Well, I'm a student and I'm a big fan of music...Not necessarily popular music, but I like it :-)
Well, I'm a student and I'm a big fan of music...Not necessarily popular music, but I like it :-)
Member since:02.08.2001
Reviews:47
Members who trust:4
Lifes Rich Pageant emerged back in 1985 after the rather disappointing Fables of the Reconstruction, which REM drummer Bill Berry has often been quoted as hating. However, as often happens, after fallow periods come great discoveries, and Lifes Rich Pageant falls in here.
REM are a band of many directions, and often fall somewhere within rock, pop, indie and alternative. This album lies mostly in the rock category partly due to the Don Gehman production, with a definitive "live" feel to it with great guitar lines and strong vocals throughout (this album was the beginning of bringing Stipe's voice to the fore in the REM song).
The album begins with the fantastic Begin The Begin, which Stipe refers to on the Tourfilm live video as a song of "personal and political activism". The song has great guitar lines and a clear chorus, fooling some listeners into thinking it is a straightforward song. However, being REM lines such as "A birdy in the hand for lifes rich demand, the insurgency began and we missed it" remind the listener that this isn't a simple guitar-rock song. The album then goes into the wonderful These Days, another fast rocking number which emphasises their great youthful energy with "We are young despite the years, we are concern, we are hope despite the times".
Two of the albums singles follow, Fall On Me and Cuyahoga. The former is a wonderful desperate tune which was one of REM's first hit singles, and the latter is a song about the mistreatment of American Indians, speaking of their blood running through the rivers. Both are fantastic songs and deserve place on the album. Hyena follows, which is a good song but doesn't live up to the previous 4 tunes. Underneath The Bunker is a near instrumental which works well to run into The Flowers Of Guatemala, a slow acoustic ballad-like song, with layered backing vocals seen later in REM songs like Belong (from Out Of Time). I Believe is a wonderful tongue-in-cheek song, with Michael Stipe honestly admitting "I believe in Coyotes and time as an abstract", to the bemusement and enjoyment of the listener.
What If We Give It Away and Just A Touch appear towards the end of the album. What If We Give It Away is a fairly light number, though Just A Touch is a good fast song left over from an early album, which fits well on this collection. The masterpiece of this album is arguably the penultimate song, Swan Swan H, an acoustic song perhaps similar to the Fables song Maps And Legends, but with strange lyrics (eg "Hurrah we are all free now, what noisy cats are we") which intrigue. The albums final track in its initial state is Superman, sung mainly by bassist Mike Mills and is good pop entertainment.
On the enhanced CD 6 extra tracks are included: Tired Of Singing Trouble, Rotary Ten, Toys In The Attic, Just A Touch (live in studio), Dream (All I have to do), Swan Swan H (acoustic). Of these, the acoustic Swan Swan H is lovely, and the Aerosmith cover Toys in the Attic is enjoyable, though the rest are more fillers rather than great additions to the album.
Overall the album itself is fantastic and I believe possibly the best REM album to date. The extra tracks do let down the album a little, but if viewed as simple extras you can't really complain. My only other gripe with the album is the track listing on the CD is wrong!
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After a harrowing experience recording their previous album (1985's magnificentFables Of ... more
The Reconstruction), R.E.M. reconvened the following year muttering something about a "poppier" sound. However, old fans were given little to complain about whenLi...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
After a harrowing experience recording their previous album (1985's magnificent Fables Of ... more
The Reconstruction), R.E.M. reconvened the following year muttering something about a "poppier" sound. However, old fans were given little to complain about when ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Begin The Begin These Days Fall On Me Cuyahoga Hyena Underneath The Bunker Flowers Of ... more
Guatemala The I Believe What If We Give It Away? Just A Touch Swan Swan H Superman Tired Of Singing Trouble Rotary Ten Toys In The Attic Just A Touch (Live In The S...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
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