After their split in 2011, Michael Stipe has ruled out any chance of a reunion for R.E.M, as he ‘despises nostalgia’.
Speaking on the US TV show CBS This Morning, Stipe said on a reunion: “No. That will never happen. There’s no point. I love those guys very much and I respect them hugely as musicians and as songwriters and everything but I just don’t want to do that thing that people do. I despise nostalgia. I’m not good at looking back.”
Guitarist Peter Buck quickly spoke of his sadness at the end of R.E.M when they decided to call it a day, and was just as doubtful about a return even then when he told The Guardian:
“There’s a good chance we’ll never play together again. And that’ll make me feel sad, except for the fact that I played those songs a lot for a long time. I can’t imagine anything in this moment that would cause us to use the name REM and play songs again.”
I am sorry they feel that way. After all their great talent was appreciated by the many and it is what made them rich and allowed them to express themselves universally. Why not make new music (unless you can’t) and then throw in some of the old songs? Are we to stop watching The Wizard of Oz because it was made 75 years ago? Now if they admitted they absolutely hated those songs they once wrote that would make sense as to why they would not want to sing them but if they stand by their work then what is wrong with remembering them? I guess it is just Michael’s psyche. And then I would feel sorry for him which I know he would not want. Oh well. Such is life.