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The murmuring continued with this, R.E.M.'s second album, recorded in only two weeks, and yet critical acclaim and a growing fanbase had not made the music any less elusive. From the cover depiction of a winding river/snake, the jangly music within was similarly ambiguous, drenched in alternately murky, then dazzlingly clear, images. The water theme predominates throughout side one's five-song suite, with talk of harbours, oceans and water towers, crowned by the sublime lament of "So. Central Rain." Later, the melancholic eulogy of "Camera" sits comfortably beside the cod-country of "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" and the brisk but disillusioned tour around "Little America." An astonishingly assured and uncommercial half-sibling to MURMUR: file under water.
Recorded at Reflection Sound, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Personnel: Bill Berry (vocals, drums, percussion); Michael Stipe , Mike Mills (vocals); Peter Buck (guitar).
R.E.M.: Michael Stipe (vocals); Mike Mills (vocals, bass); Bill Berry (vocals, drums); Peter Buck (guitar).
Rolling Stone (p.77) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he powerful RECKONING established the band as bona fide leaders of the new American indie-rock underground." Spin (p.91) - "[T]he songs betrayed a folk-country influence -- the Byrds, in particular -- resulting in an album refreshingly out of fashion for 1984." Spin (12/03, p.122) - "...RECKONING gets over on straight-up songcraft..." CMJ (1/6/03, p.14) - Included in CMJ's list of "Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time" CMJ (1/5/04, p.14) - Ranked #1 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1984". Q (Magazine) (p.118) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he jangle and crunch of Buck's Rickenbacker brooked no confusion; here were the seeds of every baroque experiment with mandolins and balalaikas that lay ahead..." Blender (Magazine) (p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "RECKONING aims for the gut with roundhouse drumming, sunburst guitars, Podunk country ballads...and just enough poetic vagueness..." Pitchfork (Website) - "[I]t is host to a kind of determined minimalism, each song building via subtle variations in performance and instrumentation." Record Collector (magazine) (p.90) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "RECKONING remains a highpoint in REM's first chapter of existence. 'Central Rain' sounds like a lost soul classic..." Uncut (magazine) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "RECKONING, remarkably, deepened the band's mythology, projecting a kind of existential restlessness wrapped in webs of gorgeous guitar arpeggio and interweaving vocal textures."
Don't overlook this one If you are the least bit intrigued by this amazing band, don't ignore their early albums; they are the ones that established an incredible, tenacious loyalty among their serious fans. "Reckoning" is as good as anything they've done, and quite superior to most of their later works. Just like "Murmur," this one has nothing but excellent tracks - not one dud among the bunch. Take your time, let them sink in. If you can't make out all of Michael Stipe's lyrics, don't worry about it - his voice works as an instrument in itself. Submitted by a reviewer (Evansville, IN, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Plant it and let it grow After listened a few times to a tape of Reckoning that a friend made, I thought the record had some good songs but was not great. Then one morning while driving to work I found myself singing along to almost every song on the tape. Buy this one and let South Central Rain, Pretty Persuasion, Rockville, Harborcoat, Second Guessing, Letter Never Sent and all the rest just grow on you. Submitted by Riff (St. Louis, MO, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 2 found this helpful.
The alt rock classic that influenced so many R.E.M. influenced many bands to come with this one, long before their more commercial later albums. That's because the subtle, smart lyrics intertwined within bright and shiny guitar riffs that recall the Who and the Byrds altered the alt rock scene forever. This is the first REM tape I ever listened to, and it's the kind you get on the 3d or 4th listen and go, wow. Almost all the songs are really catchy, all of them are as pretty as can be, and the layers of guitar and vocals will dazzle your brain once you listen enough. Rockville, (Don't Go Back To) should've been a #1 hit song, and by the time you get into this classic CD you'll be asking yourself why the later stuff was so commercially successful and this awesome CD only had a cult following. Submitted by Andrew M. (Santa Rosa, CA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Second album from Athens' 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 hits, but then they weren't even on the radio when this album was made! (Apart form college radio, of course!)
The classic 'Harborcoat' is one of their best ever songs. But elsewhere on this album there lies an even bigger gem. 'Don't go back to Rockville' has the band in full country twang and shows the versatility of the group, which we are now really beginning to see with their new album 'Reveal'.
A great choice for any REM fan who thinks he or she needs a slight change from listening to 'Out of Time' or 'Automatic for the people' over and over again.
Submitted by a reviewer (Dublin, Ireland) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Nice remaster A favorite of mine since it came out, the original cd lacked punch. This one boosts it up a few notches. The bonus tracks are a nice collectors treat. Submitted by mako9437 (NJ , USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful. This review is for a different format.
Don't overlook this one
The alt rock classic that influenced so many
Second album from Athens' finest
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