R.E.M.
R.E.M. got together in the spring of '80. Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass), Bill Berry (drums) and Michael Stipe (vocals) were students at the University of Georgia but weren't real interested in their education. Their first gig was in a run down church that had been converted into apartments. Shortly thereafter, they were playing clubs, halls and parties.
After some low-key independent efforts R.E.M. signed with I.R.S. in '82. The "Chronic Town" EP was followed by albums "Murmur" with "(Don't Go To) Rockville," "Reckoning" and "Fables Of The Reconstruction." They were dispatched to an ever growing legion of faithful. In '87 "Document" came out with "The One I Love" and "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." They were on top of the indie world.
R.E.M. then left I.R.S. and signed with Warner Records, for a tidy sum. That led to the "Green" CD with the quirky "Stand," "Pop Song '89" and the much harder and denser "Orange Crush." But road life proved extreme with every member suffering a major health problem. So the band suspended further touring until '95. Back in the studio R.E.M. produced "Out Of Time" containing "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People" and "Automatic For The People" with "Man On The Moon," referencing late comedian Andy Kaufman.
"Monster" followed in '94 and featured "What's The Frequency, Kenneth" which was what an attacker yelled as he pummeled television newscaster Dan Rather. Also on the CD was "Bang and Blame" and Rockin' "Crush With Eyeliner."
In '97 Bill Berry left the band for health reasons and R.E.M. continued as a trio. Coincidentally, R.E.M. began to slow down appreciably which left a lot of time to fill. Consider, for a moment, Peter Buck's life. It was not the '80s any more. Sure, there was the occasional tour, one-off charity concert or Trans-Atlantic flight but not a whole lot going on day to day. So Buck's life consisted of driving his kids to a Seattle private school. Maybe on the way home he stopped at the neighborhood Starbucks and grabbed a newspaper. That and a latte killed twenty minutes. At home Buck might get wired on the "Price Is Right" or the daytime soaps. Lets hope not. When you've done it all, there isn't much left except to abuse airline attendants. Stipe was "busy" as a Hollywood producer, which probably took less time than Buck's chauffeuring duties. With the exception of Berry, R.E.M. needed R.E.M. The "Reveal" CD ('01) was for R.E.M. and fans. Best thought of as a project designed to allow Buck, Stipe and Mills some quality time together while providing an illusion of productivity. It's one day at a time for Rock stars. But it wasn't always that way.
 |
'03 release "In Time: The Best Of R.E.M." showed, in a concise disc, what this band achieved in their lengthy career. A second disc contained live material and songs that hadn't previously appeared on R.E.M. albums. The laidback "Around The Sun" arrived in '04.
R.E.M. issued their first concert album in '07. "R.E.M. Live, " a two-CD, one-DVD package, documented an '05 Dublin show. The 22 song set focused on songs from '04's "Around The Sun" but also included "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville," "Losing My Religion," "Man On The Moon" and "Orange Crush."
'06 could have been called a 'retrospective year." The CD "And I Feel Fine... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982 -1987" and the DVD "When The Light Is Mine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982 -1987" were released simultaneously.
R.E.M. was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. While rehearsing for the ceremony the band recorded a cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" for "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur," a tribute album benefiting Amnesty International. Released as a single, the track marked Berry's first appearance with the band in over a decade. To top off the year, R.E.M. was nominated for the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame (in their first year of eligibility). When they were offically inducted, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder handled the honors. Berry also performed with the group at the ceremony.
R.E.M.'s fourteenth studio album, "Accelerate" landed in April, '08. Recorded in Vancouver, B.C. (a few miles - 100 or so - north of Buck's home) and Dublin, the group played a series of live concerts in Ireland's capital to warm up for the studio sessions. "Returning to Dublin (see above) for our live rehearsal… provides the great start we need for our next album's work," said Stipe. That did the trick. "Accelerate" sold 115,000 copies in its first week to land at #2 on the Billboard 200 (U.S.) The album made its debut at #1 in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and the Czech Republic and #2 in Germany, Italy, Holland and Austria.
R.E.M. began on I.R.S. Records. In the mid-80s they switched to Warner Records, which broadened their audience. The I.R.S. albums are generally very strong with "Document" as their best and most Rockin' album from that period. Overall though, "Green" is R.E.M.'s major accomplishment. "Out of Time" is next with the strongest song line-up. "Automatic For The People" and "Monster" are also worth owning. "In Time: The Best Of R.E.M." is a two disc set. The first disc is an 18-track collection of the group's hits, more interesting efforts and two new songs, "Bad Day" and "Animal". No arguing with that. "Bad Day" ("it's been a bad day, please don't take our picture") in particular is a rousing Rocker in the classic R.E.M. mold. Surprisingly perhaps, they still have some gas in the tank. For the person who already owns most of the hits on individual albums the second disc is probably of more interest. It includes an impressive acoustic version of "Pop Song '89," soundtrack material and a couple live tracks.
While "Around The Sun" has a touch of Dylan ("Wanderlust"), a nod to U2's "Pop Mart" era ("Electron Blue") and even Jethro Tull ("The Worst Joke Ever"), R.E.M. seems focused on being the Eagles of the '90s. Unfortunately, it's '04. The album revolves around regret, neglect and suspicion and is pleasant enough but hardly worth jumping off the couch for.
After "Around The Sun" who would have thought the ol' boys had it in them? But they get inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame then turn around and release "Accelerate," their best CD in a long, long time.
Gotta Haves:
"Green" ('88) R.E.M. comes out of the gate Rockin'. Though it has the tongue in cheek title "Pop Song '89," the opening track is a riff driven Rocker. "Stand" is a cheery organ/guitar romp with Stipe's out of body lyrics. "Orange Crush" has a wall-of-sound approach that Buck's guitar slices through. The song is dense but not plodding. It even employs military cadences and is loaded with hooks. The lyrics are obscure enough that you can read almost anything into them. "You Are The Everything," "Hair Shirt" and "World Leader Pretend" are great songs and excellent performances.
"Out Of Time" ('91) "Losing My Religion" turned out to be R.E.M.'s biggest pop hit. "Shiny Happy People" was another successful single. But what makes this album special is not the hits but the incredible quality throughout. "Near Wild Heaven," the romping "Texarkana" and the brilliant "Me In Honey" shows R.E.M. hitting on all cylinders.
| |||