|
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE DEFINITIVE "NEW SOUTHERN ROCK", 27 Jun 2002
The Reconstruction was the name given to a (largely abortive) plan to rebuild the economy and society of the Southern States following the end of the American Civil War (1861-1865), the bitter brother-against-brother conflict in which nearly three quarters of a million died in battle and over three quarters of the nation was left in ruin. For all the initial good intentions, the so-called "reconstruction" quickly degenerated into a long period of intense exploitation in which millions of newly emancipated African American slaves found that little had really changed, the Indian Nations were decimated, and inaction by the Federal government laid the ground for many of modern America's most stubborn political and social problems. It is only really since World War II that a New South has been recreated, and old social and political divisions still run deep. (For further reading: "The Battle Cry of Freedom" by James M. McPherson or "The Penguin History of the USA" by Hugh Brogan)It is against this background that a "New Southern Rock" grew up, starting in the seventies with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the B-52s. R.E.M. were only the foremost of a whole generation of bands that blended exploration with traditionalism. They were college boys from the provincial university town of Athens, Georgia, itself a hybrid of industrialism and old world classicism. They were the product of a new industrial middle class that had the capital to educate its kids and the confidence to explore its own cultural identity. And they were obsessive rock fans who even in stardom never attempt to conceal the homage they still pay to their own heroes. Heated debate over the quality of R.E.M.'s last few albums has tended to eclipse what used to be one of the key disputes among the Athens band's hardcore fanbase: Was Fables a flop? Or was it a masterpiece? "Fables rocks" and "Fables s*cks" were two of the competing slogans around at the time. Stories began to circulate about civil war in the London studio where the album was cut, between the band and the established folk-rock producer overseeing the project. Comments in the media gave fans the impression (justified or not) that the band had virtually disowned "Fables", and this in turn put many of their most loyal fans off the album. In fact at least one member of the band has more recently admitted that it was a "great" album, and this later assessment is much fairer than any of the dismissive remarks made back in the eighties when tempers were still running high. This truly is a great album, the most perfect distillation of the lyrical, musical and sonic approach that first earned R.E.M. a global cult following. That's not to say it's easy. The sound is murky. The vocals are indistinct. There is a mixture of clashing compositional styles ranging from the sweetest pop to the most jarring angry garage rock. And yet there is so much magic, and there isn't a single song on here that doesn't worm its way into the affections (even the less than universally acclaimed 'Wendell Gee'). Such of the lyrics you can make out are among Stipe's most obliquely deep and meaningful. Many of them revolve round his long-term fascination with the myths, legends and stereotypes of the American South (that's were the above historical intro comes in). The fact that the album title is printed in such a way that it can alternatively be read as "Reconstruction of the Fables" speaks volumes about the spirit in which this has been undertaken. "Fables" may not grab you on first hearing, but it is the definitive early R.E.M. album. Like all truly classic releases it amply repays the commitment involved in getting to know it well. And I would say that of all R.E.M.'s dozen or so albums, it is the one I am least likely ever to get tired of.
|
