Fables Of The Reconstruction
by R.E.M.

Great album! But I want to spend this comment raving on Bill Berry; who just might be my favorite drummer of all time. His feel for the pocket is phenomenal with complex hi-hat patterns complimenting his simple but tasteful fills. Could keep incoherently rambling about him but I'll save you guys from that.
Favorite Songs: Feeling Gravitys Pull, Life And How To Live It, Auctioneer (Another Engine)

From HoldenM 03/23/2025 23:15 | #308166

So close to being perfect. Can't quite stick the landing. But damn, I love how moody this is. R.E.M. does post punk and it rocks!

The album didn’t get a lot of love from the band themselves so can easily be overlooked.

Don’t be fooled by this. It is a masterpiece.

The idea that this isn't rated as one of their top 3 best is ridiculous. Perfect representation of REM just perfectly in between Indy and sold-out genres.

From Fischman 01/03/2019 20:43 | #228773

IMO, REM's best. The most great songs and the most consistent among the deep cuts as well. The only REM album still in regular rotation with me.

From Brad1770 08/31/2017 09:38 | #196998

Brilliant, the album that made me fall in love with REM & follow their entire career as my all time favourite band . What a trilogy REM produced beginning with Fables , into Lifes Rich Pageant and closing with Document a 3 album masterpiece only bettered by The Fab Four . The tension between band members is palpable on this album best demonstrated by the off key guitar separation which brings Feeling Gravitys Pull to a close . Breath taking album

Outstanding throughout ....... Right behind murmur in their catalog imo.

REM's third album is actually my favourite of their early records, it has a very rustic feel, their first genuine Americana moment, featuring tales of the great outdoors, of railroads, and, old men with stories to tell. It's REM as The Band. It's got some of their best early songs, feeling gravitas pull, driver 8, and, old man Kensey, are all great, as are, green grow the rushes, and, maps and legends. In fact It's all great, the most atmospheric of the band's early records. It ends nicely with the beautiful, Wendell Gee. It all sounds like it was recorded in a barn, or around a campfire. This is REM in the great wide open. Brilliant.

I think the most underated of R.E Ms 80's albums, only tapers off a bit towards the end but as good as any other than the big 3 (AFTP, Murmur and LRP) im my mind.

I just signed up so that I can set the record straight about Fables...This is a beautiful album! It has several outstanding tracks, the best of which is "Life and How to Live It". "Maps and Legends", "Driver 8", "Can't Get There From Here", "Green Grow the Rushes", "Wendell Gee", hell the whole album is fantastic. This is where in my opinion the band really found their sound that would catapult them into the one of the best artists on the planet for the next decade or so. I feel FOTR is highly undrrated by both this site and other members.