R.E.M. have broken up

[The_acrobat]

Stipe being gay didn't bother me in the slightest way. But to the typical 'merican Joe six pack, it just wasn't "COOL" or "TOUGH" or "AMERICAN" to like REM.

I was drug to an REM concert by my ex girlfriend in 03 in Cleveland, and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Afterward, I threw myself into a vast back catalog of extremely high quality that I was previously unaware of. By the time I saw them again in 04 in Cincy I was a well versed hardcore fan. Discovering REM's music like that in the span of a month of 2 was one of the best music listening experiences I ever had.

Also, for the record, I never said U2 didn't make great and interesting music on ATYCLB and HTDAAB. I love both albums.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I had a friend in Nashville who was obsessed with R.E.M. from seeing them in clubs before Murmur came out but right around when Radio Free Europe was released as a single. She was like following them all over the south (what a freak, who does that?) and sent me a horrible quality cassette of one of those shows. Anyway, she told me then that the lead singer was this weird, shy, arty guy who everyone assumed was gay. Somehow this assumption amongst the early cult following did not deter their rise to fame.

 

[bollox]

Afterward, I threw myself into a vast back catalog of extremely high quality that I was previously unaware of. By the time I saw them again in 04 in Cincy I was a well versed hardcore fan.

And were no doubt stunningly disappointed when they played a bunch of shit songs from Around The Sun.

 

[corianderstem]

They posted this on their Facebook page today:

90 DAYS, 90 REASONS

Comments are predictable. "YOU SOCIALIST! I'm giving away all my REM records!"

Yes, because clearly they have never revealed their politics in any way, shape or form prior to this.

 

[lazarus]

Stipe being gay didn't bother me in the slightest way. But to the typical 'merican Joe six pack, it just wasn't "COOL" or "TOUGH" or "AMERICAN" to like REM.

As stated before, Stipe's "coming out" was gradual and far from the spotlight. He wasn't appearing on mainstream magazines and talk shows telling his story. So there was no "A-ha!" moment for any "Joe Sixpack" to react to in the way you're describing. Regardless, Stipe's public persona and fashion screamed gay/bisexual long before that, even at the height of their popularity.

I'll say again, watch the Shiny Happy People video and tell me what America, Fuck Yeah! country was thinking about him back in 1991.

 

[u2popmofo]

I was thinking, "Man, I hope he does a version of this track with a muppet instead of the lady from the B52's".

 

[Danny Boy]

I was thinking of listening to Life's Rich Pageant.

 

[lazarus]

The word "pageant" is pretty gay.

#earlyclues

 

[FitzChivalry]

They declined in popularity because they were trying different things, and not following the formula that made them superstars. Monster rocked out when people expected more Automatic For The People, yet still went 4x platinum. After that, their experimentation on Hi-Fi and Up were just not albums that were going to go well with mainstream listeners, and the follow-ups to that were too fucking boring for anyone to care at that point.

This.

 

[No spoken words]

New Adventures in Hi-Fi is so fucking good......

 

[u2popmofo]

I have always liked the line, "Dreaming of Maria Callas, whoever she is".

 

[nielsgov]

I have always liked the song, E-bow the Letter. Seriously though. The live version with Thom Yorke is great as well. It includes some classic Thom Yorke flailing.

 

[lazarus]

I have always liked the line, "Dreaming of Maria Callas, whoever she is".

Uhh, isn't it wherever she is?

 

[u2popmofo]

No.

 

[IWasBored]

I love how we've presumed that tough guy über american trucker hat wearing pbr drinking types EVER thought rem was cool. What. Do you think they got all in touch with their sensitive side, crying when they did karaoke to everybody hurts when automatic came out, then decided zomg that dude is gay! I will never buy their albums again!

Come on.

Of course, I don't think there's anything more flamboyantly gay than spandex and big hair, but those dudes loves them some "every rose has its thrown."

 

[MrPryck2U]

Stipe being gay didn't bother me in the slightest way. But to the typical 'merican Joe six pack, it just wasn't "COOL" or "TOUGH" or "AMERICAN" to like REM.

Good lord! Stereotype alert! Why don't we all get some Budweisers, hop in our Dodge Rams and go deer hunting. Woo Hoo! I'm 'merican Joe Six Pack! We don't need no stinkin' REM! Give us some Van Halen, bro! We're real men!

 

[LemonMelon]

Some Joes prefer 12-packs.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Some Joes prefer 12-packs.

We're cool, tough 'mericans. What the fuck do we know? I better put on my wife beater and go hold up a 711.

 

[u2popmofo]

In acrobat's defense, in the uber-conservative Utah, I recall hearing people voice "concerns" that Stipe was gay in the mid-'90's. Don't recall anyone telling me they'd stopped listening to REM because of it, but for whatever silly reason, it bothered them enough to mention it.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Utah? Really? I'm just having some fun with acrobat. It's not the first time I've heard this ridiculous stereotype and I'm sure it won't be the last.

 

[BVS]

Stipe being gay didn't bother me in the slightest way. But to the typical 'merican Joe six pack, it just wasn't "COOL" or "TOUGH" or "AMERICAN" to like REM.

They had pretty much already lost this crowd before Stipe's official coming out.

 

[The_acrobat]

I hope I didn't offend anybody with my 'merican stereotype comments. In rural Ohio, where I live, it's just something I unfortunately see a lot of. If it's not country or classic rock, it's "gay", according to some.

Like I said, I saw them in both 03 and 04. I must say that while the Around the Sun songs were certainly low points of the 04 concert, I still thought it was the better of the 2. Could've been the intimacy of a theater vs. a large outdoor amphitheater, or that I was familiar with more of their songs. Missed them in 08 b/c the nearest they came to me was Chicago. I always figured I'd get another chance to see them. Oh well, I have 2 great shows to look back on, as well as 30 years of great music!

27 September 2003 - Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
set: Begin The Begin / What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / Pop Song 89 / Drive / Animal / Cuyahoga / Fall On Me / Bad Day / The One I Love / Strange Currencies / Beat A Drum / Orange Crush / Losing My Religion / Find The River / She Just Wants To Be / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon
encore: Everybody Hurts / Nightswimming / Final Straw / Imitation Of Life / It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)


27 October 2004 - Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH
set: Around The Sun / Finest Worksong / Begin The Begin / Exhuming McCarthy / Animal / Boy In The Well / Cuyahoga / High Speed Train / Drive / Electron Blue / The One I Love / Bad Day / I Wanted To Be Wrong / Imitation Of Life / Final Straw / Losing My Religion / Walk Unafraid / Life And How To Live It
encore: What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / Leaving New York / Sweetness Follows / Permanent Vacation / I'm Gonna DJ / Man On The Moon

 

[iron yuppie]

I hope I didn't offend anybody with my 'merican stereotype comments. In rural Ohio, where I live, it's just something I unfortunately see a lot of. If it's not country or classic rock, it's "gay", according to some.

Yeah, I don't see why everyone is jumping on you for this comment. I've encountered that type of attitude as well. I can think of several posters on these boards who would probably disown U2 if Bono were to come out as gay.

 

[corianderstem]

No, they'd think it was just fine, unless he wanted to marry his male partner in the US.

 

[lazarus]

Yeah, I don't see why everyone is jumping on you for this comment. I've encountered that type of attitude as well. I can think of several posters on these boards who would probably disown U2 if Bono were to come out as gay.

It has nothing to do with pointing out that attitude, and more to do with ignoring the fact that R.E.M.'s artsy vibe and Stipe's appearance/persona would have turned off homophobes long before any supposed coming out. This had NOTHING to do with a decline in popularity.

 

[The_acrobat]

It has nothing to do with pointing out that attitude, and more to do with ignoring the fact that R.E.M.'s artsy vibe and Stipe's appearance/persona would have turned off homophobes long before any supposed coming out. This had NOTHING to do with a decline in popularity.

You're right. I was just basing my statement on the fact that REM's popularity, to me anyway, seemed to fade in the late 90s, around the time Stipe came out. I was in high school at the time, so it seemed to me to be the cause.

When did REM begin to lose their footing? Was it Monster? I know that Monster sold a bunch of copies, but was it actually very well received, or was it's success a carryover from the previous albums?

 

[lazarus]

One could point to Hi-Fi as the beginning of the slide, because E-Bow The Letter, great as it is, was a terrible choice for a lead single. Not touring for the album didn't help either. Up's attempt to lure back the Out of Time/Automatic crowd with Daysleeper, but it was pretty much over at that point.

 

[No spoken words]

One could point to Hi-Fi as the beginning of the slide, because E-Bow The Letter, great as it is, was a terrible choice for a lead single. Not touring for the album didn't help either. Up's attempt to lure back the Out of Time/Automatic crowd with Daysleeper, but it was pretty much over at that point.

Yeah, I don't know if the stats/record sales back it up, but, if memory serves, this is when a lot of casual REM fan friends of mine started to check out, and I could not convince them of the greatness of Hi-Fi.

 

[lazarus]

Hi-Fi was a gift to more hardcore R.E.M. fans, drawing elements from nearly their entire history. To casual fans, probably just sounded like a mess.

 

[iron yuppie]

Hi-Fi was a gift to more hardcore R.E.M. fans, drawing elements from nearly their entire history. To casual fans, probably just sounded like a mess.

Hi-Fi is easily my favorite of theirs post-IRS, but it only became so after my taste had matured, for lack of a better term. Looking at it now, though, I wonder how much different Hi-Fi is from something like Automatic. I'd say Electrolite and Bittersweet Me are as catchy as anything on Automatic, and Hi-Fi has the advantage of lacking real clunkers the likes of which are found on Automatic.

I think any hyper-popular album is as much about timing as it is about songcraft, so perhaps Automatic just tapped into the zeitgeist in a serendipitous sort of way. Because it seems tough to me to make the argument that, with over a decade of retrospection, Automatic is a superior album to Hi-Fi.