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R.E.M.: Remarks
Author(s) Tony Fletcher Publisher Omnibus Press Date of Publication 06/14/1993 Language English Format Paperback ISBN-10 0711932212 ISBN-13 9780711932210 Subject The Arts
159 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 13, 2013
R.E.M. is my favorite band of all time. A favorite to the point of, when they broke up, I got a number of "are you okay" texts. I own nearly all their releases, I buy soundtracks and compilations simply because they submitted a single song to it, bought the import singles for b-sides, the whole nine yards.
This also means buying/reading a number of books. The gold standard, historically speaking, has been It Crawled From the South, which was less a biography and more a companion. R.E.M.: Fiction tried to be more of a biography, and was solid in its detail. There were others, of course, like Talk About the Passion and Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.,, neither of which were essential.
Remarks: The Story of R.E.M. was Tony Fletcher's attempt and was also very solid, but, like all the other volumes, have not seen new volumes in close to ten years, if not longer, and Fletcher finally chose to update the book following R.E.M.'s break-up. The high quality that existed with Remarks thankfully continues with Perfect Circle.
Perfect Circle is exhaustive. Besides the detailed discography/chronology in the back, it comes with the reveal that Fletcher had some inside information and cooperation (bordering on collaboration) with the band. Thus, we get some extra stories from the early years, some details about the more recent albums and the troubles that went along with them, and enough new information where even a superfan like myself learned new things about the band and the albums I loved (or, in some cases, just liked).
I can quibble about a few things here and there. While Fletcher pulls few punches, he does tend to be more deferential toward the band's point of view in more controversial situations than you'd expect from a more neutral biography. There is a weird situation in chapter seventeen where there are some obvious typographical and factual errors that slip through as well, which is unexpected for a book in its third edition/iteration. And while the book is extremely readable, it doesn't have a narrative flow as much as a steady march - hardly a bad thing for this sort of medium, but if you're a more casual fan, I can imagine it feeling somewhat exhausting.
With all that said, the criticisms I have are dwarfed by the fact that this is probably the best book about R.E.M. available, both in terms of scope and in terms of information and story. For a band that's not known for its alcoholic antics or womanizing, whose mystery and appeal comes from the music more than the personalities, you get a lot of great insight into one of the great American bands. If you've ever been curious beyond what you've heard on the radio, what you've read on different websites, grab this book.
This also means buying/reading a number of books. The gold standard, historically speaking, has been It Crawled From the South, which was less a biography and more a companion. R.E.M.: Fiction tried to be more of a biography, and was solid in its detail. There were others, of course, like Talk About the Passion and Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.,, neither of which were essential.
Remarks: The Story of R.E.M. was Tony Fletcher's attempt and was also very solid, but, like all the other volumes, have not seen new volumes in close to ten years, if not longer, and Fletcher finally chose to update the book following R.E.M.'s break-up. The high quality that existed with Remarks thankfully continues with Perfect Circle.
Perfect Circle is exhaustive. Besides the detailed discography/chronology in the back, it comes with the reveal that Fletcher had some inside information and cooperation (bordering on collaboration) with the band. Thus, we get some extra stories from the early years, some details about the more recent albums and the troubles that went along with them, and enough new information where even a superfan like myself learned new things about the band and the albums I loved (or, in some cases, just liked).
I can quibble about a few things here and there. While Fletcher pulls few punches, he does tend to be more deferential toward the band's point of view in more controversial situations than you'd expect from a more neutral biography. There is a weird situation in chapter seventeen where there are some obvious typographical and factual errors that slip through as well, which is unexpected for a book in its third edition/iteration. And while the book is extremely readable, it doesn't have a narrative flow as much as a steady march - hardly a bad thing for this sort of medium, but if you're a more casual fan, I can imagine it feeling somewhat exhausting.
With all that said, the criticisms I have are dwarfed by the fact that this is probably the best book about R.E.M. available, both in terms of scope and in terms of information and story. For a band that's not known for its alcoholic antics or womanizing, whose mystery and appeal comes from the music more than the personalities, you get a lot of great insight into one of the great American bands. If you've ever been curious beyond what you've heard on the radio, what you've read on different websites, grab this book.
June 19, 2021
R.E.M. and I... well, we go 'way back. Oh, I certainly don't mean to imply that we're buddies—I've never actually met or even corresponded with any of the band. Nor can I claim to have been on hand for the start of their rise to fame. My first exposure to R.E.M.'s music wasn't until 1986, in fact, when Tim Flanery (a guy much cooler than I) bought their fourth album, Lifes Rich Pageant, and insisted I listen to it. I do have one bootleg cassette around here... somewhere. And I've seen R.E.M. live in concert—twice, actually: once in Charleston, West Virginia and once in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Both of those were in the 1980s as well. I even snagged one of the promotional posters from that Charleston show, although what I remember most about it now was seeing Natalie Merchant of the opening band, 10,000 Maniacs, literally tearing her hair out during her performance of "Don't Talk."
All of this is to say that R.E.M. is probably my favorite band of all time, and certainly the most influential on my own musical development—but even so I am nowhere near being their biggest fan.
Tony Fletcher, on the other hand, might just deserve that honor. I did read Jim Greer's R.E.M.: Behind the Mask awhile ago, but that was a much more typical band bio, with a lot more pictures than text—not at all comparable to Fletcher's comprehensive work. From his choice of title—one of my all-time favorite R.E.M. songs—onward, Perfect Circle is an amazing achievement, made even more remarkable by the fact that R.E.M. is one of the least controversial rock bands ever to have filled a stadium.
*
Fletcher's account is consistently well-written, fluid and straightforward. Even so, he displays occasional flair. Check out the clever alliteration in this passage, for example:
I didn't see many typos or grammatical errors, either, although one erratum on p.235 did stand out to me: Fletcher refers to U2's 1991 release as "1981's Achtung, Baby"—although in a work of this length, that sort of minor stumble seems perfectly excusable.
I will mention here that Tony Fletcher is British, and Perfect Circle uses British spellings and terms throughout—which is not really a flaw, either, but can be a little jarring in a book that's all about a band from Jaw-juh.
*
Unlike Snow, Fletcher is not worshipful. He's no muckraker either, though—despite Perfect Circle's great detail and undeniable insider perspective, it's not a mere exposé. Fletcher hews to a solid middle line, respectful but never fawning, and along the way he stays consistently open-eyed about the band's flaws (issues such as their boys'-club sexism, for example, or Peter Buck's trial for a single, isolated and Ambien-fueled air rage incident).
*
*
Acknowledging the proliferation of bootlegs, one-off singles and other fan-friendly versions of R.E.M.'s work, Fletcher notes that
After all, as Fletcher himself admits later on,
Even so, R.E.M. has been woven into the fabric of my life for more than thirty years. Their works still span more inches on my shelves than any others'—and R.E.M.'s songs still fill more slots in my small and decidedly amateur guitar-playing repertoire, too. Not that I can claim to play them the way R.E.M. does—I can't even come close to matching the demonic simplicity of "Driver 8"'s opening riff, nor the sustained precision of "Everybody Hurts," despite its deceptively straightforward chord structure—just D to G to Em to A. But enduring R.E.M. classics like "Swan Swan Hummingbird," "The One I Love," "The End of the World As I Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and "Losing My Religion" remain songs I like to flail at from time to time... and probably always will, as long as I can hold a guitar at all.
*
I think it's fitting, after all this, to let R.E.M. have the last word:
All of this is to say that R.E.M. is probably my favorite band of all time, and certainly the most influential on my own musical development—but even so I am nowhere near being their biggest fan.
Tony Fletcher, on the other hand, might just deserve that honor. I did read Jim Greer's R.E.M.: Behind the Mask awhile ago, but that was a much more typical band bio, with a lot more pictures than text—not at all comparable to Fletcher's comprehensive work. From his choice of title—one of my all-time favorite R.E.M. songs—onward, Perfect Circle is an amazing achievement, made even more remarkable by the fact that R.E.M. is one of the least controversial rock bands ever to have filled a stadium.
*
Fletcher's account is consistently well-written, fluid and straightforward. Even so, he displays occasional flair. Check out the clever alliteration in this passage, for example:
R.E.M.'s success with the three C's—college radio, the critics, and concerts—cemented the band's cult following, and may have even been responsible for Murmur's first 50,000 sales.
—p.90
I didn't see many typos or grammatical errors, either, although one erratum on p.235 did stand out to me: Fletcher refers to U2's 1991 release as "1981's Achtung, Baby"—although in a work of this length, that sort of minor stumble seems perfectly excusable.
I will mention here that Tony Fletcher is British, and Perfect Circle uses British spellings and terms throughout—which is not really a flaw, either, but can be a little jarring in a book that's all about a band from Jaw-juh.
*
"When I get to Heaven, the angels will be playing not harps but Rickenbackers. And they will be playing songs by R.E.M...."Umm... much as I like R.E.M., that seems like a stretch to me.
—Mat Snow, writing in NME, p.111
Unlike Snow, Fletcher is not worshipful. He's no muckraker either, though—despite Perfect Circle's great detail and undeniable insider perspective, it's not a mere exposé. Fletcher hews to a solid middle line, respectful but never fawning, and along the way he stays consistently open-eyed about the band's flaws (issues such as their boys'-club sexism, for example, or Peter Buck's trial for a single, isolated and Ambien-fueled air rage incident).
*
{Lifes Rich Pageant} remains unique in the band's catalogue, and the favourite of many a hard-core fan.Mine, too. About 1994's Monster, though, Peter Buck says,
—p.143
"I look at it as one of those transitional records that you skip through to get to the next one. It's not my favourite and it never will be. But when we do the box set one day there will be four or five songs that will sit cheek by jowl next to the other stuff and people will say, 'Gosh, that really makes sense in context.'"I have to agree with that assessment as well.
—p.254
*
Acknowledging the proliferation of bootlegs, one-off singles and other fan-friendly versions of R.E.M.'s work, Fletcher notes that
{...} attaining the complete R.E.M. catalogue was a full-time occupation.Not for me, though... like many older R.E.M. fans, I was unwilling to follow some of their later experiments, and in fact have yet to acquire three of their last half-dozen studio albums, let alone the more ephemeral material that's come out along the way.
—p.144
After all, as Fletcher himself admits later on,
The generation that had grown up with R.E.M. in the Eighties, that had enthusiastically shared and applauded the maturity of Out of Time and Automatic for the People, many of whom had stuck around for Monster, was ready now to move on. Not to new artists, but to their home mortgages, car payments and children's birthday parties. They'd still be there if the group wanted to tour the hits, they'd probably be back if the band released another single that struck the 'universal chord'. But they would no longer maintain their obsession.
—p.305
Even so, R.E.M. has been woven into the fabric of my life for more than thirty years. Their works still span more inches on my shelves than any others'—and R.E.M.'s songs still fill more slots in my small and decidedly amateur guitar-playing repertoire, too. Not that I can claim to play them the way R.E.M. does—I can't even come close to matching the demonic simplicity of "Driver 8"'s opening riff, nor the sustained precision of "Everybody Hurts," despite its deceptively straightforward chord structure—just D to G to Em to A. But enduring R.E.M. classics like "Swan Swan Hummingbird," "The One I Love," "The End of the World As I Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and "Losing My Religion" remain songs I like to flail at from time to time... and probably always will, as long as I can hold a guitar at all.
*
I think it's fitting, after all this, to let R.E.M. have the last word:
"We made decisions ourselves, and we owned those decisions. We had triumphs and we owned those; we had mistakes and we owned those. And so, not only being in the middle of it but also looking back now, I feel that we managed to somehow create something that I can be very proud of, not only at the highest but at the very low points, and say: 'I owned that. We made that choice ourselves.'"
—Michael Stipe, in "Endgame," the final chapter of Perfect Circle, p.453
November 12, 2016
*sigh* The final installment of Tony Fletcher's often-updated R.E.M. biography series. So sad... I think I now have to admit they've really broken up. (But on the good side, I get another R.E.M. book out of it! One last chance to read about the band!)
I am kind of disappointed at the cover -- all the cover is is a picture that's been floating around the internet (possibly from Q Magazine) for over a decade. And that's all. I mean, I've had that picture on my computer for ages, use it as my desktop wallpaper, and have used it on CDs I've made. I feel like we got cheated on the cover art. There's not even a title! Just that picture (and the author's name in tiny print)! I love that picture, but cover art should be something different from what some other magazine put on their website 10+ years ago. phhht.
Plus, the cover's pretty flimsy. Between the flimsiness and the clip art-type cover art, I feel like this was just printed at home. blah.
------------------------------------------
One thing I don't love about this version (and I say "this version" because I don't remember it being like this in any of the earlier editions) is the editorializing about some of the albums. Yes, there were some albums that didn't do as well as others, but it seems like Fletcher kind of likes to tear those albums apart and disparage them. Rather than saying in a straightforward manner that such-and-such album didn't sell as well, he basically puts his opinion in about which albums were bad or which songs sucked and why. I didn't particularly care for that. Facts, yes; opinions about why, no thank you. Plus, just because *you* think a song sucked, and you think this is why it sucked, doesn't mean *I* think it sucked, or doesn't mean I think it sucked for the same reason you did. Conversely, he seems to really applaud the final album -- implying (or maybe even outright saying) that they'd found themselves again -- which I really didn't like, in part because I didn't think it felt like at all like R.E.M. So, again, this becomes a book of his-opinion-is-right.
I gave this book a really low rating simply because all of the other books in the "series" were so much better. As I said before, I don't remember there being this much editorializing in the other versions. If I'd never read any of the other books, this one would have gotten a much higher rating, with just a minor demotion for the forced-upon-me opinions. But since the other ones don't do that, this one gets a much lower rating. Yes, it's the wrap-up to their career, but the editorials just got SO on my nerves that it had to be bumped WAY down.
I am kind of disappointed at the cover -- all the cover is is a picture that's been floating around the internet (possibly from Q Magazine) for over a decade. And that's all. I mean, I've had that picture on my computer for ages, use it as my desktop wallpaper, and have used it on CDs I've made. I feel like we got cheated on the cover art. There's not even a title! Just that picture (and the author's name in tiny print)! I love that picture, but cover art should be something different from what some other magazine put on their website 10+ years ago. phhht.
Plus, the cover's pretty flimsy. Between the flimsiness and the clip art-type cover art, I feel like this was just printed at home. blah.
------------------------------------------
One thing I don't love about this version (and I say "this version" because I don't remember it being like this in any of the earlier editions) is the editorializing about some of the albums. Yes, there were some albums that didn't do as well as others, but it seems like Fletcher kind of likes to tear those albums apart and disparage them. Rather than saying in a straightforward manner that such-and-such album didn't sell as well, he basically puts his opinion in about which albums were bad or which songs sucked and why. I didn't particularly care for that. Facts, yes; opinions about why, no thank you. Plus, just because *you* think a song sucked, and you think this is why it sucked, doesn't mean *I* think it sucked, or doesn't mean I think it sucked for the same reason you did. Conversely, he seems to really applaud the final album -- implying (or maybe even outright saying) that they'd found themselves again -- which I really didn't like, in part because I didn't think it felt like at all like R.E.M. So, again, this becomes a book of his-opinion-is-right.
I gave this book a really low rating simply because all of the other books in the "series" were so much better. As I said before, I don't remember there being this much editorializing in the other versions. If I'd never read any of the other books, this one would have gotten a much higher rating, with just a minor demotion for the forced-upon-me opinions. But since the other ones don't do that, this one gets a much lower rating. Yes, it's the wrap-up to their career, but the editorials just got SO on my nerves that it had to be bumped WAY down.
December 10, 2020
I'm not sure what I expected, but most of the book was the story of the making of each album. I wanted a little more into the members of the band, but I'm guessing they wouldn't allow that. Still the best band on earth even if this wasn't the best story on earth.
January 26, 2025
If you love REM as I do you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Tony Fletcher follows the band since its inception in Athens GA in 1980 until its breakup in 2011… I have even more respect for Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Bill Berry & Peter Buck as they remain friends to this day and dismantled the band more to loss of passion than egos…really remarkable humans in a rock and roll world. The fun of music biographies Is to stop and listen to the albums again and watch the concerts on YouTube that you went to!! This band was and is a huge part of my life- still great music!!!
February 26, 2022
An incredible biography of my favorite band of all time. Balanced, intensely researched-but Fletcher is also a fan. The music bleeds through clearly with each chapter without being interrupted with the tendency to "review." I'm caught with the realization that I missed something momentous by never seeing R.E.M. live.
September 23, 2023
This was an excellent, thorough, educating book about the careers of one of my favorite bands
November 2, 2022
The 2002 update of the R.E.M. biography. 4.5 stars.
From the preface:
"The opportunity to edit and expand the original manuscript was the clincher. I had held onto all my source materials -- tapes, transcripts, demos, press cuttings and even early drafts -- and could see that I had left many sub-topics and tangential points out first time around for the sake of brevity. Yet I could also tell that Remarks had become a reference for other R.E.M. books over the years, which had then added their own observations and theories to the group's legacy; I now felt a need to counter or complement some of these points in turn.
And, to be fair, other books had corrected some of my original errors."
---------------------
Some things I didn't know:
For previous editions of the book, "[t:]he group initially took the perfectly logical view that they were still a work-in-progress and therefore not yet ready to be ossified in print. At the same time, they understood that biographies were an inevitable by-product of the fame game. Peter Buck, in particular, as the band's resident rock'n'roll obsessive and archivist, seemed to agree that they would be better off telling their story than letting others tell it for them and volunteered to be interviewed on behalf of the entire group. ... None of this was mentioned in the introductions to the previous editions of Remarks: in typical R.E.M. form, the band's co-operation came with the strict caveat that under no circumstances could I advertise that they'd given it. ... This time around, co-operation was not given on the understanding that it go unannounced..."
"In many countries -- almost everywhere except north America, in fact -- Reveal has been R.E.M.'s best-selling album since Monster" (pg. 5-6).
From the preface:
"The opportunity to edit and expand the original manuscript was the clincher. I had held onto all my source materials -- tapes, transcripts, demos, press cuttings and even early drafts -- and could see that I had left many sub-topics and tangential points out first time around for the sake of brevity. Yet I could also tell that Remarks had become a reference for other R.E.M. books over the years, which had then added their own observations and theories to the group's legacy; I now felt a need to counter or complement some of these points in turn.
And, to be fair, other books had corrected some of my original errors."
---------------------
Some things I didn't know:
For previous editions of the book, "[t:]he group initially took the perfectly logical view that they were still a work-in-progress and therefore not yet ready to be ossified in print. At the same time, they understood that biographies were an inevitable by-product of the fame game. Peter Buck, in particular, as the band's resident rock'n'roll obsessive and archivist, seemed to agree that they would be better off telling their story than letting others tell it for them and volunteered to be interviewed on behalf of the entire group. ... None of this was mentioned in the introductions to the previous editions of Remarks: in typical R.E.M. form, the band's co-operation came with the strict caveat that under no circumstances could I advertise that they'd given it. ... This time around, co-operation was not given on the understanding that it go unannounced..."
"In many countries -- almost everywhere except north America, in fact -- Reveal has been R.E.M.'s best-selling album since Monster" (pg. 5-6).
November 8, 2011
Quite a sad rock biog, with the rise a cheerful and ecstatic one as they show only a little of themselves and the world fills in the rest, then sees a little too much and doesn't want to see any more. But good to read their story and remember what amazing music they made and how glad I am they exist.
June 11, 2014
Short Review on my blog:
http://nonewmusic.wordpress.com/2014/...
http://nonewmusic.wordpress.com/2014/...
March 20, 2023
I read the original a few times but cannot remember where it cut off. Probably immediately after the Green album and associated tour, I'm thinking. This version, the "remade" portion of the book, takes us all the way through the album and subsequent tour for "Reveal." So, the Jefferson Holt dismissal, the Bill Berry decision, the addition of a former Walt Mink member, and Peter Buck's drunken flight whereby eventually Bono, descending down from heaven for a court appearance, put in a good word for one of R.E.M.'s better guitarists.
Notes: On the very same album that includes 'Ignoreland' in which Peter Buck states "They turned this country into a dictatorship" we also have the song "Star Me Kitten." Properly named "Fuck Me Kitten," our heroes renamed the song on the spine in order to avoid a "Parental Advisory" label brought forth via the Tipper Gore-led PMRC. So, I laugh.
Notes: And I just caught this a while ago: The most humorous clip in the 'Athens, GA inside/Out' documentary features Peter Buck, complete in his pajamas and robe sitting on the porch of Buck manor with an open beer murmuring the following about living in the area: "You know, I was talking to my parents about Athens today..." You see, he said "today" and not even "this morning" and he's in his pajamas and robe. I find this so very humorous. So, I laugh.
Notes: On the very same album that includes 'Ignoreland' in which Peter Buck states "They turned this country into a dictatorship" we also have the song "Star Me Kitten." Properly named "Fuck Me Kitten," our heroes renamed the song on the spine in order to avoid a "Parental Advisory" label brought forth via the Tipper Gore-led PMRC. So, I laugh.
Notes: And I just caught this a while ago: The most humorous clip in the 'Athens, GA inside/Out' documentary features Peter Buck, complete in his pajamas and robe sitting on the porch of Buck manor with an open beer murmuring the following about living in the area: "You know, I was talking to my parents about Athens today..." You see, he said "today" and not even "this morning" and he's in his pajamas and robe. I find this so very humorous. So, I laugh.
April 11, 2021
I read the updated, latest, version of this book, with last part written after the band's breakup, which i think is great because it shows the whole story, all 31 years of R.E.M.
My favorite part of this book was the begining, where I learnt how the four members met each other and formed a band, the coincidences involving their early beginnings, culture among young people in late-seventies and early-eighties, music bands and fans in Athens, Georgia...
R.E.M. was the ever-changing, constantly-touring indie band of the eighties, which turned into an international sensation after Out of Time and Automatic For the People - in early nineties.
Maybe the only parts of this book that I found a little bit boring were those about financial and business aspects of R.E.M. But that too, I think, is one important piece of the puzzle and it needs to be shown.
This book helped me understand the recording process of each album and why certain things turned out one way or the other.
For a passionate R.E.M. fan as I am, this book is most certainly an essential read. Thank you, Tony, for all the interviewing (of Peter Buck, primarily) that you did, collecting from various sources and so on. For making this book, at least for me, the only necessary R.E.M. biography
My favorite part of this book was the begining, where I learnt how the four members met each other and formed a band, the coincidences involving their early beginnings, culture among young people in late-seventies and early-eighties, music bands and fans in Athens, Georgia...
R.E.M. was the ever-changing, constantly-touring indie band of the eighties, which turned into an international sensation after Out of Time and Automatic For the People - in early nineties.
Maybe the only parts of this book that I found a little bit boring were those about financial and business aspects of R.E.M. But that too, I think, is one important piece of the puzzle and it needs to be shown.
This book helped me understand the recording process of each album and why certain things turned out one way or the other.
For a passionate R.E.M. fan as I am, this book is most certainly an essential read. Thank you, Tony, for all the interviewing (of Peter Buck, primarily) that you did, collecting from various sources and so on. For making this book, at least for me, the only necessary R.E.M. biography
February 20, 2023
I'm amazed to be giving this book a 5 star review. It sat on a shelf, one third read, for almost a year and I doubted I would read it ever again. I picked it up having finished a book and thinking it was time to give this one another go if only for a chapter or so. Three days later I've just finished it. It does read a bit like: here is an album and these songs were on it, which is why I gave up on it about a year ago. But there's much more than that here. I think like all good albums, this book just needed time to ferment and grow on me.
The book detailed the story of rem and the band in a way that made me want to listen to things I haven't played for years. You can tell he is a fan, but he rarely pulls his punches and the reviews of albums and songs seem fair (although I disagree about his views on the greatness of the last two albums - the last great (and also best) rem album was new adventures. I think the thing that hooked me was post 1992 when I became a fan (aged 10) as it was like reliving the music again. The end of the book was great and made me sad that rem have split up - strangley not something I actually felt at the time.
It helped me appreciate how much this band means to me 💌
The book detailed the story of rem and the band in a way that made me want to listen to things I haven't played for years. You can tell he is a fan, but he rarely pulls his punches and the reviews of albums and songs seem fair (although I disagree about his views on the greatness of the last two albums - the last great (and also best) rem album was new adventures. I think the thing that hooked me was post 1992 when I became a fan (aged 10) as it was like reliving the music again. The end of the book was great and made me sad that rem have split up - strangley not something I actually felt at the time.
It helped me appreciate how much this band means to me 💌
August 21, 2017
il libro vero e proprio è interessante, ma ci sono troppe notizie marginali e troppo poche strettamente musicali (il rapporto dei r.e.m. con i propri gruppi spalla è totalmente tralasciato, ad esempio: e si che del rapporto tra loro e i dream syndicate o i minutemen ci sarebbe parecchio da dire...), l'appendice di gianni sibilla non aggiunge granchè (nonostante ci sia dietro indubbiamente uno sforzo notevole) se non per i testi. occasione sprecata?
March 8, 2018
For long time fans
This isn't really the story of R.E.M. It's the story of their career, their hard work, their devotion to each other, and how it all came together. Record by record, Tony Fletcher tells us about how each one came to life. He sprinkled in a few personal for bits about the band, but mostly this book breaks down the hard working band who loved making music and who genuinely loved their fans.
This isn't really the story of R.E.M. It's the story of their career, their hard work, their devotion to each other, and how it all came together. Record by record, Tony Fletcher tells us about how each one came to life. He sprinkled in a few personal for bits about the band, but mostly this book breaks down the hard working band who loved making music and who genuinely loved their fans.
August 3, 2024
A hard band to chronicle
R.E.M. is arguably my favorite band of all time, and one of the reasons they are, is a reason this biography struggles. It is relatively well written and researched, but the fact of the matter is, the R.E.M. story doesn’t make for the most exciting rock book. They are nice guys who stayed out of trouble. I love them for being boring. So essentially, this is for the true R.E.M. heads.
R.E.M. is arguably my favorite band of all time, and one of the reasons they are, is a reason this biography struggles. It is relatively well written and researched, but the fact of the matter is, the R.E.M. story doesn’t make for the most exciting rock book. They are nice guys who stayed out of trouble. I love them for being boring. So essentially, this is for the true R.E.M. heads.
March 23, 2021
I’m really sorry, I wanted to enjoy it. But it’s a mediocre book about a brilliant band. It reads like an inventory. Yes, I found out stuff I didn’t know and discovered some new music into the bargain, but... then they made this album then they put these tracks on it then they toured these dates then they made this album x15.
February 8, 2022
I've followed this band since the very beginning, buying Murmur just a few months after it was released. They have provided a soundtrack to quite a lot of my life. It was a pleasure to find out that they are also good people. They are uniformly generous and gracious, all while being eternal exemplars of the punk ethos.
January 15, 2019
I find it amazing that over the years, Fletcher was able to keep a relatively similar syntax to his writing. I have been a huge R.E.M. fan for a long long time and even I learned some things from this book that I did not know. A must read for any fan.
December 10, 2023
If you dig R.E.M. then you’ll dig this. If you don’t, you won’t.
Very detailed and gets into everything happening around each album. Author keeps his opinions out and sticks to the story of the band and what was going on at each release.
Very detailed and gets into everything happening around each album. Author keeps his opinions out and sticks to the story of the band and what was going on at each release.
February 9, 2024
An ok book about an outstanding band. Some interesting details in the first half of the book, but towards the end it just becomes the rote regurgitation of facts about each album and tour as the author seems to have lost access to the band members.
May 4, 2022
3rd time reading it
.miss this band!
.miss this band!
November 23, 2022
Egentlig litt overraska over hvor gøy dette var. Fikk meg i tillegg til å høre litt på de siste platene igjen, de er også helt OK.
December 3, 2022
Easily one of the best music bios I’ve ever read. Highly recommended even if you aren’t a big fan.
May 19, 2023
A fun read about one of my favorite bands.
February 14, 2024
Informative bio by someone trusted by the band. Occasionally drifts into being fawning, but very informative about each individual member.
December 8, 2024
Pretty thorough account of the musical career of R.E.M.
October 16, 2023
As a fan of REM from Out Of Time through New Adventures (coinciding with my teenage years) I somewhat lost track of them when my tastes developed. This book starts out something like a Bible and moves into manual territory, understandably as REM themselves changed in terms of their profile and standing.
Enjoyed it, if a bit laboured and less detailed towards the end.
Enjoyed it, if a bit laboured and less detailed towards the end.
October 31, 2020
Una extensa y detallada narración de la historia de la banda, incluyendo sus momentos altos y bajos. Sus inicios, su periodo como banda local, sus éxitos mundiales y su intento de muchos años por volver a alcanzar la calidad por la que los conoció todo el planeta luego de que su baterista se retirara.
Me encantó la forma tan entretenida de contar los detalles más importantes y algunos otros más simples de la vida compartida por estos artistas. Me parece que, además de regresar a la nostalgia de los 90s, cuando este grupo significó tanto para muchos de nosotros, logré aprender mucho de las épocas en las que vivió R.E.M., del significado de cada uno de sus sencillos, sus discos y la industria musical en sí misma.
Me encantó la forma tan entretenida de contar los detalles más importantes y algunos otros más simples de la vida compartida por estos artistas. Me parece que, además de regresar a la nostalgia de los 90s, cuando este grupo significó tanto para muchos de nosotros, logré aprender mucho de las épocas en las que vivió R.E.M., del significado de cada uno de sus sencillos, sus discos y la industria musical en sí misma.
September 28, 2016
** 1/2
Non consiglierei questo libro ad un fan dei R.E.M. quale io sono, e neppure a coloro i quali vogliano avvicinarsi per la prima volta a questa band così straordinaria.
La prima parte, redatta da Tony Fletcher, si ferma all'uscita di "Out of Time", mentre la seconda parte, curata da Gianni Sibilla, arriva fino a "New Adventures in Hi-Fi"; come corollario è presente un'analisi dell'immagine, dei testi e dello stile dei R.E.M. che, tuttavia, non riesce ad impreziosire un volume perlopiù noioso.
La prima parte si concentra nella descrizione di come la band sia nata, si sia evoluta ed abbia raggiunto il successo mondiale, coronato dalla hit "Losing my Religion" e da "Everybody Hurts". Tale descrizione risulta però "fredda", a volte didascalica, accompagnata qui e lì da qualche riflessione personale rubata a Buck, Berry, Stipe o Mills da interviste e dichiarazioni alla stampa; gli aneddoti sono quasi del tutto assenti, e le poche curiosità sono perlopiù note a qualsiasi fan meno superficiale del gruppo.
La seconda parte non approfondisce a dovere nè la creazione di Monster, nè quella di NAIHF, che sono ad oggi due dei miei album preferiti della band (forse Monster è, in assoluto, il disco che aprezzo di più). Inoltre, l'analisi del "fenomeno" R.E.M., a parte qualche piccola parte, non mi ha interessata più di tanto.
Piacevole il fatto che alla fine sia presente la traduzione (con testo a fronte) di alcune delle canzoni più significative dei R.E.M., ma sono davvero troppe poche - ed immagino che scegliere quali selezionare sia stato veramente difficile per l'autore, che si dimostra un fan genuinamente appassionato della musica del quartetto (poi terzetto) di Athens. In ogni caso, l'impresa non vale la spesa - anche se, da fan, non potevo evitare di annoverare il volume nella mia collezione.
Non consiglierei questo libro ad un fan dei R.E.M. quale io sono, e neppure a coloro i quali vogliano avvicinarsi per la prima volta a questa band così straordinaria.
La prima parte, redatta da Tony Fletcher, si ferma all'uscita di "Out of Time", mentre la seconda parte, curata da Gianni Sibilla, arriva fino a "New Adventures in Hi-Fi"; come corollario è presente un'analisi dell'immagine, dei testi e dello stile dei R.E.M. che, tuttavia, non riesce ad impreziosire un volume perlopiù noioso.
La prima parte si concentra nella descrizione di come la band sia nata, si sia evoluta ed abbia raggiunto il successo mondiale, coronato dalla hit "Losing my Religion" e da "Everybody Hurts". Tale descrizione risulta però "fredda", a volte didascalica, accompagnata qui e lì da qualche riflessione personale rubata a Buck, Berry, Stipe o Mills da interviste e dichiarazioni alla stampa; gli aneddoti sono quasi del tutto assenti, e le poche curiosità sono perlopiù note a qualsiasi fan meno superficiale del gruppo.
La seconda parte non approfondisce a dovere nè la creazione di Monster, nè quella di NAIHF, che sono ad oggi due dei miei album preferiti della band (forse Monster è, in assoluto, il disco che aprezzo di più). Inoltre, l'analisi del "fenomeno" R.E.M., a parte qualche piccola parte, non mi ha interessata più di tanto.
Piacevole il fatto che alla fine sia presente la traduzione (con testo a fronte) di alcune delle canzoni più significative dei R.E.M., ma sono davvero troppe poche - ed immagino che scegliere quali selezionare sia stato veramente difficile per l'autore, che si dimostra un fan genuinamente appassionato della musica del quartetto (poi terzetto) di Athens. In ogni caso, l'impresa non vale la spesa - anche se, da fan, non potevo evitare di annoverare il volume nella mia collezione.
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