FEATURE:
Dreams, Awakenings and Rapid Eye Movement
IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Stipe of R.E.M. photographed by Kris Krug at South by Southwest in 2008
The Iconic, Inspiring Michael Stipe at Sixty
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THERE are quite a few big birthdays…
IN THIS PHOTO: Stipe captured in 2016 by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
coming up in the next few days. I want to mark a particularly important one today but, even though my subject turns sixty tomorrow, the legendary Stephen Still is seventy-five today (3rd January). Beth Gibbons (Portishead) is fifty-five tomorrow but, because he fronted one of the most influential and popular bands of the past thirty years or so, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe is in my thoughts. He is sixty tomorrow, and it is amazing to think! I am not going to write a big thing about Stipe himself, because I am keen to present an R.E.M./Michael Stipe playlist that shows just what a songwriting/singing talent he is. Although Stipe has recorded music outside of R.E.M., it is the band from Athens, Georgia that he is synonymous with. Whilst he attended the University of Georgia, Stipe could often be found at Wuxtry record shop, where he met the clerk there, Peter Buck, in 1980. The two quickly became friends and started writing music together.
IN THIS PHOTO: R.E.M./PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Ockenfels III
Buck and Stipe were joined by Bill Berry and Mike Mills and named themselves R.E.M. – the name was chosen at random by Stipe out of the dictionary. When it comes to debut albums, few are as original and interesting as Murmur. Released in 1983, Stipe’s unique vocal delivery – mixing mumbles and keening vocal figures – and lyrics caught the public attention. My first real experience of the band was when their 1991 album, Out of Time, was released. Their seventh album, it boasted massive hits like Shiny Happy People and Losing My Religion and, whilst the former was practically disowned by the band, it is one of their earliest songs I remember.
As an eight year old discovering the album upon its release, I was mesmerised by this incredible band. If Out of Time was promising and contained a few gems, 1992’s Automatic for the People was a huge step. Not only is it one of the best albums of the 1990s, it is one of the best albums ever. Flawless, beautifully programmed and with stunning singing and songwriting throughout, Automatic for the People is a masterpiece. Although R.E.M. called it a day in 2011 - they were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 -, their legacy is strong. They helped develop the Alternative Rock genre; the band’s early success spurred other Alternative bands. The way R.E.M. guided their career and found success on their own terms was compelling for bands that followed, such as Nirvana and Sonic Youth. R.E.M. were a prime example of a band who were hugely successful but were still cool. One can hear R.E.M. and Michael Stipe’s brilliance in bands like Radiohead, Pearl Jam and Pavement. When it comes to Stipe himself, he has inspired everyone from Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) to Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. Stipe is Thom Yorke’s favourite lyricist; Stipe and Cobain were friends and, as a call for his friend to seek help, Stipe wrote Let Me In (from Monster, 1994) about him – Cobain took his life in 1994 and, sadly, that song/message came too late. There is so much to discover and discuss when we think of Michael Stipe and, though I have only skimmed the surface, I wanted to put together a career-spanning playlist to celebrate his sixtieth birthday – including work with R.E.M., solo stuff and bits he worked on with other artists. Michael Stipe, I hope, will continue to make music for many years to come. He is one of those astonishing artists that comes along only…
ONCE in a generation.