Lifes Rich Pageant
is R.E.M.’s fourth album in four years, and with such a prolific output of work
it is no surprise that some songs begin to sound similar however this is no bad
thing, for three reasons. Firstly, because R.E.M.’s music is good, secondly because their lyrics are
always provocative in different ways, but lastly because it seems that what the
band are giving us on this album is a snippet of what their life is like now as
they gradually make the change from college rockers to a respected and
successful alternative rock band.
The song that is most important in continuing this
progression is the lead single ‘Fall On
Me’. With its intricate guitar opening it provides a pensive mood for a
song about oppression of ideas, but also a sing-a-long chorus which new
listeners could enjoy. The album also has a much more upbeat feel than previous
provided by the rowdy Just A Touch
and the chirpy, piano-led Hyena.
Despite this, references to previous albums remain; the riff to These Days is clearly in the jangle pop
style which dominated the first two albums, while the completely acoustic slow
ballad Swan Swan H would not be out
of place on the band’s previous album with its bucolic imagery of the American
South.
However this ‘day in the life’ of R.E.M. which the album
provides is not solely concerned with past experiences and feelings. With one
listen it is obvious Stipe’s mumbled delivery from previous albums has
completely disappeared, and for good reason as his lyrics have become more
poignant and focussed. Begin The Begin
is concerned with the revolutions undergone in America in recent history, but
could also be a reference to the band beginning again now they have made a name
for themselves, while songs like Cuyahoga
and Flowers of Guatemala clearly have
man’s attitude towards the environment at heart.
Lifes Rich Pageant
is a different album to place. While it contains classic R.E.M. traits like
Stipe and Mike Mills’ beautiful vocal harmonies found on Fall On Me, there is also the unfamiliar territory found in the
anthemic chorus of What If We Gave It
Away and the memorable album closer Superman,
which doesn’t seem to fit into the album, despite it being a catchy song.
However the album also houses the song which gives the best insight into the
methods of the band. Despite beginning in classic, jangly R.E.M. style, I Believe shows the band to be one which
never stops moving and always crave to do something different from what they
have already done as Stipe sings ‘and
change is what I believe in’ and ‘perfect
is a fault, and fault lines change’.
This song shows why it is ok for some R.E.M.’s work to sound
similar, as it is clear that the band are always trying to change and evolve
their style lyrically, instrumentally and thematically. This is part of their
“rich pageant” as a college band beginning to draw a larger crowd and more
attention, and confirms the quality of what has gone before and the promise of
what is to come next.
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