R.E.M. calls it quits

shack

Too bad...I've always enjoyed their music. A nice long run though...

After 31 years in the business and 15 albums, R.E.M., the Southern rock band hailing from Athens, Ga., announced Wednesday morning on its website that it is calling it quits. In a brief statement, the band writes:

"As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."

Following the brief statement are individidual sentiments from the three original band members, Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Michael Stipe (original drummer Bill Berry had exited the band some time ago, replaced by Bill Rieflin).

"We feel kind of like pioneers in this -- there's no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring-off," Mills writes. "We've made this decision together, amicably and with each other's best interests at heart. The time just feels right."

In other words, it's the end of the band as they know it, and they feel fine. But a piece in Rolling Stone does state, with an interview from Ethan Kaplan, owner of the R.E.M. fan community Murmurs and former senior vice president of emerging technology at Warner Bros. Records, that the band's decision was influenced by label politics.

"I suspected this was coming last fall," Kaplan tells Rolling Stone. "If you remember, they weathered a lot of storms in this business, and have always operated on their own terms. [Warner Bros.] changed starting last September, and I think the demands on a band now to get a record out were more than they might have wanted to commit. I can understand that after how hard they worked for how long, the thought of going back to 'paying dues' with new label staff, in a very weird industry, was too much."

R.E.M. released "Collapse Into Now" earlier this year to complimentary reviews. "The band doesn't engage in any current trends," Ann Powers wrote in her review for the L.A. Times. "Instead it returns to form, in detail, moving through the R.E.M. cookbook with the focus and precision of an Iron Chef."

Nearly synonymous with the phrase "jangly guitars," R.E.M. helped forge the jangle pop movement of the mid-'80s, a sound that braided together Byrds-style '60s pop and power pop's raw energy with folky overtones. Their influence has been charted far and wide, from Pavement to Wilco to the Athens-associated Elephant 6 collective to, most recently, the Decemberists, who collaborated with Buck on their celebrated album released earlier this year, "The King Is Dead."

No word yet on what any of the band members will do next but Pop & Hiss will keep you posted as we get news. In the meantime, check out R.E.M.'s 1983 TV performance of "Radio Free Europe," which David Letterman announces as their national TV debut. Holdng up a copy of "Murmur," Letterman also says, "The Los Angeles Times just named this album one of the five best released so far in 1983." R.E.M., we still feel the same way.

Theheadsn

thats weird, the music theyve been writing for the last decade sounded like they quit ages ago lol

drumminman

Never could get into their music, though they were extremely popular. They always sounded like a second tier bandfrom the 60's to me - remember The Electric Prunes ("I had Too Much to Dream Last Night")?

Ron-P

I was just as bummed when a-ha called it quits. But, I was so very fortunate to be able to see them preform live last year on their final tour at a small venue. Some of these 80's bands, like REM and a-ha will be missed. They still continued to put out great tunes way beyond the decade that made them big.

inspiredsports

They're in their late forties/early fifties and I don't think there's any way they will be able to stay away after maybe a year off. They'll be back.

PSOVLSK

This is sad news for me. I've been a fan since the mid-late 80's and have most, if not all, of their albums. I like them, but I can see how people wouldn't since the sound is a little different.

exalted512

glad they left on good terms. I was listening to everybody hurts today actually.
-Cody

gdb

That Stipes guy has always creeped me out a little and.........that "Losing My Religion" makes me contemplate the old icepick in the ears remedy, every time I hear it. WTF is the "Afro" smiley's application ???

agfrost

"Green" was the first CD I ever purchased.

SCompRacer

Well, everybody hurts sometimes.

brettw22

In other words, it's the end of the band as they know it, and they feel fine.

LOL.......nice

SCompRacer

brettw22 wrote: »

In other words, it's the end of the band as they know it, and they feel fine.

LOL.......nice

Good one!:biggrin:

dkg999

After that last album, I think it was finally time for them to realize it was over.

mhardy6647

drumminman wrote: »

Never could get into their music, though they were extremely popular. They always sounded like a second tier bandfrom the 60's to me - remember The Electric Prunes ("I had Too Much to Dream Last Night")?

Hey, now... don't be dissin' the Electric Prunes. They were ahead of their time...

headrott

Not sure how I missed this thread originally, but it's not too old. I own "Automatic For The People". It's the only REM CD/DVD-Audio I own. It's nicely recorded and produced. I absolutely don't agree with them politically, but this CD is a great CD musically. It has "Sweetness Follows" which appeared in "Vanilla Sky" with Tom Cruise. This song is absolutely my favorite REM song in existance. It's fantastic, IMO. Interesting side note that John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin) did the Orchestral arrangements on this album.

fatchowmein

headrott wrote: »

Not sure how I missed this thread originally, but it's not too old. I own "Automatic For The People". It's the only REM CD/DVD-Audio I own. It's nicely recorded and produced. I absolutely don't agree with them politically, but this CD is a great CD musically. It has "Sweetness Follows" which appeared in "Vanilla Sky" with Tom Cruise. This song is absolutely my favorite REM song in existance. It's fantastic, IMO. Interesting side note that John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin) did the Orchestral arrangements on this album.

Love "Man on the Moon" on that CD even though it got played to death when the movie came out.

stretchl

gdb wrote: »

That Stipes guy has always creeped me out a little and...

It's "Stipe."

Msabot1

I have a number of their early releases on vinyl,IRS label, Murmer,to name just one. They were one of the bright spots in an otherwise crummy decade musically. Not saying all was lousy,but most!

gdb

stretchl wrote: »

It's "Stipe."

Thanks, I'll make the appropriate corrections in my dossier................:cheesygrin:

oldmodman

I have always considered them one of those "new" bands anyway.

yeahbuddy

I remember reading that their record deal with Warner Bros. was a huge bust, they signed on and then more or less quit working afterward. Kind of a "yeah, they made hits" deal, but the contract was so huge that they had to produce huge sales to make it worthwhile, and it never panned out.

Either way, if you need an intermittent dosage of Michael Stipe, he's been making cameo appearances tossing out a "Hey-O" as a zinger to Stephen Colbert's jokes on the Colbert Report.

gdb

He should get the F back into his corner!

cnh

mhardy6647 wrote: »

Hey, now... don't be dissin' the Electric Prunes. They were ahead of their time...

fatchowmein wrote: »

Love "Man on the Moon" on that CD even though it got played to death when the movie came out.

Couldn't agree more with both of you.

Mhardy, "I had too much to dream last night!" One of my all time favorite lines. Think about, do it, live it and maybe be "alive"?

cnh

rromeo923

Love R.E.M.!
Thanks for some amazingmusic!

codyc1ark

Stipe is a great musician, if only him and Cobain could have collaborated. I think we could have heard something special.

musky1963

codyc1ark wrote: »

Stipe is a great musician, if only him and Cobain could have collaborated. I think we could have heard something special.

Good songwriters....yes. Great musicians? Not by a long shot.

rromeo923

musky1963 wrote: »

Good songwriters....yes. Great musicians? Not by a long shot.

Depends on your idea of a great musician.

To me a great musician is one that plays music and moves your soul. REM did that for me!

musky1963

"Stipe is a great musician"

I always considered a "musician", a person that actually plays a musical instrument.

shack

musky1963 wrote: »

"Stipe is a great musician"

I always considered a "musician", a person that actually plays a musical instrument.

Actually, one's voice is considered to be a musical instrument.

And the definition of musician according to Dictionary.com is:

noun
1. a person who makes music a profession, especially as a performer of music.
2. any person, whether professional or not, skilled in music.

Stipe meets that criteria.