Your Absence Will Make Our Hearts Grow Fonder

When the musical journey of a great band reaches its final destination, the world must know of its greatness. So when R.E.M. decided to call it a day on 21^st September, 2011, it was time to look back and reminisce the era which, unfortunately, after 31 years came to an end. 

Most of us know R.E.M. through popular songs like Losing My Religion, Shiny Happy People and Everybody Hurts, but it was one of the first bands which laid down the foundation of the alternative rock genre in the 1980s. Consisting of Michael Stipe (vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass) and Bill Berry (drums), R.E.M. released their first song Radio Free Europe on a college campus radio show. On MTV’s request, this single was accompanied by a music video.  The lyrics of the song were not only cryptic, but they captured the essence of America’s political movement at that time. 

In the entire span of the band’s career, they delivered 15 studio albums, 10 compilation albums, 1 EP, and 65 singles. An entire American and British rock generation grew up listening to their songs encrypted with sensitised lyrics, highlighting issues like revolution, war and tyranny.

I grew up in the 80s, the time when the Indian political scene was undergoing a lot of radical changes. Indian fans were still reigning in the glory of raga rock, the musical collaboration of several Indian classical musicians with the rock-n-roll artists in the West, a typical archetype being songs like Across the Universe and Norwegian Wood by The Beatles. 

Not a lot of us would have paid attention to this solemn band from Athens, spreading their word peacefully, challenging the norm in the West. 

At that time, the Indian rock scene was largely influenced by western musicians of the Woodstock Era. Indus Creed (formerly called Rock Machine) and a few native bands from the North-Rast were still covering Western bands before 1993, when they started writing lyrics and creating their own music. 

It is also worth noting that since the 60s, rock-n-roll music has never hesitated in admonishing war and terrorism through their songs. Bands like The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and Pearl Jam have voiced a plethora of songs through music, embracing socio-political issues. But R.E.M. sustained like a diamond in the rough. The band not only managed to stay clear of any kind of addiction/intoxication which has plagued an entire music landscape for years, but they also managed to stay away from controversy which has been a commonly occurring phenomenon in five decades of the rock-n-roll eon.  

In 1997, When Bill Berry retired as the drummer of R.E.M., the band continued playing and went on to release 5 more albums before they finally decided to retire as Shiny Happy People, “holding hands, laughing”.

Few bands have survived breakups, R.E.M. did. And their emblematic music will resonate in our hearts for years to come.

Well, absence makes the heart grow fonder.