UPDATE: I’ve scanned the review of Collapse Into Now from the latest issue of UNCUT (April 2011) – three out of five stars, ain’t that bad. For the best viewing quality, right-click on the thumbnail and open in a new tab/window. Also, here’s a great track-by-track review of CIN by Music Radar.
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Get ready for some seriously droolworthy photos of Mr Michael Edward Mills, courtesy of my friend Conni Freestone! Conni is a megatalented photographer and great music fan from New York City. In December 2010 she travelled all the way to North Carolina to see the Big Star Third/Sister Lovers tribute shows. As you may remember, our friend Mark Rockwell was there too and sent his awesome report. I’ve just uploaded Conni’s photos from the rehearsal and from both nights of the tribute gigs. Head over to our GALLERY NOW! Btw Conni is already planning on attending the NYC Big Star show on 26 March (where Mike Mills is also scheduled to perform), so I’m rightfully hoping for some more great photos.
R.E.M. have released another video clip with the bandmembers talking about their newest album Collapse Into Now. Not much new info, but it won’t hurt to have the video here.
Also, our friends at Murmurs.com have been posting reviews for Collapse Into Now. Well let’s just say that the reviews are mixed – some critics like the new record a lot, some don’t. To each their own I guess, and luckily we won’t have to wait for much longer to spin the album and give our own verdicts. Anyway here are the reviews: Rolling Stone (4 out of 5 stars), Q Magazine (2 stars – boo!), Gigbless (4/5). Apparently there’s also a review in the new issue of Uncut (3/5 stars), so I’ll get that mag tomorrow and scan it.
Tags: Big Star, Collapse Into Now, Michael Edward Mills, Mike Mills, R.E.M., Third/Sister Lovers
February 21st, 2011 at 1:05 am
2 stars in Q magazine, God, Around the Sun got 2 stars in Q!
3 in Uncut, the same as Accelerate. Mixed reviews, I guess there will bo no cover in magazines with REM this time. It is not a good sign.
February 21st, 2011 at 3:26 am
Curse my school’s crummy Internet filtering software! >
Can’t see the vid just yet, which is annoying… I don’t know why, but I like bands talking about their albums. 
I wouldn’t worry too much about the reviews. Critics, as a rule, never seem to like recent R.E.M. records, whereas the fans often have an opinion that is the polar opposite of theirs! Think about Accelerate… panned by some of the press, but loved by fans.
Robert Christgau, in particular, is one who gives bad reviews of R.E.M. albums. And he calls himself “The Dean of American Rock Critics”!
Yours truly,
Auctioneer
February 21st, 2011 at 4:05 am
Dear Connie, your photos are brilliant. We can certainly elect you as official photographer of the “Mike Mills Tribute”, isn’t it Ivana? Good Luck for the next concert!
February 21st, 2011 at 4:28 am
Yeah – Conni, consider yourself elected!
Seriously, poor Conni was contemplating selling a kidney in order to get good tickets for the NYC gig, because they’re ridiculously expensive. Perhaps we should sponsor her the next time.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:35 am
Ouch! I can understand very well. Connie, try to sell some photos! Maybe some fans would buy it…
February 21st, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Yay, scans!
This is a strange review, to say the least. The bulk of the story is just heaping praise onto the record (e.g. “eloquent studies”, “rock and roll jams-kicker”
, and then he gives it three stars? It seems that the press are just going to compare this album to the rest of R.E.M.’s back catalogue, which IMHO isn’t in the least bit fair. The band are probably never going to have another “Automatic for the People”, so why keep reminding us? 
February 21st, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Yeah, you’re right. The band will never reach that high point of Automatic, or Hi-Fi. But every band has the same problem, Pink Floyd hadn’t recorded another Dark Side of the Moon, that’s the way life is. I think it’s unfair to compare new album with the old ones. Especially when we talk about REM, because they always offer us so different stuff with every new disc. This review is strange, I agree.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:35 pm
First of all…thank you Conni. The pics are delightful
Secondly, I agree with Arek, that it is unfair to compare a new album with the old ones. Stipey said in an interview re: Accelerate( I think it was that album) that he wished people would just listen to the music without dragging 30 years worth of their previous songs into the mix….that folks would basically listen and evaluate the new songs for what they are now, not how they compare to an AFTP, or a LRP…etc. Everything I have heard so far sounds new and fresh, even while utilizing the most unique and recognizable trademarks from their musical repertoire…the strong backing vocals, jangly rhythms, a killer mandolin, strong contrapuntal vocals and bass lines,wonderful lyrics (some more direct, but many as enigmatic as before). For me, as a fan, this album to date is only typical of an R.E.M. album, in the way the songs insinuate themselves into my subconscious, until I find myself singing them while doing dishes, getting ready for bed. etc. Then I start to listen yet again and discover more and more to fascinate me, as I explore the music. May they Rock On for many years to come. I admire and adore them.
February 24th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
New series of interviews/comments from the band on all songs of CIN on the German Rolling Stone site, track by track!
First is Überlin, with comments by Mike and Michael:
htt p://www.rolling stone.de/magazin/featur es/article76062/Track-by-Track-du rch-die-neue-R-E-M-Stipe-und-Mills-ueber-Ueber lin.html
- translation coming up! -
P.S.: The comments on all songs are already in the printed matter I’m about to scan for you!
February 24th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Conni, your pics are just great. But I’ve visited your blog many times before, so this is not new to me
As for the reviews, well, I couldn’t agree more with you guys, it’s just so tiresome to always have to read that never-ending comparison to previous records. Well, guess every artist has to put up with that…
And a 2 rating from Q? COME ON… that’s really ridiculous.
The songs I’ve heard so far are absolutely fantastic, all of them. I wouldn’t have been able to say that for the last few records. CIN is gonna be great, I sense it.
February 24th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
So here’s for you the translation of the first feature on the German Rolling Stone site!
I can’t post the link without spaces, otherwise my comment won’t show up:
http: //www.rollingstone. de/magazin/features/article76062/Track-by-Track-durch-die-neue-R-E-M-Stipe-und-Mills-ueber-Ueberlin. html
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Track by track through the new R.E.M. album: Stipe and Mills about “Überlin”
From now on we’ll be working towards the release of R.E.M.’s new album „Collapse Into Now“ on March 4 – track by track, together with the band. Anyway R.E.M. are an important topic for us in the next several days. There’s an extensive special in the latest issue, several prize draws in the course of the release, and just before the big (hol
day for all R.E.M. fans you will be able to listen to Collapse Into Now here at full length.
But now here we go with our track by track-interview that Birgit Fuß led with the band. And what would be more obvious than starting with a song that for one thing takes place right on our doorstep, and for another thing can already be found in the Net along with a lyric video:
R.E.M. about „Überlin“:
Mike Mills: We couldn’t believe that this pun isn’t used more frequently! The song’s protagonist – at least that’s my interpretation – has had a lot of trouble, many problems and goes to Berlin to get out of it. I can still empathize very well with people that have ordinary jobs and struggle with everyday life and wait for the evening to come. I have cleaned toilets, mucked out horse barns, worked at McDonald’s. I remember the daily grind, just like Peter and Michael. Those who forget that, have a problem. Besides, we only really started making money with music quite late in the 80s – thus I have worked from age 15 until almost 30, although already being in the band.
Michael Stipe: I wanted to picture an almost blunt outsider’s perspective – the experience of a guy who is walking through a city that is completely new to him and still very unfamiliar. I have combined these two words to express that. I don’t pretend being a German oder a Berliner. Not at all. I just tried to figure out the mind of this outsider. The city could as well be New York. In each of these big, great cities, you can be completely alone. This is the guy up to the last verse, when he finds somebody and says: “Let’s try to make something happen. Tonight. Right now.” I write fictional life stories. It’s about thoughts and emotions and fears people have. Expectations and optimism and desire. That’s not hard [to figure out]. People always project a lot onto public figures and perhaps they think that I only hang out with Eddie Vedder and Patti Smith and Gwyneth Paltrow, but it’s not like that. My life is different. I don’t know many people who set themselves apart from the so-called normal life. And even these people come from ordinary backgrounds and have become famous coincidentally and luckily. But I don’t see myself that way. I ride the U-Bahn like everyone else.
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February 24th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
YAY KIRSTEN
Keep those translations coming!
February 24th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Thank you so much Kirsten! This definitely deserves a separate post, just give me a few minutes to update WordPress.
February 24th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
You’re very welcome!!
It makes me so happy if I can bring some joy to fellow fans