R.E.M. Breaks Up

"R.E.M. Call it a day"  Wow.  R.E.M. was one of a few seminal bands in my musical upbringing.  During middle and high school, I listened pretty excursively to them and 2-3 other bands faithfully.  It was by downloading tab to the full R.E.M. catalog and finding a chord chart that I taught myself how to play guitar (and subsequently record 17 albums of demos that I have never really shared with the world).  I was really disappointed in the Up-Reveal-Around the Sun era, but so excited when they came back in force with Accelerate and Collapse into now.  So, it is sad to hear they are calling it a day.  However, it is better that they go out on a high note than to drift off into oblivion and irrelevancy by devolving again and putting out forgettable albums.  R.E.M. - you will be missed.  Yours is the soundtrack to a LOT of my adolescent and early adult life.  Thanks for the music.

From the R.E.M. HQ Website;

 R.E.M. CALL IT A DAY (UPDATED WITH BAND MEMBERS' COMMENTS)

"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.

In their own words: The guys share their thoughts on why now.

MIKE

"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

"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

"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."