Rapid Eye Movement

While I'm fairly certain that most of the people who read this probably couldn't care less, I must admit that I am as giddy as a school girl over the impending release of this album, due out on October 5.

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Some naysayers might boldly proclaim that R.E.M have long since passed their prime. To you I can only say, "Fie! Fie on you and your bold naysaying!" Just because their albums no longer sell as much as they once did and just because they no longer get as much radio play as they once did does not mean that they are no good. This is especially true when one considers the amount of crap out there that is popular. Bands such as Creed, Limp Bizkit, the Offspring, Korn, the Bee Gees- or whatever else the kids are listening to these days- pale in comparison.

I've never really considered myself to necessarily be a connoisseur of fine, lesser known bands, like Alex. I'm not the kind of person who exclusively seeks out local bands with strange names such as "The Don Knotts Overdrive," "The Fine Young Hasselhoffs," or "Simon and Garfunkel." I don't wear ironic girl scout t-shirts or black rimmed spectacles through which I look down upon those who have never heard the fine music of "The Brooklyn Love Muscles." And, while I do take some amount of pride in being one of the few fans of "The Innocence Mission," I do not snort derisively at those who have never heard of them. (I do, however, question the sanity of people who have heard them and do not like them. Those people don't deserve freedom.)

Those who have known me for quite some time know that I have been a rabid fan of R.E.M since 1991, when I first saw the video for "Losing My Religion" on MTV...back during the days when they aired something besides The Real World, Yo! MTV Raps, and Extreme Closeups of People Who Can't Dance. Throughout the last thirteen years, I have remained a faithful fan, in spite of the occasional vomit-inducing disappointment. I have stood fast in the face of the criticism of those who have encouraged me to let it go. These are, quite often, the same people who have only ever heard Green, Out of Time, Automatic for the People and Monster; rarely have these people been privy to the unadulterated genius of New Adventures in Hi-Fi, the somewhat eccentric sounds of Up or the light, breezy, Beach Boys-inspired sounds of Reveal.

Don't get me wrong...I have no problem with people who simply have different taste in music. If it's not your cup of tea, I can respect that. But to label a band which continues to make innovative changes to their own sound and takes chances with different types of music as a group of has-beens is somewhat unfair. One might not like what they are doing...but what they do, they do well.

I'm also fully prepared to admit that I am somewhat blinded by my adoration for their music...I suppose it's possible that they could release an album that consisted of nothing more than white noise with torture screams emanating faintly from the background, and I would declare it nothing short of genius. But, come to think of it, that might actually sound pretty cool.