Monday, January 15, 2007

Guys From R.E.M. Love Neil Young

I finally got around to watching the "Extras" from the R.E.M. When The Light Is Mine DVD. In an interview from June 1984, Mike Mills and Peter Buck are talking about making genuine, honest music, and changing and challenging, as opposed to continually repeating the same sound. Then comes the following:

Peter Buck: Neil Young is like that. Everyone seems to think he's an old fogey. I really respect him. He just really doesn't give two dirty words about it.

Mike Mills: He got sued for his last two records, because they didn't sound like anything he'd done before. So, he got sued for 'em. Apparently, they didn't sell all that well.

Peter Buck: It's like Neil Young doesn't worry about that. He makes records that, whether you like 'em or not, are personal. It's like, you know, a letter from home.

Very cool.

Other random thoughts since watching this DVD:

R.E.M. are a really great band. (How's that for an understatement?!?)

Bill Berry's unibrow could kick all of our asses.

Mike Mills and Bill Berry were one heck of a rhythm section. It's easy to lose sight of that, between Stipe's amazing presence as a frontman, and Peter Buck's ridiculously catchy guitar hooks.

Speaking of the point above, Peter Buck is underrated as a guitarist. In fact, it's a freakin' sin how underrated he is.

If you haven't already done so, BUY THIS DVD!!!

It's not perfect, but it's close. One somewhat glaring omission: no "Gardening At Night" (bummer)! One I didn't really expect, but would've been sweet: "The Flowers of Guatemala."

Still, the acoustic "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" by itself is worth the price of admission.

6 Comments:

Blogger Moderator said...

Mike Mills and Bill Berry were an amazing rhythm section. Spot on.

4:37 PM, January 16, 2007  
Blogger Dale said...

I love the REM and have the Cd but not the dvd, I may now need it!

8:14 PM, January 16, 2007  
Blogger Cup said...

Somewhere in my vast trunk o' R.E.M.ness is a music mag with Peter Buck interviewing Neil Young. When I finish the unpacking, I'll look for it and scan it for you.

8:39 PM, January 16, 2007  
Blogger Cup said...

I just bought a copy of that Musican mag on eBay; I'll send it to you as soon as it comes in.

8:42 PM, January 16, 2007  
Blogger haahnster said...

GM: You are spot on in your assessment of my analysis as "spot on."

Dale: You do need it. Trust me on this one.

Beth: I love you in a way that only a happily married man who lives in another state and whose Neil Young obsession has somehow crossed cosmic paths with your R.E.M. obsession could ever love you, which is just an unnecessarily flowery way of saying, "THANK YOU! I truly appreciate it!"

10:00 PM, January 16, 2007  
Blogger Cup said...

It's the purest of loves, Haahnster: a blog siblinghood born from f*cking excellent taste in music.

7:12 AM, January 17, 2007  

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