Life's Rich Pageant (Remastered) - R.E.M.

REM tried something a little different for their 4th album, getting in Don Gehman to produce. He was mainly famous for his work with John Cougar Mellancamp. Maybe the band wanted to create a more traditional kind of rock album, rather than the distinctly indie / college radio sound of their previous work. Whatever their reasons, I think “Life’s rich pageant” does mark a tendency towards a more mainstream sound, in many respects. ...
...shot in the dark”), but why REM chose it as the title to their fourth album is, like Michael Stipe’s vocals at the time, about as clear as mud. It’s not, for one thing, a mumbling Clouseau-like collection – it is a rich mix of tracks, though, and contains some of my favourite REM songs. At the time of its release, REM were still a cult band, in the UK at any rate, they were yet to have a chart hit here (that would come with ...

rsmith 11.05.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Life's Rich Pageant (Remastered) - R.E.M.

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, ...
...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 ...

Pleb 03.08.2001 (12.09.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Life's Rich Pageant (Remastered) - R.E.M.

Life's Rich Pageant could have been an absolute classic. Unfortunately, it didn't have enough classic REM tracks on it for that to be possible. Don't get me wrong, there are still some fine songs. More powerful than the previous 3 albums, it opens with Begin the Begin, a rocker which is sure to make you tap your feet. Then we have These Days, which is more reminiscent of their earlier stuff from Murmur and Reckoning ie. fast and melodic with a killer ...
...songs ever, Fall on Me. It is a slower, more placid song which bursts into a beautiful chorus unlike any they did prior to that album. 2 other masterpieces are the catchy I Believe which opens with a fun banjo. My favourite song on the album is probably the next masterpieve, What If We Give it Away? It is a beautiful quiet song with lovely vocals that break into a mournful cry on its sad, loud chorus. Unfortunately, one tends to think they didn't ...

merryl 21.07.2000 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Life's Rich Pageant (Remastered) - R.E.M.