R.E.M. "calls it a day", breaks up after three decades

SlushPuppy · « **on:** 21 Sep 2011, 11:19 pm »

I think Document was their last truly great record. Automatic For The People was the last one I bought. I pretty much stopped being excited about their new releases for the last 15 years, but their first five albums are some of my all-time favorites.

Link

zybar · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Sep 2011, 11:38 pm »

While none of their later albums matched the first 5-6 records, their last few releases were actually pretty decent.

I remember seeing them for the first time during my freshman year of college for the "Green" tour. They were so young, raw, and full of energy!! They rocked out and played for what seemed liked hours and hours. I saw them a bunch of times after that, but nothing ever matched the raw emotion and visceral feeling that the first show had on me.

Happy retirement guys and thanks for 30+ years of great music.

George

golfugh · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Sep 2011, 11:40 pm »

Been a huge fan for a long time....Thanks!!

ltr317 · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 09:00 am »

Wait another ten years and it will be reunion time.

lokie · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 12:12 pm »

Automatic for the People is just one of those great front to back albums... and, incidentally, I ate at Weaver D's last week. I'm also hoping to catch them one last time at http://www.georgiatheatre.com/,
which just opened after being closed for a few years from a fire.

They'll be back and I bet it won't take 10 years.

BikeWNC · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 12:28 pm »

I first saw REM in 1980 in a small basement club in Raleigh when they opened for the British punk band 999. I think there may have been 30 people at that show! I bought their EP that week (I still have it). I saw them several more times through the 1980s and early 90s at larger venues and each show was great. My favorite album still is Fables of the Reconstruction. Though Stipe mumbled his way through it, it had a flow and cohesiveness that grabbed me.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 01:52 pm »

I have to agree with everyone that they have become a bit irrelevant in the last few years, but man were they hot thru those early years. That fabulously different sound combined with biting social commentary, complete with no lyrics, you just had to listen. I just got the latest album on a whim, sounded fantastic in the car, then when I got it home I was underwhelmed when played on the big rig. Yes, it's time to walk away, at least for a bit.

Athens, GA and Austin, TX, the two anchors of southern alternative music for so long now.

jparkhur · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 02:14 pm »

Listening to Document and Automatic for the People all day.... JP

Jerrin · « **Reply #8 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 03:12 pm »

R.E.M. is my 2nd favorite band and one I have enjoyed since the middle 80's. My favorite music from them is pretty much the 80's through the middle 90's. After that point, I no longer enjoyed their music as I used to. Even years later, I have not heard many songs more beautiful than Find the River. I would have loved the chance to see them live, but it never worked out.

That said, I do appreciate that they had several albums and songs on DVD-A.

ratso · « **Reply #9 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 03:12 pm »

easy to forget how innovative and good they were when they first started. but it cracks me up when they put out in their press release that they are quitting because they know when to walk away or something like that. ummmm... yeah... that would have been over 15 years ago, the time to walk away.

lokie · « **Reply #10 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 04:14 pm »

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it cracks me up when they put out in their press release that they are quitting because they know when to walk away or something like that. ummmm... yeah... that would have been over 15 years ago, the time to walk away.

I think Bill Berry may have seen the writing on the wall when he quit '97.

jackman · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 04:28 pm »

One of my favorite band a long long time ago. They should have hung it up a long time ago. I saw them years ago when a young and relatively new band opened for them and stole the show. The opening act was Radiohead.

At that show, Stipe stood there in the same spot and mumbled into a microphone while reading lyrics from a notepad. After each song, he tore out the page and threw it on the stage. He counld not have phoned in a lazier, less interested effort. one of the worst shows I have ever seen.

I'm still a fan of their older recordings.

ratso · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 04:37 pm »

was he wearing bright blue eyeshadow at the time

jackman · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 07:09 pm »

Quote from: ratso on 22 Sep 2011, 04:37 pm

was he wearing bright blue eyeshadow at the time

Sorry, I couldn't tell. Stipe barely addressed the audience and literally read he words from a spiral notebook, tearing pages out after each song and throwing the page on the floor afterwards. I never felt the same about REM afterthat show.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #14 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 09:30 pm »

Quote from: SlushPuppy on 21 Sep 2011, 11:19 pm

I think Document was their last truly great record. Automatic For The People was the last one I bought. I pretty much stopped being excited about their new releases for the last 15 years, but their first five albums are some of my all-time favorites.

Link

I'm with you on Document. I found them to be increasingly annoying from then on. Everybody has a 9/11 story or two. One of mine is from the next day. I heard "Losing My Religion" and thought, "I wonder how REM is going to translate in this new era?"

nathanm · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 Sep 2011, 10:04 pm »

I can't officially call myself a fan, I don't follow their releases, but they still get some play time on my system now and then. I can listen to "Welcome To The Occupation" a number of times in a row and not get tired of it. I don't know my key signatures very well, but whatever that one is in as opposed to the other tunes…I like it. They were an ex-girlfriend's favorite band, so there's some nostalgia there too. My guess is that 30 yrs. is probably way too long for any band to exist, so it sounds like this breakup is a good idea.

Diamond Dog · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Sep 2011, 03:20 am »

Food for thought on this topic:

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/pop-life/r-e-m-r-i-p-thank-you-for-running-it-into-the-ground-20110922

D.D.

pardales · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 Sep 2011, 04:13 am »

All good things must come to an end. One of my favorite bands. If you like the early stuff the there is a remaster compilation of the IRA label albums that is really good.

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 Sep 2011, 04:38 am »

Quote from: Diamond Dog on 23 Sep 2011, 03:20 am

Food for thought on this topic:

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/pop-life/r-e-m-r-i-p-thank-you-for-running-it-into-the-ground-20110922

D.D.

I stand by my original remarks. Their first 5 albums are some of the best I've ever heard. The rest, meh... Thanks for those first 5 albums fellas. I'll listen to them till' I can't listen to them no more. You're still one of my favorite bands - ever. See ya in Vegas in 10 years

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #19 on:** 23 Sep 2011, 08:23 am »

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Wait another ten years and it will be reunion time.

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See ya in Vegas in 10 years

I'd say....in 5 years.