Perfect Circle: The Story of R.E.M. Paperback – May 2, 2019

This is a very comprehensive bio of REM, who has been my favorite band for a long time. Fletcher is very detailed in his coverage of the band, but is critical when it's warranted. He also provides a lot of detail surrounding the business-side of music(record contracts, interactions with IRS and Warner Bros., etc.) which I found really interesting, though others might not. In general, Fletcher doesn't just gush as some biographers might.This may be the only book that covers the bands ENTIRE career, from inception to retirement. I was glad that he decided to update it once more to cover the band's last few years. He also shares some great insights into the last album. The only thing he really leaves out is a detailed discussion of the band members side projects (such as Bill Berry's solo '45 in 1989). But I guess there's only so much room.Bottom line: An absolute must-read for R.E.M. fans. I've read a few of the band's bios, and if you read only one, make it this one.

This is a great read if you are a fan of R.E.M. The stories are endless and insightful behind individual songs, albums, tours, managers, record labels, and of course, band members. The only problem I experienced was with the formatting of the book. It seemed every page or every other page had 2 words without a space in between that looked like one word. Annoying at first but then I got used to it, but I expect more from Kindle if I'm paying full price for the digital version of a book.

Really enjoyed this book. Learned a lot. I became a R.E.M. fan in 1985 when my roommate had several of their early albums. Drifted away, then loved their long string of hits. Saw them perform in 1995. Continued to listen to '95 and earlier albums. This book got me acquainted with the later stuff, which I've been enjoying like it just came out. Glad I took the time to read this comprehensive book -- almost exactly 10 years after they called it quits.

I received this book as a gift from another R.E.M. fan and it completely changed not just my view of the band but made me me appreciate what the did after Berry left the band. I now appreciate the “lesser” works much more and provide s even more context to earlier works. Greatest American Rock Band Ever.

You’re an R.E.M. fan, right? Of course you are. We’ll always love em. But here comes a rock bio and what did I fear most?—a love letter to a band I love. From page 1, though, I was on-board and full speed ahead. Tony Fletcher, while not exactly an insider, was loaned an inside track and drove it like a pro for 400pp; that is, he put aside his acknowledged fandom and delivered (what feels like) a comprehensive rise-and-rise-again story of four mortal guys, each with one or another version of the contradictions everyone shares, who believed in their talent and graciously took us along for over three decades. “Gracious,” by the way, is a word that stays with you to the end of this book and after. I already loved R.E.M. for their music. I was surprised to discover I had more to give. Read the book.

Lots of interesting stories and information. Occasionally bogs down in details about specific concerts and recording sessions. It's clear that the writer is very much a fan of R.E.M., both as a band and as people. Whether this is a good thing in terms of biography is up to the reader to decide. I would have liked a bit more perspective about R.E.M.'s legacy given the fact that popular music took a very different turn after their heyday in the late 80s/early 90s.

This book met and exceeded my expectations. The story of R.E.M expertly told and nicely written. Covers major milestones and discusses all sessions and resulting records. Focus is firmly on the band and its highs and lows and final graceful withdrawal. If you are a "music" fan wanting to know about these aspects of the band, this book is for you. If you are an "obsessed" fan and want to read about the private lives of the band's members, this book will not give you much.

R.E.M. is arguably my favorite band of all time, and one of the reasons they are, is a reason this biography struggles. It is relatively well written and researched, but the fact of the matter is, the R.E.M. story doesn’t make for the most exciting rock book. They are nice guys who stayed out of trouble. I love them for being boring. So essentially, this is for the true R.E.M. heads.