Getting To Know: R.E.M.
By Shel Desormeaux

Who They Are:

R.E.M. has the largest influence on any alternative-college rock band in the last twenty years.  Bill Berry (drums), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass, keyboards) and Michael Stipe (vocals) were all students at the University of Georgia in Athens when they came together (as Twisted Kites) for a friend’s birthday party at Tyrone’s, a local nightclub that has since burned down. They blew everyone away, and knew they had a good thing.


How to Spot Them:

They aren’t the most image-conscious guys in the world.  Aside from the occasional mullet and Stipe’s bald head (shaved for the past decade), the only sartorial detail worth any mention is Mike Mills’ love of the ‘Nudie’ suit. (Nudie was a widely sought after tailor, specializing in sequined, flashy outfits for the likes of Elvis Presley, Buck Owens and Porter Wagoner.)  Oh, and Mike Mills was perming his hair for a while.


Vital Fact:

They’ve been together for over twenty years now (with the exception of Bill Berry, who left the band in 1997 after suffering a brain aneurism; he now farms hay and makes sushi).  In that time, no one’s made a solo album or starred in an action flick. Michael Stipe has his own production company, and Peter Buck never seems to stop writing or playing.


Not So Vital Fact:

Mike Mills plays a shitload of golf.


Where to Start:

Out of Time (1991) – “The world is collapsing/around our ears/I turn up the radio/but I can’t hear it”

You may as well start where most of the world did. The release of this album and the overwhelming reception of the single “Losing my Religion” (on the strength of an awesomely different sort of video) led their newfound followers to anxiously await the follow up to their ‘debut.’ Yes, many were completely unaware that R.E.M. had been around for quite some time.  Sales of the band’s back catalogue subsequently skyrocketed.  Key cuts: “Losing My Religion,” “Radio Song,” and “Half A World Away”

Document (1987) – “That’s great, it starts with an earthquake/Birds and snakes and aeroplanes/Lenny Bruce is not afraid…”

Document was heavier, yet a little looser than previous records, and listeners can hear the beginnings of what would become serious experimental tendencies in the years and albums to come.  This album spawned a few crowd pleasers – ‘The One I Love’ and ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’ are enjoyed by all. Even if you aren’t an R.E.M. fan, you still dig these tunes. They are now classic college rock.  Key Cuts: “Finest Worksong,” “It’s the End of the World…,” and “The One I Love.”

Green (1988) – “The stars are the greatest thing you’ve ever seen/And they’re there for you/For you alone/You are the everything”

Released before Out of Time, this one was weird and yet wonderful, and possibly their most blatantly political album. “Orange Crush” was a heavy rant about war, its name borrowing, in part, from an environmentally lethal tool in chemical warfare during the Vietnam War, Agent Orange.  The chemical resulted in rainforests being wiped out, rivers and streams being severely polluted and eventual birth defects in Vietnamese children.  It was, in many ways, an unusually aggressive bunch of songs.  Key Cuts: “Turn You Inside Out,” “Orange Crush,” and “I Remember California.”


Where to Go from There:


Reckoning (1984) -

With R.E.M.’s third album, their sound got a little bit heavier.  The impressive first release Chronic Town (1982), an EP, and their first full-length album, Murmur (1983) had set a ringing yet quiet tone.  Reckoning was harder, with more drums, a more confident jangling from Peter Buck, and with Michael Stipe mumbling just a little bit louder. Stipe’s lyrics were even less linear, and more far-reaching.  “Harborcoat” and “So. Central Rain” are clear examples of why the South spawned even more imitators of the band than before.

Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) -

Oddly enough, the band dislikes this album the most. It was difficult for them to record: tension was at disturbing levels, they were all miserable being so far away from home, and their endless touring kept it further away. Seems the four wrote almost obsessively about their beloved South. The result is pretty dark, and maybe lovelier than the band would like to admit.

Life’s Rich Pageant (1986) -

This is the album made to be played live. A little more political, it showed the band’s sense of social responsibility. Michael was a little more playful with his lyrics, as well as increasingly obscure. The album jacket added iffy and seemingly random artwork to their ever-present off-the-cuff photography. Definitely a turning point.

Automatic for the People (1992) -

Most bands either feel an enormous pressure with the subsequent album to their biggest, and fall short or break up. The guys only trumped it with Automatic; less playful, more thoughtful than Out of Time and arguably the best they’ve ever done.  “Drive,” the opening track on the album and the first single released (and my personal favorite), set the tone for the rest of their career with its understated presence. And its video is worth watching for Peter Buck’s resigned yet cautioning facial expression.


What to Avoid:

Around the Sun (2004)

Aw man, I hate doing this.  I was so disappointed in Around The Sun.  The experimentation was maxed out, and not all across the board.  The feel is one of impatience and restlessness.  This is really the only R.E.M. album from which anyone should steer away.


Everything Else You Need to Know:

Peter Buck’s side projects are both worth mentioning and checking out. He’s worked with everyone and their plumber in some capacity. Tuatara, a free jazz band out of Seattle, is a band he’s worked with since the late nineties.  Buck is also a sometime-member of The Minus Five with Scott McCaughey, Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies. He’s worked with the members of Young Fresh Fellows and Wilco in several odd incarnations and produces younger bands all over the known world.

www.tuatara.com

www.remhq.com - R.E.M.’s official website

www.murmurs.com - Fansite run by uberfan and university student Ethan Kaplan out of California. Sprawling and loud, it’s as much a community as an in exhaustible resource. The band watched the site for years before stepping forward in support of Kaplan’s efforts. Often, Murmurs pieces are mirrored on R.E.M.’s own site. Worth checking out on a regular basis.


Editor's Addendum:

If you have a DVD player, now is a great time to get into R.E.M.  Rhino has recently reissued Green, Out Of Time, Automatic For The People, Monster, New Adventures In Hi-Fi, Up, Reveal, and In Time as CD/DVD bundles.  The CDs consist of the original albums, digitally remastered with the latest technology.  The bonus DVDs contain 5.1 surround sound DVD mixes of the albums in DVD Audio, plus (In some cases) documentary videos and live performances.  Most notable are the previously unreleased documentary video included with Green.  The main criticism of these discs is that they lean towards the audiophile (the room devoted to the entire album In 5.1 audio could have been devoted to more video material or previously unreleased bonus tracks).  Hopefully R.E.M. will take the cue from other artists who have been around as long and release a collection of rarities.  Fore more information, visit www.rhino.com

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