Your favourite Grove Song

 

From my Grove days, I remember Cecil playing three REM songs - The One I Love, Orange Crush and Stand. From that, I investigated their back catalogue and became a fan. I saw them live 4 times over the years.  Strangely, I felt relief yesterday when they split. I have felt since Bill Berry left in 1997 that the balance was wrong, so wrong at times as to do damage to their reputation and back catalogue. My favourite period is their IRS years, '83 - 87, pre signing to Warners. An example of a band who built up gradually through constant tourning and then were ready when stardom happened. How times have changed in the music world and the world generally. Now people expect the instant success - the first album needs to be a sucess or you get dropped by your lablel. Talent shows don't help and encourage mediocrity, stifling the real organic stuff which by definition will remain underground. REM were an example of art-rock indie would maintain integrity upon signing to a major label. They come accross as decent guys. I should be sad at their split, but am not - the timing is right and we still have the music, 31 years of it. Again, thanks to Cecil I discovered a real gem.