I was a diehard R.E.M. fan during the IRS years, but my interest waned went they went major label. There’s some great stuff on those Warner era albums, but I simply didn’t follow them like I used to.

If I knew about the Monster curse, I’d long forgotten, so researching and writing this piece about the band’s ’94-’95 hardships was pretty cool. Hopefully the piece is, too. Check it out for yourself:

20 Years Ago: Mike Mills’ Health Scare Adds to R.E.M.’s ‘Monster’ Curse