Customer Reviews

Reckoning

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4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
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"Reckoning" is one of the top five R.E.M. albums in my opinion and probably my second favorite of the IRS years (behind "Document", and slightly edging out "Life's Rich Pageant").

Songs like "So. Central Rain", "Pretty Persuasion", and "(Don't Go Back) Rockville" are classics that you can listen to over and over.

While I am not one of those R.E.M. fans that only likes their early work, I do appreciate listening to the band play at a time when it was far less encumbered by the introspection and seriousness that have come with age. This album is a great one for getting a glimpse at that free-spirited, youthful time during the band's evolution to what it is today.

"Reckoning" is R.E.M's umpteenth great album but to those not familiar with R.E.M.'s early work, it may sound perhaps a bit unpolished and raw compared to the later albums released under the Warner Bros. label. Much like nascent cartoons or comics that look a bit different than they do in their later years, R.E.M.'s sound, though definitely still taking shape, is unmistakable.

if u like and or looking for great rock music look no further this CD is a great rock album

This CD ranks up there with some of REM's best. Instead of rehashing the avant-garde sound of "Murmur," REM instead chose to give their songs an earthier, more personal mood. Some of REM's best "relationship songs" are on this CD, such as "So. Central Rain," "Don't Go Back to Rockville," and "Pretty Persuation." While their later 80s work was mostly stadium fare, these songs feel like they'd be more at home in a smoky dive bar on the edge of town. Great music to listen to on your front porch with a nice bottle of Rolling Rock.

REM doesn't disappoint in this 1984 album. Stipe's mysterious vocals accompanied by their signature jangly sound (comparible to the byrds) makes for a great record. The definite highlight being So. Central Rain. no rock collection is complete without this album. 5 stars and then some.

R.E.M. broke onto the scene with "Chronic Town" when I was a sophomore in high school in 1982. Prior to this time, I was "into" the mainstream hard rock of the day (Van Halen, Aldo Nova, Huey Lewis, Rush, Men at Work, etc.). R.E.M gave me an individualistic retreat amidst the pressure of adolescent conformity. In this period prior to adulthood, I was able to invest R.E.M.'s music with my own innocence, naivete, and sense of mystery. The band's initial EP ("Chronic Town") and first two LPs ("Murmur" & "Reckoning") seemed to beg the listener down this path. The music suggested a growing youth movement that embraced kindness, creativity, and commeraderie.

Side One (pardon this out-moded expression) was one of the best LP sides ever. The sound of "Reckoning" was more driving and slightly more electric than it's folk-tinged predecessor, "Murmur". The vocals were rarely decipherable, but one could extract occassional nuggets ("Your handshake is worthy, it's all that you've got"..."The wiseman builds his house upon the rock, but I'm not bound to follow suit"..."Goddamn your confusion"..."pull your dress on, and stay real close"). These little chestnuts somehow seemed and felt important at the time. Never enough to hang one's hat on, but enough to conjure intrigue.

Side Two yielded "Letter Never Sent", which is still at the top of my favorite R.E.M. songlist. Other highlights included "Second Guessing" and "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville".

While R.E.M. continued to create occassional moments of brilliance ("Maps & Legends", "Flowers of Guatemala", "Me in Honey", and "Man on the Moon"), their music yielded diminishing returns from this point forward. Peter Buck abandoned the gorgeous sweep of the clean arpeggio jangle of his Rickenbacker for power chords and distortion. At the time I grieved and lamented this loss, but after 20 years I realize that the sound I loved HAD to change. It was the product of its time and the age of its creators. And somehow the fact that R.E.M. and I went down different paths after 1984 lends a bittersweet pathos to "Reckoning".

"Reckoning" is one for the ages. And the embarrassment of Michael Stipe circa 2003 does not diminish its beauty. Highly recommended.

It was junior year of high school and Chris and I were among the invitees to a soiree at our friend Cynthia's house. Ever the thoughtful guests, we swung by Farm Fresh to pick up a boss of Hires root beer on our way. R.E.M.'s Reckoning album blared from the speakers of Chris' beige Ford Escort. "Seven Chinese Brothers swallowing the ocean (or something to that effect)", Michael Stipe sang as Chris and I shouted at each other over top of the music.

By the time we arrived at Cynthia's house we were only up to "Pretty Persuasion", about 1/3 of the way through the tape, and were already pretty hoarse. I don't know why we always played the music so loud, yet still valiantly tried to carry on conversations over top of it. We parked next to the mailbox by Cynthia's driveway but there was no way either of us were leaving that car until Reckoning was over. During the lull that is "Time After Time (Annelise)", we could no longer resist opening the root beer. We were going to need to fortify ourselves for side 2 of the tape. Without an alternative drinking apparatus, we took turns imbibing root beer straight from the boss.

"Why you trying to second guess me?" Yeah, things were starting to pick up again when suddenly I was startled by a knock on the passenger's side window. I turned to face the source of the noise and saw none other than Alan, Cynthia's older brother, standing impatiently next to the car. I rolled down the window to let him air whatever grievance he might have against us.

"What are you guys doing out here? Everyone is already inside getting ready to eat." Hair moussed and gelled to perfection and decked out in his finest 80s skinny tie regalia, Alan wasn't exactly a frightening authority figure even if he was a year older than us.

"Alan, do you realize what we are listening to?" I asked as nicely as possible, "Do you really want us to interrupt this?" I increased the volume a bit more for his sake.

"Care for some root beer?", Chris queried, politely extending the already half-empty boss towards Alan.

"No thank you" declined Alan as a look of understanding came over his face, "Hey, that's Reckoning. Excellent choice."

At least there was something the three of us could agree on. "When should I tell Cynthia to expect you?" Alan asked.

"When the album's over."

"Naturally. Very well then. Sorry to have troubled you."

Alan was all right. Once in the halls of our high school, David Jones accused Alan of hauling around a 5-pound bag of sugar in his back pocket, but even if Alan was transporting that much sugar to school with him each day, was it really anyone's business but his own? Maybe the guy had a sweet tooth, maybe he didn't. Big deal. It's really none of our concern. But just in case you can't stop thinking about it, here's a little clue for you - Alan ended up marrying his female English professor at Virginia Tech just a few years later. Even David Jones would have to admit it takes some pretty staunch heterosexuality to pull off something like that.

The boss was about empty by the time we got to "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville", a song so catchy even our friend, Kristen, who hated R.E.M. once admitted she couldn't resist it. With both the boss and Reckoning approaching their ends, Chris and I realized we'd have to venture inside for dinner soon.

Sadly, I can't recall what Cynthia served us that night or even whether it was any good. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been as good as Reckoning or that boss of Hires - I remember those beauties only too well.

Recorded in 2 weeks, this quick, rollicking followup to Murmur continued the jangly folk of that masterpiece, if not the otherworldy feel. Still a terrific album by any means, with Stipe's mubles as effective and evocative as ever. "Harborcoat" is a great kick-off to this record, with a terrific driving beat from Bill Berry, chiming guitars from Peter Buck, and beautiful harmonies from Mike Mills to complement Michael Stipe's warm, gorgeous lyrics. "7 Chinese Brothers" continues this mood, a slower, more meditative piece that includes beguiling lyrics and wonderful seasonal and water imagery. "So. Central Rain" is the timeless classic of this album, a sorrowful but intense tune on loss and forgiveness. "Pretty Persuasion" shows the band rocking harder than they have before, proving they know how to torture they instruments for the right sound when needed :) "Time after Time" is a nice longing tune, inviting and sad at once. Two somewhat lighthearted, quick rockers, "Second Guessing" and "Letter Never Sent" bridge the gap to "Camera," definitely one of their best. Stipe's lyrics about a lost friend are truly heart-wrenching and a glowing tribute. The atmospherics to the song are surprisingly intricate too, considering the budgets they were working on back then. "Don't Go Back to Rockville," is another solid masterpiece, a Mill's-penned tune with a great country feel and wistful lyrics. Rounding out the album and lending to its Old-West feel wonderfully is the tight scrappy rocker "Little America," with a very catchy breakdown by Stipe in the chorus. It's a very quick listen, but that's another benefit: You won't have to wait long to rip through it again. Stands wonderfully with Murmurs and their older classics Automatic for the People and New Adventures in Hi-Fi.

There is so much beautiful emotion of yearning and longing, so much evocative imagery, and so many wonderous innovative ideas conjured throughout this album, that one can almost forget that the band even sound like they're having FUN (credit to the soulful production for that, maybe). It's amazing that I can still listen to it regularly (first purchased on cassette way back in '84 alongside Elvis Costello's Armed Forces and - yeesh! - Van Halen's 1984, both long forgotten) and still find new things in it. I will forever be baffled by Peter Buck's assertions that Murmur or Automatic For the People are conceptually unified pieces and this is just a collection of songs. Just goes to show artists are frequently too close to their creation and sometimes don't have the perspective to really see what they've got. Get it on the Mobile Fidelity version, not just for the superior sound quality, but also the bizarre jam that existed on the LP and somehow was unforgiveably forgotten when transferred to CD. It may only last about 10 seconds, but - and I know this sounds weird - the album just ain't complete without it.

"Reckoning" is a continuation of the first album. Same janglily, hooky songs with the vocals very low in the mix although much brighter and more beautiful than "Murmur". Many of these songs are just goregous, beautiful in the extreme with many breathtaking moments and very solid material from beginning to end.
If you are to have only one R.E.M. album, I'd say get this. "Murmur" may be one of the all time greatest debuts in rock history, but this actually improves upon it and demonstrates why R.E.M. was one of the greatest underground acts of the early to mid 80's.
I don't give out 5 star ratings to just anything, this more than deserves it..I'd give it a 6 if I could..it's just that beautiful of a rock record.

After just getting REM's latest, Reveal, I found myself pulling out what I believe to be, along with Automatic for the People, one of their best.

Reckoning is the full realization for REM's original sound, it literally clarifies the work done on their debut, but is not overproduced to lose the energy and creativity of this now legendary band.

Michael's voice in these early recordings was unbridled and passionate, compared to his more professional and artistic efforts in recent years. Peter's guitar work is infectious and Mike Mills' harmonies are joyful.

Every time I listen to this CD, whether as a hormone pumping, emotional 18 year old in 1984 or as a mature and more refined music lover today, I find myself singing passionately along with Michael as he pleads for forgiveness in So. Central Rain or describes that special something in a girl in Pretty Persuasion.

I long for a new REM CD that once again focuses on sheer power pop and less on high production value.