R.E.M. One of the most influential bands of the twentieth century, R.E.M. was formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia, under the name Twisted Kites. The band’s first gig was a friend’s twentieth birthday party, and the band spent time rehearsing covers in a neighborhood church. They changed their name to R.E.M. after flipping through the dictionary, and coming across the acronym for the deep period of sleep known as Rapid Eye Movement. (The band later claimed on one of their box-set albums that their name actually stands for Rapid Ear Movement.) R.E.M’s members included lead singer, Michael Stipe; guitarist, Peter Buck; bassist, Michael Mills, and drummer, Bill Berry. In 1983, R.E.M. released their first album, Murmur, to critical acclaim. With an auspicious start to their career, the band gradually gained a following with their tours of the United States. They cracked the mainstream in 1986 with the album Life's Rich Pageant, followed one year later by Document. By the early 90s, the band was receiving much radio play with such songs as “Shiny Happy People” with the B-52's (later re-written as "Furry Happy Monsters" for the band’s appearance on Sesame Street) and smash hit, “Losing My Religion,” for which they received a Grammy. Many of the band’s songs contained evocative lyrics, such as their 1992 hit, “Man on the Moon,” written about legendary comedian, Andy Kaufman. Another hit song, “What's the Frequency, Kenneth?” told a bizarre tale of an incident that occurred to anchorman, Dan Rather in the mid-80s. While walking along Park Avenue in Manhattan, Rather was assaulted by a psychotic assailant who believed he had come from a parallel universe two hundred years in the future. The assailant asked Rather: "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" as he was convinced that Rather was "Kenneth," his future self, and that the news media was transmitting signals into his head.
In 1993, R.E.M. released one of the most acclaimed videos of the decade with their song “Everybody Hurts.” With lyrics that speak to the shared human condition of suffering, the video features people from all walks of life stuck in a traffic jam, while subtitles display the different thoughts and concerns running through their heads. In 1997, the band lost its drummer, Bill Berry, who decided to retire from music. Three years earlier, Berry had suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm while on stage during one of the band’s performances. Berry has since re-joined the band for occasional concerts and special appearances. YUDDY |
