25 Years Ago: R.E.M. Create a Melancholy Masterpiece With ‘Automatic for the People’25 Years Ago: R.E.M. Create a Melancholy Masterpiece With ‘Automatic for the People’Initially planning to make a big rock record, R.E.M. decided to focus on acoustic sounds and dark themes on their eighth and, perhaps, most celebrated album.Bryan WawzenekBryan Wawzenek