Reckoning
by R.E.M.

As a traditionally structured guitar-pop album, this couldn't be much better. Because its melodies are so perfect and unsentimental, I haven't tired of it after more than 30 years. I think it helps that the songs are not explicit, because in that way they keep the listener's imagination active. It's not just that you can lay your own shifting meanings into the lyrics depending on your state of mind, but at many points the music is layered and opaque without being muddy, which must have been a very hard balance to achieve, and that keeps it interesting after many years. They also avoided some of the fashions of the day that might have dated their sound and came up with an original sound connected to uniquely American folk traditions. For a band that idolized New York punk, they surprisingly gravitated toward a folk sound that was probably very true to their personal experiences having grown up in the deep south. I think the band got weaker later when they tried to sound more like their New York and glam-rock idols. Early R.E.M. sometimes bring to mind the sensibility of Harry Smith, who was both a mysterious avant-garde bohemian artist, based in New York, and an archivist of American folk music. I think both R.E.M. and Harry Smith can be placed in a continuum of uniquely American creativity that combines the avant-garde with folk traditions. (Edited)

I'm surprised to see this record below Green and Out of Time. I find this album way better than those two (nothing wrong with them, this is much better). 9/10

Fav tracks:
- Harborcoat
- 7 Chinese Bros.
- So. Central Rain
- Pretty Persuasion
- (Don't Go Back To) Rockville [Probably my most favorite R.E.M. song]

From timtooky 04/09/2014 14:56 | #108864 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

it's like with all the other "early" r.e.m. records: the music is lively and carefree with a sprinkle of desperation in it. a nice mixture and everything is pleasant and pleasing. but somehow the great melodies are missing and therefore the songs are journeying along without remarkably moments. only exception is the "birds-like" guitar-part and the heartbreaking "sorry" in so.central rain.

This is my favorite R.E.M. album.
My 5 favorite tracks are:
- Harborcoat
- 7 Chinese Brothers
- Pretty Persuasion
- So. Central Rain
- Don't Go Back to Rockville

Really good album. I appreciate that REM couldn't just keep churning out albums with the same sound and approach forever but those IRS discs really are special. I don't agree that the band was lousy after going to the majors but they were definitely different. (Edited)