R.E.M. has split up. They've called it a career.
And the Rock and Roll world is worse off for it.
I saw them in '89 at the old Boston Garden. Mike and I sat behind the stage. We could see maybe a third of the action. It was a surprising set. They skipped pretty much all of the hits and stuck mostly to the back catalog. It was a great show.
As great as it was, though, a few months later at Great Woods was even better. That time they spent more time with the A list songs. We were right in the middle of the crowd and actually got to see the band. They were off the wall fantastic that night. I would like to think that they were pushed to a higher level by their opening act, Throwing Muses. The Muses were spooky and frantic and wonderful and the perfect band to match up with R.E.M. It was college radio rock bliss. That show will always be on my short list of favorites.
For my money, R.E.M. in the recording studio had a streak from about 1982 through 1992 where they never missed the mark. From Chronic Town through Automatic for the People I loved every second of just about every song. They seemed to get a little unfocused with Monster, although it was still a great album. After that they started losing me a little.
Still, Life's Rich Pageant and Document may be two of the best rock and roll records ever made. You can throw Green and Reckoning in their too. Near perfect records.
The music industry is falling apart all around us, and not having R.E.M. anymore just makes the future look that much bleaker.
Thanks for the great music, guys. Must appreciated.
R.E.M "call it a day" after 31 years, many hits
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