Rem - Reckoning
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Free Music Notes for Reckoning
Free Music Review: file under "further"...
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been a fan for some years and "reckoning" is my favorite by this band (I own all their u.s. releases...). A little background-While enjoying a summer vacation (courtesy of the state of georgia-dont ask...), in '83, a close friend told me of a band from up the road that had been profiled by The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph. The article went on (and on) about the high caffeine content of the players and their unusual sound. My buddy told me that in the facility where he resided (again, dont ask...), a song entitled "radio free europe" was getting airplay. He informed me that this band hailed from our fare state and I should try to catch them when I got the chance. Upon my release, er..uh, first chance I got-I saw them live in the fabulous Fox Theatre with Jason and the Scorchers and again, later with Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs and again, later with Pylon. While "Murmur" is the big favorite by most everyone, I like "Reckoning" because of the almost-"country" feel to the songs. "Dont go back to Rockville", "Camera" (which I heard them play live recently in Chastain Park, Atlanta...), and a couple of others have an almost plaintive feel to them. My personal fave off the disc, however, is "Harborcoat" ("...a handshaker's word, is all that you've got..."). The sort of song that could have been included on "Murmur." The band has a mythic status here and while its not as hip anymore to profess allegiance to them, I dare to admire. I also am enamored of "Monster" (mainly, "Let me in"...), but "Reckoning" and particularly its opening cut, "Harborcoat" are the best things I remember about that time. ("...eastern to mountain, third-party call, the lines are down...the watchman builds his house upon the rocks...am I not bound to follow suit?"...). Check it out. Worth the effort.Free Music Review: Another amazing R.E.M. record - you'll find it to be very hard NOT to love this!
Hit: 5 Stars
R.E.M. is definitely one of the most talented artists to ever emerge in the music scene, and "Reckoning" is only further proof of this. With "Reckoning", R.E.M. essentially disregarded all previous post-punk efforts that were found on their debut album "Murmur" in favor of a jangle pop sound that was unique at the time (i.e. they invented it). Perhaps they did not know it then, but this sound would be forever copied by future generations of bands as it's an incredibly pleasing and distinct guitar style (bands like The Ocean Blue and Trembling Blue Stars, for example, noticably rip it off). As is common with basically every R.E.M. album, everything about the album is perfect (minus the production which needs a remastering) - the vocals, the lyrics, the musicianship...you can tell that these people are incredibly talented. Michael Stipe is an especially key aspect of the band as he's basically a third of what makes it all so great - he definitely has one of the best and most appealing voice in the music industry. I'm pretty sure that everyone in the world will love him. The other reasons why this is such a great album is that every song here is good-if-not-amazing, and the lyrics are always deep, catchy and interesting to listen to - a band couldn't possibly ask for more. The only "unappealing" part of the album is that it never had a hit (as opposed to "Document", "Out Of Time" and "Automatic For The People", for example). Also, unfortunately, the production sounds a bit dated as this CD is in dire need of a remastering - it's not horrible, but you can tell that it needs to be fixed up. Not only is this an historically influential album (for the jangle pop), but it's great without you even knowing about its history. Fans of pop rock, R.E.M. or great music in general will no doubt love this CD along with most other R.E.M. albums! Absolutely recommended!
Highlights include:
the entire album!
Free Music Review: A wonderful blur of a record
Hit: 5 Stars
Recorded in 2 weeks, this quick, rollicking followup to Murmur continued the jangly folk of that masterpiece, if not the otherworldy feel. Still a terrific album by any means, with Stipe's mubles as effective and evocative as ever. "Harborcoat" is a great kick-off to this record, with a terrific driving beat from Bill Berry, chiming guitars from Peter Buck, and beautiful harmonies from Mike Mills to complement Michael Stipe's warm, gorgeous lyrics. "7 Chinese Brothers" continues this mood, a slower, more meditative piece that includes beguiling lyrics and wonderful seasonal and water imagery. "So. Central Rain" is the timeless classic of this album, a sorrowful but intense tune on loss and forgiveness. "Pretty Persuasion" shows the band rocking harder than they have before, proving they know how to torture they instruments for the right sound when needed :) "Time after Time" is a nice longing tune, inviting and sad at once. Two somewhat lighthearted, quick rockers, "Second Guessing" and "Letter Never Sent" bridge the gap to "Camera," definitely one of their best. Stipe's lyrics about a lost friend are truly heart-wrenching and a glowing tribute. The atmospherics to the song are surprisingly intricate too, considering the budgets they were working on back then. "Don't Go Back to Rockville," is another solid masterpiece, a Mill's-penned tune with a great country feel and wistful lyrics. Rounding out the album and lending to its Old-West feel wonderfully is the tight scrappy rocker "Little America," with a very catchy breakdown by Stipe in the chorus. It's a very quick listen, but that's another benefit: You won't have to wait long to rip through it again. Stands wonderfully with Murmurs and their older classics Automatic for the People and New Adventures in Hi-Fi.Free Music Review: Yes, it's a full length album
Hit: 5 Stars
I recall seeing this album in a record store when I was first getting into REM in the eighties. The vinyl cover was so sloppy art-wise that I couldn't tell if it was a 12" single or a complete album, so I stayed away from it for a while. It turned out to be one of their best records. With Reckoning, you do get the sense that this is a band "on the move" as some critic wrote, comparing this album to Led Zeppelin II. The album was recorded in 11 days or something crazy like that between long tours around the world. Side A (or "left" as it says on the LP) is pretty much perfect. "Harborcoat" is a splendid opener with the coolest (quick) drum intro. "Seven Chinese Brothers" still stands the test of time as a groovy song about...who knows? No need to say how wonderful the third and fourth tracks are on that side. Then "Time after Time" closes that side, and sounds the most like The Velvet Underground. Side B (Right) is lacking in continual quality songs. "Second Guess" still does nothing for me. "Camera" may be sad and wonderful in it's sincerity (it's about a friend of the band who died in a car accident)but it just drones on and on as a musical number. "Letter Never Sent" has the same hoppity charm as "Seven Chinese..." but never really takes you where you think it ought to take you. The sides best tracks are "Don't go back to Rockville" (just pure country goodness) and "Little America," the bands semi-hysterical ode to life on the road.
The cover art is actually really fantastic I decided. Especially the back with the yellow and black blotchy shapes. The pictures of the band members look like they were taken in a tool shed. This is the R.E.M. we feel in love with.
Free Music Review: why, WHY did they give it up??
Hit: 5 Stars
There's basically two kinds of REM fans. People who got into the post-Green material, and know them as a big-league stadium rock band, and those who appreciate their earlier indie material on the IRS label. Well, you guessed it, I'm on the IRS side of things. The only post-Document album of theirs which I actually own is "New Adventures in Hi-Fi," which is not nearly as good as the early work. I frankly don't understand why they gave up this sound at all. They had so much potential here. AARRGGHH!! Well, no use dwelling on it.
I can't begin to describe how great this album is. I first bought it when I was in high school, on cassette, a decade after it was recorded. I updated to a CD copy about five years later. It's only sounded better over that period of time. It has that raw, jangly, murky feel that REM was so good at back then, with abstract lyrics hinting at something big but never giving everything away. It's less staid-sounding than Murmur, but keeps that mysterious feeling that was lost when Mike Stipe became a regular old frontman and started demanding attention and wearing his heart on his sleeve. The whole murky-mumbly thing suited him and the band far better than anything. It is my favorite album of the 80s, even with competition from the Stone Roses, the Pixies, the Replacements, the Clash and Jesus and Mary Chain. It's also a huge influence on one of my favorite songwriters, Stephen Malkmus. So, if you're looking for everything that indie rock can be, look no further.
-HW