See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

32 used & new from £0.43

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
"R.E.M.": Fiction - An Alternative Biography
 
See larger image
 

"R.E.M.": Fiction - An Alternative Biography (Hardcover)

by David Buckley (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


4 new from £6.99 27 used from £0.43 1 collectible from £2.24
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback (New Ed) 2 used & new from £5.98

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

"R.E.M." Inside Out: The Stories Behind Every Song

"R.E.M." Inside Out: The Stories Behind Every Song

by Craig Rosen
"R.E.M." Reveal the Story of "R.E.M."

"R.E.M." Reveal the Story of "R.E.M."

by Johnny Black
£12.71
Michael Stipe: The Biography

Michael Stipe: The Biography

by Rob Jovanovic
2.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £7.19
It Crawled from the South: "R.E.M." Companion

It Crawled from the South: "R.E.M." Companion

by Marcus Gray
Accelerate

Accelerate

~ R.E.M.
3.9 out of 5 stars (70)  £6.48
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Virgin Books (5 Sep 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1852279273
  • ISBN-13: 978-1852279271
  • Product Dimensions: 24 x 15.8 x 4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 512,835 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
The Biography Channel UK
   www.TheBiographyChannel.co.uk    From movie stars to music stars. Programmes, competitions and games! 
  
 

Product Description

Review
"Praise for Strange Fascination: 'One of the most authoritative Bowie books you're ever likely to read' Mojo

Rolling Stone (US)
Reconstructs their fables with an insider’s sense of authority --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Revealing, 14 Feb 2003
By Bj Newman (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I have been an REM fan for as long as I can remember and I came away from this book feeling like I had got so much closer to the band . I have been going back listening to the cds and interpreting them differently knowing what was going on in the band at the time . There is some fascinating information including talk of an REM and Nirvana colloboration (unfortunately kurt put a stop to that ever taking place:() . The only reason im not giving it 5 stars is there are no new contributions from michael stipe , he's not that keen on interviews but it would have been nice to have some non archive words from him seeing he is the sole figure on the books cover.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Stranger Than Fiction, 14 May 2003
It says at the start no side-projects will be discussed - so no critiques of Michael Stipe’s film projects or photography books and no detailed analytical breakdowns of Peter Buck’s moonlighting with just about every other Athens, Georgia band on the go throughout R.E.M.’s existence - and so is a very straightforward look at each record made by the band so far, from their 1981 debut single RADIO FREE EUROPE up to 2001’s REVEAL album.

Each record is looked at in the context of things going on in the band’s life during the making of it and how they may have affected or impacted upon the album itself. The passages which record the making of 1985’s FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION, for example, spend as much time detailing the band’s unhappy time in London making the album, with cramped living conditions and slowly self-destructing inter-band relationships dragging everyone’s state of mind down, yet making for strangely compelling reading nonetheless.

Author Buckley also rings another refreshing change within the circle of biographers and sycophants that R.E.M have managed to pick up during their twenty-plus year existence – he’s not afraid to criticise where necessary. The OUT OF TIME album, for example, generally accepted by all sundry as being one of the band’s masterpieces (AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE being the other one) is here taken apart song by song, with most songs coming across here as underdeveloped or, occasionally, poorly executed. While never unfair in his taking R.E.M. and their “distiples” to task, Buckley is always even handed, dishing out praise where it is, in his opinion, warranted and giving the band and their music a good, rigorous going over at all times. This is how all music books should be written

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars No R.E.M sleep permitted, 6 Sep 2002
By Mr M Lewis-Adams (London, London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
Of all the rock giants that have dominated the airwaves over the past 15 years, its is REM that have remained the most aloof and mysterious. I always found this refusal to play the celebrity game refreshing and was sceptical when I heard of Fiction's release. It was out of respect for David Buckley - author of the excellent Strange Facination (a David Bowie autobiography) - that I bought the book and I've loved every page. Buckley cuts through the myth and gets close to the real REM (if such a thing exists) and its a really refreshing take on the tired rock biog formula. You can read as a serious muso or as someone with an intererst in the bizarre world of rock and roll - either way its a winner.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly well researched and enjoyable big band biography
Being of a prior generation, and with a somewhat cynical view of galactic sized rock bands, it was with some prejudice that I approached 'R.E.M. - Fiction' ... Read more
Published on 3 Oct 2002 by F J Sanders

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

Shop the Powerball store

 

More From David Buckley

Strange Fascination: David...

Strange Fascination: David Bowie...

As pop culture spirals into a banal, self-replicating... Read more

 

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates