Rickenbacker

When I was young, I listened to Reckoning. If someone were to ask me what music I liked, I wouldn't reply with the latest radio hit, or even that I listened to R.E.M. We all have those albums that we know so well; that we have listened to so many times that we can recite them in their entirety, note for note in our heads. For me, this was, and still is, this album.

I listened to Reckoning, and that was it. Pop songs would come and go, musical trends would rise and fall before my eyes, but Reckoning remained my musical rock for years through its sheer power to never age. Somewhat ironically however, Reckoning was not my gateway into good music, simply because I didn't see that there could be anything out there as good as it was (it would take a few years and one play through Automatic for the People before I realized that). Rather, Reckoning served as the album that I could fall back on whenever my musical faith was shaken. This was possible only because Reckoning is universal. Perhaps the most universal album ever. Now of course this doesn't mean that it appeals to everybody. However, I honestly believe that this album has something that, given enough time to reveal itself, everybody who listens to it will appreciate if not love. Now I understand how pretentious this may sound, but believe me I would never say this about any other album. To put it simply, if somebody asked me what music was, I would play them Reckoning.

So how did R.E.M. accomplish this? Conceptually, it is quite simple: Blend the experimental sound and thought provoking songwriting of Murmur with the pop sensibility of Chronic Town, Crazy Rhythms, and Loaded. Executing this would prove to be very risky however, considering how badly the idea could have gone. If the record leaned to much to either side it could have been a disaster. The solution, R.E.M. saw, was not to make a record full of "Talk About the Passion" rip-offs or to change their sound entirely, but rather to find balance and harmony between pop perfection and wild experimentalism. This is why Reckoning succeeds so much. If Chronic Town was a collection of five near perfect pop songs, then Reckoning is a collection of ten. But if Chronic Town ever suffered, it was because of the similarity in the sound of its songs. Reckoning's diversity gives it the edge, and saves it from ever aging or sounding dated.

The secret to Reckoning's sound is Peter Buck's guitar, which effortlessly offers trademark R.E.M. riffs song after song. Nearly every song on the record is built around killer Rickenbacker riff, which is aided by Berry's restrained yet powerful drumming. Mike Mills reveals himself for the first time to be not only a solid bassist, but an incredible backing vocalist and songwriter. Mills' harmonies on "Harborcoat", "Pretty Persuasion" and "Letter Never Sent" totally make the songs, and his contributions to the record as a songwriter are some of the best songs, most notably the countrified single "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville", written about the town of Rockville, Maryland. Of course Michael Stipe has a lot to contribute as well, delivering stunning vocals throughout and writing songs the quality of which he has only rarely met such as the gorgeous "Camera" and his self proclaimed favorite song of the I.R.S. years "Time After Time (AnnElise), a song which Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus would jokingly call his "least favorite song" on Reckoning.

When most bands who release a debut album as incredible as Murmur do so, following it can be critical suicide. R.E.M.'s underrated follow up is even better, and from a songwriting standpoint, may be their best record ever. While not my favorite of theirs, if there is one R.E.M. album to get it would be Reckoning.

Key Tracks (Click to Download): "Harborcoat", "So. Central Rain", "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville"

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rym
Talk About the Passion - R.E.M.'s Discography Reviewed