The End of R.E.M. (As We Know It)

Some people can listen to entire albums by one artist and never hit the eject button. That may have been the case back when the Beatles' White Album or Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon were a part of my growing up, but I view most albums as merely random compilations with a decent track or two and a lot of lightweight filler. As time went on, time invested in listening to an entire album - even a "best of" collection - often failed to pay off. Like many of my favorite musicians, R.E.M. got their start away from the mainstream over thirty years ago, producing their share of misses as well as hits and critically acclaimed songs. This month's announcement of their breakup made me think about how listenable their music has been. Singer Michael Stipe got most of the attention in this Athens, Georgia band of four, but it was truly a collaboration. They were no overnight sensation. R.E.M. paid their dues for years before hitting their stride from the late eighties into the mid nineties. They've faded since then, but they've remained active in music as well as poltical and social causes. After all these years, who can fault them for calling it quits? Maybe I'll invest an hour of my time soon in their music; it will be worth it.