Nearly 25 years after their formation in Athens, Georgia, R.E.M. is still going strong. Their latest album, Around The Sun, is their 13th. It's their first studio album since 2001's Reveal.
It's been a commercial disappointment so far in the US, but has done very well in Europe and elsewhere overseas. There are some pretty scathing reviews of Around The Sun, but it's one of those albums that gets better and better with each listen.
This is R.E.M.'s third album since drummer Bill Berry left the band, and since his departure their music has become mellower and more down-tempo. R.E.M. spent a long time working on this album, starting in 2002. During that time they also released a greatest hits album and did an extensive tour.
Bass player Mike Mills says, "We were really able to turn our attention to the new album after the tour when we spent three months writing and recording in the Bahamas. I think what seemed like the interruption of being on the road ultimately helped us in the studio. We had become very focused."
Guitarist Peter Buck agrees. "We've never really had the luxury of working that long on a record before. We had time to really develop the music, although if you'd asked me at the beginning, I'd have said we were going for a more immediate and spontaneous sound - something a little different from the polish of Reveal. As it turned out, we kind of split the difference,"he said.
The songs on Around The Sun seem to be more politically oriented than they've done in a while, but singer Michael Stipe is always vague about the meaning of his lyrics. "These songs are not autobiographical,", Stipe explains. "They are made-up narratives that, like all our best work, are spoken by an unconscious voice. At the same time there is an intensity based on the conviction that, if we feel this strongly about it, we're probably not the only ones."
Regardless of what some critics might say, Stipe seems to be happy with the album. "It's been our intent all along to push the boundaries of what we can accomplish together," he says. "We're not interested in perfecting formulas. Right now, it seems important to stay alert to what's going on around us and speak truthfully about it.
In addition to the core of Stipe, Buck and Mills, musicians Ken Stringfellow, Bill Reiflin and Pat McCarthy appear on the album. McCarthy also co-produced Around The Sun with the band.
It's been a commercial disappointment so far in the US, but has done very well in Europe and elsewhere overseas. There are some pretty scathing reviews of Around The Sun, but it's one of those albums that gets better and better with each listen.
This is R.E.M.'s third album since drummer Bill Berry left the band, and since his departure their music has become mellower and more down-tempo. R.E.M. spent a long time working on this album, starting in 2002. During that time they also released a greatest hits album and did an extensive tour.
Bass player Mike Mills says, "We were really able to turn our attention to the new album after the tour when we spent three months writing and recording in the Bahamas. I think what seemed like the interruption of being on the road ultimately helped us in the studio. We had become very focused."
Guitarist Peter Buck agrees. "We've never really had the luxury of working that long on a record before. We had time to really develop the music, although if you'd asked me at the beginning, I'd have said we were going for a more immediate and spontaneous sound - something a little different from the polish of Reveal. As it turned out, we kind of split the difference,"he said.
The songs on Around The Sun seem to be more politically oriented than they've done in a while, but singer Michael Stipe is always vague about the meaning of his lyrics. "These songs are not autobiographical,", Stipe explains. "They are made-up narratives that, like all our best work, are spoken by an unconscious voice. At the same time there is an intensity based on the conviction that, if we feel this strongly about it, we're probably not the only ones."
Regardless of what some critics might say, Stipe seems to be happy with the album. "It's been our intent all along to push the boundaries of what we can accomplish together," he says. "We're not interested in perfecting formulas. Right now, it seems important to stay alert to what's going on around us and speak truthfully about it.
In addition to the core of Stipe, Buck and Mills, musicians Ken Stringfellow, Bill Reiflin and Pat McCarthy appear on the album. McCarthy also co-produced Around The Sun with the band.
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