R.E.M. announces breakup.

HappyGilmore · September 21, 2011, 07:28:42 PM

So, the band R.E.M. has officially "called it a day" and announced their official break-up/retirement/etc.
http://remhq.com/index.php

I am kind of taken aback. R.E.M. is a band I literally grew up listening to. They formed a bit before I was born, but they were a big part of my youth. I bought their stuff long before any of the other Grunge/Alternative/Seattle-based bands that came afterwards. Always seemed like they'd always put some stuff out one way or another. At least they got in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bill Berry left the group in '97 but the other 3 seemed solid enough. Eh.

Here's one of my favorites by them:
"Man on The Moon"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hKSYgOGtos

Rev. Powell · September 21, 2011, 07:43:03 PM

Am I the only one surprised to find out they were still together?

HappyGilmore · September 21, 2011, 07:55:48 PM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on September 21, 2011, 07:43:03 PM
Am I the only one surprised to find out they were still together?

Ha.

A few people had that reaction. But yeah, they've done some stuff. It was looking like they were wrapping stuff up. Still.

FatFreddysCat · September 21, 2011, 08:39:41 PM

I was never what you'd call a "fan" but they did have some tunes I dug, particularly in their earlier years.

On a side note, whenever I saw or read an interview with Michael Stipe I always found him to be irritating as hell. He's got one of those faces that I would never get tired of punching.

voltron · September 21, 2011, 09:24:47 PM

Can't say I'm a HUGE fan, but I do enjoy their earlier stuff as well ("Pretty Persuasion", etc.). Kind of contextually sad that a talented, more importantly geniuine, rock band had fallen by the wayside - I wasn't aware they were still around in the past decade or so - and has decided to split up. Given today's music, I really couldn't see them having the staying power they had back in the 80s, but this is more the popular music scene's fault and not the band's. Kids today probably wouldn't "get" them anyway.

JaseSF · September 21, 2011, 09:45:47 PM

R.E.M. was a huge favourite of mine. Personally I think they lost something when Bill Berry left but that may be just me but I have to say I prefer their music before he left the band. I've been listening to them since the 80s and they always seemed to be able to adapt to the times and still have hits better than the vast majority of bands until well the last decade or so. Some of their music I think is extremely good especially their early I.R.S. stuff and I have to say I love all their albums from Murmur to Automatic For the People, I still loved some songs on their albums from Monster to Accelerate but honestly I think they've been going downhill since Automatic. Their best two albums IMO are Reckoning and Lifes Rich Pageant. Not really surprised by this breakup as they certainly don't fit in with today's popular music, which I find pretty much terrible overall, anymore.

HappyGilmore · September 21, 2011, 10:32:38 PM

The stuff they did on I.R.S is amazing. I still regularly listen to that stuff.

I remember a few years back they promoted a single on Smallville of all shows.

Psycho Circus · September 22, 2011, 05:49:45 AM

Not really fussed. I did think that they had broken up maybe a few years back. I hadn't heard anything from them so I thought the band members were perhaps pursuing other projects. I'm no fan, but they're a good band. I like a couple of songs but they were just a bit too pretentious and "samey" for my personal tastes.

Jack · September 22, 2011, 06:57:00 AM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on September 21, 2011, 07:43:03 PM
Am I the only one surprised to find out they were still together?

Nope

They were an extremely typical example of why I quit listening to the radio way back when.

Hammock Rider · September 22, 2011, 09:25:18 AM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on September 21, 2011, 07:43:03 PM
Am I the only one surprised to find out they were still together?

Same here. Maye this announcement is just to set the stage for their eventual "comeback" tour.

Flick James · September 22, 2011, 04:20:13 PM

I was a big fan of the early stuff. Everything from Murmur to Life's Rich Pageant. After that I started to lose interest. So basically, as soon as they hit mainstream.

Zapranoth · September 22, 2011, 08:29:06 PM

Neh, I didn't know they were still together, honestly.

But as for me, I've *got* my spine, I've got my Orange Crush.

Mofo Rising · September 23, 2011, 03:09:14 AM

Were they still releasing music?

R.E.M. was a weird band. They kind of released killer singles interspersed with garbage. "Losing My Religion" would be right up next to "Everybody Hurts."

"Shiny Happy People?"

I like R.E.M., but were they still making music? Do you remember their latest single? I don't. Seriously, have they had any song recently?

HappyGilmore · September 23, 2011, 08:32:57 AM

Quote from: Mofo Rising on September 23, 2011, 03:09:14 AM
Were they still releasing music?

R.E.M. was a weird band. They kind of released killer singles interspersed with garbage. "Losing My Religion" would be right up next to "Everybody Hurts."

"Shiny Happy People?"

I like R.E.M., but were they still making music? Do you remember their latest single? I don't. Seriously, have they had any song recently?

Their most recent songs include:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN1f4AFgiAc&ob=av2n
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITh-XIikgI&feature=relmfu

They had an album out this year. One more is being released in November called: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, 1982-2011. It's a compilation of sorts, featuring a 'hits collection' of songs from both the early I.R.S. years, the later Warner Bros. years, and a couple outtakes from this years cd.

AndyC · September 25, 2011, 10:23:16 PM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on September 21, 2011, 07:43:03 PM
Am I the only one surprised to find out they were still together?

That was my reaction.