I'm really sad by this cause this is one of the few groups I've followed from it's beginning through to the end. One of the few groups that I thought never did a bad album.
I'm not really surprised, they've pretty much all been doing separate things for a while now, but to see them actually say that they're done isn't something I wanted to hear.
I never really "got" REM when they were getting huge. One day a friend of mine said he had an extra ticket to see them on the MONSTER tour and I'll never really pass up a free show, so I went and was blown away with how great they were live. Since then, I was able to like their music a little better. Definitely a MUCH better band live than on record, IMO.
I sort of lost track of them after "Up" (which I thought was a great, great album). I knew they were still around, but they just seemed to be fading into obscurity.
"Up" and "Automatic for the People" will always have space on my CD shelf.
REM really were a great band. I would say they peaked around Out Of Time/Automatic For The People, although I can totally dig why some would say they peaked earlier. And they've continued to put out good stuff.
I saw them twice. The first was just before the release of Fables...they came and played at the college I was attending. I was an usher for the show, only time I've ever done that (because it was a cheap way to see the show!).A couple of them came out to play catch with us ushers before the show--I still have my t-shirt for the event autographed by Mike Mills. Also saw them years later at Madison Square Garden. Great live band indeed.
I don't know whether to give them credit for not cashing in with a farewell tour, or to chide them for not giving people who haven't seen them fair warning. B^)
Originally posted by Mr Heel III sort of lost track of them after "Up" (which I thought was a great, great album). I knew they were still around, but they just seemed to be fading into obscurity.
I was kinda giving up on them for a while too, but their last two albums (Accelerate and Collapse Into Now) are actually pretty good. I'm glad they went out on a bit of a high note, by which I clearly mean Michael Stipe posting a video of his cock to his Tumblr account. (NSFW if your workplace frowns upon celebrity cocks)
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