closed out their career in 2011 with the stellar, eclectic swan song Collapse Into Now they broke up that year and have steadfastly refused to reunite since-a very in-character move for this famously iconoclastic band. ‘Unplugged: The Complete 19 Sessions’ Album Review Rolling Stone Music Unplugged: The Complete 19 Sessions By Will Hermes No band but Nirvana made. After Berry left in 1997, the remaining trio dabbled in Beach Boys-esque pop, ambient synth soundscapes, and percolating electronic rock. Their commercial high points, 1991’s orchestral tour de force Out of Time and the next year’s somber Automatic for the People, eschewed the typical guitar-bass-drums configuration. R.E.M.’s sound evolved as the decade progressed-Stipe’s vocals grew from a mysterious mumble into an empathetic croon, and Buck’s guitars became louder and more aggressive-and as the group became more popular, they became more experimental. Records, which released the band’s beloved 1983 debut LP, Murmur. From there, the quartet became a tireless touring machine and signed with I.R.S. The group-vocalist Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry-played their first show in April 1980, at a birthday party held in a crumbling church. In the synthesizer-drenched New Wave era, the Athens, GA, band wielded arpeggiated guitars indebted to jangly folk and ’60s garage rock, and stately mandolin drove their biggest pop and rock hit, 1991’s “Losing My Religion,” while grunge was bubbling up. ![]() When the band eventually returned to touring several years later, they had essentially gone electric again making this show a unique snapshot of a very specific time in R.E.M.'s career when they finally came into the world's greater consciousness in a surprisingly organic way.Leaders of the ’80s college-rock underground who grew into glammy ’90s alternative superstars, R.E.M. ![]() Auxiliary cohort Peter Holsapple further colors the set on additional guitar and organ. Unlike their second Unplugged appearance in 2001, the 1991 show features the original lineup with Bill Berry on congas along with Peter Buck's guitar and mandolin playing, Mike Mills' acoustic bass and tenor vocals, and Michael Stipe's rich, thoughtful drawl. The band released audio of both full sets in 2014. of this era with 1992's Automatic for the People following a similar bent. A total of 10 songs from R.E.M.’s 2001 session appeared on an hour-long episode of Unplugged.Six additional tunes were filmed but not broadcast. This earthy, Baroque folk sound came to define the R.E.M. There are a handful of tunes from Life's Rich Pageant ("Fall on Me" and the already acoustic "Swan Swan Hummingbird") and Document ("Disturbance at the Heron House" and the immortal "It's the End of the World as We Know It ") alongside the more recent material from Green as well as one early chestnut ("A Perfect Circle") from their 1983 debut Murmur. The material from Out of Time was well-suited to the show's acoustic format and their versions of tracks like "Half a World Away," "Radio Song," and of course, "Losing My Religion" sound strong and relevant. As "Losing My Religion" slowly rose to number one, the band only turned in a handful of shows, the most visible of which was their debut set of MTV Unplugged the show was also at the height of its power and influence. ![]() Following their exhaustive touring schedule for 1988's Green, the band decided they wouldn't tour for 1991's Out of Time, which proved to be the commercial breakout album they'd long been leading up to. Originally issued in May of 2014 as half of Unplugged 1991 & 2001: The Complete Sessions, this live recording is of R.E.M.'s 1991 show only.
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