There's a new book out about R.E.M. frontman, Michael Stipe. It's called "In Outline of My Lover." If you are interested in Stipe's sexuality, have at it. We are more interested in what Stipe, Mike Mills, Bill Berry and Peter Buck created in the 1980's and 90's. Here's a look back at the band from Athens, GA, who defined the sound of college for a generation.
"Radio Free Europe" their first single from their first album, "Mummer" live on a British TV.
The first time REM played for a national audience in the US, on "Late Night with David Letterman" in October 1983. The band performed a new, unnamed song that was later called "South Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" and became the first single from the band's second record, "Reckoning" in 1984. Then came "Fables of the Reconstruction," which wasn't just an album. It was like a license, a passport, a degree, a certification of alterna-cool. Buy the record and, bang, you're in the club. Your are cool and a little mysterious. You've been to places that other people haven't. Seen things. Zones. An Athens of the mind.
After years at the indie label IRS, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with "The One I Love," off Document, and jumped to Warner Bros. This is "World Leader Pretend," off their first record for WB, "Green," recorded live in Madrid.
After "Green," Peter Buck gave up his guitar for a mandolin on "Out of Time" and "Automatic for the People." This is the lovely, but somnambulant "Nightswimming" off the latter. Then came a long, long break.
In 1994, REM finally returned to recording with "Monster." Maybe influenced by all the grunge around them, the album had a refreshingly hard rock sound; exemplified by the shimmering thrash of "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
After that record, well... It was the piecework "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" and Bill Berry left the band. The three-legged R.E.M. came out with "Up" in '98, "Reveal" in 2001, "Around the Sun" in 2004 and last year's "Accelerate," but trust us. You don't want to hear 'em.
