The members of the legendary rock group R.E.M. have announced the band is breaking up. The group just posted an announcement on its website: "To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."

R.E.M.'s announcement comes several months after the band released its best album in more than a decade, Collapse Into Now, and nearly 30 years after its 1983 debut, Murmur.

 
MIKE MILLS


"During our last tour, and while making Collapse Into Now and putting together this greatest-hits retrospective, we started asking ourselves, 'What next'? Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey. We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together.

"We have always been a band in the truest sense of the word. Brothers who truly love, and respect, each other. We feel kind of like pioneers in this — there's no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring off. We've made this decision together, amicably and with each other's best interests at heart. The time just feels right."

MICHAEL STIPE


"A wise man once said, 'The skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave. We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it.

"I hope our fans realize this wasn't an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.

"We have to thank all the people who helped us be R.E.M. for these 31 years; our deepest gratitude to those who allowed us to do this. It's been amazing."

PETER BUCK


"One of the things that was always so great about being in R.E.M. was the fact that the records and the songs we wrote meant as much to our fans as they did to us. It was, and still is, important to us to do right by you. Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you.

"Mike, Michael, Bill, Bertis, and I walk away as great friends. I know I will be seeing them in the future, just as I know I will be seeing everyone who has followed us and supported us through the years. Even if it's only in the vinyl aisle of your local record store, or standing at the back of the club: watching a group of 19-year-olds trying to change the world."

31 years too late. good riddance

Yawn.

Thank you. That's great news! I hope U2 reads this announcement and gets the right idea!

>>The members of the legendary rock group R.E.M. have announced the band is breaking up.<<


REM was legendary?  :boring

You guys are cold. Where's the love? :interestingstuffronnie

you ain't gotta like REM... but damn, they are IMO, an amzing band, that made beautiful music... I applaud their ability to last so long and leave when it felt right, takes balls! The new album was awesome btw...

I will be in their hometown of Athens Ga tomorrow.....imagine all the flags will be at full mast...........

I think it's great people like them.
I just never got the whole thing.
I prefer the other Athens GA band, the B-52's
Most will be shocked, I feel the same about Grateful Dead
Never got them either.
I get that they are talented, have had a huge impact on music.
Does nothing for me.  Never has.

Edith Grove wrote on Sep 21^st, 2011 at 2:49pm:

>>The members of the legendary rock group R.E.M. have announced the band is breaking up.<< REM was legendary?  :boring

Yes. :wtf2

How come. I swear early morning I was listening the Singles Collection (the I.R.S. years), and I was thinking about giving Automatic for the People a spin (excluding "Everybody Hurts", a song that's almost parodic). "Crazy" (not the Aerosmith ballad, of course) remains one of my favorite songs from all time. It's a cover, yes, but where can you find such a sweet and haunting melody?, recorded as a mix of country, punk and new wave.

Yes I'm drunk (or getting there) but  :pullanolte

" 31 years too late. good riddance "


A  -- FRIGGIN -- MEN !!!!!!!

In honor of this announcement I hereby drop a LOG !!!!!!


****    ...... { * }  ......   ****


Phew !


" That one BURNED , Ronnie !!!! "

Stinky 'kins

I have seen them at various periods of their career...I always enjoyed them.

I am glad they are calling it quits on [i]their [/i]terms...Their last release, "Collapse Into Now" (2011) I quite enjoy and listen to often.

Joey wrote on Sep 21^st, 2011 at 6:23pm:

" 31 years too late. good riddance " A  -- FRIGGIN -- MEN !!!!!!! In honor of this announcement I hereby drop a LOG !!!!!! ****    ...... { * }  ......   **** Phew ! " That one BURNED , Ronnie !!!! " Stinky 'kins

Post of the thread!  :loloncemore

I liked them.....back in the 80's. I wasn't aware they were still together; I thought they broke up ages ago.

do not pull a Who.

Not a huge fan. Never saw them live. But got respect for a good hard working band that had more than their share of success. Everybody Hurts is an awesome song.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPZzWYkdS6Y...........I mean it's not like we're talking about Bon Jovi or Dave Matthews or something God awful like that. :-/

As Far as REM, Every once and a while, I think about the "tribute to Andy"  Man On The Moon, they did and I get a good feeling someone did that. Cause I was, and still am,a huge Andy Kaufman fan, I always thought he was  one of the Greats!
The band had a few songs, I still like to hear. They seem to work very hard and as it was stated You gotta have Respect for that. Thank you REM
IMO, I don't add you as a Legendary, But can respect someone else that does..............After all a huge body of work.

this band was a pimple on the ass of rock & roll. to support that thought, i present exhibit A:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-UzXIQ5vw

exhibit B:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKKqLl_ZEEY

if the above still leave you thinking I might be wrong, please view exhibit C:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOKMUTTDdA&feature=relmfu

if you still think i am wrong, you need to go home tonight, make love to your wife and spin exile, ffs.

i remember the days when moonie would pontificate on mini bars, popes and how REM was the coming of the antichrist. my god people...have we sunk this low??? has our hatred of bon jovi blinded us to the other pariah in our midst??

I suppose, since REM were around almost thirty years and had some high points I will lend my lousy two bits on them. Personally, I was never a big fan (.. although I liked a hand full of their songs and I enjoyed the album Monster).


In my opinion they were a "good" band ...if you were looking for that kind of music but were a slight bit overrated at times is all.  

Other than that, you really can't bitch as far as output and activity goes concerning them. They were around almost thirty years and released 15 studio albums. Although they had an up and down career they always produced something for their fans.

To me... I do not tolerate overdoing politics, or being purposefully too politically correct with music so they were always on my backburner versus something I would look to and revere. As well, I wish they would of incorporated more of a "rock" theme to many of their albums. Regardless, their music "wasn't bad" half of the time so I would listen to them if it was called for or if someone was playing them. I will give them credit for staying active, experimenting, and standing the test of time (although their hey-day was several years ago).

I suppose my main personal issue with REM is that they were a bit too wimpy to be notable to me both in style and attitude many times. Sure, they were not one of the very greatest bands of all time but I will say they did much more, and had a better career than the majority of acts (while I wasn't totally crazy about their style and sound at many times).

So-long, REM... (although I think at some point they will reconvene, at least temporarily).


Ian

Teiz wrote on Sep 21^st, 2011 at 2:41pm:

Thank you. That's great news! I hope U2 reads this announcement and gets the right idea!

Word to your Mother Baby.

Smarmy, snotty, wimpy.  They talked down to their fans, and their fans didn't seem to realize it.

High point: the drummer gets busted for drunken air rage.  And this announcement.

Low point: so hard to choose, but that Shiny, Happy People - a parody so misguided that it backfired on them and and made them the world's biggest sniveling twits since Lord Fauntleroy - was enough to gag a maggot.

I still don't know what to do when my penis gets hard. I discovered it while taking a shower, two or three years ago. I went to the doctor and I explained my situation. He gave me a funny look.

I hate it when my penis gets hard.

I just love playing guitar (very badly) to "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" - which is one of my fave all time songs and a bloody killer of a song title!

BONOISLOVE wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2011 at 9:18pm:

I still don't know what to do when my penis gets hard. I discovered it while taking a shower, two or three years ago. I went to the doctor and I explained my situation. He gave me a funny look. I hate it when my penis gets hard.

bono, it is a good thing that REM has already broken up. otherwise, michael stipe may have written a song about that.

Starbuck wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2011 at 6:11am:

BONOISLOVE wrote on Sep 22nd, 2011 at 9:18pm: I still don't know what to do when my penis gets hard. I discovered it while taking a shower, two or three years ago. I went to the doctor and I explained my situation. He gave me a funny look. I hate it when my penis gets hard. bono, it is a good thing that REM has already broken up. otherwise, michael stipe may have written a song about that.

shiny happy penis?

My dog's reaction...

http://i.imgur.com/RdrKi.gif

sirmoonie wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2011 at 7:33pm:

Smarmy, snotty, wimpy.  They talked down to their fans, and their fans didn't seem to realize it. High point: the drummer gets busted for drunken air rage.  And this announcement. Low point: so hard to choose, but that Shiny, Happy People - a parody so misguided that it backfired on them and and made them the world's biggest sniveling twits since Lord Fauntleroy - was enough to gag a maggot.

_____________________________


I "did" notice, now that you mention it that Stipe kina passed off his fans when asked a question about them. He almost seemed kind of discarding of the notion of the interviewer asking about them. Odd..

I know they were a bit wimpy, and overrated. Sure they were not my 100% cup of tea either (although I liked a hand full of their songs). What I will say is they worked hard and had a lot of output. Pretty darn productive band. As well, they stayed in there for many years and always had output and performed live. This is why I give them some deserved credit. I can't see me running out to buy an REM album (although I enjoyed Monster) but I've heard worse bands. In fact, I will take REM over Dave Mathews any day...


Ian

Ian; why do you still want to talk about a band that doesn't exist anymore? My penis needs medical attention.