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
40 Years Since ‘Never Mind the Bollocks': Where Is Everybody Now?
We’re taking a look at what happened to everyone involved in the Sex Pistols’ one (and only) studio album in the years since its 1977 release.
35 Years Ago: Prince Combines Sex, Synths and Doomsday on ‘1999’
The multi-talented artist's fifth album was largely created via sonic experimentations in his home studio. His 1982 LP would become his breakthrough release.
Contract Anarchy: The Many Broken Deals That Led to the Sex Pistols’ ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’
In the space of about seven months in 1976-77, the Pistols were signed to EMI (then dropped), signed to A&M (then dropped) and signed to Virgin (and kept).
R.E.M. ‘Find the River’ and Discover a Sweet Release
A record that began with a message to the kids about control (“Drive”) ends with a song suggesting that we’re all powerless in the face of mortality.
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.
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.