Hall of Fame
I’m not at SXSW this year again, but I think I have a good excuse: I’m in NYC this week having participated in the flurry of events surrounding the Hall of Fame induction. As most know on this blog, I’ve worked with R.E.M. for the last ten years as the owner/operator of the largest REM fansite, and later on their friend and still later on, an employee at their record company.
REM has meant more to me than anything I think, other than getting married to Amy. I’ve been a fan since I was 7 years old, so most of my life, I’ve been listening to their music. To become friends with them all over the last few years has been amazing, and more amazing yet is the fact that they are perhaps the nicest people I know.
Its been a wonderful week to spend with old friends, and more wonderful indeed that the world is honoring their accomplishments. R.E.M. is, and always has been the best American rock band. Its undeniable, from my standpoint. I don’t think one can put in Murmur, Reckoning, Automatic for the People or Hi-Fi and not smile at the mastery. Even the post-Bill records still resonate, albeit not as consistently (but I challenge anyone to loose a limb and not struggle for a while). Up to me, remains one of the most heartfelt statements of loss that they’ve recorded.
Anyhow, the Hall of Fame was a mess, but a fun one. I met a lot of really cool people and spent a lot of time with people I’ve grown up listening to and remain inspired by.
A huge thanks to Michael, Mike, Peter and Bertis, as well as the entire REM friend/family circle for making the last three days something so special.
I think of this often and always wanted to ask a true music fan…
Setting aside rights issues, the random nature of mp3 devices make listening to albums and cd’s linearly a thing of the past. Do you think the carefully crafting of an album to be listened to in an orderly fashion is a lost art?
not a lost art. a changed art. its no more a lost art than making a good painting, movie or play. the method of consumption can change, and that causes methods of production to likewise evolve, but the true “IT” of music is still the same, just the method of how its produced has had to change.
I think what things like rapid consumption, non-linear consumption does is it forces people who make art/content to step back from the medium and focus more on the message, let the media fall where it may.
REM have always been role-models for me. You are a lucky dude.
The rock opera sadly has no future due to the “shuffle” feature. But did it ever? Actually Camper Van Beethoven’s Roman Times is a great example of a “rock opera”.
Seriously, I think that if the artist makes a point about the meaning and significance of song placement, then people will pay attention. I don’t think it’s irrelevant now. Before MP3′s, even though many radio stations have played the entire B-side of Abbey Road due to its sheer genius, most simply play one cut.
Ummm, I’m going to have to say that it’s almost completely dead. Sometimes I’ll go for long drives and make it a point to listen to a whole album (much to the chagrin of others). No, we now live in the age of the single… thanks iPod. Incidentally, I was doing a search for vampire blogs, and this popped up (vampire meetings, which I now realize are completely different). Though I feel a little bit taken, it’s still a nice blog.