Michael got a LOT better at being a frontman in the 90s. I think often that seeming 'awkward' (or even 'an asshole') is just chronic shyness. Thom Yorke has the same problem, just because he's not running around hugging people, grinning, schmoozing everyone, doesn't necessarily mean he's a dick.
I remember discovering REM in 89 and lamenting the fact that it was JUST too late for that time when they were great, but still hanging around Athens, regular guys.
I was in Athens on/off from 79-86, and saw the band frequently. Very early on, pre-Murmur, I always had the impression that Stipe was very shy, even on stage, but that was part of who they were. I can remember him on stage at Tyrone's reading from an old Look Magazine from circa 48, or something like that. Clearly he bacame much more comfortable fronting the band as time wore on.
I lived in Athens 80-85, I would see him at Wuxtry on Baxter Ave next to The Flamingo Room, when I was about 9-10 yrs old, I got ice cream there occasionally until Gorins on College Square opened. M. Stipe's affect at his age, became increasingly who I saw his music portray him as, meek and watching, shy and withdrawn, but still suiting up, dammit. Really he succinctly served a slice o`life; Michael stuck where moz sagged, SMH. He served up the zeitgeist that was the imprint on Gen X. He was, and the last time I was back there, he still IS the $hit that killed Elvis. 8^)
@@jbfrient Oh man, you're taking me back. I had completely forgotten the Flamingo Room on Baxter, but I was a regular at Gorin's, so there's a very good chance that you and I were within yards of one another on many occasions. There used to be an old jazz/blues pianist who played there sometimes. I was constantly at Tyrone's and the 40 Watt on Broad, and at the Uptown on the back side of downtown. I used to see Art in the Dark at the Uptown pretty often.
I remember reading about 80s Athens (I grew up in the uk) and how each new Fall student intake at the Uni would get all goofy for a few weeks seeing the band around but then “when they realised they could see their heroes anytime” they got over it. Especially as Peter still did the odd shift at Wuxtry! Peter is so much more relaxed here, fame really sent him to places that weren’t great. Michael is really barely on the cusp here of learning how to talk in interviews interestingly without giving too much of himself. Bill and Mike, hell they’re just Bill and Mike. Twas ever thus😂 Such a special time.
Peter Buck the human. Subject to all the short comings that life gives us. Not to mention all the phenomenal music and arrangements he gave us, (and hopefully will continue to)...Give me an other red wine..........
One thing that I find is that many people who comment on videos like these were an artist/group is profiled, and in some way have some connection to Kurt Cobain, is that people always rehash Kurt's suicide. As far as I know, everyone in this video is alive today. As much as I love Kurt, I can't feel sorry for him that much because he was well aware of the life he was living, and whether or not he killed himself, he was aware of his role as a father, a musical artist, and as an adult. We must focus on life.
@@RobRVA Holy sh*t. I would've gone to my own grave believing Bill Berry died in the late 90's. Wow, well that's great news. I'm off to google him & see what he's been doing since his not-death. cheers!
Kurt had a hard life, and is very easy to fall into drugs or sin, when the pain is so great. But drugs just make your life and pain worse in the long run. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ" - Romans 6:23 "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" - Mark 8:36-37 Jesus said: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" - Luke 9:23 "Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee." - Proverbs 4:5-9 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" - Proverbs 9:10
I don't think Stipe is shy at all. I think he is all too aware of his surroundings. I think the ideas behind his statements are purposely meant to be left of center. Him asking if there is anything in his teeth is a conscious bit of self amusement.
There was a period from about 86-96 that whenever Stipe was chillin downtown minding his own business, I learned never to aproach him and it was only because of watching other people harassing for autographs, only to get shot down. Really hilarious when your watching from a distance and hearing him scream at some unfourtunate tourist or worst a nosey athenian!It had nothing to do w/him being mean rather when an artists mind is@ a certain level theres not alot of time for disruption, fan or not
I love this glimpse of back in the day, both in terms of somewhat early days of R.E.M. and music television. Back before music channels we used to look forward to a weekly show on Toronto television called The New Music. This clip is from that show. That is Denise Donlon interviewing. There was more Lawrence Welk on tv back then than new wave/ alternative bands.
You can see he's starting to shed the head hair around the same time he's starting to shed some shyness. Inverse relationship between hair and shyness? ;)
Stipe looks like he's fallen out of bed from an Egon Schiele painting into this video. He was lazing in bed til noon with his young harpsichord playing muse. And that's a few crumbs of sachetorte in between his teeth.
That's hilarious. He absolutely does look like one of those stylized, overwrought male figures that Schiele loved to paint. Never made the connexion until you mentioned it...but it is uncanny. I wonder if that similarity has anything to do with REM's popularity in Germany...if there's some kind of unconscious teutonic attraction to this type? (I know Schiele was Austrian...but the cultural diff between the two countries is negligible)
The way Michael Stipe spoke and acted in interviews then is the exact same he does now. It looks like his personality hasn't changed at all. So peculiar.
I just don't understand the mentality of, "On our new album, we discarded the music that got us here and instead kept the music that sounded like crap because it was different." Green was the beginning of the end for me, its no surprise. You guys weren't exactly the Rolling Stones by 1988, why did you feel you had to get away from a good thing? I would have been fine with a few more Reckonings or even Documents.
@oldTOtaper If you read biographies, you read that Michael Stipe in that period was struggling with life as "a star". I can totally understand that. Later on, it seems that he have found a way to handle with that. Fortunately! (remember Kurt Cobain)
Oh how does Michael carry all that weight of being in an alternative rock band. Good gawwwd man I can't even listen to them anymore. I try like once a year or five and I just can't handle that pretentious drip he drowns the music with. Yep.
BillyJoe Choctaw ive always loved their music but hated when they opened their mouths and gave these pretentious interviews. Dont get me wrong, they can say what they want, but Michael especially always came across as a miserable little shit always blaming society on everything. A real yawn
Michael is not a shit, I actually agree with his views n not kk like you little punks wanna shove down people's throats. He doesn't blame socitey for everything, but I am sure glad he hates that little piece of kk trump.
