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Music : Life's Rich Pageant (Remastered)
1 2
Rating: 
- "Swallow the rapture"
When REM returned to the studio in April 1986 to record their fourth album - the follow up to the tepidly received "Fables Of The Reconstruction (The I.R.S. Years Vintage)" they were determined to put the rather gloomy experience of recording that particular album behind them .In other words they wanted to revel in the process and i would say that it is fair to surmise that judging by the results they succeeded.
History would come to judge Fables rather more favourably but Lifes Rich Pageant ( named after an Inspector Clouseau saying in the 1964 film "A Shot in the Dark [1964]" according to Peter Buck) was pretty rapturously received on it's arrival and listening to it again recently it's not hard to understand why. Released in July 1986 and clocking in at around a snappy 38 minutes it's arguably the most unashamedly enjoyable album in their entire canon.
The band brought in Don Gehan as producer and it's noticeable how cleaned up the sound is compared to the murky Fables. This album also heralds the first discernable steps towards the more mainstream ethos , something that would take on a hyper-leap with their next album "Document (Remastered)". Stipes vocals are also more distinct on two or three tracks marking another transition towards relative commerciality.
All of this is evident from the first emphatic chords of opening track "Begin The Begin " a thrusting heavy duty rock song more redolent of Led Zeppelin than any indie rock band. There is the amphetamine driven rush of "These Days" and then ,for me, the greatest song REM have put their name to. "Fall On Me" is an astounding multi harmonised wonder. It sounds like three pop songs simultaneously combusting in your ears and every one of those three songs is a Beach Boys riot of melody. It's one of those songs that can transport your mood into the stratosphere and as such should be cherished.
"Fall On Me " is an ecological song and is smartly followed by another- "Cuyahoga" which refers to the once heavily-polluted Cuyahoga River that flows into Lake Erie at Cleveland. "Hyena " is another giddy rush of blurring chords and after the throw away brief instrumental "Underneath The Bunker" "The Flowers Of Guatemala ",s dense chiming arrangement recalls their second album "Reckoning". As does the sprightly "I Believe" though Stipes vocals are far more upfront in the mix than anything on that album . "What If We Give Away" is an under-rated song -a great pop song what I refer to as REM,s XTC moment. "Just A Touch" is more akin to the angular strains of Wire played at 78rpm while "Swan Swan H" is a lovely filigree of acoustic and appealing delicate electric tones . Finally on the original album is a jaunty cover of The Cliques "Superman " with robust lead vocals by Mike Mills .
The extra tracks are culled from the recording sessions from this album (another version of "Just A Touch" is from the "Reckoning " sessions) or filched from soundtracks and in all honesty don't belong on the same disc as what's gone before though "Toys In the Attic" is grumpily thrilling.
Where REM ever this good again? ...Well yes , certainly on "Automatic for the People though I feel even that album lacks Lifes Rich Pageants' zesty consistency . "Document (Remastered)", the album following is pretty fine too but if I had to choose the one REM album for me this is it. It's got "Fall On Me " on it. What more could you want? As the cryptic inner sleeve notes say "Swallow the rapture".
Rating:
- Just a touch
Good album - but the reason i'm writing is to give the PROPER order of the tracks. As far as i'm aware, all formats have always infamously had the above listing which also omits a couple of tracks - this still confuses me. Below is the correct one (including bonus tracks on the IRS Years special edition)
1. Begin the begin
2. These Days
3. Fall on me
4. Cuyahoga
5. Hyena
6. Underneath the bunker
7. Flowers of Guatemala
8. I believe
9. What if we give it away
10.Just a touch
11.Swan swan H
12.Superman
13.Tired of singing trouble
14.Rotary ten
15.Toys in the attic
16.Just a touch (live)
17.Dream (all I have to do)
18.Swan swan H (acoustic)
Anal retentive? Me?
Rating: - The jewel in their early crown
Probably the best early REM album, this does feature a couple of turkeys in Superman and the awful Under neath the bunker. But then again, Fall on Me, Hyena and the absolutely sublime I believe more than make up for it. When i make my own best of REM compilations for the car etc, some LP's get left out completely but this always yields at least 3 tracks, comparable with Automatic for the People and Out of Time. If you want to hear what REM sounded lke in the 80's, your money is best shed on this delight.
Rating: - Essential REM
Although it's not their hardest rock album (see New Adventures In Hi-Fi) or their best album (see New Adventures In Hi-Fi), Lifes Rich Pageant is their most fun to listen to. It's full of brilliant songs most of which are upbeat rockers. Flowers Of Guatemala, Swan Swan H and What If We Give It Away are quieter, brooding songs that are equally excellant. The only exception to the high quality of this album are Hyena and Underneath The Bunker.
The extra tracks are brilliant, also.
Absolutley essential.
If you haven't heard any of their first five albums, start with their debut Murmur (but get all of them in due time). Also recommended is the Tourfilm DVD which shows them on top form during the Green tour.
Rating:
- REM move towards the mainstream....
1985's 'Fables of the Reconstruction' was viewed as a failure by REM at the time- this follow-up album notes a change in gear and the point where REM moved towards the mainstream. The production from someone associated with the then popular John Couger Mellencamp is more robust and noticeably more rock - while Stipe's vocals are clearer & there is less of that oblique-mumbling that appeals so much on those early records!
'Life's Rich Paegent' (title from a Peter Sellers work) is a mixed bag- offering up several classic-tracks, some so-so ones and a bit of filler. This version comes with several bonus-tracks, including the 'Fables'-era oddity 'Tired of Singing Trouble' - which reminds me that 'I Believe' was originally listed on 'Fables...' as 'When I Was Young'! ('Fall on Me' was a few years older too, while 'Just a Touch' stemmed back to the early days of 'Windout' & '1,000,000.'
'Begin the Begin' is the robust-opener here, making the political-content more apparent than on 'Fables...' - the following-year's 'Finest Worksong' would perfect this kind of protest-rock. 'These Days' is another anthemic-rocker, followed by the double-whammy of 'Fall on Me' and 'Cuyahoga' you'd think this was the best REM-album in the world! Sadly things go off the boil- 'Hyena' is an average-rocker, 'Underneath the Bunker' a blatant b-side - while the second-half of the album offers further underwhelming moments including 'Just a Touch', the non-eventful 'What If We Give It Away' & that shocking cover of 'Superman' sung by Mike Mills (again, a blatant b-side!).
'I Believe' is a sterling country-thrasher, 'Swan Swan H.' continues the acoustic-folk of 'Wendell Gee' & looks forward to 'The Wrong Child' & 'Out of Time.' The latter half's standout track, and probably the greatest song here, remains 'Flowers of Guatemala' - a divine ballad that nods to U.S. duplicity in Central America.
'Life's Rich Paegent' is a fine album, though far from a classic- the following year's 'Document' remains a sharper album...
- "Swallow the rapture"When REM returned to the studio in April 1986 to record their fourth album - the follow up to the tepidly received "Fables Of The Reconstruction (The I.R.S. Years Vintage)" they were determined to put the rather gloomy experience of recording that particular album behind them .In other words they wanted to revel in the process and i would say that it is fair to surmise that judging by the results they succeeded.
History would come to judge Fables rather more favourably but Lifes Rich Pageant ( named after an Inspector Clouseau saying in the 1964 film "A Shot in the Dark [1964]" according to Peter Buck) was pretty rapturously received on it's arrival and listening to it again recently it's not hard to understand why. Released in July 1986 and clocking in at around a snappy 38 minutes it's arguably the most unashamedly enjoyable album in their entire canon.
The band brought in Don Gehan as producer and it's noticeable how cleaned up the sound is compared to the murky Fables. This album also heralds the first discernable steps towards the more mainstream ethos , something that would take on a hyper-leap with their next album "Document (Remastered)". Stipes vocals are also more distinct on two or three tracks marking another transition towards relative commerciality.
All of this is evident from the first emphatic chords of opening track "Begin The Begin " a thrusting heavy duty rock song more redolent of Led Zeppelin than any indie rock band. There is the amphetamine driven rush of "These Days" and then ,for me, the greatest song REM have put their name to. "Fall On Me" is an astounding multi harmonised wonder. It sounds like three pop songs simultaneously combusting in your ears and every one of those three songs is a Beach Boys riot of melody. It's one of those songs that can transport your mood into the stratosphere and as such should be cherished.
"Fall On Me " is an ecological song and is smartly followed by another- "Cuyahoga" which refers to the once heavily-polluted Cuyahoga River that flows into Lake Erie at Cleveland. "Hyena " is another giddy rush of blurring chords and after the throw away brief instrumental "Underneath The Bunker" "The Flowers Of Guatemala ",s dense chiming arrangement recalls their second album "Reckoning". As does the sprightly "I Believe" though Stipes vocals are far more upfront in the mix than anything on that album . "What If We Give Away" is an under-rated song -a great pop song what I refer to as REM,s XTC moment. "Just A Touch" is more akin to the angular strains of Wire played at 78rpm while "Swan Swan H" is a lovely filigree of acoustic and appealing delicate electric tones . Finally on the original album is a jaunty cover of The Cliques "Superman " with robust lead vocals by Mike Mills .
The extra tracks are culled from the recording sessions from this album (another version of "Just A Touch" is from the "Reckoning " sessions) or filched from soundtracks and in all honesty don't belong on the same disc as what's gone before though "Toys In the Attic" is grumpily thrilling.
Where REM ever this good again? ...Well yes , certainly on "Automatic for the People though I feel even that album lacks Lifes Rich Pageants' zesty consistency . "Document (Remastered)", the album following is pretty fine too but if I had to choose the one REM album for me this is it. It's got "Fall On Me " on it. What more could you want? As the cryptic inner sleeve notes say "Swallow the rapture".
Rating:
- Just a touchGood album - but the reason i'm writing is to give the PROPER order of the tracks. As far as i'm aware, all formats have always infamously had the above listing which also omits a couple of tracks - this still confuses me. Below is the correct one (including bonus tracks on the IRS Years special edition)
1. Begin the begin
2. These Days
3. Fall on me
4. Cuyahoga
5. Hyena
6. Underneath the bunker
7. Flowers of Guatemala
8. I believe
9. What if we give it away
10.Just a touch
11.Swan swan H
12.Superman
13.Tired of singing trouble
14.Rotary ten
15.Toys in the attic
16.Just a touch (live)
17.Dream (all I have to do)
18.Swan swan H (acoustic)
Anal retentive? Me?
Rating:
- The jewel in their early crownProbably the best early REM album, this does feature a couple of turkeys in Superman and the awful Under neath the bunker. But then again, Fall on Me, Hyena and the absolutely sublime I believe more than make up for it. When i make my own best of REM compilations for the car etc, some LP's get left out completely but this always yields at least 3 tracks, comparable with Automatic for the People and Out of Time. If you want to hear what REM sounded lke in the 80's, your money is best shed on this delight.
Rating:
- Essential REMAlthough it's not their hardest rock album (see New Adventures In Hi-Fi) or their best album (see New Adventures In Hi-Fi), Lifes Rich Pageant is their most fun to listen to. It's full of brilliant songs most of which are upbeat rockers. Flowers Of Guatemala, Swan Swan H and What If We Give It Away are quieter, brooding songs that are equally excellant. The only exception to the high quality of this album are Hyena and Underneath The Bunker.
The extra tracks are brilliant, also.
Absolutley essential.
If you haven't heard any of their first five albums, start with their debut Murmur (but get all of them in due time). Also recommended is the Tourfilm DVD which shows them on top form during the Green tour.
Rating:
- REM move towards the mainstream....1985's 'Fables of the Reconstruction' was viewed as a failure by REM at the time- this follow-up album notes a change in gear and the point where REM moved towards the mainstream. The production from someone associated with the then popular John Couger Mellencamp is more robust and noticeably more rock - while Stipe's vocals are clearer & there is less of that oblique-mumbling that appeals so much on those early records!
'Life's Rich Paegent' (title from a Peter Sellers work) is a mixed bag- offering up several classic-tracks, some so-so ones and a bit of filler. This version comes with several bonus-tracks, including the 'Fables'-era oddity 'Tired of Singing Trouble' - which reminds me that 'I Believe' was originally listed on 'Fables...' as 'When I Was Young'! ('Fall on Me' was a few years older too, while 'Just a Touch' stemmed back to the early days of 'Windout' & '1,000,000.'
'Begin the Begin' is the robust-opener here, making the political-content more apparent than on 'Fables...' - the following-year's 'Finest Worksong' would perfect this kind of protest-rock. 'These Days' is another anthemic-rocker, followed by the double-whammy of 'Fall on Me' and 'Cuyahoga' you'd think this was the best REM-album in the world! Sadly things go off the boil- 'Hyena' is an average-rocker, 'Underneath the Bunker' a blatant b-side - while the second-half of the album offers further underwhelming moments including 'Just a Touch', the non-eventful 'What If We Give It Away' & that shocking cover of 'Superman' sung by Mike Mills (again, a blatant b-side!).
'I Believe' is a sterling country-thrasher, 'Swan Swan H.' continues the acoustic-folk of 'Wendell Gee' & looks forward to 'The Wrong Child' & 'Out of Time.' The latter half's standout track, and probably the greatest song here, remains 'Flowers of Guatemala' - a divine ballad that nods to U.S. duplicity in Central America.
'Life's Rich Paegent' is a fine album, though far from a classic- the following year's 'Document' remains a sharper album...