I had a very clear dream recently, one that I still remembered very clearly after I woke up, which is unusual for me.
I was outside somewhere and a humvee pulled over and picked me up. Inside were the three current members of R.E.M., Peter Buck was driving, Mike Mills was riding shotgun, and I was in the back with Michael Stipe. I think I said something about being a fan since I was in high school, in the '80s, but then I very frankly told them that I didn't really like their music as much since their drummer, Bill Berry, left the group several years ago. I don't remember their exact response, it was kind of like, "yeah, so what"--which is about what I'd expect from them in response to some stupid fan who they've never met before.
I think they're sort of environmentalists too, so the fact that they were driving a humvee seemed unusual. Anyway, that is how I really feel about R.E.M., they were one of my favorite groups when I was younger, especially their albums on the old IRS label. But since the drummer quit, it hasn't been the same group, and I wish they had changed the name or something. There was a unique chemistry with the four of them, and they made music that wasn't quite like anything else. Now it seems more like a science project, although a live track I heard from their recent tour sounded good.
