REM split

...meh

I fainted in the curry house when I heard REM had split up.

That's me in the korma.

Dog in a korma, I know, I know, it's really serious.

So they have split. It's not like its the end of the world as we know it.

I guess they're just 'Out of Time'.

Should have split about a decade ago. Automatic for the people ruined them, and I got fed up of listening to insipid clones of Everybody Hurts. Their IRS records were much better IMO.

Should have split about a decade ago. Automatic for the people ruined them, and I got fed up of listening to insipid clones of Everybody Hurts. Their IRS records were much better IMO.

Absolutely agree.

It's a brave decision to split but they must have realised that they were going the way of all ancient 'super' groups and becoming their own tribute act.

Leaving IRS was the turning point but their latter IRS releases were already going commercial. I really love their early stuff but I'd argue that Green, their first release on Warner Bros, was their best album in my opinion.

It's a shame that most people will only know them for their post-IRS sell-out material. Still really good pop songs but not the genre-defining stuff of their early material.

I thought 'Around the Sun' was a cracking album.

Saw them Live 3 times I think, remember a gig at the Millennium stadium in 2005. It was a hot day and the roof was shut, the temperature in the stadium must have been something illegal, one of the best gigs I've ever been too.

Saw them at Glastonbury around 1999? Bloody brilliant, proper musicians.

I've been listening to some older rem stuff and a lot of it is really good notably the murmer, fables of the reconstruction and document records. Would be interesting to see what songs people pick as their favourites. For me I guess driver 8, disturbance at the heron house, king of birds but there's many more so it's hard. I guess a lot of it defines a time personally and for me it was a long summer as a student reading The Stand, getting drunk and generally having a good time so I'll always have a soft spot for them.

I've been listening to some older rem stuff and a lot of it is really good notably the murmer, fables of the reconstruction and document records. Would be interesting to see what songs people pick as their favourites. For me I guess driver 8, disturbance at the heron house, king of birds but there's many more so it's hard. I guess a lot of it defines a time personally and for me it was a long summer as a student reading The Stand, getting drunk and generally having a good time so I'll always have a soft spot for them.

Ha, I did exactly the same thing myself yesterday.

Murmer - Perfect Circle, Radio Free Europe, 9-9, Talk about the Passion

Reckoning - So Central Rain, Pretty Persuasion

Fables - Driver 8, Can't get There From Here

Document - Finest Worksong ( The One I Love, and It's the end of the World as we Know it - but they're a little obvious and started the band on a more commercial route )

R.E.M. reminds me of two distinct periods in my life. I used to rent a room from my boss who loved music. But he was one of those guys that loved to surprise people with how obscure his favourite bands were. As a result he'd declare any band that made it anywhere near a chart as "too commercial" for his tastes. He introduced me to R.E.M. but told me to avoid Green as it was "too commercial". Secondly, Out of Time was released while I was living in Australia. Out of Time instantly brings back the great memories I have for that country.

By the way did you know that "It's the end of the World as we Know it" was inspired by a dream Stipe had about at a party where everyone in the room had the initials LB. Lenny Bruce, Leonard Bernstein, Leonid Breshnev, etc. Great pop song.