R.E.M. officially disbanded today.
I realize that the band probably isn't that important to the younger members here, but R.E.M. ushered in alternative rock and turned out nine excellent albums in a row. Aside from the Beach Boys, I don't think any American rock act has been so prolific and consistently good. Wilco has had a great run, too, but they have never had wide airplay and a similar level of commercial success.
It's a bit of a sad day for me, since R.E.M. was always playing in the background for a good 10-12 years of my life. I drifted away after Berry left; some of their later material is good, but it wasn't as special as it was before. Still, R.E.M. was a huge act and it seems like parts of their catalog appeal to everyone. Some like the early stuff only, but I loved that and everything through Monster.
After hearing the news today, I dropped Eponymous into the rig and was surprised at how fresh and timeless their early material is. If you're not familiar with R.E.M., that is a great place to start. My favorite is still Automatic for the People, which is also worth a listen.
And this is yet another thing that makes me feel older. R.E.M. was a big part of my earlier years and now they're gone.
Though it's not entirely bad. All the members are still alive and healthy. Further, R.E.M. does not appear to have dissolved into lawsuits and hatred - everyone (publically) gets along fine.
So maybe they'll end up noodling around together again. Maybe Berry will want to play with the gang again. Maybe another great album will turn up five or ten years down the line, followed by a tour. You never know.
At the least, I'm thankful for nine incredible albums and that the breakup didn't occur because someone died or there was a nasty fight over money.
And, strangely, "Losing My Religion" just turned up on the bar's stereo as I finish this post.
I realize that the band probably isn't that important to the younger members here, but R.E.M. ushered in alternative rock and turned out nine excellent albums in a row. Aside from the Beach Boys, I don't think any American rock act has been so prolific and consistently good. Wilco has had a great run, too, but they have never had wide airplay and a similar level of commercial success.
It's a bit of a sad day for me, since R.E.M. was always playing in the background for a good 10-12 years of my life. I drifted away after Berry left; some of their later material is good, but it wasn't as special as it was before. Still, R.E.M. was a huge act and it seems like parts of their catalog appeal to everyone. Some like the early stuff only, but I loved that and everything through Monster.
After hearing the news today, I dropped Eponymous into the rig and was surprised at how fresh and timeless their early material is. If you're not familiar with R.E.M., that is a great place to start. My favorite is still Automatic for the People, which is also worth a listen.
And this is yet another thing that makes me feel older. R.E.M. was a big part of my earlier years and now they're gone.
Though it's not entirely bad. All the members are still alive and healthy. Further, R.E.M. does not appear to have dissolved into lawsuits and hatred - everyone (publically) gets along fine.
So maybe they'll end up noodling around together again. Maybe Berry will want to play with the gang again. Maybe another great album will turn up five or ten years down the line, followed by a tour. You never know.
At the least, I'm thankful for nine incredible albums and that the breakup didn't occur because someone died or there was a nasty fight over money.
And, strangely, "Losing My Religion" just turned up on the bar's stereo as I finish this post.
