I've puzzled about what it is that I like so much about their early music and what makes it so distinctive. Also a fusion of the instrumental and the vocal, Stipe's voice being mixed back to the point of incoherence. In recent years I've become less interested in the band. When Bill Berry left in late 1997 I gave up hope for them. To my surprise, I really like their first post-Berry album, Up .
Wonders never cease.
The official site . A comprehensive fan site by Jason Zimberoff. Another one by Kipp Teague. Lyric annotations compiled by the Usenet group rec.music.rem. I bought the album and found that it was more hard-edged and dark than I had expected, which may explain my continuing fascination with it.