After writing about such musical artists as Paul McCartney and Paul Simon, experienced rock and roll author Peter Ames Carlin turned his attention to R.E.M. for the biography, The Name Of This Band IS R.E.M. released in late 2024. Covering the band’s history from childhood to their first concert in an old converted church in Athens GA and later onto superstardom. The band had a quick rise in the music world from bar band to capturing Rolling Stone magazine’s album of the year in 1983 for their first release, Murmur. They stayed at indie label IRS Records through the mid-80s before switching to Warner Brothers Records. The band was soon on a collision course with rock supremacy as albums such as Out Of Time and Automatic For The People topped the charts around the world.
Throughout the book, Carlin emphasis what a great bunch of guys the band is even as they navigate the murky world of the music business and fame. A few casualties appear along the way including their former manager Jefferson Holt who has been virtually erased from their story. Other stories include those around them that tried to get R.E.M. to go for a more commercial sound or at least produce a video that MTV would actually show as they steadily accumulated album sales. The band also grappled with fickle early fans who were not happy as Michael Stipe’s singing voice could actually be heard above the music and not lost in an ocean of mumbles as they moved away from some of their more underground music philosophies. While the members of R.E.M. did not participate in the book, they did not block Carlin from interviewing various friends and associates. It’s a fascinating account of one America’s truly great rock and roll bands.
9/10
The Light Appears 