Presenting MOJO’s finest writing on R.E.M. in a single deluxe volume, MOJO The Collectors’ Series: R.E.M. Out Of Time 1980-2011 is on sale now. Order your copy HERE!
When R.E.M. split in 2011 they had been together for over 30 years, during which time they’d become one of the most important and influential groups in history. Their international breakthrough in 1991 with Out Of Time – the album that featured the hits Losing My Religion and Shiny Happy People – began a period of stardom that would see them sell millions of records, headline stadiums worldwide and transform frontman Michael Stipe into a cultural icon. Yet for many fans, by then R.E.M.’s reputation as rock greats was already assured, their string of ’80s LPs having changed the musical landscape with their pioneering mix of indie, Americana and pop.
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READ MORE: R.E.M.’s Best Albums Ranked
To celebrate their enduring legacy, MOJO has brought together its extensive archive of exclusive R.E.M. interviews and in-depth features in a deluxe bookazine. Kicking off with an account of their chaotic formative months in Athens, Georgia in 1980, we follow the group’s journey from their enigmatic debut album Murmur, through the unsettling folk rock of Fables Of The Reconstruction – recorded in London with legendary producer Joe Boyd – to their coming of age on 1987’s Document and the following year’s Green.
By then, R.E.M. were signed to Warner Brothers who, having facilitated the group’s global success with Out Of Time, watched in amazement as Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry courageously turned their back on touring and interviews. Yet their disappearance didn’t affect their success, and 1992’s unimpeachable Automatic For The People became their biggest-selling album.
When R.E.M. did return to public view with 1994’s Monster, MOJO was there to hang out with the group in Dublin; but the worldwide tour that followed would witness Bill Berry suffering a cerebral aneurysm on-stage in Switzerland, a drama that resulted in his retirement from music two years later. That wasn’t the end for R.E.M., of course, who recorded another five increasingly experimental studio albums without the drummer, often against a colourful backdrop of disagreements and tensions.
Illustrated with dozens of rare and iconic photographs, this sumptuous 132-page special tells R.E.M.’s complete story and is a must-have for all fans of the band and music connoisseurs.
