R.e.m.

Biography

"The R.E.M., that is the ""Rapid Eyes Movement"" of Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills: some biographical signals

Fascination and mystery wrap from always this complex, by now for a long time to the apex of the scene rock American, already to begin from the name, R.E.M., that is ""Rapid Eyes Movement"": the ""fast movements of the eyes"" when the sleep is deeper and are dreammed.

1980 - To the beginnings there were Michael Stipe, singer and composer, and Peter Buck, chitarrista, that they lived and they tried music in one old abandoned church of Athens, Georgia, their place of origin. In short the two they came caught up from Mike Mills and Bill Berry, bassista and drummer both students to the University of the Georgia. For two years approximately the complex young person it inhabited the underground deeper of the scene rock, with little exhibitions and nobody chance record, elaborating pero' a most original sound: psichedelica music of sapore years ' 60 arranged with the distortions and the overhongs ""acids"" of the sure ""purest garage rock"". Who imbattè in they in that period spoke itself about ""Rinascimento Byrds"", but, with the permission of the same R.E.M., the directory of the musicians who has them influences to you puo' to extend to the Velvet Underground, to the Doors, from the Jefferson Airplane to the Lovin' Spoonful.

1982/1986 - CHRONIC TOWN was the record debut, in 1982: a LP for an independent label, four reprinted pieces then from the IRS, the house of Miles Copeland that put them before in order under contract. To that fortunate debut it followed a true album just and, MURMUR, than the review Rolling Stone it signaled since endured (1983) like ""disc of the year"". It was the beginning of a fast scaling to the power rock, with stages anniversaries: RECKONING (1984), FABLES ON RECONSTRUCTION (1985), LIFE' s RICH PAGEANT (1986), with added of one compilation of famous pieces and the rarity, DEAD LETTER OFFICE.

1987 - E' the definitive jump towards the celebrity: with DOCUMENT the R.E.M. insediano to top of music rock the American and they break at the bottom the roof finally of million copies sold. E' a entusiasmante moment that, against every forecast, the four decide to manage with calm: a pause year, without concerts, discs and apparitions, while the manager of the complex they define the agreements for a record contracted new important: from the IRS to the Warner Bros., with a miliardario contract.

1988 - In spring they begin the tests in study and with autumn here GREEN, seventh album of their first discografia and from ""masters of the rock"". The fear of the fans was naturally that, to contact with ""major"" a record one, the band lost the own identity and it was commercialized; but even if the sales are not seen at all like the demon (""perche' would not have to sell discs""), puo' to say itself that the disc succeeds to make to square the circle, to succeed winning and approachable without to lose contact with the past. ""remember California"" and ""POP Song 89"" are examples of this happy new combination of the new R.E.M., with an alternation of sounds ""acids"" and morbidezze folk.

1991 - The album, OUT OF TIME develops the speech begun with GREEN. The orecchiabilità and the immediacy of the songs are the result of an enrichment of the musical language, not sure means in order to increase the possibilities trade them. The group of the R.E.M., asserted initially above all thanks to the circuit of ""college radios"", main vehicle of all young music American alternative, in fact has not betrayed that public. A homage to that period is constituted from the presence of Kate Pearson of the B 52' s (its ""backing vocals"" in ""Shiny Happy People""), group that with their happened one has opened the doors of the record houses to the groups rock of the Georgia.

1992 - AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE Exits. To return in knows it of recording in 1992 meant something more than to create a new album. It meant to record the continuation of OUT OF TIME, the disc that has allowed to one of the band more ' alternative' of the scene rock of years ' 80 and ' 90 to catch up the popolarità to world-wide level, with consequent exceptional sales, without absolutely to lose the esteem and the support of the musical critic, as it testifies the conquest of seven Grammy Awards. It meant, in short, to repeat a exploit extraordinary.

1994 - The R.E.M. publish MONSTER, composed from 12 new songs. What it astonishes of MONSTER is that every song has one its precise identity, ognuna covers a various world. The idea of this completely various disc from the previous ones, however is been born during the realization of AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE.

1996 - NEW ADVENTURES IN Hi-fi is the fifth album that the R.E.M. publish on Warner label. The album contains 14 songs that have been composed, tried and recorded during tour the MONSTER Of 1995 and just in the small rooms, during the tests and in affittati studies of recording to the flight in the cities touched from the tour. The R.E.M. they define a album from alive with the fascination from study, one study album with force live; moreover, Michael Stipe explains, did not want to lose the magical moment of the composition waiting for re-enters in the United States.

1998 - It exits UP, first album of the R.E.M. without the drummer Bill Berry, withdrawn in 1997, just while they were beginning to try the new songs of the album. Buck, Mills and Stipe completely remained spiazzati. They were thought ended, but exceeded the shock it begins them succeeded to draw from that negative experience a stimulus in more in order continuing, even if to go ahead without Berry, friend most expensive and charter member of the group was not simple. UP has entered directly to the first place in classifies more of sold discs, remaining in the Top25 for beyond two months; altogether UP has sold beyond 4,5 million copies; in Italy it has sold more than 250 mila copies.

1999 - The 17 june the R.E.M. are are left from Lisbona for a tour European, in Italy have held an only concert the 11 July to Bologna, to the Dallara stage.

2001 - 11 May comes published REVEAL, the new one cd of the R.E.M. The first single feature from this album is ""Imitation of Life"". ' REVEAL ', contains 12 unknown brani and has been produced the faithful Pat McCarthy."