The Name of This Band Is R.E.M.

A Biography

De: Peter Ames Carlin

Narrado por: Mike Chamberlain

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • An electrifying cultural biography of the greatest and last American rock band of the millennium, whose music ignited a generation—and reasserted the power of rock and roll

"[Carlin's] unique gift for capturing the sweep and tenor of a cultural moment...is here on brilliant display."—Michael Chabon

In the spring of 1980, an unexpected group of musical eccentrics came together to play their very first performance at a college party in Athens, Georgia. Within a few short years, they had taken over the world–with smash records like Out of Time, Automatic for the People, Monster and Green. Raw, outrageous, and expressive, R.E.M.’s distinctive musical flair was unmatched, and a string of mega-successes solidified them as generational spokesmen. In the tumultuous transition between the wide-open 80s and the anxiety of the early 90s, R.E.M. challenged the corporate and social order, chasing a vision and cultivating a magnetic, transgressive sound.

In this rich, intimate biography, critically acclaimed author Peter Ames Carlin looks beyond the sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll to open a window into the fascinating lives of four college friends–Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry–who stuck together at any cost, until the end. Deeply descriptive and remarkably poetic, steeped in 80s and 90s nostalgia, The Name of This Band is R.E.M. paints a cultural history of the commercial peak and near-total collapse of a great music era, and the story of the generation that came of age at the apotheosis of rock.

©2024 Peter Ames Carlin (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A book for fans with the voices of fans. The pleasure is much deeper than simply nostalgia. The story of R.E.M. is a reminder of who we were, and perhaps who we still hope to be.”—Chicago Tribune

“Carlin writes vividly and in close detail about the group's formation and early days. . . [Carlin] is a pro at gathering and unspooling the facts. . . [He] clearly loves the songs and is smart about not just the most popular of them. . . [The Name of This Band Is R.E.M.] gets across all the fundamentals, with both affection and discernment.”—Washington Post

“Vivid....Peter Ames Carlin's book isn’t just a cultural biography of the band going back to its formation in the-then sleepy college town of Athens, Georgia. It’s also a poetic meditation on what made so many of the band’s songs stand out, and continue to shine.... A fascinating history of a different era in music.”—Associated Press

Historical account we knew but nice to revisit

Narrator is terrible. His inflections are worse. I thought my voice was terrible, but I do not do voice over. I’m sure he is a nice guy and if he is, I’m sorry, but maybe do something else. REM=may life’s soundtrack

Fantastic. Take REM Spotify Breaks while you listen.

I am not a music enthusiast. I never purchased an album or went to one of their concerts. I missed out, but not any more. You will love this listen.

Solid Rock Biography

I am a fan of REM and I found this book informative and I learned a lot about the band I did not know.

Nothing is Cool

I remember my late father being into REM when I was a 12 or 13 year old. ‘Automatic For the People’ was on heavy rotation in our house. Such a fantastic listen. Even for the casual fan, this made me a believer. Long live REM!

A Must!!

Beautifully written & read. It felt like meeting an old friend & realizing just how much you’ve missed them. I paused with the discussion of each new album release and listened to them in their entirety just to immerse myself in the history of the band. There were late albums I had not listened to before & others i’ve lingered over for weeks. Highly recommend!!!

Great Guys

I've loved this band since my youth. As a Southerner, I'm proud that this band came out of Georgia. But after listening to this biography of the band, I love and respect REM even more. After I listened to Bono's audio memoir, I found U2 a little more pretentious and insufferable. But this narrative gave me a deeper respect for this quirky alternative band that didn't change to meet culture but instead changed culture and met it halfway.

A little redundant but overall pretty interesting for REM fans.

Book gets a little monotonous in parts and the detailed description of how each album came together felt repetitive and redundant, but overall, it was an interesting listen.

Sucked.

R.E.M. is one of the best rock bands ever, and not because my Aunt Gill said so. If you’re gonna take this journey, do your homework, but don’t be afraid to tell your School Nurse to that you need a bandage and ask for a hall pass.

Historical content

Great insight to the cultivation of the band, and the effects to the music industry.

I couldn’t stop listening!!

I know their story pretty well myself, and have read several books on the band. I learned many things I didn’t know. My only complaint is that the author seemed to lump not touring with The Police, and their hatred for the few shows opening for the former, in with not opening on a tour with U2. When I am quite sure REM did open some shows for U2, and the genuine great friendship shared by Michael and Bono suffices often. Bono calls out the band and Michael in his autobiography in glowingly terms.

Other than that I really enjoyed the book.