Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of REM join Pete Mitchell to discuss the end of REM, the career of the band and more. You can watch a higher quality video of this interview over here: www.absoluterad...
forget nirvana, green day, guns and roses, pearl jam...whoever...REM are the most influential , the most consistently brilliant American rock band of the last 30 years...and doubters out there who only know "losing my religion" or "everybody hurts"...open your ears and check out their magnificent 80s work.."Pretty Persuasion","Fall on me","So Central Rain" "Sitting Still"..that"s just the tip of the iceberg....if youre a newcomer to their prolific back catalogue of music.... I envy you
Amen to R.E.M.! Every statement the said on this interview about the band's philosophy during all these years pushed me to come up with a band that is meant to follow R.E.M.'s steps. Do not forget that thanks to R.E.M. other influential bands followed their steps: Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and, Placebo... just to mention some.
REM is a great band, and it is my favorite. I was made fun of in middle and high school for being a fan, kids can be so mean when they attack your musical tastes. I did not back down. I liked the music and I did not care who it was going to impress or not. I did it because I enjoyed the music, it made/makes me happy, and that's all that matters. REM will always be part of my life.
I disagree with Mills that the world was ready for them when Out of Time made it big; they simply got better and better as each album came along, or at least the 'hit' songs on each album were better and the melodies stronger, or more 'universal'. Losing My Religion had such a strong, irresistible melody, stronger than anything on their previous albums, they had just gotten better with making melodies that captured a broader listening ear, culminating with Automatic which had the strongest collection of melodies yet. Doesn't matter if they swapped instruments, used mandolin as lead instrument, it was the melodies that kept getting stronger and stronger, I'm sure Stipe knows it but lets Mills prattle on.
He didn't say that were similar to Human League, he was listing other bands that were popular at the same time as R.E.M. to give some sort of context to the environment in which "Radio Free Europe" (and later, Murmur) were released.
Cobalt, Firstly, R.E.M. were one of the bravest bands out there, every album had a different sound. They were always unafraid of dropping album sales in order to do what they wanted. Hence it is stupid to refer to them as boring or mediocre. You don't have a clue.
Pete seems in recent sound bites like he was not quite ready to end it. As a therapist and just a bit younger Isee this in so many people, lucky do what thet want 4 years-n-dream to retire. Then it happens,and its not so great. We the blessed ones love our thing-4 me therapy,for many I know and see retirment comes too soon. So Peter,like he'll see this,its cool,normal,but don't expect lightning 2 strike twice,for with over 5000 patients thus far-I never saw that, so treasure all places you are and will be in for that time-n-take it as new,but not newsworthy except in your own private intewview-n-sound bite. Trice
Yea, I also got a lot of stick, especially the whole gay thing, but being Irish I was always of the opinion: 'fu*k 'em'. I loved just about every song they put out, but I must say I own Thriller & Murmur and I enjoy both equally. I got Thriller when I was 16 and Murmur around 19, so I guess that illustrates my music development, both still have a place in my music collection. Murmur in fact contains one of my favourate songs: Perfect Circle, I sometimes think Murmur of REMs Joshua Tree ...maybe.
Apples and oranges. "Murmur" and "Thriller" are two completely different albums. I'm a big REM fan and while I don't love Jackson's music, I have a lot of respect for much of his work, and "Thriller" is a great dance-pop album, if you're into that sort of thing. Also, using "The Girl Is Mine" as an example is kind of a cheap shot. It's arguably the album's weakest track.
this just felt really awkward. The DJ wasn't in synch with Stipe and Mills and the boys from REM just seem so... arrogant/bored/up themselves. And I love REM. They just changed so much as time went by.
ncf1 the interviewer is too fawning and that made them uncomfortable. I do this for a living, too (journalist), and he's fairly unprepared and meandering.
This is less a statement about REM and more about what you think music should be. You're either talking about a point in which they took a downward turn or you don't know anything about their music at all. I'm guessing it's the latter.If it's the former, then you're contradicting yourself. What "violence" is their in boredom? Boredom is sloth, laziness, the ABSENCE of motivation and "energy of achievement and merit". As far as "Mommy" culture, people can listen to whatever floats their boat.
in the end REM doesn't really work (isn't any good) because of of stipe's gigantic pretentious ego. there's just something wrong at the center--and it's him. that said, they gave me a lot of joy at the time, which was probably due to my own lack of good taste.
the one thing he didn't mention is the blatant fact of their anti-musical MEDIOCRITY. What is the motivation to repeatedly do such half assed music? It amounts to the violence of boredom; violence against the father energy of achievement and merit, and worship of permanent forms. Mommy cultures reward mediocrity and REM got the bounty for being harmless and obedient to what a woman thinks about the world.
