R.E.M. announces they're breaking up

One of my favorites:

I must've have listened to "Out of Time" 50 times on a family road trip to North Carolina in the summer of 1991. Still love every track on that album (even Shiny Happy People).

 

Recall that a good music store near campus had a midnight release sale for one of R.E.M.'s albums when I was in school. Got a big turnout. They were buying the new album, while I opted for some of the other store offerings.

But at that time, it hit that R.E.M. was a big deal to a lot of other people. Feel bad for their fans, but it sounds as if there's a strong discography to choose from.

 

Well, the show I saw was Sept. '95 also, but I was underwhelmed. Expected to be blown away, and it was just OK.

Of course my standards for arena rock performances had been set by the 1980s tours of Springsteen/ESB and the early 90s U2 tours, so maybe it was an impossible standard to live up to.

As I noted in a later post, I was pleasantly surprised with the way they stepped up on the 2004 Vote For Change tour -- I think being on the same bill as Bruce was the competitive spark they needed. Stipe couldn't cover his head in mustard and do half the songs through a hand-held megaphone on that stage.

 

Should have been Nightswimming, never figured why they didnt release it as a single. "This is the best song ever written" Chris Martin

 

I love Nightswimming. It's my favorite, though I think it's kind of cliche to claim it as your favorite. I don't care, it is.

 

Chris Martin kinda screws up the piano on the Austin City Limits REM/Coldplay version, Mills does it really well.

 

Have any of the Georgia folk eaten here?

 

Two totally different albums in style, but for me it's Automatic and Murmur then everything else is a step behind.

Laughing, Shaking Through, Perfect Circle..

It was not until now that I realized how great these guys are. Sort of like seeing Tom Seaver at the end of career, but then the moment he retires you remember the young man throwing 95 mph bbs at the knees.

 

No need to apologize for Nightswimming. That's an absolutely gorgeous song. I would guess the boys in the band would list that near the top as well.

 

Anyone remember the theme song from Get A Life with Chris Elliott?

 

Indeed. Not my favorite place, but not bad.

 

Half A World Away is close to a perfect song. One of those songs that kind of puts me into a trance when I hear it.

Oh, and IJAG, Jeremy isn't even in PJ's top 10 in my book.