K Even though it was a lesser album, their tour for Green was outstanding. I don't listen to anything post Green even though I did buy Out of Time when it came out.
They were never as popular post-Monster, but the two albums they released after were of high quality. New Adventures in Hi-Fi had a huge critical reception. Personally, I think the decline started post-Up.
That sucks. I wasn't a big fan but hard to ignore their hits being played everywhere over the years and develop an appreciation for their musical influence. I imagine we are going to see a lot more bands retiring in the coming decade or two. All of the great ones will dry up that had early beginnings...and some of us will start to feel really old having grown up listening to them and attending their shows. All great things must end at some point. RIP R.E.M.
Man, surprised to hear so many people were done with R.E.M. before Automatic for the People. And I thought I was an indie snob. Anyway, I will now be playing R.E.M. on the drive home from work.
The music they've created over the years - I don’t really listen to it, but the fact that they made it, I respect that.
I'm gonna have to pull out Life's Rich Pageant when I get home. Pure greatness in their first 10yrs of existence. Wasn't happy with anything starting with Automatic for the People, but still to this day, the Green Tour at the Summit rates as one of my top concerts.
They've had their ups and downs but I respect their many years and huge creative output, and willingness to try different directions. My favorites are Automatic For The People and the underappreciated Around The Sun. Hard to believe it's finally over... which is why a "reunion" not too far down the road would not surprise me, especially now that they've finally gotten everyone's attention again.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A7N3IypQVYg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> REM - I am superman DD
I think their 90's run of "Automatic for the People," "Monster," "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" and "Up" is their best work, so suck on that indie snobs.
Now I know it was time... Right this moment I am eating dinner at Luby's reading clutchfans on my phone and Radio free Europe comes on. Bizaro. Huge fan from the beginning. Loved the early stuff but Bill leaving really took the fire out of the band.
that was the last album of theirs i enjoyed. ill put about half that one up there w/ their best work, but 'radio song' w/ KRS-1 pretty much signaled the beginning of the end. life's rich pageant is a top 15-20 all time album for me - murmur is up there too. my band in the mid-90's used to bust out a very ramshackle version of radiofree europe. saw them in 98 w/ wilco and mercury rev opening - that was on the up tour, which was actually a decent album - they put on a good show that tour. saw them at acl too a few years ago too. glad they are going out on their own terms as friends - thats rare...most people are unwilling to walk away from the cash-cow. these dudes could go rolling stones and just tour into oblivion and cash in, but i really dont think they are all about $$$ - respect yo! but a band this influential and huge should have done one last massive show - how cool would it be if they had done a big outdoor show in athens? the cure and U2 should retire next.
For me, Life's Rich Pageant will always be their best album. It's on my Desert Island Disc list. I'm sad, but I knew this was coming...Michael Stipe talked about this long low time ago...how they'd go out after a certain number of years and they'd remain friends for life. Swan, swan, hummingbird Hurrah, we're all free now I'm going to drink and reminisce now. Favorite REM song - (Don't go back to) Rockville
That's funny. My introduction to REM was as a sophomore in high school, I was asked to play drums in a band with all seniors and we played Life and How to Live It for their senior talent show. Didn't go over that well, since everyone in the audience wanted to hear Motley Crue... I thought I was the **** hanging out with the cool seniors who listened to REM, U2, RHCP, The Police, etc. while everyone else was listening to Poison, RATT and Bon Jovi.
My all-time favorite REM song <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZD2R7G3z6WU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Really enjoyed them, especially their 1987-1996 stretch. They're one of the few out there that evolved as artists, changed direction, stayed true to themselves, and succeeded. Love Green and Automatic for the People most. Slowly lost personal interest after Adventures in Hi Fi (when Stipe started playing up the "I won't tell" sexuality card, was more and more open about hating audience requests*+, and then going Boy George with the face painting). I got the sense more and more that they toured because they had to, but didn't really like it. Good for them calling it a career and walking away. My buddy once hung out with John Popper and it semi-scarred him to hear Popper talk about how much he wishes he didn't have to tour (but has to, to pay the bills). * Shiny Happy People especially. + "We're not a jukebox" became a well heard Stipe rant at shows in the mid-90s http://articles.nydailynews.com/199...17970985_1_rem-country-feedback-michael-stipe
Had a chance to see them in 89 at Southern Star Amphitheater (after spending a day at Astroworld) but passed. At the time, the only song of theirs I knew was "Stand," which to a teenage metalhead like myself, sounded like just another quirky late 80s pop song. Now, of course, I'm sorry I missed the show - you don't often get a chance to see a band close to their peak. I was never a huge fan of the band (in fact, I hated them in high school, mostly because I associate them with the band geeks who snubbed my own band at the time), but I do listen to their early albums every once in awhile. The earnestness they brought to alternative music was a nice substitute to the meatheaded hedonism so prevalent in 80s **** rock.
