R.E.M. Album Deep Dives #2: Reckoning

[@kevtruth]

I adore REM's early catalog.

[@theflipside-vinylcommunity]

So many great songs

[@ChrisPropfeMusicallyObsessed]

This was such an exciting time for music. There was an “underground” live circuit around this time that I know REM and bands like Indigo Girls and Black Flag traveled along. They might have even crossed paths along the way. I’d like to think so! Great record and video!

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thanks brother! That had to have been one of the coolest times to be a part of the underground rubbing shoulders with such genius.

[@vikingbrace]

Holy cow this is put together so well. REM is awesome. These songs sound great. I will say Stipe gets on my nerves sometimes when he talks but I like his singing voice. Also Bill Berry’s eyebrows scare me. Great video again!

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thank you brother! Are Bill’s eyebrows scarier than mine? 😂

[@vikingbrace]

@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 way scarier! 😂

[@georgezajkowski2723]

In a way I consider Chronic Town to be their first album. So RECKONING to me is their third. And it's a doozy! It does have a black cloud over some tracks because of Stipe's friend's death but I don't mind. REM could easily do Country Music as well. Well done Jeff! You must have a secret vault with all those rare interviews in it.

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thanks George! There is definitely a sad mood to some of these tracks (or reflective) but one of their best!

[@theflipside-vinylcommunity]

So excited to watch the 2 new episodes

[@aaronmuthaalamare4165]

Awesome deep dive brother! I actually like this album quite a bit! Thanks again for sending it my way! 👍🤘🤘

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thank you brother!

[@ThePhantomBeatlemaniac-t2r]

I knew this girl named Renee. It was 1984 or 1985. I was trying in the worst way to get Renee to go out with me. In desperation, to keep the conversation going, I asked her which bands were her favorites. She rattled off a couple of strange names to me, R.E.M. and The Smiths. To have more to talk with Renee about - in the future, I hoped - I checked these out. It was an immediate knock on the head and a wake-up call, in both cases. "Reckoning" was the first R.E.M. album I bought, and it hooked me straightaway. This has always been a personal album for me. I waited for Renee to call, and "So. Central Rain" was the soundtrack, a track on repeat. "Seven Chinese Brothers" struck me then as it strikes me now as an inspired song title, and a great song too. (I know it didn't exactly spring full blown from Michael Stipe, but regardless.) "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" had such a swingin' country vibe. And I liked nearly every track immediately, and the ones that I didn't grew quickly on me. This band had a great sound, part of it rooted in acoustic and electric music of the '60s, part its own unique thing. I could see why Renee liked them so much. Over the years, I've often thought I've owed a huge debt to Renee for turning me on to this band that's brought so much musical pleasure into my life. I've often wished I could tell her "thank you" for this, in a big way. But that was decades ago, memories still fresh, but gone. (PS: Renee did go out with me finally. But only once.) 😀

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

What a great story, even if Renee didn’t work out. At least you have the incredible music as a consolation. I didn’t discover either the Smiths or R.E.M. on my own but am so glad I was turned on to them at the impressionable age I was back then. Their music still affects me to this day.

[@curly_wyn]

This album is ranked #5 for me of their discography, and it’s just amazing! My favorite song on it is the opener, Harborcoat!

[@johnmiller3689]

Great episode! Reckoning def a top 3 R.E.M. album for me. Great year for jangle pop, Mitch Easter's Let's Active great debut album also that year

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thanks John!

[@theflipside-vinylcommunity]

Incredible video bro

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thank you Josh!

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thank you Josh!

[@theflipside-vinylcommunity]

Hell yeah

[@thomaswery3087]

great album nice review Jeff

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thank you Thomas!

[@mistery-ed7900]

Definitely no sophomore slump! As much as I like Murmur I might like this one a bit more. For some reason I sold my OG album of Murmur and have it on CD but I still have the original vinyl of Reckoning. Why? I don't remember. Anyways I will be playing this one today and hope my wife doesn't tire of R.E.M. too quickly.

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Maybe you have the vinyl because it was the better album? Hard to pick between the two for me but I am leaning towards Reckoning. Happy spinning

[@1REMfan]

I love this album, much more than Murmur. This feels like a punk rock album, with southern flavor.

[@MP-TheNewGuy]

Love Reckoning. As I commented on the Murmur dive, this may be my favorite all depends on the mood for the day. After listening to these clips, I'm reminded how good Mike Mills is. He is know as the secret weapon to R.E.M. for his background vocals, but his bass playing is amazing. Very melodic bass playing. I saw an interview with him saying he was influenced by Chris Squire but he didn't like Yes. That always annoyed me as he came across as too pretentious to say he liked Yes. I forgave him for the most part as R.E.M. is one of my top 5 bands along with Yes.

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

How can any musician not like Yes? Mike Mills was definitely an underrated bass player and his harmonies were as important to R.E.M as Michael Anthony’s were to Van Halen.

[@MP-TheNewGuy]

@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 I suspect Mills actually likes Yes, but he says he doesn't because it is uncool to like prog rock in the group of muscians and counter-culture society he hung with. So I'm speculating that he said he doesn't like Yes to protect his image.

[@theflipside-vinylcommunity]

So central rain is a masterpiece

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

One of their best

[@CBCDs]

Camera was always my least favorite from their Mitch Easter years - really the only one on the first two I don’t like, but knowing the backstory is cool. I actually probably prefer this to Murmur too - at least I listen to it more often

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

The first two records are my favorites and Reckoning probably my number one overall.

[@jamesholland8057]

Pearl Jam & Nirvana totally influenced by these guys.

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Absolutely!