R.E.M. Say New Album is Their Best in 20 Years

For their new record, Collapse Into Now, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck are very excited over it.The guys have very high expectation for the band’s 15th studio album, which will be released on March 7.

“This is, song for song, the best thing we’ve ever done,” guitarist Buck told Rolling Stone. “A lot of people say we did our best work in the early ’90s. But 15 years later, here we are again.”

Mills agreed with Buck and called Collapse “our best record since Out of Time.” The album features guest spots from Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye and Peaches, and was produced by Jacknife Lee (who also helmed 2008’s Accelerate).

It has been decided by R.E.M that they will not going to tour in order to promote this album - a decision Mills explained: “We don't tour to prop up records – that’s not why we play live music.