REM Broke Up!!!

[crstory]

As a Georgia native and UGA graduate, it was always evident how influential they were in the Athens community. Peter playing that black 360 will forever be etched in my memory. They will always be one of my favorite bands. Chronic town though Document are absolute treasures to me and I never get tired of listening to those them. If you're ever in Athens, Ga go by Wuxtry records (if it's still there) and check out those early vinyl records. I had the pleasure of seeing them live several times, and they always put on a great memorable live show.

[pocaloc]

I love REM, I think UP or Reveal was the last album I bought, I can't remember which is the newer one. I think it's good that they broke up because now they can bring Bill Berry back for a reunion tour, which would be amazing! I've never loved anything by them in post Bill Berry days.

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

I love REM, I think UP or Reveal was the last album I bought, I can't remember which is the newer one. I think it's good that they broke up because now they can bring Bill Berry back for a reunion tour, which would be amazing! I've never loved anything by them in post Bill Berry days.

Bill very much has his own life, separate from the band, and one of the reasons he has never returned is because HE DOE NOT WANT TO TOUR. He plays with people like Rick Fowler these days, and seems content with one-off shows instead of traveling with the same three men over and over. I can tell you that he didn't just leave because of his health...

[Kees]

R.E.M. is my all-time favorite band, but all things run their course. I'm glad they managed to squeeze one last excellent album (Accelerate). I thought "Collapse" was OK ("bad" seems a little harsh to me), but it seemed like the work of a band that was running out of steam.

If ever a band was entitled to rest on its laurels, it is these guys. Few bands have put out a string of five albums as consistently good as REM's IRS catalog, and while the WB albums never grabbed me in quite the same way, many of them are excellent in their own right.

I hope that thirty years from now there will still be a few kids who stumble across Murmur or Fables and are possessed by a sudden desire to play a Rickenbacker like Peter.

Couldn't agree more. Their albums from the 80's are monumental. I feel so priviliged to have seen them live in that period (1987, Utrecht).

[indianation65]

The band that gave me another path that fit nicely with my hard rock status of Kiss, Aerosmith and the Nuge! REM and one song, Radio Free Europe gave me a way to worship the axe and music. Legions followed suit...

...wisdom

[rickboy88]

I was greatly affected by REM with the purchase of my first Ric bass in 1984 (4001S). It was a indeed a jetglo, although I just had to have that dot inlay like McCartney's model. "So. Central Rain" will always be one of my favorite videos.

When you think about it, they were together for a very long time. I will be be 50 next March, and when I was watching their early videos and playing my LP of "Murmur" in 1983 I was only 21 years old. Holy smokes. Those younger years seem like another lifetime it was such a long time ago. Those of you still in your 20's and 30's will think the same thing when you are pushing 50.

It's great that they got through their younger, higher testosterone days when it could have quickly ended - as it did for so many other groups.

[analogpackrat]

I remember the first time I heard them on a second or third generation cassette that my younger brother made for me in the late summer of 1986. It had Fables, LRP, and a couple of tracks from Chronic Town on it. The music grabbed me immediately and I went to see them on the Pageant tour a few months later (with Let's Active opening). Saw them again on the Work tour the next year and one last time on the Monster tour. My band in college covered four R.E.M. songs (Sitting Still, Radio Free Europe, Begin the Begin, and These Days). I played keys back then, but Driver 8 was the first complete song I learned on guitar.

I will always love the early period the most--up through LRP. The middle period has some great songs as well. They kind of lost me after Automatic for the People (which was a very good album, IMO). I liked Accelerate the most of anything since then by a wide margin, but the somewhat harsh sounding production makes it harder to listen to than it should be. I'm glad they've split in an amicable way and on their own terms. I hope they all will continue to pursue their own musical journeys. They have left some beautiful music for us all to enjoy and for that I am grateful.

[pocaloc]

I love REM, I think UP or Reveal was the last album I bought, I can't remember which is the newer one. I think it's good that they broke up because now they can bring Bill Berry back for a reunion tour, which would be amazing! I've never loved anything by them in post Bill Berry days.

Bill very much has his own life, separate from the band, and one of the reasons he has never returned is because HE DOE NOT WANT TO TOUR. He plays with people like Rick Fowler these days, and seems content with one-off shows instead of traveling with the same three men over and over. I can tell you that he didn't just leave because of his health...

Well, I hope he could be convinced to do one tour in a few years. It would be an awesome reunion. I'd think it would be pretty fun to go around the world all expenses paid, for a really hefty paycheck with three old friends/bandmates. Maybe he'll change his mind for a one off deal?

[Sweden]

I'd think it would be pretty fun to go around the world all expenses paid, for a really hefty paycheck with three old friends/bandmates.

Well, having to do that was one of the main reasons he left the band, so...

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

I love REM, I think UP or Reveal was the last album I bought, I can't remember which is the newer one. I think it's good that they broke up because now they can bring Bill Berry back for a reunion tour, which would be amazing! I've never loved anything by them in post Bill Berry days.

Bill very much has his own life, separate from the band, and one of the reasons he has never returned is because HE DOE NOT WANT TO TOUR. He plays with people like Rick Fowler these days, and seems content with one-off shows instead of traveling with the same three men over and over. I can tell you that he didn't just leave because of his health...

Well, I hope he could be convinced to do one tour in a few years. It would be an awesome reunion. I'd think it would be pretty fun to go around the world all expenses paid, for a really hefty paycheck with three old friends/bandmates. Maybe he'll change his mind for a one off deal?

Well, there was a lot of talk about him coming back just to record with them. The answer was still no. There's a lot of bad-blood, no doubt. REM have always tried to make it appear that it's all warm and cuddly on the inside, but it's impossible to be around the same people for so long and get along all the time. Bill went through a bad time after the break up too: his wife leaving him, for instance. He went thorough about every symptom of depression, and even considered a major operation (Peter Buck talked about it in an interview, but I won't name what the operation was). Plus, considering the same year he left REM he was already drumming with other people like Rick Fowler... Peter Buck is probably the only member to really talk about Bill matter-of-factly. You can read some animosity in the Greatest Hits: In Time notes. Plus, notice how Peter was staring at the, obviously, disheveled Bill when they were on SNL. They're a family that loves one another, but Bill wanted out, and he meant to keep it that way.

I can't believe people are already talking about a reunion. No offense intended to anyone, though.

[jdawe]

I feel so priviliged to have seen them live in that period (1987, Utrecht).

Me too, Kees (1986, Montreal).

[Sweden]

Well, there was a lot of talk about him coming back just to record with them. The answer was still no. There's a lot of bad-blood, no doubt. REM have always tried to make it appear that it's all warm and cuddly on the inside, but it's impossible to be around the same people for so long and get along all the time. Bill went through a bad time after the break up too: his wife leaving him, for instance. He went thorough about every symptom of depression, and even considered a major operation (Peter Buck talked about it in an interview, but I won't name what the operation was). Plus, considering the same year he left REM he was already drumming with other people like Rick Fowler... Peter Buck is probably the only member to really talk about Bill matter-of-factly. You can read some animosity in the Greatest Hits: In Time notes. Plus, notice how Peter was staring at the, obviously, disheveled Bill when they were on SNL. They're a family that loves one another, but Bill wanted out, and he meant to keep it that way.

I can't believe people are already talking about a reunion. No offense intended to anyone, though.

"No offense intended to anyone"? Are you serious? With all due respect for your much-flaunted connections to Bill, I think you are way out of line here. First in spilling out personal details about Bill (very respectful, right?), but also in speculating heavily about "bad-blood", which I and many others would heavily contest based on what we know. That Bill went through a tough time after the retirement is no secret, but the rest? Yeez...

"Well, there was a lot of talk about him coming back just to record with them. The answer was still no."
Um, yes there were always speculations amongst fans and it didn't happen. Does that indicate any "bad blood"? Let's also note that with few exceptions (demos, parts of Accelerate) R.E.M. has not recorded anywhere near Athens in many years. Bill would need to travel (Bermuda, Dublin, Vancouver, Berlin) to record properly with them, unless they made a pretty heavy concession in his favour.

"notice how Peter was staring at the, obviously, disheveled Bill when they were on SNL"
You see things, Sir. What exactly do you mean? Also, this was three years before the retirement, six months before the aneruysm:
http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do? ... cid=605149

Further, Bill has recorded with them several times since the break-up. Last time was about a year ago. He has appeared on stage with the full band at least five times for both minor events (Dewitt's wedding) and major events (HoF), plus the appearances with Mike and Peter at the BBP shows.

There are numerous stories how Bill has visited them in rehearshals in Athens (sushi chef, anyone?), how Michael has gone out to the farm and played new R.E.M. albums for his before release, etc.

He did do an appreance with your best buddy Rick Fowler (this is the tenth mention he's getting form you, right?) soon after the retirement, that's true. He never said he wanted to quit playing drums though. We can also point out the obvious that the show took place in Athens and not in, say, Tokyo and he accordingly didn't have to travel (which he hated), and he of course also used that particular apperance as a chance to auction off his drums for charity.

You are out of line and you are speculating vary heavily for someone who claims some sort of inside knowledge. Please refrain from this, going forward.

/David

[indianation65]

...umm, REM is still my favorite band, of-all-time!

...wisdom

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

Well, there was a lot of talk about him coming back just to record with them. The answer was still no. There's a lot of bad-blood, no doubt. REM have always tried to make it appear that it's all warm and cuddly on the inside, but it's impossible to be around the same people for so long and get along all the time. Bill went through a bad time after the break up too: his wife leaving him, for instance. He went thorough about every symptom of depression, and even considered a major operation (Peter Buck talked about it in an interview, but I won't name what the operation was). Plus, considering the same year he left REM he was already drumming with other people like Rick Fowler... Peter Buck is probably the only member to really talk about Bill matter-of-factly. You can read some animosity in the Greatest Hits: In Time notes. Plus, notice how Peter was staring at the, obviously, disheveled Bill when they were on SNL. They're a family that loves one another, but Bill wanted out, and he meant to keep it that way.

I can't believe people are already talking about a reunion. No offense intended to anyone, though.

"No offense intended to anyone"? Are you serious? With all due respect for your much-flaunted connections to Bill, I think you are way out of line here. First in spilling out personal details about Bill (very respectful, right?), but also in speculating heavily about "bad-blood", which I and many others would heavily contest based on what we know. That Bill went through a tough time after the retirement is no secret, but the rest? Yeez...

"Well, there was a lot of talk about him coming back just to record with them. The answer was still no."
Um, yes there were always speculations amongst fans and it didn't happen. Does that indicate any "bad blood"? Let's also note that with few exceptions (demos, parts of Accelerate) R.E.M. has not recorded anywhere near Athens in many years. Bill would need to travel (Bermuda, Dublin, Vancouver, Berlin) to record properly with them, unless they made a pretty heavy concession in his favour.

"notice how Peter was staring at the, obviously, disheveled Bill when they were on SNL"
You see things, Sir. What exactly do you mean? Also, this was three years before the retirement, six months before the aneruysm:
http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do? ... cid=605149

Further, Bill has recorded with them several times since the break-up. Last time was about a year ago. He has appeared on stage with the full band at least five times for both minor events (Dewitt's wedding) and major events (HoF), plus the appearances with Mike and Peter at the BBP shows.

There are numerous stories how Bill has visited them in rehearshals in Athens (sushi chef, anyone?), how Michael has gone out to the farm and played new R.E.M. albums for his before release, etc.

He did do an appreance with your best buddy Rick Fowler (this is the tenth mention he's getting form you, right?) soon after the retirement, that's true. He never said he wanted to quit playing drums though. We can also point out the obvious that the show took place in Athens and not in, say, Tokyo and he accordingly didn't have to travel (which he hated), and he of course also used that particular apperance as a chance to auction off his drums for charity.

You are out of line and you are speculating vary heavily for someone who claims some sort of inside knowledge. Please refrain from this, going forward.

/David

Please refrain from this going forward? Are you a Mod? I stand by everything I say. Any personal details I posted about Bill are well known through out REM circles - You should know some of it, since you post on Murmurs. There's not one thing that I posted that a Google search won't turn up for you.

I think you're reading my use of "bad blood" as much more negative than intended, sir. You're also stating things that I did not say. I never said he wanted to quit playing drums, and I never said he didn't play with REM after retirement.

So, sir, don't tell me I'm out of line. Conversation over.

Yes, Indianation, REM is still my favorite band as well.

[Folkie]

I remember the first time I heard them on a second or third generation cassette that my younger brother made for me in the late summer of 1986. It had Fables, LRP, and a couple of tracks from Chronic Town on it. The music grabbed me immediately and I went to see them on the Pageant tour a few months later (with Let's Active opening). Saw them again on the Work tour the next year and one last time on the Monster tour. My band in college covered four R.E.M. songs (Sitting Still, Radio Free Europe, Begin the Begin, and These Days). I played keys back then, but Driver 8 was the first complete song I learned on guitar.

I will always love the early period the most--up through LRP. The middle period has some great songs as well. They kind of lost me after Automatic for the People (which was a very good album, IMO). I liked Accelerate the most of anything since then by a wide margin, but the somewhat harsh sounding production makes it harder to listen to than it should be. I'm glad they've split in an amicable way and on their own terms. I hope they all will continue to pursue their own musical journeys. They have left some beautiful music for us all to enjoy and for that I am grateful.

Hey, "Driver 8" was one of the first songs I learned on guitar, too! My teacher taught me the chords, and I learned the main melody line on my Gibson J-35 acoustic. Like you, I think the stuff they did before "Document" was their strongest material, although I don't mean to diminish the impact of "Out of Time" and "Automatic for the People," which were both very good records. When "Live at the Olympia in Dublin" came out, it alerted me to the fact that the band had been returning to their early catalog at their shows (although this change may have occurred as early as 2005, when they played "Gardening at Night" as the last song at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction). As I'm sure you know, the bulk of the Olympia material was from before 1987 (including 4 of the 5 tracks from "Chronic Town"). If I had to pick two full albums which capture their classic folk-rock sound, they would be "Murmur" and "Fables." "Lifes Rich Pageant" was a total change of direction with a tougher edge, but the folk-rock influence was still palpable, particularly on "Fall on Me" and "I Believe."

One of the things I most admire about R.E.M. is that with each album they struck out into new territory. Sometimes the results were less than inspiring ("Green" stands out as probably their least compelling record), but they had the courage never to repeat themselves. I'll always return to their early catalog for inspiration, but there's a whole generation of listeners who grew up with "Automatic for the People" and "Monster" and are just becoming familiar with the 1982-1986 material. I envy them, because they're probably experiencing the same exhilarating sense of discovery that I felt in 1986 when I first listened to "Murmur." For sheer creative energy, R.E.M. ranks with the greatest bands in rock history.

Robert