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

A Biography

By: Peter Ames Carlin

Narrated by: 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, bestselling author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

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.

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 great story about an influential band

As a long time REM fan, I observed their stylistic and other changes and wanted to know more. This a was the perfect solution. The music world was better with them in it, and at least they left us a legacy to return to again and again. This book documents it well.

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

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.