The first R.E.M. album recorded without original drummer Bill Berry was Up.
Released on October 26, 1998, Up was R.E.M.'s eleventh studio album and marked a major change in the band's working method. Berry had retired from the group in October 1997 after suffering a brain aneurysm during the Monster tour. He remained on good terms with the band, but did not return as a full-time member.
Rather than replace Berry, the remaining members used session drummers, including Joey Waronker and Barrett Martin, alongside drum machines and more electronic textures. That approach helped produce Up's dreamlike, experimental sound, heard in songs such as “Airportman,” “Lotus,” and “Daysleeper.”
The album is sometimes confused with Reveal or Around the Sun because both were also made after Berry's departure. However, Up is the first post-Berry studio album. New Adventures in Hi-Fi was recorded before his retirement and still features him.