First tour in six years

In January 1995, R.E.M. set out on its first tour in six years. The tour was a huge commercial success, but the period was difficult for the group. On March 1, Berry collapsed onstage during a performance in Lausanne , Switzerland, having suffered a brain aneurysm . He had surgery immediately and recovered fully within a month. Berry’s aneurysm was only the beginning of a series of health problems that plagued the Monster tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal adhesion in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery to repair a hernia . Despite all the problems, the group had recorded the bulk of a new album while on the road. The band brought along eight-track recorders to capture its shows, and used the recordings as the base elements for the album. The final three performances of the tour, at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, were filmed and released in home video form as Road Movie .