It is their right to split up... I love their older albums but probably would not be much interested in further ones. I respect their decision.

Awh man this SUCKS. I will never get to see R.E.M. :'(.

Just wait for the inevitable reunion tour! :)

i got 3 or 4 gaps in their discography and will be filling it up soon

Shame, they had a great run though.

Heard this on the radio coming home from work on Friday.

FWIW I though their last album was pretty decent. I cant see Michael Stipe turning his back on music though, surely he will still continue to write songs?

I thought I read at one point he was working on a solo album. I see Micheal still performing, just now with REM (for now). He will do something, be it solo or a collaboration with another band at least.

Overall, I have a poor opinion of Collapse Into Now. I feel that it was a really contrived effort and they just released it because it was a contractual obligation to Warner Brothers (I believe it was the last album they needed to fulfill the $80M contract they signed in 1997). None of Michael's lyrics really stood out for me like on other albums. I got the feeling that he was losing his passion for songwriting, or maybe he just had some writer's block. I also got the impression that none of them were terribly excited or passionate about the album when I saw them in interviews after it's release. Just my opinion, though.

Stipe's already announced that following REM's split he is working in conjunction with Volkswagen to develop an affordable new car with auto transmission. The design brief is simply "Automatic; for the people".

:laughing:

I know that he's delving deeper into the world of fashion and fashion design. He also has a film production company.