I was sad when they disbanded. Just looking on the R.E.M. timeline I realize how much they played together. Now I get consolation from R.E.M. on record.
I was also sad to learn that theyâd disbanded but understood the day would eventually come as theyâd never made any secret of the fact that they never wanted to overstay their welcome. Knowing that didnât make it any easier. I thought the way they handled it, as well as the aftermath has been typical of how they conducted themselves throughout their entire career. They always did things their own way even if it was not always popular with their fans (such as not touring behind two of their most popular albums). Despite the members being adamant about there being no reunion, that will not be enough for some fans who will continue to demand that theyâre owed one anyway. They were around for over 30 years and gave their all. They donât owe anyone anything.
I donât doubt their intent to never reunite, but as long as theyâre coming down for breakfast, there is always a remote chance they could get together if the planets align.
Pink Floyd found a way to put decades of bad blood and lawsuits aside for a few hours when they saw value in playing at Live 8. Itâs not beyond the realm of possibility that the three or four members of REM could see an opportunity in the future to leverage their collective power to affect change.
Exactly. R.E.M. is one of a kind in that respect. Think of all the rock acts along the decades, and none will have the absolute integrity R.E.M. showed from day one to that final moment. Itâs probably something very hard to achieve mentally (âThey dealt with their fame like saintsâ comes to mind) and in practical, daily terms (not touring behind OOT and AFTP, for example). All that with an output thatâs extremely revered by the critics who really understand what itâs about.