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.