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
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.
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.
‘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.
R.E.M. Take Pop Heaven to Motel Hell on ‘The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite’
With a little inspiration from a doo-wop classic, this bouncy track brought some levity to the moody 'Automatic for the People.' But what does the song mean?
Michael Stipe Explores Life’s Last Moments with ‘Try Not to Breathe’
The second track from 'Automatic for the People' is the album's first one about death. But the song’s title originated with a much more innocuous statement.
‘Drive’ Sets the Tone for R.E.M.’s Stark Opus: The Story Behind Every ‘Automatic for the People’ Song
Before R.E.M. was finished making 'Out of Time,' they had begun crafting 'Automatic for the People.' They just didn’t know it yet.
25 Years Ago: Soul Asylum Become a Runaway Success with ‘Grave Dancers Union’
Soul Asylum were a decade into their career when "Runaway Train" got them signed to a new label and then became the hit that made their next album a smash.