Michael Stipe on R.E.M. and Fear of Collage

Published: Nov. 8, 2016, 5 a.m.

In the 1980s, Athens, Georgia, rock band\xa0R.E.M. was the epitome of the artful "alternative" band\u2014 producing a string of beautiful, if occasionally inscrutable albums, and slowly evolving over time. But then came Out of Time,\xa0the band's true arrival as gl