"Near Wild Heaven" is a song by American rock band

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

, released in August 1991 as the third single from their seventh studio album, '' Out of Time'' (1991). The song was also the first single released by the band to have had its lyrics both co-written and sung by bassist

Mike Mills Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., hi ...

. According to a quote from

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...

in ''R.E.M. Inside Out: The Stories Behind Every Song'' by Craig Rosen, the lyrics are a collaboration between Mills and lead singer

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Poss ...

. It peaked at No. 27 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

but the single was not released in the United States. Mike Mills had written the lyrics to the single "

(Don't Go Back to) Rockville "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" is the second and final single released by American rock band R.E.M. from their second studio album, '' Reckoning''. The song failed to chart on either the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 or the UK Singles Charts. Backgroun ...

", and he had sung the cover song "

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

", but he had not sung his own work on a released-as-a-single recording.

Critical reception

Parry Gettelman from ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' felt that "Near Wild Heaven" "already overdoes the contrast between dark-edged lyrics and a light-hearted melody by folding

' lead vocal into a sugary arrangement. Adding strings to the recipe is like putting frosting on cherry pie."Gettelman, Parry (March 22, 1991). "R.E.M.". ''

''.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Near Wild Heaven" features the band playing the song in a crowded café.

Track listing

All songs written by

Bill Berry William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...

, and

unless otherwise indicated. *7" / cassette # "Near Wild Heaven" # " Pop Song '89" (live)¹ * 12" # "Near Wild Heaven" # " Pop Song '89" (live)¹ # "Half a World Away" (live)² * CD # "Near Wild Heaven" – 3:18 # "

Tom's Diner "Tom's Diner" is a song written in 1982 by American singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega. It was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of '' Fast Folk Musical Magazine''. Originally featured on her second studio album, '' Solitude S ...

" (

Suzanne Vega Suzanne Nadine Vega ( Peck; born July 11, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter best known for her folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans almost 40 years. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s, releasing four singles that entered the ...

) (live)¹ – 2:04 # "Low" (live)¹ – 4:59 # "Endgame" (live)¹ – 3:28

Notes

¹ Recorded at The Borderline Club, London, England; March 15, 1991. Further songs from this performance were later released on an album.
² Recorded on ''

Rockline ''Rockline'' was a nationally syndicated radio interview program hosted by Bob Coburn that was broadcast live via satellite every Monday and Wednesday night from 8:30pm-10pm PT to radio stations in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1981, ...

'', Los Angeles, California; April 1, 1991.

Personnel

– drums, piano, backing vocals *

– guitar *

– lead vocals, bass guitar *

– backing vocals

Charts

References

External links

* {{authority control 1991 singles R.E.M. songs Songs written by Bill Berry Songs written by Peter Buck Songs written by Mike Mills Songs written by Michael Stipe Warner Records singles Song recordings produced by Scott Litt Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe Song recordings produced by Mike Mills Song recordings produced by Bill Berry Song recordings produced by Peter Buck 1991 songs Sunshine pop songs