R.E.M. played their first concert in Athens, Georgia, USA,
on 19 April 1980. Their line-up consisted of four drop-outs
from the University of Georgia; Michael Stipe
(b. 4 January
1960, Decatur, Georgia, USA; vocals), Peter Buck
(b. 6
December 1956, Los Angeles, California, USA; guitar), Mike
Mills
(b. 17 December 1958, Orange County, California,
USA; bass) and Bill Berry
(b. 31 July 1958, Duluth,
Minnesota, USA; drums). Without the charisma of Stipe and
his eccentric onstage behaviour, hurling himself about with
abandon in-between mumbling into the microphone, they could
easily have been overlooked as just another bar band, relying
on the harmonious guitar sound of the Byrds for their inspiration.
Acquiring a healthy following among the college fraternity in their
home-town, it was not long before they entered the studio to
record their debut single, 'Radio Free Europe', to be released
independently on Hibtone Records. This was greeted with
considerable praise by critics who conceded that the band
amounted to more than the sum of their influences. Their
country/folk sound was contradicted by a driving bassline and
an urgency that put the listener more in mind of the Who in their
early mod phase. Add to this the distinctive voice of Stipe and
his, on the whole, inaudible, perhaps even non-existent, lyrics,
and R.E.M. sounded quite unlike any other band in the USA,
in the post-punk era of the early 80s. Gaining further favourable
notices for the Chronic Town mini-LP, their debut full-length
album was now eagerly anticipated; when Murmur arrived in
1983 it surpassed all expectations, and was eventually made
Album Of The Year by Rolling Stone magazine. As in the USA,
the band earned a devoted cult following in Europe, largely
comprised of college students. Reckoning appeared the following
year and was permeated by a reckless spontaneity that had been
missing from their earlier work. Recorded in only 12 days, the
tracks varied in mood from frustration, as on 'So. Central Rain',
to the tongue-in-cheek singalong '
(Don't Go Back To) Rockville'.
The songs were accessible enough but, as would be the case for
most of the 80s, the singles culled from R.E.M.'s albums were
generally deemed uncommercial by mainstream radio programmers.
However, their cult reputation benefited from a series of flop singles
on both sides of the Atlantic. Although received enthusiastically by
critics, Fables Of The Reconstruction was a stark, morose album
that mirrored a period of despondency within the band. Peter Buck
summed it up in the 90s - 'If we were to record those songs again,
they would be very different'. Lifes Rich Pageant, in 1986, showed
the first signs of a politicization within the band that would come to a
head and coincide with their commercial breakthrough in the late 80s.
Stipe's lyrics began to dwell increasingly on the prevailing amorality in
the USA and question its inherited ethics, while retaining their much
vaunted obliqueness. Tracks such as 'These Days' and 'Cuyahoga'
were rallying cries to the young and disaffected; although the lyrics were
reflective and almost bitter, the music was the most joyous and uplifting
the band had recorded to date. This ironic approach to songwriting was
typified by 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It
(And I Feel
Fine)', from the equally impressive Document, which intentionally
trivialized its subject matter with a witty and up-tempo infectiousness.
In a similar vein was 'The One I Love', a deliberately cold and detached
dismassal of an ex-lover that was, nevertheless, completely misinterpreted
as romantic by countless record-buyers. Green arrived in 1988 and sold
slowly but steadily in the USA, the attendant single 'Stand' reaching
number 6 there, while 'Orange Crush' entered the UK Top 30. Apart
from demonstrating their environmental awareness, particularly in 'You
Are The Everything', the album laid more emphasis than previously on
Stipe's vocals and lyrics. This, to the singer's dismay, led to his elevation
as 'spokesman for a generation', particularly with the apparent
self-revelation of 'World Leader Pretend'. Already hero-worshipped
by adoring long-term fans, Stipe insisted: 'Rock 'n' roll is a joke, people
who take it seriously are the butt of the joke'. The world tour that
coincided with the album's release saw R.E.M. making a smooth
transition from medium-size venues to the stadium circuit, owing as
much to Stipe's individual choreography as to the elaborate, projected
backdrops. After a break of two years the band re-emerged in 1991
with Out Of Time. Their previous use of horns and mandolins to
embroider songs did not prepare their audience for the deployment of
an entire string section, nor were the contributions from B-52's singer
Kate Pierson and Boogie Down Productions' KRS-1 expected.
Ostensibly the band's first album to contain 'love' songs, it was
unanimously hailed as a masterpiece and entered the UK Top 5 on its
release, topping both US and UK album charts shortly afterwards.
The accompanying singles from that album, 'Losing My Religion',
'Shiny Happy People', 'Near Wild Heaven' and 'Radio Song', gave
them further hits. After picking up countless awards during the early
90s the band has maintained the high standard set by Out Of Time.
Automatic For The People was released in October 1992 to universal
favour, reaching the top of the charts in the UK and USA. Michael Stipe
was seen both as pin-up and creative genius. The album produced a
number of memorable singles including the moody 'Drive' and the joyous
'Man In The Moon', with its classic Elvis Presley vocal inflections from
Stipe and an award-winning accompanying monochrome video. Monster
showed the band in grungelike mode, not letting any accusations of selling
out bother them, and certainly letting fans and critics alike know that they
had not gone soft. 'What's The Frequency Kenneth?' started a run of hit
singles taken from the album and further awards were heaped upon them.
Following the collapse of Bill Berry in Switzerland while on a major tour
in 1995, the band were forced to rest. Berry was operated on for a
ruptured aneurysm and made a full recovery. In August 1996 the band
re-signed with Warner Brothers Records for the largest recording
contract advance in history: $80 million was guaranteed for a five-album
contract. New Adventures In Hi-Fi was released in September. Recorded
mostly during soundchecks during the ill-fated Monster tour, it was
nevertheless another excellent collection. From the epic chord changes of
'Be Mine' to the cool understated calm of 'How the West Was Won And
Where It Got Us', it showed the band's remarkable depth and ideas.

The critical praise heaped upon the band has been monumental, but through
all the attention they have appeared united, reasonably unaffected and
painfully modest. They are one of the most important and popular groups
to appear over the past three decades, and still retain massive credibility.
In October 1997, however, Bill Berry shocked the music world by
announcing his intention to leave R.E.M. after 17 years with the band; the
remaining members were quick to confirm that they would be continuing
without him, using the adage 'a three-legged dog can still walk'. Although
there was no official replacement on drums, with the rest of the band
electing to continue R.E.M. as a three-piece, ex- Screaming Trees
drummer Barrett Martin contributed to sessions for the new album, Up.