Will never happen.
What makes you so sure?
There’s a member of one of the R.E.M. fan groups on FB (who’s also a member here) that has pissed and moaned about Stipe never making good on the release of a solo album even though, up until just recently he’s never promised one. He’s always said he never planned to release a solo album (or tour) just release singles. Now that he’s been directly quoted as saying he finally plans to release a solo album, this person also doesn’t believe it.
Speaking just for myself, I haven’t been all that taken with anything he’s released as a solo artist. However, i don’t doubt him when he says he plans to release an album. This is a person, that following R.E.M. disbanding said that he had no plans to continue a career in music. It’s readily apparent (at least to me) that he had to step away from it for a while. I welcome his return and will be interested in checking out what he has to offer but if it’s anything like he’s released so far, I will not be interested in that.
It’ll happen when it happens. Given that I help the guy on the web, socials, music distribution, etc, I’m always there when the phone rings 
I can’t wait for this. I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve heard so far, and I’ve missed his voice.
I am, however, getting a glimpse into how painful the studio process must have been at times for R.E.M.! Stipe, the perfectionist, taking his time. Buck, trying to bang it out cos he’s got another 16 albums to make that year.
Jokes aside, it must’ve been tough sometimes. It’s a credit to them that they persevered in pursuit of their art, and remain friends.
Saw some of it first hand. Jacknife was and is a saint
I don’t know if I’m “this person” you’re talking about, since I expressed my opinion that I can’t see a solo album happening, because Michael seems to have different priorities. I’m not dissing him or anything like that. I’d love a solo album, I just have my doubts.
It’s not you. I believe he’ll release one but it will be at his pace. I don’t think he’s unlike Buck in that he enjoys being away from the grind of R.E.M. meaning the touring, recording, press, etc. cycles that were part of it. They can all do anything they want at their own leisure at this point.
That’s right. I just feel he’s more into creating or being involved in visual art.
The Stipe single from last year was possibly the worst song any member of the band has ever been involved with. It did not give me a lot of hope about this album, should it ever materialize.
Agreed. When I first heard it I put my head in my hands. A little later someone posted a version that had some instrumentation on it, which was better but still shockingly bad. I’ve never heard any of Peter’s solo stuff and that seems to have super niche appeal. Maybe I haven’t tried hard enough, but I can’t find any of his tracks online.
If you mean on streaming platforms, Buck only released his albums on vinyl. That’s not to say some fans haven’t digitized them but obviously, those digitized versions are unauthorized and aren’t going to be found on streaming services. I was all in at first and bought everything he released but in all honesty, I was not that fond of his singing. In fact, I would go as far as to say he can’t sing.
I sadly think it’s fair to go that far, Nate. 
I’ve got Buck’s first three on vinyl as well (did he do more?), but also gave up.
One could hope Stipe involves himself with Aaron Dessner/Big Red Machine people as with No Time For Love Like Now, but I’m thinking that was more of a one off and more of a Dessner song and not a Stipe song. I could be curious where that could take him, because honestly, yeah… Sadly haven’t been too fond of his electrical oriented singles. It’s great that he does what he believes in so wholeheartedly, but if those songs came from anyone else than a once massive superstar, they wouldn’t have made it past the hard-drive on his computer, I’m afraid. 
That said, very excited if he’s gonna do something and I’ll obviously follow religiously. 
To the best of my recollection, there were three full length albums, an EP, and a single.
I’ve genuinely enjoyed the Stipe stuff so far. I would’ve hated it 30 years ago but my feelings towards electronica have mellowed over the years. (Thanks, in part, to Up…) I’m looking forward to the album, when it eventually comes.
I also love the Buck stuff. Some of it is pretty throwaway, I guess. He was having a bit of fun. But there’s some genuinely good stuff on those albums. (The song with Patterson Hood is beautiful. The two with Corin Tucker are great - a pre-cursor to Filthy Friends. McCaughey sings some nice ones.) I don’t mind Buck’s voice, but I guess wouldn’t want to hear him singing Why Not Smile or something like that!
There’s a reason most bands work together. Very few of the individual members of really great bands produce music of the same quality as individuals.
That is particularly true with R.E.M.
Their singular characteristics fit each other’s and compensated for each other’s flaws. The fact that those four people found each other in this world and could work together as well as they did is a minor miracle.
When isolated, they return to, well, mediocrity or below.
I wouldn’t describe the work Buck, Mills, and McCaughey have done with the Baseball Project to be mediocre. Same for the work Buck and McCaughey have done across various other projects including (but by no means limited to) the Minus 5. Same for the Bad Ends with Bill Berry. I haven’t really checked out Mills’ concerto stuff but I have enjoyed what he’s done with Big Star’s Third. For the most part, I’ve found Stipe’s solo work largely unappealing.
I would. To me, most or all of that sounds nothing better than mediocre and insipid. If I feel more inclined on a given day, I could probably label some as “vaguely enjoyable”, like some of Filthy Friends, some of Arthur Buck, some of the Luke Haines contributions (I haven’t listened to the most recent album), as well as the Bad Ends material that sounds mostly like, idk, just a bunch of guys making zero effort and coming up with insightless guitar tunes. Mills concerto is utterly boring. Stipe’s solo work goes from slightly reasonable (“No time for love” alone) to plain awful.
Different strokes for different folks.