Crabb Thoughts: REM

In the week that I have been in Arizona, I wasn't around a computer all that much except for the one at the La Quita Inn in Mesa and The Super 8 at Prescott and the latter computer kept crashing everytime I try to access Hot mail so I basically kept it a minimum.  The big news of the week was that REM called it a day on Thursday. Kind of reminds me of The Townedgers after Pawnshops For Olivia, what's next and what could be done to make people fall in love with your music all over again.  And for the past three and half years the TEs still haven't gotten an answer or inspiration to do another album despite their biggest fans requesting new stuff.

REM had enjoyed a long 30 year ride, from being undergound favorites, to critics faves to cutting edge and then the mainstream and perhaps having their two best albums since Bill Berry retired may have been part of the reason that perhaps it was time to call it a day.  I wouldn't call myself a great big fan, I kinda gave up on them after Automatic For The People but finding cheap copies of their stuff at the pawnshop or dollar bins that perhaps they were a lot better than given credit although I tend to enjoy Monster more than Automatic, didn't think Modern Adventures In Hi Fi was all that bad and Out Of Time fun in spots.  My favorite remains Life's Rich Pagent and number 2 Murmur, that mysterious and atmospheric album that gave the world Radio Free Europe.  Their wilderness years albums Up, Reveal and Around The Sun  showed lack of focus but once they got Bill Rieflin as a drummer, their next albums were much more rocking.   Accelerate may have been the album Monster should have been but then again credit has to go to Gareth (Jack Knife) Lee's production.  Collaspe Into Now, is a nice farewell to a album that should have sold better.  Perhaps their next compilation album sums up with was best about REM is the title, Part Lies, Part Truth, Part Heart and Part Garbage, and the reader can pick which songs fit the themes at hand.