RIP REM

So REM announced that they are officially calling it a day after 30 years of pretentiousness. I must confess no real emotion about this news.

The closest that REM got to being a band that I actually dug was the Monster album that they released in the early 90’s. That album had a much more rock-oriented production and some catchy tracks that harkened back to 70’s glam rock. The thing that kept me away from buying into the band on that record is, what I consider to be, one of the worst guitar solos by a major band in music history. While I’m sure Peter Buck wanted to turn heads with an innovative take on a melodic solo by using a backward playback for the recording, it winds up sounding like a seasick brontosaurus with bad gas. Truly cringe-inducing.