“Shrinking to that of a band who had a couple of hits in the early 90s” - This is what Ken has been saying about lots of bands, they’re just going to be known for their best known one or two or three songs. I’m really worried, aside from the evidence presented, that younger listeners aren’t finding out about them at all.

The thing of it is, R. E. M.’s rep has been shrinking ever since Bill Berry left. First they went through the jillion dollar contract that didn’t pay off for their record label because they signed it right when their albums and singles started to get less popular. Then they had their last hits, “The Great Beyond” and Imitation Of Life.” They they put out a greatest hits package with the date wrong on the cover (“1998-2003”). Then two albums that nobody liked, except for a few critics who stood up for the second one (Accelerate got a couple nice reviews, but that’s it.) They finally put out live albums, long after anyone cared. They finally went out on a note that was passable for them (Collapse Into Now) and then broke up while they were still smiling about it. Stipe had his movie projects and Buck had other bands to help and Berry was a farmer and I don’t know what the fuck Mike Mills has been doing.

It was almost touching to me when Stipe had the nerve to go against the grain and say in his recent interview that New Adventures In Hi-Fi was their best album, not that anyone noticed.