- Audio CD (13 Oct 1994)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Polydor Group
- ASIN: B000026H1G
- Other Editions: MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 23,786 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Reckoning, the 1984 follow-up to REM's brilliantly murky debut, features Michael Stipe's ambiguous moan, drummer Bill Berry's strong backbeat and guitarist Peter Buck's endless wave of catchy, jangling riffs. They wouldn't fully beef up their hard rock until roughly 1986's Life's Rich Pageant but the swimming melodies of "Pretty Persuasion", "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" and "Rockville (Don't Go Back to)" recall why the band frequently earned comparisons to a power-pop Beatles and the country-rock Byrds. Also, the jittery rhythms and deceptively simple guitar lines make the underappreciated "Harborcoat" and "7 Chinese Bros." worth revisiting. --Steve Knopper
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When R.E.M. released "Reckoning" in 1984, "Murmur", the Athens quartet's first album, was making a few waves on the college radio circuit, and garnering praise from a couple of rock critics. This was small comfort to the group, though, who were still roughing it in an endless round of gigs at dirty, spit 'n' sawdust dives.
"Reckoning" marks a distinct move away from the multilayered guitars of the band's first record, boasting a sound more reminiscent of the group's live sound of the time. Often, the tracks are recorded live in the studio, although this less cluttered approach to recording still left sufficient depth in which Michael Stipe's voice could be buried.
As would be expected on a more basic rock album, the real stars of the show here are bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry, whose elastic locomotion powers the majority of the pieces here. Furthermore, their backing vocals provide a warm foil for Stipe's difficult-to-decipher musings.
While there isn't a weak track upon this album, the high-watermarks include the harrowing "Southern Central Rain (I'm Sorry)", the wistful "Harborcoat", and Mike Mills' country-flavoured "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville".
Taken with the first R.E.M. record, this can be seen as completing the blueprint for the sound R.E.M. would pursue for the next couple of years, before they left I.R.S. Records for Warner Bros. and everything - sound, venues and bank balances - got so much bigger.
Format:Audio CD
After the release of their debut album Murmur in 1983 REM primarily, though there were others, changed the face of American rock music. And thank the lord for that . Though it would be years before the band were ushered into the mainstream their instinctive take on traditional rock refracted with gentler looser meaning .
Where a lot of the new US bands would empirically opt for the harder edged extremes of rock REM instinctively had a gentler , looser take on American rock that embraced the past while simultaneously taking it into a new direction. They eschewed rock clichés like extended solo,s or the integration of electronic instrumentation and the almost hesitant mumbling vocals of Michael Stipe while virtually incoherent, sometimes frustratingly so, were a refreshing change from the usual histrionic screeching associated with rock music.
Reckoning , The follow up to Murmur .again released on IRS and again produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon came out in April 1984 . Stylistically it,s a more consistent album with Peter Bucks chiming guitar dominating though Mike Mills melodic carousing bass and clever vocal harmonies , a pivotal aspect of the bands sound , again featuring heavily.
In terms of the song writing Reckoning is right up there in the REM canon. From the hypnotic harmony overload of opening track "Harbourcoat" Reckoning is a flawless album. The dense cascading chord arrangements of "Time After Time (Annelise)" and "7 Chinese Brothers" slot perfectly against the breathless rush of "Second Guessing " and the drawn out teasing drama of "Camera". Best of all is the triumvirate of "Pretty Persuasion " - a galloping blur of white hot Byrd,s like notes , "(Don,t Go Back To ) Rockville"- a truly nagging melodic overload driven by giddy piano , and the sensational "So. Central Rain" , still one of the greatest REM songs ever and an truly extraordinary melding of melancholy and the sort of tune that would make chocolate swoon.
Even the less than arresting songs like "Letter Never Sent" and "Little America " - a song that,s fascination with rural America was a signifier for the themes on their next album "Fables Of The Reconstruction"- slip satisfyingly into the album inexorable narrative. Sometimes this is my favourite REM album, usually when it,s playing ....other times it its,nt . For a sophomore effort it,s staggeringly consistent and though it does,nt take REM anywhere new it,s still an album to be reckoned with.
Where a lot of the new US bands would empirically opt for the harder edged extremes of rock REM instinctively had a gentler , looser take on American rock that embraced the past while simultaneously taking it into a new direction. They eschewed rock clichés like extended solo,s or the integration of electronic instrumentation and the almost hesitant mumbling vocals of Michael Stipe while virtually incoherent, sometimes frustratingly so, were a refreshing change from the usual histrionic screeching associated with rock music.
Reckoning , The follow up to Murmur .again released on IRS and again produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon came out in April 1984 . Stylistically it,s a more consistent album with Peter Bucks chiming guitar dominating though Mike Mills melodic carousing bass and clever vocal harmonies , a pivotal aspect of the bands sound , again featuring heavily.
In terms of the song writing Reckoning is right up there in the REM canon. From the hypnotic harmony overload of opening track "Harbourcoat" Reckoning is a flawless album. The dense cascading chord arrangements of "Time After Time (Annelise)" and "7 Chinese Brothers" slot perfectly against the breathless rush of "Second Guessing " and the drawn out teasing drama of "Camera". Best of all is the triumvirate of "Pretty Persuasion " - a galloping blur of white hot Byrd,s like notes , "(Don,t Go Back To ) Rockville"- a truly nagging melodic overload driven by giddy piano , and the sensational "So. Central Rain" , still one of the greatest REM songs ever and an truly extraordinary melding of melancholy and the sort of tune that would make chocolate swoon.
Even the less than arresting songs like "Letter Never Sent" and "Little America " - a song that,s fascination with rural America was a signifier for the themes on their next album "Fables Of The Reconstruction"- slip satisfyingly into the album inexorable narrative. Sometimes this is my favourite REM album, usually when it,s playing ....other times it its,nt . For a sophomore effort it,s staggeringly consistent and though it does,nt take REM anywhere new it,s still an album to be reckoned with.
Format:Audio CD
Reckoning has the unfortunate role of playing second fiddle, or even an epilogue to the seminal masterpiece that is Murmur. It is overlooked, yet in many ways is a classic, and a slightly poppier continuation of the Murmur sound. Reckoning displays similar sensibilities to murmur - Buck's Rickenbacker still jangles, Stipe still mumbles over oblique lyrics, the production is murky - yet nonetheless it is quite a different album. The first four songs from 'Harbourcoat' to 'Pretty Persuasion' serve up one of the best introductions to an album i have ever heard, the latter being incredibly infectious and catchy, yet still retaining the trademark murmur and jangle. 'Harbourcoat' bears a jaunty, danceable rhythm not a world away from Talking Heads, whilst Stipe keeps up his penchant for oblique story telling on '7 Chinese bros' and 'So. Central Rain'. The album is more catchy than Murmur, yet the mood is still melancholic and introspective, and showing little sign of the clean gloss of mainstream production that would blight later work.
I am one of those who think that murmur is REMs finest, but Reckoning comes agonisingly close in my opinion. The first four songs together make up the best opening section of any REM album in my opinion, but unfortunately Reckoning goes through a lull mid album. I concur with Stephen Malkmus that 'Time after time' is "my least favourite song on the album". No song is bad, but the three middle songs make Reckoning a slightly disjointed album, and sadly are not as consistently engaging as the album's opening. The album picks up again with the melancholic 'Camera', through the country-esque 'Don't go back to rockville' and the REM staple closer 'Little America'. Reckoning stands with Murmur as an early classic which draws influences from the Byrds, country, post punk and garage rock. The album is moody, melodic, and above all deep; their sound has never sounded so pure since.
I am one of those who think that murmur is REMs finest, but Reckoning comes agonisingly close in my opinion. The first four songs together make up the best opening section of any REM album in my opinion, but unfortunately Reckoning goes through a lull mid album. I concur with Stephen Malkmus that 'Time after time' is "my least favourite song on the album". No song is bad, but the three middle songs make Reckoning a slightly disjointed album, and sadly are not as consistently engaging as the album's opening. The album picks up again with the melancholic 'Camera', through the country-esque 'Don't go back to rockville' and the REM staple closer 'Little America'. Reckoning stands with Murmur as an early classic which draws influences from the Byrds, country, post punk and garage rock. The album is moody, melodic, and above all deep; their sound has never sounded so pure since.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
this groups going to big
This group is going to be big, thats what was being said when this album came out as this is their second proper album and their first piece of work Murmur was not a flash in the... Read more
Published on 17 April 2010 by Stephen
One of my fave REM's
Now, I'm a fan of a lot of their work but not all and they're certainly not infallible as they've released (in my opinion) some real tripe through their whole career. Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2007 by Mrs. S. J. Smith
Follow-up to 'Murmur'
'Reckoning' came quickly on the heels of celebrated-debut 'Murmur', R.E.M.-guitarist also finding time to guest on The Replacements' classic 'Let It Be' album. At this point R.E.M. Read more
Published on 23 May 2005 by Jason Parkes
THE BEST 60'S ART ALBUM OF THE 80'S
Like many REM fans I got into them with "Automatic for the People" way back in 93. I was not into music really at the time, but the singles "Man on the Moon", "Sidewinder" and... Read more
Published on 8 Mar 2005 by "mikebond1979"
Second album from Athens, Georgia's finest
Their early sound always provides a contrast when you're used to hearing their later works. It's a shame you don't get to hear any of these songs on the radio, like their big... Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2002 by Jay M
Incredible and under-rated..
This has to be one of the most under-rated albums, not just by REM, but all albums. The opening of "harbourcoat" is a classic on it's own, moving onto the brilliant... Read more
Published on 4 April 2001
This is where it all began for me.
I'm not sure quite what motivated me to buy this album back in 1987 - it was probably a fuzzy memory of Micheal Stipe signing South Central Rain in the BBC's now defunkt Old Grey... Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2000
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