Lumo Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 REM: end of an era We have lost one of the most influential rock bands of the past 30 years, says Dave Simpson REM's split is one of those announcements that will leave fans absolutely stunned, and yet, as the dust settles, it has probably been brewing for some time. Indeed, the Athens, Georgia band have arguably never been quite the same since 1997, when drummer Bill Berry decided that life in a stadium-filling rock band was not quite as exciting as his hay farm. Ever since, they seem to have been on a slow but steady artistic and commercial decline. While their last two albums have been extremely well received, it's been hard to avoid the perception that the band's once-unassailable relevance was slipping away, and the fact that they didn't feel moved to tour either album suggests they were feeling the same way. And yet, we have undoubtedly lost one of the most important and influential rock bands of the past 30 years. For their hardcore following, REM's artistic zenith came in the 1980s, when signed to the smallish independent IRS label. Albums from 1983's Murmur through to 1987's breakthrough, Document, trailblazed a new style of alternative rock. Based on guitarist Peter Buck's Byrds-like Rickenbacker chimes and Michael Stipe's mostly unintelligible vocals, songs such as Exhuming McCarthy (Stipe's aghast reaction to the Reagan era) sounded enormously significant. An air of mystery was partially eroded when it became clear what Stipe was actually singing about and the lyrics were as uncharacteristically prosaic as "Shiny happy people laughing/Meet me in the crowd." ...rest of the article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/21/rem-rock-band-split Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sod Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 A real shame, Green is still one of my favorite albums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Shame but call me cynical - there'll be a comeback tour in a few years. I liked the headline on The Daily Mash: "U2 still refusing to take the hint" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Shame but call me cynical - there'll be a comeback tour in a few years. I liked the headline on The Daily Mash: "U2 still refusing to take the hint" Too true about U2! I kind of hope that REM do have a comeback tour in a few years, but...I don't know....they seem like one of the few bands with the integrity not to get back together just to squeeze more money out of their fans. We had tickets to see them in London back in 2005 - the concert was postponed due to the attacks on 7th July, and was postponed to a date when we couldn't make it. But considering what people in London were going through at the time, we hardly felt able to be upset about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I heard today that they said even though they're splitting up, they ARE releasing a new 'best of' album. Not that it really makes up for it (Also that U2 headline made me laugh ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumo Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 I have never seen them live, looks like I never will now, even if they have a comeback tour it won't be the same as a pre-split concert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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