It did happen. I bought a new R.E.M. cd in over a decade. After being a big R.E.M. fan in the 80's; slightly less of a fan in the 90's; not really at all in the 00's; I read a good review on R.E.M.'s Collapse Into Now and thought I would give it a try.
I first heard R.E.M. in about 1983 when a friend played me the Murmer album. It was like something totally new. Peter Buck's jangly guitars sounded to me like at least 2 if not 3 guitars. Michael Stipe's singing was mumbly with the lyrics being indecipherable. Mike Mill's bass and Bill Berry's drums were solid. The harmony vocals were soaring to the point of making the hairs on your arms stand up.
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Each album in the 80's after 1984's Reckoning saw a slight change in the sound; 1985's Fables of the Reconstruction was bit more murky; 1986's Life's Rich Pageant was more straight ahead rock; 1987's Document was a little harder; and then their major label debut 1988's Green was more popier. Each of these stand on their own. Around the end of the decade Rolling Stone magazine declared the band America's Best Rock and Roll Band.
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The 1990's saw R.E.M.' s popularity grow which peaked around 1992's more acoustic Automatic For the People. In 1994 the band did a 360 with the guitar heavy Monster, a very solid album. The subsequent tour was plagued with some health issues; Bill Berry collapsed on stage with a brain aneurysm and Mike Mills and Michael Stipe also had health issues. Bill Berry recovered after surgery, but decided to leave the band. R.E.M. has never been the same.
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The post Berry R.E.M. further removed the band from the sound that I fell in love with in the 80's. The 00's albums have been more atmospheric, less jangly; the drums burried.
Just released Collapse Into Now is a return of sorts to R.E.M.'s 90's sound. I like the cd quite a bit. Mine Smell Like Honey (I hate the title, but love the song) is classic R.E.M.; when the song kicks into the chorus the harmonies lift you off the ground. Same with the harmonies on It Happened Today which include guest vocals from Eddie Vedder. Uberlin recalls Drive from Automatic For the People; Blue could have come off of 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi. I'm still taking in this disc, but it's nice to hear from an old friend.
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