R.E.M.: Lotus

This is a quite unusual case where both song and video hit me all at once - since "Lotus" wasn't released as a single here, or if it was it didn't play on radio. My earliest memories of this video was of its frequently airplay on a strange music channel that always had a particular and limited set of music videos broadcast and they showed this a lot, and I got used to the song (Peter Buck's guitar was amazing, just as loud as it was in the "Monster" album).

Yet the other unforgettable thing was the bizarre visuals of it all with singer Michael Stipe making strange flexible movements and contortions, and at times he was slightly multiplied within himself through some crazed editing and effects. Buck and Mike Mills appear briefly in between shots, and all three band members (Bill Berry was already out) have small circles shown in front of them, with a close-up image of their hands playing guitar/bass or other body part that the director felt interesting to be shown up with detail. No idea about what's going on, or the concept being exposed - but I like it.

So whenever I remember about "Lotus" the first thought that comes to mind is the clip and nothing else, and it's one of those R. E. M. Songs that, for some odd reason, I don't hear it often yet it pops in my memory in a very random manner and then I have to hear it, watch the clip, and recall a good time when I was discovering music and R. E. M. Was a frequent thing. Still is! 8/10.