Reckoning - R.E.M.

R.E.M.’s stunning 1983 debut effort Murmur was followed quickly in the next year with their second album Reckoning and it continues largely in the same vein; Peter Buck’s guitar still jangles and Michael Stipe’s voice is still barely coherent, however it is clear that the band have evolved.

Harborcoat, the album’s upbeat opener, shows the subtle changes that Reckoning contains; Bill Berry’s drums begin the album with a ferocity not seen in Murmur while Buck’s guitar jangles with a more pronounced clarity and sound also. Although the most noticeable change is with the combination of bassist Mike Mills’ and Stipe’s vocals, with Mills providing new sounds and harmonies in almost every song on the album. However Stipe is not outshone, and in (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville, (a song written by Mills) he strikes probably the most beautiful vocal melodies he has recording thus far. Stipe’s lyrical style has also undergone a subtle change. While the trademark mumble of Murmur is still present on tracks like Letter Never Sent, he also conjures up thought-provoking images on tracks like 7 Chinese Bros. with ‘Seven thousand years the Communi did reign/Will she return?’ hinting at political motives, as well as the water imagery present on So. Central Rain and Pretty Persuasion portraying the changing life of the band as they gain fame and begin to tour.

Much of Reckoning then, is expanding the methods they used so well on Murmur, which they do successfully on the first side of the album, however the band also begins to demonstrate their experimental side and willingness to change their style. Time After Time (Annelise) employs hand percussion instead of normal drums and sounds like nothing else the band has released thus far, while the slow-paced Camera is powered almost exclusively by Mills’ bass and Stipe’s vocals, while Buck’s melodic guitar lines lurk underneath.

Clearly R.E.M. are a band with a lot to give. They are not afraid to move away from the successful style that brought them fame, employing different techniques to show off the talents of their different members, in their characteristically democratic way. However as the first four songs show, an indeed the album closer Little America, the band are still mainly fuelled by Buck’s ceaselessly inventive jangly guitar, and Stipe’s continuously provocative lyrics.

R.E.M. are in the process of evolving; Murmur and Reckoning can be looked at as the first chapter in their book, and it is undoubtedly a classic. Here are 22 simple stories, beautifully written and endlessly rewarding. The future is bright, with the sum of these four men’s talents, this band can go anywhere.

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