R.E.M. - How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us

What this video is

Released in 1997 as the final single from 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi,' this video arrived at a pivotal inflection point: R.E.M. was wrapping their most critically ambitious mid-decade work, and the departure of founding drummer Bill Berry was imminent, making this the last music video to document the classic four-piece lineup until a decade later. The song itself — built on a hip-hop-inflected rhythm, jazz piano, and…

Why it matters

A key artifact of 1990s American alternative rock's introspective, post-grunge turn, this video exemplifies the era's rejection of high-concept MTV production values in favor of raw, documentary aesthetics. As one of Lance Bangs' earliest major label commissions, it marks an important moment in…

The director

Lance Bangs (born September 4, 1972, Sacramento, California) is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and music video director. He founded the Flicker Film Festival in Athens, Georgia in 1990, and built a career directing videos for Sonic Youth, Nirvana,…