, but never at once, and never completely.
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Backseat Mafia
NOT FORGOTTEN.
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The Music Box
The tunes inevitably become more compelling in their newly minted, three-dimensional state, and as a result, they resonate more greatly than ever.
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The Guardian
Though it has aged well, it is at times too long and scattershot.
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Hooks and Harmony
I’m glad I rediscovered New Adventures in Hi-Fi.
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Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
Iinstead of sticking with noisy punk, the band regresses to its sweeter, more relaxed early 90s sound, with a heavy emphasis on jangly, feel-good ballads.
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The New York Times
A significant transformation.
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Don Ignacio's Music Reviews
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is an altogether decent R.E.M. album.
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Jeremy Dylan
An overlooked classic.
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Adrian's Album Reviews
A fine record, a fine album. A forgotten masterpiece? Well, I've not forgotten it.
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Jim Dero
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is a good album.
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Louder Sound
Undervalued.
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Sabotage Times
Underrated.
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Flagpole
New Adventures is undoubtedly one of the best R.E.M. albums and, at the same time, not one of my favorites. But that’s no indictment—I’m just thankful I found it, if maybe a year too late.
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SPIN
A ghostly, raucous, and lovely reverie on motion (both physical and vehicular), full of zithers, angst, Mellotrons, and even jangly guitars.
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John McFerrin's Music Reviews
Mediocre/Good.
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The Solute
The band known as R.E.M. would never be the same again.
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Only Solitaire
At least they've maintained their integrity by making a decidedly non-commercial album like this one - but that doesn't mean it's any good.
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Spokesman
A rich, textured album with a constant shuffling of up-and-down moods.
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People
Here is a “studio” album that resonates with the shotgun spirit of a restless band on the run.
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Sports Politik
The lyrics sound like they were hurriedly scrawled on the back of a three-ring notebook on the way to the recording sessions.
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The Atlantic
It's an eclectic, darkly evocative album encompassing a stunning range of styles.
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Mark's Record Reviews
Chop off about twenty minutes and you got a damn fine album. Leave 'em on, as you evidently decided to do, and you got a 65-minute marathon with maybe six great songs and more filler than you can shake a featherduster at.
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everything2
New Adventures in Hi-Fi represents an introspective look back to the band's earlier works.
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Free City Sounds
For people who want to believe that R.E.M. were still a great band in the 90s, for people who are impressed by size (at 65 minutes, this is the longest R.E.M. album by a mile) and for people who are impressed by loudness.
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Telegraph
The appeal of REM lies in the ambiguity of their lyrics.
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Culture Greyhound
Far and away my favorite R.E.M. album.
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Digital Spy
What many consider to be their last great record with New Adventures In Hi-Fi.
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Sean Is Here
My advice: if you want a good estimation of what R.E.M. were driving at in the 90s, New Advenutres is a decent place to start.
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Classic Rock History
Bridge[s] the gap between the contrasting musical styles of their past, and the record is all the richer for it.
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