What a treat! I rarely play REM these days but whenever I do it just feels like home. I really should do it more often!
I think this is a great assessment of Reckoning. I have to confess that as a huge fan of Lifes Rich Pageant and Fables of the Reconstruction this is an album that I often overlook, but gosh it’s good! I personally think the singles are both excellent, especially (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville, although I didn’t know they had been singles until reading this. I also love Seven Chinese Brothers, and its counterpart on Dead Letter Office, Voice Of Harold, but there’s not a bad song to be found imo. Letter Never Sent has just started playing which I also really like. I think it’s the closest they get to a nod back to Murmur.
I don’t know where I would rank this album. In all honesty, I probably need to give the last five, released when I had small children (what I think of as my ‘wilderness years’), a bit more listening to make a fair assessment. I think the IRS albums all rank pretty highly though.
One of the upsides to their having such a varied catalog is that everyone has a favorite, and everyone is right. Tbh, the only real consensus I ever seem to find is that Around The Sun ranks last for most people.
Having given those albums a listen today, I don’t think this is the case for me. I do think New Adventures in Hi-Fi was their last great album. With the exception of Accelerate, the rest are rather somber affairs and I don’t get the same joy from listening to them as I do from the earlier albums but I find Around The Sun more consistent and more melodic than the others and Leaving New York is probably my favourite song from all of them. Of the last five albums I would order them Accelerate, Around the Sun, Up, Collapse Into Now, Reveal.
Nice! I agree that these are largely somber affairs. In my own case, ‘Airportman’ is a favorite and does a lot of heavy lifting for the rest of the record. I’ll have to give Around the Sun another listen this morning.
Not Reckoning related but here is the link to Keith Murray’s excellent acoustic cover of Fall On Me. My favourite band covering my favourite band - doesn’t get any better!
Great post, Kevin -- how is it possible that it's been 40 years? Phew.
As for ranking, I tend to listen to REM in periods: Chronic Town to Fables, Lifes Rich Pageant to Monster, New Adventures to Reveal, Around The Sun (my least listened to REM record even if those songs were way better live) to Collapse Into Now. Reckoning absolutely stands up there with the best of that first period. Man, what a band.
Related, a friend shared a link to a handwritten REM setlist for a Green tour concert I saw in Cincinnati 35 years ago this week. 35 years! 😯
This categorization makes sense, though I’d go Pageant to New Adventures, UP through Around the Sun, and then Accelerate/Collapse. With Berry still playing on New Adventures, I think you have to keep that one with the priors.
I agree -- it makes sense to draw a line at the end of the Bill era. I think I lump New Adventures in with the next batch because Monster felt like the end of their being one of the biggest bands in the world. Even though they stayed popular, they weren't quite as much in the zeitgeist with that one, so I mentally drew a line with that one.
Oof. I saw them on that same tour later in the year. A handwritten setlist! Even just a link is a killer find. Would love to see one for the one I was at. Not sure how accurate this is, but here's the setlist for the Portland show:
As for ranking, I think that doing it by era as you've done is probably the most practical way to do it. I mean, how else can you draw a line between 'Fables' and, say, 'Up?'
Nice set! A friend of mine saw them later in the tour like you did and the setlists evolved over time. We both got some great covers! Here's the Cinti show:
One of their albums I keep coming back to., held me after the first listen. 7 Chinese Brothers brought back memories reading the book as a child in school and I realized 'These guys are my peeps, I know where they're coming from!' Murmur got me hooked, this one brought me in for life.
I love this record. Thanks for sharing your insight. I saw them for the first time on tour in Dallas, and I was so obsessed that I stayed behind with a handful of others around their tour bus, where I had the opportunity to ask Michael Stipe about the state of the union. “It’s fucked up,” he replied, referring to the Reagan America we inhabited then. His comment contextualized the “Jefferson I think we’re lost” line for me then; Jefferson Holt was their then manager.
"Pretty Persuasion" is my favorite R.E.M. song bar none. It's the song I use to convince people who can't stand R.E.M. that they like at least one of the band's songs. "G-ddamn your confusion" is one of the most incisive, bitter, glorious three-word lyrics ever written.
This one’s my favorite. It made me a fan forever. I was 16 and I wore out the cassette in my Walkman walking back and forth to my job at McDonald’s back then. Lifes Rich Pageant is 2nd. After that it’s tough to rank! Beautiful music this band made. I’m going to go listen to this now. Thank you.
While I was in college when this album came out I have to admit I didn't know it! I was too busy listening to Top 40 and the music that was playing in the clubs I was going to. I came to R.E.M. when a lot of people did in the early 90s with Out of Time but I have gone back to appreciate a lot of their earlier work. I'll have to dig into this one a bit more.
One of my hot takes is that Out of Time is one of their best records. A lot of that has to do with where I was in life when it came out. If you do get a chance to dive in to this one, I'd be curious to hear what you think!
It absolutely stands up and stands the test of time, Kevin.
As a decided deeper cuts gal, I don't think "Time After Time (Annelise)" gets the love it deserves. I'm right there with you on "Pretty Persuasion." And " Second Guessing" also deserves more playlist time!
"Time" was playing on the drive home from my kid's soccer practice tonight. The sun was setting, there wasn't any traffic, and it was just really nice.
Their inclusion of *six* tracks off Reckoning on their "working rehearsals" Live at the Olympia album while working on Accelerate says a lot, and the version of Second Guessing on Live at the Olympia is my favorite.
Have rentered their world again. I only know that being 22 and hearing those first few records....I need to explore more of their later stuff. Hey keep up the great work. New discovery for me. I might add that some Peter Buck radio interviews have been in my ears lately. Guys all heart. Love from Portland 🎶
I’m admittedly very late to the party, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album from start to finish. Thanks to your post I’m going to put that right!
So. Central Rain is one of my absolute favorites. This album was my first exposure to REM and special! The friend who exposed me to them made a cassette of this for me and drew the cover to insert into the cassette ❤️
What a treat! I rarely play REM these days but whenever I do it just feels like home. I really should do it more often!
I think this is a great assessment of Reckoning. I have to confess that as a huge fan of Lifes Rich Pageant and Fables of the Reconstruction this is an album that I often overlook, but gosh it’s good! I personally think the singles are both excellent, especially (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville, although I didn’t know they had been singles until reading this. I also love Seven Chinese Brothers, and its counterpart on Dead Letter Office, Voice Of Harold, but there’s not a bad song to be found imo. Letter Never Sent has just started playing which I also really like. I think it’s the closest they get to a nod back to Murmur.
I don’t know where I would rank this album. In all honesty, I probably need to give the last five, released when I had small children (what I think of as my ‘wilderness years’), a bit more listening to make a fair assessment. I think the IRS albums all rank pretty highly though.
One of the upsides to their having such a varied catalog is that everyone has a favorite, and everyone is right. Tbh, the only real consensus I ever seem to find is that Around The Sun ranks last for most people.
Having given those albums a listen today, I don’t think this is the case for me. I do think New Adventures in Hi-Fi was their last great album. With the exception of Accelerate, the rest are rather somber affairs and I don’t get the same joy from listening to them as I do from the earlier albums but I find Around The Sun more consistent and more melodic than the others and Leaving New York is probably my favourite song from all of them. Of the last five albums I would order them Accelerate, Around the Sun, Up, Collapse Into Now, Reveal.
Nice! I agree that these are largely somber affairs. In my own case, ‘Airportman’ is a favorite and does a lot of heavy lifting for the rest of the record. I’ll have to give Around the Sun another listen this morning.
Not Reckoning related but here is the link to Keith Murray’s excellent acoustic cover of Fall On Me. My favourite band covering my favourite band - doesn’t get any better!
https://open.substack.com/pub/wearescientists/p/great-apes-fall-on-me?r=1pwf0t&utm_medium=ios
Great post, Kevin -- how is it possible that it's been 40 years? Phew.
As for ranking, I tend to listen to REM in periods: Chronic Town to Fables, Lifes Rich Pageant to Monster, New Adventures to Reveal, Around The Sun (my least listened to REM record even if those songs were way better live) to Collapse Into Now. Reckoning absolutely stands up there with the best of that first period. Man, what a band.
Related, a friend shared a link to a handwritten REM setlist for a Green tour concert I saw in Cincinnati 35 years ago this week. 35 years! 😯
This categorization makes sense, though I’d go Pageant to New Adventures, UP through Around the Sun, and then Accelerate/Collapse. With Berry still playing on New Adventures, I think you have to keep that one with the priors.
I agree -- it makes sense to draw a line at the end of the Bill era. I think I lump New Adventures in with the next batch because Monster felt like the end of their being one of the biggest bands in the world. Even though they stayed popular, they weren't quite as much in the zeitgeist with that one, so I mentally drew a line with that one.
Oof. I saw them on that same tour later in the year. A handwritten setlist! Even just a link is a killer find. Would love to see one for the one I was at. Not sure how accurate this is, but here's the setlist for the Portland show:
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/rem/1989/portland-memorial-coliseum-portland-or-63d32e57.html
As for ranking, I think that doing it by era as you've done is probably the most practical way to do it. I mean, how else can you draw a line between 'Fables' and, say, 'Up?'
Exactly, it's like two different bands.
Nice set! A friend of mine saw them later in the tour like you did and the setlists evolved over time. We both got some great covers! Here's the Cinti show:
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/rem/1989/riverfront-coliseum-cincinnati-oh-5bd68f0c.html
One of their albums I keep coming back to., held me after the first listen. 7 Chinese Brothers brought back memories reading the book as a child in school and I realized 'These guys are my peeps, I know where they're coming from!' Murmur got me hooked, this one brought me in for life.
That's one of the first books I can remember reading.
Me too! I'm guessing it's seen as profoundly racist now, and it probably is. Deep in the memory though.
I love this record. Thanks for sharing your insight. I saw them for the first time on tour in Dallas, and I was so obsessed that I stayed behind with a handful of others around their tour bus, where I had the opportunity to ask Michael Stipe about the state of the union. “It’s fucked up,” he replied, referring to the Reagan America we inhabited then. His comment contextualized the “Jefferson I think we’re lost” line for me then; Jefferson Holt was their then manager.
Man, if only he'd known what the next few decades would bring!
You're building quite the library!
What can I say? I love this band. :)
Still one of my fave REM records & still gets regular play. In fact, it will be played today. Tks for the reminder.
Of course!
"Pretty Persuasion" is my favorite R.E.M. song bar none. It's the song I use to convince people who can't stand R.E.M. that they like at least one of the band's songs. "G-ddamn your confusion" is one of the most incisive, bitter, glorious three-word lyrics ever written.
100%
This one’s my favorite. It made me a fan forever. I was 16 and I wore out the cassette in my Walkman walking back and forth to my job at McDonald’s back then. Lifes Rich Pageant is 2nd. After that it’s tough to rank! Beautiful music this band made. I’m going to go listen to this now. Thank you.
You bet! I'm glad I could take you on a trip down memory lane. :)
My first R.E.M. record. I heard about them from my girlfriend and played it often.
While I was in college when this album came out I have to admit I didn't know it! I was too busy listening to Top 40 and the music that was playing in the clubs I was going to. I came to R.E.M. when a lot of people did in the early 90s with Out of Time but I have gone back to appreciate a lot of their earlier work. I'll have to dig into this one a bit more.
One of my hot takes is that Out of Time is one of their best records. A lot of that has to do with where I was in life when it came out. If you do get a chance to dive in to this one, I'd be curious to hear what you think!
It absolutely stands up and stands the test of time, Kevin.
As a decided deeper cuts gal, I don't think "Time After Time (Annelise)" gets the love it deserves. I'm right there with you on "Pretty Persuasion." And " Second Guessing" also deserves more playlist time!
"Time..." is a fantastic song!
"Time" was playing on the drive home from my kid's soccer practice tonight. The sun was setting, there wasn't any traffic, and it was just really nice.
It's a beautiful song. Deserves a lot more love!
Their inclusion of *six* tracks off Reckoning on their "working rehearsals" Live at the Olympia album while working on Accelerate says a lot, and the version of Second Guessing on Live at the Olympia is my favorite.
Hi and thanks for this. I learned a few technical details about the time they spent in the studio during the recording process.
Of course! I'm happy to hear it.
Have rentered their world again. I only know that being 22 and hearing those first few records....I need to explore more of their later stuff. Hey keep up the great work. New discovery for me. I might add that some Peter Buck radio interviews have been in my ears lately. Guys all heart. Love from Portland 🎶
Thank you for the kind words! I’m always happy to hear from PDX!
I’m admittedly very late to the party, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album from start to finish. Thanks to your post I’m going to put that right!
Right on! I hope you like it.
So. Central Rain is one of my absolute favorites. This album was my first exposure to REM and special! The friend who exposed me to them made a cassette of this for me and drew the cover to insert into the cassette ❤️
The hand drawn J-card is a lost art!