Adios, fellas. Thanks for everything.

REM has officially parted ways. Yea. I feel pretty ambiguous about that. I first discovered REM through the magic of MTV at the time between the Document and Green era. "It's the End of the World" and "Stand". I grew up pretty sheltered and ignorant in a crap small town without an ounce of culture. My only contact with the outside world was MTV and when we got it the wildest music I was immiediately exposed to was the pop metal and New Wave of the the day. Mostly Motley Crue, John Cougar Mellencamp, Madonna, Fine Young Cannibels, Bruce Springsteen, and Guns N'Roses. But hours upon hours of viewing was rewarded by discovering REM, the Replacements, XTC, The Pixies. REM were the first band to truly resonate with me, inspire me, and make me an obsessive life long fan. I spent countless late night hours playing their cassettes over and over again while I wrote or drew. I wore out my copy of Automatic For The People and had to buy another within six months. I got to see them on the Monster Tour and bought New Adventures in HiFi when it went on sale at midnight. After that, the drummer Bill Berry left and REM started making music that no longer resonated with me. They were a different band, made different music, and that was all. I kept up with them though, sampling each album upon release and, sadly, each time, passed. The last double live album was definitely something to behold, a very fine release and lots of fun to listen to, but Collapse Into Now, while musically one of the strongest statements they've made since New Adventures, just left me as flat as the rest of the post-Berry output. I'm going to miss REM. When my friend texted me last night about the breakup I was imiediately cynical, but as the night wore on and it sunk in more, I got nostalgic and depressed. Every album from Chronic Town to New Adventures holds a unique experience that no one has or will imitate, and thank God we have them. All the best to Bill, Mike, Micheal, and Peter. Thank you, gentlemen, you won't be forgotten or replaced.