REM: Classic or dud?

No, I think the the biggest irony of all is that those early R.E.M. albums still hold up.

if R.E.M. had broken up in 1997, the millennials would be demanding their reunion at the coachella

dead john bonham ftw

REM don't even seem to have the cross generational visibility of

who cares? why should they? and it doesn't matter.

I think the early R.E.M. albums still hold up but I also hear very little R.E.M. in contempo indie, Real Estate included, and I think that's why they went down the memory hole at Pitchfork.

And yes, that Bangles EP is great -- How Is The Air Up There? especially -- though I think All Over the Place is where they really achieve mastery of what they're doing.

Photos from May 16, 1980

I remember back when they used to say that they would have a gig on December 31st, 1999 and when the clock stroke twelve they would split. Even though it always sounded implausible, my teenager self found that idea so poetic I couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed when 2000 came and they were still there. The albums they released after that point didn't relieve my disappointment either.

It seems really clear now but, even though Stipe was always the spokesperson, I can't think of any other of the big bands that was less about the individuals and more about the band than R.E.M was. Which I suppose also hurts their marketability in today's landscape: there's no clear charismatic figure with a compelling narrative to sell the band; they also don't belong to any scene that's been rediscovered either.

Anyway, these kind of things happen all the time. Bowie and Talking Heads were pretty much has beens in the late 90's-early 2000's and look at how revered they're now.

there's no clear charismatic figure with a compelling narrative to sell the band

I never thought that'd be much of an issue for rock bands. I know that for pop stars coming out of the tv talent contests the "journey" is a big selling point but it doesn't seem to have any lasting power or have much effect in other countries.

I think REM basically played the game right. They were indie weirdoes from the start and that's what they sort of are now, like a Feelies that convinced millions of people to buy their records. We're talking about a band that didn't even bother touring behind its two biggest records. Possibly their two weirdest, most eccentric records, at that. They always seemed happy keeping it low key, playing clubs, going to house parties/shows in Athens, etc. Pretty private and insular. The nicest thing about them fading back into the ether is their albums have remained vital, viable things ripe for rediscovery.

They were indie weirdoes from the start and that's what they sort of are now, like a Feelies that convinced millions of people to buy their records.

They started out as indie weirdos, but they turned into this shlocky, boring, baroque bands. They're not like the Feelies at all on their last, what, 5-10 records?

they just got older. it happens. ask bob mould about it!

nothing beats how embarrassed i was when i went and saw the tom tom club in like 1990. oh my god someone's parents were drunk and having a crazy funky luau party in a club in philly and it was not easy to watch. how far the mighty had fallen...

Peter Buck used to talk about how they never wanted to fall into rock star dinosaur band cliches, specifically mentioning the Who. This was before he was arrested for drunkenly trashing an airplane cabin and attacking a flight attendant, and before they did a GREATEST HITS! tour without their original drummer.

I think even late on REM are still quite odd, but not weird.

Man, over-analyzing the word "weird" here. Just meant quirky, not, like, "Swordfishtrombones" or whatever. Though certainly "Murmur" has its share of weird, and for top selling major label breakthroughs I think "Out of Time" and "Automatic" are, yeah, a little weird. Same with "New Adventures. Of course, whatever they did weird they made normal, which I guess makes it not weird, but that's hindsight. I do agree they got lame when they went big, but that whole post-Berry period is like an afterthought or echo.

seems weird that stipey has never made a solo album. seems like someone who would REALLY want to make a solo album. maybe we should applaud his modesty.

Liked him with Golden Palominos.

i'm more surprised mike mills hasn't made a solo album

his guest stuff has always been fine. he should do a duet album. no more sea shanties with courtney though.

i liked when he would just pop up in the background in a no big deal way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge26Aybem2M

and this one of course...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfW4-nP2G1Q

a your ghost-like duet album could be nice!

I'm not sure Stipe was ever much of a songwriter, I always got the sense his job was to write/sing the lyrics and look enigmatic and let the others deal with the music. There was a very specific alchemy that collapsed when Berry left.

He is genuinely more likely to direct a film than release a solo album.

Totally agree with Matt DC. I'm not sure Stipe on his own has much to say through music; so much of R.E.M. was collaboration from Berry, Buck and Mills. I remember seeing some rockumentaries showing how R.E.M. wrote their music and it was very much a collaborative effort. I think I remember there even were lyrics in signature songs that Stipe didn't write (wasn't most of Perfect Circle written by Berry?)

Hindsight's 20 20, of course, but R.E.M. were such a tight unit, it's easy to see why they crumbled down after Hi-Fi.

I just remembered their appearance in the VMAs 95 and Stipe saying "If anyone on this foursome leaves this couch right now, the other three would be more comfortable, but we wouldn't be R.E.M.". Which sounds like a cliche, but ended up being totally true in their case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTklT8u0L7U

but that's him in the spotlight! just would have figured he would have wanted a solo diva moment. although i mentioned the collab/duet thing cuz i think that comes more naturally to him. so maybe he is a shrinking violet after all. remember when he was the shy one? hiding behind the hair. they are all the shy one though in a way.

Berry is or was the most obstreperous and out-there personality of the four; they fell off hard when he left and took most of their rock attitude with him

Im not really interested in looking out for Stipe related material, new stuff anyway; maybe the other three reined him in but he was a compelling enough frontman in the 80s and 90s but from the millenium onwards hes been terrible imo

yeah i'm not saying anyone would listen to it, just seems like a natural thing for a front-singer guy to do. videos, artwork, the whole vision thing. don't call me crazy. it totally is a normal thing for lead singers of bands to do.

yeah! it's surprising he hasn't made a solo album produced/masterminded by like moby or nigel godrich.

Maybe he should a Fred Schneider and bring Albini in

Should do a

maybe he should just bring fred schneider in!

imaginary 90's stipe album would feature patti smith rapping on it probably.

flea contributing scintillating funk bass

CD single with future sound of london remix...

Best Stipe appearances - Hitchcock and Hersh as shown above, but also his Golden Palominos tracks and one with the Blue Aeroplanes. Any others of note?

i remember the neneh cherry one being not great.

neneh cherry would have been on the 90's solo album. scatting with q-tip.

stipe (in a skirt!) w/ thom yorke at the tibetan freedom concert in '98 blew the mind of little teenage me.

oh yeah baby...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4oE5h4Z7Zg

little fluffy clouds it ain't...

there are like 4 songs on that utah saints album with stipe samples for some reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vkSt2fePvs

(wasn't most of Perfect Circle written by Berry?)

That's one, and "Driver 8" is another supposedly written completely by Berry.

kinda nice. doesn't sound like they were in the same room but what do i know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP0Sd8Cyy9c

Kind of feels like Wilco pretty much picked up where REM left off in a few ways, especially as heartland/experimental/conventional albums that each have a distinct aural/visual concept to them.

Stipe's backing vocals are "you broke up my neighborhood" are good

Argh iPhone.. his backing vocals on billy bragg's "you woke up my neighborhood" are good

Argh iPhone.. his backing vocals on billy bragg's "you woke up my neighborhood" are good

XPS And Wilco opened for them on the UP! tour! #Symbolic

i saw the feelies open up for them once. i like to mention that.