Every year I try to select one quarter where the theme of the selections is “where are they now” so I can spotlight some old friends. As it turns out this quarter I found inspiration for the writing as I was flying out of Orlando for a few days of tasting in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. One of my favorite things to do on long flights is listen to albums that I have not played in a long time and on this trip I chose R.E.M.’s Around the Sun.
As a huge R.E.M. fan I always felt that their last three albums were some of their best work, but many longtime fans disagree because they lacked the raw edge of their earlier music. To me the last three albums, Around the Sun (2004), Accelerate (2008) and Collapse Into Now (2011) show the signs of mature musicians who evolved from their angry youth phase and reflect more thoughtful lyrics and music. Whether you are an R.E.M. fan or not, the same can be said for many bands who have managed to remain relevant into their middle ages. For the members of R.E.M. their worlds changed dramatically over a 20 year period, from riding around in a broken down van playing bars across the south, to signing the richest record contract ever given to a band. To me the result is that their later albums reflect a maturity that comes from experience and broader understanding of the world.
This brings us to our selections this quarter, all from wineries who have been featured before. All three wines reflect some maturity in the winemaking and can be viewed through a different lens than our previous selections.
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