R.E.M. always impressed me with their music, especially early in their career. I'm always coming back to them, and listening now to their overall catalog of work. I'm glad I got to see them in the mid-eighties a few times. their work ethic is reminiscent of the Stones, imo.. play as much as possible to get started, go anywhere, sleeping in their van, cheap accomodations, road work until..gradual increasing success and finding the right people for promotion and studio work, with strong songwriting and a charismatic lead singer..

not wanting to evaluate the music, but I remain impressed with the way they conduct themselves.. and still listen for their projects.

most recently Arthur Buck, with Joseph Arthur and Peter Buck, have been on a small tour and have a record out. this band has Scott McCaughey also, on bass. He's a multi-instrumentalist and so glad he has recovered from a recent stroke. Linda Pitmon on drums, and Gregg Foreman on keyboards.

there are other projects, with various R.E.M. folks.. I believe a band called the Baseball Project is set to tour again.

However I read that Michael Stipe basically hasnt performed much at all since the band broke up amicably in 2011.
I just missed seeing Arthur Buck in Athens GA, due to the recent hurricane/tropical storm Florence..

I was never much of an R.E.M. fan...I respect them as artists but I found Stipe's voice kinda whiny. They have some great songs thought.

duke, email me if ya can

sbking@wildblue.net

Saw Arthur Buck’s first gig in Seattle a couple of weeks back. Joseph Arthur gets a bit new age-y for me sometimes, but the tunes are strong, they come across well on stage, and it’s great to see Peter leaping about like he’s 25. Someone should tell the keyboard player he looks ridiculous, though. (No reflection on his playing, mind).

The support act on this tour (Line and Circle) are well worth a listen, also.

My favorite post-REM Buck project so far has been Filthy Friends, his record with Corrine Tucker. Loads of energy.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-20 19:25 by tommycharles.

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duke richardson
R.E.M. always impressed me with their music, especially early in their career. I'm always coming back to them, and listening now to their overall catalog of work. I'm glad I got to see them in the mid-eighties a few times. their work ethic is reminiscent of the Stones, imo.. play as much as possible to get started, go anywhere, sleeping in their van, cheap accomodations, road work until..gradual increasing success and finding the right people for promotion and studio work, with strong songwriting and a charismatic lead singer..

not wanting to evaluate the music, but I remain impressed with the way they conduct themselves.. and still listen for their projects.

most recently Arthur Buck, with Joseph Arthur and Peter Buck, have been on a small tour and have a record out. this band has Scott McCaughey also, on bass. He's a multi-instrumentalist and so glad he has recovered from a recent stroke. Linda Pitmon on drums, and Gregg Foreman on keyboards.

there are other projects, with various R.E.M. folks.. I believe a band called the Baseball Project is set to tour again.

However I read that Michael Stipe basically hasnt performed much at all since the band broke up amicably in 2011.
I just missed seeing Arthur Buck in Athens GA, due to the recent hurricane/tropical storm Florence..

Duke, is that Greg Foreman from Delta 72 etc? If it's him that guy is very good.

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Palace Revolution 2000

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duke richardson
R.E.M. always impressed me with their music, especially early in their career. I'm always coming back to them, and listening now to their overall catalog of work. I'm glad I got to see them in the mid-eighties a few times. their work ethic is reminiscent of the Stones, imo.. play as much as possible to get started, go anywhere, sleeping in their van, cheap accomodations, road work until..gradual increasing success and finding the right people for promotion and studio work, with strong songwriting and a charismatic lead singer..

not wanting to evaluate the music, but I remain impressed with the way they conduct themselves.. and still listen for their projects.

most recently Arthur Buck, with Joseph Arthur and Peter Buck, have been on a small tour and have a record out. this band has Scott McCaughey also, on bass. He's a multi-instrumentalist and so glad he has recovered from a recent stroke. Linda Pitmon on drums, and Gregg Foreman on keyboards.

there are other projects, with various R.E.M. folks.. I believe a band called the Baseball Project is set to tour again.

However I read that Michael Stipe basically hasnt performed much at all since the band broke up amicably in 2011.
I just missed seeing Arthur Buck in Athens GA, due to the recent hurricane/tropical storm Florence..

Duke, is that Greg Foreman from Delta 72 etc? If it's him that guy is very good.

yes that's him.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-20 22:23 by duke richardson.

Very underrated band and deserve a place with the greats. They held their integrity right to the end and were still releasing great albums when they stopped. Whenever I’m not sure what I’m the mode to listen to, I go back to REM. Eponymous gets a lot of spins....

I liked them quite a bit up until the Monster album in 1994, but it's their earlier albums that were truly the greatest - I still have the vinyl and cassettes!

They're like a time capsule to me now, and have to say I never even realized they actually broke up!

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I went ages without listening to REM...so disappointed after seeing them live. I felt so strongly that I vowed never to spend another dime on them.

Then, upon watching the MTV special a few years ago, I was overwhelmed with emotion.
Memories came flooding back into my brain.
So powerful and poignant.
What a courageous band.

The REM catalog is astounding.

Nightswimming makes me cry.
video: [m.youtube.com]

Best American band of the 80s. Those first eight albums (Murmur through Automatic) were quite the run. And they got big honestly, through hard work without selling out. There were some stinkers later (Around the Sun), but the last two were solid.

Saw REM a couple of times back in the day...

Good bud of mine played guitar in a band, and was a big fan of Peter Buck. He started writing him letters with questions on chords and covering REM's tunes, and Peter actually corresponded with him for a period. Very, very cool!

I first heard them when they were part of the song rotation on the original WHFS then broadcasting out of the Washington DC area. Like some of their songs, but never listened to any of their albums. Now, outside of Don"t Go Back to Rockville, Losing My Religion and the song mentioning the late Andy Kaufman, I couldn't tell you the name of anything else they released. I'm sure its a loss re good music I've never heard.

My first exposure to REM was through HFS, which gave their first EP, Chronic Town, a lot of airplay around 1982.

Heard them for the first time when I was a DJ in college (summer of '85)...slowly became a fan over the next few years. Favorite albums are Monster, Automatic and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Amazingly went through a five-year period of not touring, after the release of their two most successful albums to date. Wasn't the same after Bill Berry left, but they did have several good tunes after his departure.

One of my favorite bands ever. They're up there with the Stones for me. So many amazing albums, so much originality and artistic integrity. They have a new 9 cd Live At The BBC box set coming out next month that I can't wait for.

Also, they were known Stones lovers. Peter Buck very much emulated Keith's essence without ever trying to sound like him. He knew when to play and when not to, and that the rhythm could tell as much of a musical story as a fancy lead.

really looking forward to the REM BBC box set. 9 discs! i was into REM from the beginning (Chronic Town). saw them a real lot. they could seriously bring it live.

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crholmstrom
really looking forward to the REM BBC box set. 9 discs! i was into REM from the beginning (Chronic Town). saw them a real lot. they could seriously bring it live.

Yes looks a superb set
I was late teens when automatic and out of time were out, great albums and worked back to the early stuff. Saw them touring monster and Up (the former twice, in my home town of Huddersfield) great live band too

Always been a big REM fan, even though my wife couldn't stand Stipes' stage dancing. The Baseball Project has 2.5 members of REM: Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey (who played guitar with latter day REM), along with Petals for Zuzu's Linda Pitmon and Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn. Even if you aren't a baseball fan, their songs are quite good. They often cover "Rockville" during their set.

Great band, and even though "Automatic" has the big hit on it it is IMO their best album.
They lost an intangible when Berry left.

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roryg
Always been a big REM fan, even though my wife couldn't stand Stipes' stage dancing. The Baseball Project has 2.5 members of REM: Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey (who played guitar with latter day REM), along with Petals for Zuzu's Linda Pitmon and Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn. Even if you aren't a baseball fan, their songs are quite good. They often cover "Rockville" during their set.

this is one band I hope I get to see.

I've become a Dream Syndicate fan, and a Linda Pitmon fan. She is a great drummer.
Mr. Wynn is a lucky man.

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Hairball
I liked them quite a bit up until the Monster album in 1994, but it's their earlier albums that were truly the greatest - I still have the vinyl and cassettes!

They're like a time capsule to me now, and have to say I never even realized they actually broke up!

We are on the same wavelength..

I did get to see them in ‘94 or ‘95, it was a very good concert.

Fables and Murmur are standouts, and for me Automatci for the People has a lot great tunes...especially the deep cuts...for me, not a lot of filler on that release...Monster was hit or miss, and most of it, I felt, was a miss.

Try Not To Breathe & Sidewinder are great songs.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-21 20:48 by rattler2004.

Am I the only one who liked Monster?

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Paddy
Am I the only one who liked Monster?

I liked it! At that point, I was ready for them to rock out a bit (I think Bill Berry said something similar in interviews prior to the album sessions).

If I came of age in the 80s instead of the 70s I'm sure they'd be about my favorite band. As it stands like most here I really dig the music until Bill Berry left and some of what came after. I consider "Automatic for the People" their masterpiece -- there's just a coherent if ungraspable mood that strings it all together. Though different in musical style like an Exile or a Layla or even a Pet Sounds or Pepper -- it's an all timer.

Oh -- "other related bands" -- the dBs!

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Paddy
Am I the only one who liked Monster?

monster is a great record, adventures in hi fi even better. the monster tour was fantastic

PIB 1985

[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-23 01:25 by Glam Descendant.

Just a great, great American band. They started as low-fi "indie" and morphed into a major label success without losing their soul or their credibility.

Michael Stipe matured from an unconfident mumbler who used is a voice as another instrument (beautifully, I might add), into a full-blown lyricist and front man.

I loved that they credited all their songwriting to the full band. Yes, when Bill Berry left, something was never the same, but they continued to challenge themselves rather than repeat the past.

My sense was that they stopped after it ceased being fun to do what they did. Gotta respect that.

T@3

never could get into them much. some decent songs (like Man On The Moon) but as mentioned by others, it's hard for me to listen to the whiny voice. I can't really listen to Green Day either, for similar reasons.

Not a fan of R.E.M. myself. Did play on the same bill with them several times in the very early days in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC. I remember them being a little stand offish but otherwise, fun days. Other bands that I think were better and deserved more recognition would be: Snatches of Pink, Let's Active, Dexter Romweber (and sis Sarah), Fabulous Knobs, etc. The Triangle area of NC gave birth to some damn good music in the 80s. Ah, The Pressure Boys as well.

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StonedAsia
Not a fan of R.E.M. myself. Did play on the same bill with them several times in the very early days in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC. I remember them being a little stand offish but otherwise, fun days. Other bands that I think were better and deserved more recognition would be: Snatches of Pink, Let's Active, Dexter Romweber (and sis Sarah), Fabulous Knobs, etc. The Triangle area of NC gave birth to some damn good music in the 80s. Ah, The Pressure Boys as well.

hey StonedAsia, i remember those bands and just recently saw Mitch Easter in Carrboro, with his new outfit Balderdash LTD.. Let's Active, Flat Duo Jets, as you say the Triangle area of North Carolina, yes there were some excellent bands. Especially including Winston-Salem, and the dB's..

so can i ask, who were you playing with during the early R.E.M. tours, I guess your band opened?