Bryan Wawzenek is a freelance journalist who writes for Diffuser.fm and Ultimate Classic Rock. He learned more from a three-minute record than he ever learned in school. His mind is racing, as it always will. Don't start him talking, he could talk all night. The sunshine bores the daylights out of him. Don't touch him, he's a real live wire. Most things he worries about never happen anyway. But he's been smiling lately, thinking about the good things to come.
Bryan Wawzenek
R.E.M. ‘Find the River’ and Discover a Sweet Release
A record that began with a message to the kids about control (“Drive”) ends with a song suggesting that we’re all powerless in the face of mortality.
The Day the Beatles Made Their Television Debut
This wasn’t the band’s big break, a star-making performance or anything like that.
Michael Stipe Wrestles with Writer’s Block to Complete ‘Man on the Moon’
The song was ready. Everything was there: Bass, drums, guitars. There was only one slight problem. It didn’t have a title, or lyrics, or vocals.
R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe Vents His Spleen on ‘Ignoreland
'Ignoreland' was the most biting and specific political critique of R.E.M.'s then-12-year career.
Meg Ryan, Miami and 10cc Make an Impact on ‘Star Me Kitten’: The Story Behind Every ‘Automatic for the People’ Song
The famous actress Meg Ryan convinced R.E.M. to alter the title of the lusty 'Automatic' ballad, so they turned it into an in-joke.
‘Monty Got a Raw Deal’ Takes R.E.M. Down and Out in Beverly Hills: The Story Behind Every ‘Automatic for the People’ Song
The tragic life of film star Montgomery Clift, and a Greek instrument called the bouzouki, inspired R.E.M.'s mysterious "Monty Got a Raw Deal."
R.E.M. Get Kind of Blue on ‘New Orleans Instrumental No. 1’
Taking inspiration from the Big Easy, and some wine, R.E.M. created a late-night atmosphere on 'Automatic''s lone instrumental track.
R.E.M. Find a Hollow Center in ‘Sweetness Follows’
A meditation on loss, the quiet, pulsing "Sweetness Follows" might be the centerpiece of 'Automatic for the People.'
R.E.M. Show Some Soul on ‘Everybody Hurts’: The Story Behind Every ‘Automatic for the People’ Song
R.E.M.'s R&B-influenced ballad took an uncharacteristically direct approach to the subject of suicide.