R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck has a few choice words for his bandmates: Told you so.
The band is enjoying a creative resurgence with its new album, "Accelerate," which recently debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. But its 2004 predecessor, "Around the SunSun," was a critical and commercial disappointment, peaking at No. 13.
Buck thinks he knows why: Frontman Michael Stipe and bass player Mike Mills liked to spend endless months jamming in the studio.
"I never liked that," Buck recalled in a recent interview. "I always complained and I always suggested that we work quicker and more spontaneously. The other guys weren't into it.
"I think maybe the reception ('Around the Sun') got kind of shocked them and made them realize ... I was right, we can't work like this any longer."
And if Buck has his way, R.E.M. will never take the long, exacting route again. He says he already has "a ton of songs" written for R.E.M.'s next album.
"I think everyone agrees that ("Accelerate") is really a strong record and it's strong because of the way we approached it. So when we start making the next record, I think this is the way to at least start doing it."
R.E.M. will promote the album with a North American tour that begins on May 23 at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, B.C.
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