R.E.M. breaks up, leaves behind career that balanced hits, integrity

Chicago Tribune ^ | 9/21/11 | Greg Kot

[GSWarrior]

R.E.M. broke up Wednesday, with an exit nearly as modest as its entrance.

You couldn’t get much more humble than touring America in a beat-up van out of the decidedly un-hip environs of Athens, Ga., in 1980. And when the band went out this week, it wasn’t as part of a blow-out arena tour, but via a terse announcement on its Web site.

[GSWarrior]

I was never a big REM fan. Never liked Stipe's allegorical lyrics. However they were better than 90% of what was out there, IMO.

I saw REM open for Gang of Four in 1982 before anyone knew who they were.

[Squawk 8888]

Stop already- I’m having flashbacks to my misspent youth :~

[Lazlo in PA]

REM was alright back in college when you were too high to walk across the room to get the better music. They haven't been relevant for years so I would guess this break up will bother few. Shiny Happy People was be beginning of the end for them.

[x]

[Hammerhead]

posterboy to what happens to a man who has very low self esteem and believes he’s not good enough for women or a woman would never want him. He eventually flirts with thoughts of homosexuality until he convinces himself that he actually is gay.

IMO.

[qam1]

Xer Ping

Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social (and sometimes nostalgic) aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.

Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details and previous articles.  

[PlateOfShrimp]

I saw them open for English Beat around that time - in between Chronic Town and Murmur. Awesome show. I have always thought that every album they did was better than the one before it - if you travelled backward through time. Chronic Town was revolutionary.

[Squeeky]

If anybody likes REM, then you will probably like this one by The Decemberists:

Down By The Water

[TSgt]

Could be an Obama campaign song...

[dk88]

That’s brilliant.

(And yes - the new Decemberists is actually pretty good)

[Lazlo in PA]

Aren’t these dudes a bunch of Commie Pinkos? I remember they opened for a Zero at a rally in Portland and reading what their named after.

I like the song. The local college station plays it now and again, but they are rabid anti Americans.

[Squeeky]

I don't know what their politics are. But, this girl is a Commie for sure but I just love this song:

Padam, Padam

[wac3rd]

I used to like REM, in 1985-1989.

It was college stuff, stuffing the Lefty stuff into my mind (McCarthy, Lenny Bruce, Communism)

I still like “Don’t Go Back to Rockville” or “South Central Rain”...I admit it, it reminds me of a lot of beers, weed, drunk coeds and a life I’ll never return to again.

[angcat]

I always hated them. What are they named after?

[Lazlo in PA]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decembrist_revolt

[Lazlo in PA]

The band’s name refers to the Decembrist revolt, an 1825 revolt in Imperial Russia that Meloy views as an attempted communist revolution.

Sorry, I sent one bit without the other.

[rintense]

I liked them until I saw them live on their 'Monster' tour. Worst. Live. Band. Ever.

Then he went on some political rant and had Patty Smith come on stage to screech with him. The crowd much preferred the opening band- now my favorite- Radiohead.

Even shared a beer with Thom York in the parking lot. Nobody believe me when I said 'that's the lead singer of Radiohead!' as he was walking through the crowd. I stopped him, he came over and had a quick one.

[rintense]

That said... their early stuff was their best, as was ‘Automatic For the People’.

[trumandogz]

I saw the Decemberists play a few months ago and they were damn impressive.

As for REM, Stipe was no longer into it.

I think Buck and Mills would have liked to continue.

[Lazlo in PA]

.I admit it, it reminds me of a lot of beers, weed, drunk coeds and a life I’ll never return to again.

Tell me about it.