A Little Americana
R.E.M. - Reckoning [28AP 2847 JPN 1984 24-Bit FLAC]
Once upon a time, my first introduction to R.E.M. was in winter 1983 with their classic single Talk About The Passion (the second version on IRS UK) and it's follow-up, and my personal favourite, So. Central Rain. My appreciation of the band did not last long beyond these singles and their associated singles. Perhaps this young, at the time, indie-fan in Manchester found them to just be too American.
Having relied upon compact discs of Reckoning and Murmur since for my occasional doses of R.E.M., I snapped at the chance to pick up an original and near perfect Japanese pressing of Reckoning from one of my usual suppliers of Japanese pressings. I believe this version is highly revered among the RE.M. fan community for the quality of mastering - it certainly packs a bunch and if played at a decent volume, you could almost image the rhythm section were live in your living room.
A1 Harborcoat
A2 7 Chinese Bros.
A3 So. Central Rain
A4 Pretty Persuasion
A5 Time After Time (Annelise)
B1 Second Guessing
B2 Letter Never Sent
B3 Camera
B4 (Don't Go Back To) Rockville
B5 Little America
https://mega.nz/file/aV5zSaRS#kWXWXAqpqR5kD_gSl12kSjD1eJ5MI7YzjdD-jlyPJ48
ReplyDeleteYeah it's all about those first two albums for me as well. (with the inclusion of Chronic Town and Eponymous) ....though parts of Fables is fine as well. Thanks for the post. Will give me an excuse to listen again.
ReplyDeleteAthens GA has much to answer for...in a purely good way. Did somebody whisper "Rock Lobster"?
DeleteThank you. Thank you. Tic. Tic.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, never heard this jpn pressing, really appreciated
ReplyDeleteAs a Midwestern US kid, these guys weren't too American, they were too oddly Southern, if anything. They really seemed to come out of nowhere for a kid who was into New Order, the Cure, and Depeche Mode. But R.E.M. became a quick favorite of me and my crowd, particular around the "Life's RIch Pageant" era, as shortly after that, they blew up and became everyone's favorite, at which point it was, as it always must be, time to get off the bandwagon and dismiss R.E.M. for "selling out." But that's another conversation.
ReplyDelete"Reckoning" became, and still is, my favorite of their albums, after some strong competition from "Murmur". "So. Central Rain" is an absolutely perfect song, with a really nice, melancholic vibe. I love the drone of "7 Chinese Bros". I do think the album loses some quality on side 2, which is salvaged nicely by "Rockville".
But what an album. One of my faves. Thanks for the dose of Americana via Japan.
Thanks for another great album.. I totally agree with you and cosmas. Early R.E.M. is the band at it's very best..
ReplyDeletethis is a great, great album. and fantastic sounding (even my original IRS chrome cassette sounded stellar) so looking forward to hearing your rip. REM reached pinnacle for me with fables.
ReplyDeletesaw a preconstruction show open with a distorted peter buck guitar channeling tony iommi on gravitys and that was it. i loved the dark and murky vibe. from there the band became more and more accesible and for me had lost their mystique.
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Right Place Right Time - I went to Uni in Gainesville, Florida, the next college town south of Athens. We stocked the Hib-Tone 7" on consignment for the band - that's a lifetime ago. I remained a fan right through the end, and still pretty much worship Stipe. I've already got vinyl rips of the catalog, but will grab yours for comparison!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this!
Having met the Venus 3 can I add - great guys as well as fine musicians. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHamsh
any chance of a fresh link?
ReplyDelete