RIP

via REM:

 "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.  

As would any man of my generation with discernible taste, I grew up loving REM; besides themselves being great, the doors they opened to bands I loved then are now are incalculable to quantify.  And while I can't say I've given much of a shit about anything they've done in the last two decades, their first decade of music will always make them one of my all-time favorite bands.  I agree with Kurt Cobain that if I could choose one career path to take as a band both critically and commercially, it'd be REM.

And yet they've announced that they're splitting up today, and I don't really care.  For one, I'm old; if this had happened when I was 16 I would've played their records over and over while bawling about how great they were, but then these things happen when you're 39 you tend to not be quite so broken up.  Particularly, as I just said, when it would've been fine if they HAD broken up back then, since everything I love, with rare exception, they'd already put out.  To be honest, people should be relieved they don't hafta pretend REM is anything other than Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe.  And while I'm rolling my eyes re: their "breakup," any reason they're in the news is a good excuse to remind ourselves that they're probably THE single most important and defining band of any mix of college rock/alternative rock/80's Amerindie/grunge/alt-country and on and on over the last three decades.

But mostly, I just don't believe them.  I mean, just like when Jay-Z "retired", bands can come and go al they want, there's no reason to announce an officially breaking up, as I wrote about the White Stripes.

I'll always love REM.  But I have no idea why they're bothering with this announcement when you know that in a few years they'll get back together, this time with Bill Berry, have some laughs then a record then a reunion tour and voila! there ya go.

I'm sure I'll have a coupla pops tonight and start re-posting shit I've said about them, but it's because I care that they "broke up" today, but as an excuse to remember how great they were when I was a young buck.