On October 5, 1992, R.E.M. released its eighth studio LP, Automatic For The People, exemplifying a rare instance in which a band's most thematically somber material also becomes its most commercially successful. Even with no touring behind it (save for a memorable performance at the VMAs), the album went on to sell over 18 million copies worldwide, spawning such massive singles as "Man On The Moon," "Everybody Hurts," and "Drive."
Shortly after its release, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills sat down with Katie Davis on Weekend All Things Considered to discuss what they viewed as their "chamber record." Today, on the 25th anniversary of Automatic For The People — and ahead of an expansive forthcoming reissue — we revisit that conversation.
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