10 replies to this topic

[robbbin]

It was the jangly guitar of Peter that caught my ear 32 years ago.

Now that the party is over I have been listening to Peter Buck in his various guises.

I am starting to think Peter Buck was REM, just like he said on the plane all those years ago, just before he tried to put a CD onto the drinks cart.

In vino veritas maybe.

[Remixomatosys]

I really don't think so.
I would give anything for a new r.e.m. album, but the interest in peter buck's solo project is very low.
The same goes, obviously, with mike and michael.
The best of them was the three of them

[Driver Nate]

Remixomatosys, on 06 April 2012 - 11:04 PM, said:

I would give anything for a new r.e.m. album, but the interest in peter buck's solo project is very low.

How are you gauging the audience for Buck's solo album, I certainly hope it's not from the response here as this place has crept to a very slow crawl (if not a complete halt). Seems the story was picked up and reported by several major music media outlets. Again, that doesn't necessarily mean it would sell well if and when it was released but it was reported fairly widely so that would seem to indicate the interest in the album (at least by the music media) isn't "low" at all. I imagine the audience for it would be about the same as it is for Buck's other solo projects.

[robbbin]

If it is a record of Guitar solos, it will sell its socks off, Buck could call the Pope and get him to play on it. I hope its Buck and a bunch of other guitarists being very crafty.

[haggis]

Nah, more Stipe....he came up with all the melodies

[stipeeyes]

No it's not just Peter.  It was Berry, Buck, Mills and Stipe. People would argue about who is the backbone of the band was.  Many agree with  the guys that it was Bill.  Some say Mike is the most talented musician in the band.  Some think Peter Buck is the very best guitar player alive but that's probably not fair to say.    But really who do people pay attention to the most.  The lead singer.  Your average casual fan only ever notices the singers voice and the songs that are easy to sing along with.

For me R.E.M. were all 4 of them, then all 3.  Even though what first made me realize R.E.M. were a great band is Michael's voice.

[Remixomatosys]

Driver Nate, on 07 April 2012 - 05:58 AM, said:

How are you gauging the audience for Buck's solo album, I certainly hope it's not from the response here as this place has crept to a very slow crawl (if not a complete halt). Seems the story was picked up and reported by several major music media outlets. Again, that doesn't necessarily mean it would sell well if and when it was released but it was reported fairly widely so that would seem to indicate the interest in the album (at least by the music media) isn't "low" at all. I imagine the audience for it would be about the same as it is for Buck's other solo projects.

My bad. MY interest in his solo record is very low

[chrome3d]

R.E.M. was all 4 of them. Bill was almost replaceable and perhaps Mike could have been replaced if Bill had stayed. It was essential that all 4 of them formed the whole idea of the band though. Losing Peter or Michael would have been the end of the band, but that doesn't make them the only necessary part of the band. I don't see them reforming a decade from now with just Michael and Peter, like some bands have done with old singer and guitarist with new sidekicks. Too little of the essence of the band would remain in that case.

I have no idea what Peter's solo album would be. I fear that it might be twangy Bambi Molester instrumentals completely without lyrical depth or vision. Who knows, it might be something completely different and surprising? On his own he is still an enigma.

[Sweden]

chrome3d, on 10 April 2012 - 12:26 AM, said:

R.E.M. was all 4 of them. Bill was almost replaceable and perhaps Mike could have been replaced if Bill had stayed. It was essential that all 4 of them formed the whole idea of the band though. Losing Peter or Michael would have been the end of the band, but that doesn't make them the only necessary part of the band. I don't see them reforming a decade from now with just Michael and Peter, like some bands have done with old singer and guitarist with new sidekicks. Too little of the essence of the band would remain in that case.

I have no idea what Peter's solo album would be. I fear that it might be twangy Bambi Molester instrumentals completely without lyrical depth or vision. Who knows, it might be something completely different and surprising? On his own he is still an enigma.

Agree with most of what you said apart from Bill being "almost replaceable. Just see the effect he had on the group dynamic, how it all crashed after he left. See the effect he had on editing in the studio (see ATS for reference), etc...
I do agree however that Mike leaving with Bill staying might also have "worked", in the same way as Bill leaving did. Michael would have freaked out in the studio, but at least they would have released 10 albums instead of 5 since 1998... and with less synth-ish wooshes over them... It's an interesting thought!

As for the solo album, I think it'll be much like the collaborations he's done with Scott on a number of other records. You can hear stuff on those albums (Joe Adragna, Mark Eitzel,Saint John and the Relevlation etc etc), that sounds like R.E.M. songs only with other singers (and accordingly crappier melodies).

[stipeeyes]

Bill certainly was never replaceable.  Bill wanted out but he made sure that R.E.M. stayed together for 13 more years.  When I met him in Athens at the last listening parties I could tell he was sad to see them ending too.  As he said, "These things are hard, I know how you feel." At first the guys didn't want to go on without him.  Had they not just signed another record deal with Warner I think they would have called it quits then. But I'm glad Bill talked them into staying together.  I don't think there is another band out there who has a bond quite like the way these guys have.

[chrome3d]

Sweden, on 10 April 2012 - 12:54 AM, said:

As for the solo album, I think it'll be much like the collaborations he's done with Scott on a number of other records. You can hear stuff on those albums (Joe Adragna, Mark Eitzel,Saint John and the Relevlation etc etc), that sounds like R.E.M. songs only with other singers (and accordingly crappier melodies).

I tried this Mark Eitzel album West that was written with Peter Buck. In Spotify the first song has two white bars out of ten, tracks 2-5 have one white bar and rest of the songs none. It tells that usually people drop off during song 5, which was just about my threshold as well, when I was starting to feel restless and searching for skip button. The album has that problem all Mark Eitzel albums have: he and his whiny voice can't make any song memorable no matter how much he tries. The opener If You Have To Ask is okay but then the memorable songs disappear. I wonder what Stipe could have done with these songs.