Thursday, May 05, 2011

Michael Stipe

Five or six of the best years of my life were basically wallpapered in REM, so this interview with Michael Stipe in Interview is particularly satisfying. There's a whole dimension of Stipe's story that's dependent on the serendipity of hanging around; this is a contrast to the goal-directed behavior of today's media-managed stars.

Someone referred to Rene Ricard's "Radiant Child" essay yesterday, and it reminded me of that late 80's-early 90's vibe, where a lot more art was a lot more urgent in a way that made it also more extemporaneous. There's that same feel to early REM, and to Stipe's recounting of how he came to be involved in music--the sense of both immanent (and eminent) apocalypse, but also the feeling of a lazy summer day--that you'd better get your living in, because this might be your last perfect day.


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Also, I should point out the great little anecdote about Michael Stipe's worst stage experience ever, located at the end of the interview.

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