Vinyl Roulette #61 - R.E.M. - Reckoning (1984)

Cesar discusses the sophomore album by R.E.M.
R.E.M. - Reckoning (1984)
• R.E.M - Reckoning
Intro and Outro music by Prison for Kids

[@jasonrice237]

Not sure of your sources re: Bill Berry's reasons for leaving the band. The guy had a massive brain hemorrhage and his perception of what was important after this changed. He was fed up with being in a band and on the road. I really dont think he saw the writing on the wall as to his usefullness in the group. I dont know where you get that from. As for Mike Mills, he was the beating heart of the band. A multi talented musician, vocalist and song writer. All those incredible melodies, vocal harmonies....Mike Mills

[@matthewhoult7641]

Great review, I love this album👍

[@alexanderjohnson4965]

no love for Harborcoat?

[@charlesbogle6544]

Interestingly this Harborcoat song is the one that caught my attention last night! It was such a naturally SoulRawkin' song even though I couldn't tell what the lyrics were or what it was about at all... Then I came home to a message from my sweetheart (REM is her favorite band!) in Norway telling me about the new nordstream pipeline story of how some Pro ukrainian, possibly Russian also, people were involved in the sabotage. And I had just looked up the crypticreative lyrics that discuss Lenin and harbor coats🤔🌊 Funny somewhat possible synchronicity... And I had also totally randomly chosen a funny Russian rap CD by a jokester called ILL MITCH "Punch While Rap!" So that light hearted mix was making my night at work interesting... I love to choose CDs without looking at the label side, just blindly choosing some CDs to play on random for some Interesting mysteriouSoulFlyin' segues... The intuition and subconscious mind synchronicity always seems to be fascinating...🎶🌌🤔🌍🌊✨

[@Bends95]

They’re one of my top favourite bands and it’s tough to decide which is my favourite R.E.M. album..so many great songs

[@MeTheDroidor]

I disagree. The greatest commercial success of R.E.M. was "Losing my Religion" and this song is on the "Out of Time" album, which was a risky artistic change. After this success, they released "Automatic for the People", a dark and melancholic album, not what one expects after "Losing my Religion". Then an album like "Monster" that has nothing to do with the two previous albums that gave him world fame. Then one almost live like "New Adventures in Hi Fi" and finally, without Bill Berry, they release "UP", another leap into the void with analog percussions. R.E.M. up to this point it is artistically flawless. That's when they start to fall: "Reveal" is overproduced and full of loops, "Around the Sun" is boring and waek and with "Accelerate" and "Collapse into Now" they put an end to their career in a decent way, but they sounds a bit forced. Thanks

[@Auditore9876]

Que bueno que regresaste! No dejes de subir videos Crack

[@SantiBernhardt]

Great to see you're back!! Please keep making these.

[@robertandyjustus]

Woah ! Didn't Bill leave for health reasons? Brain Aneurysm? ...

[@softdorothy]

"Reckoning" may be the best. Should have been a double LP with "Murmur". "Murmoning." I feel like they hilariously picked the worst photos of each other for that back cover.

[@Kenaroni]

I really appreciate your insight and agree. Interesting take on the cover. My wife & I were married by folk artist Howard Finster in 1991. I live in the south and am not familiar with the “anaconda plan” of Sherman’s March so now I will read about it. There are lot of civil war era and southern folklore references in older REM songs.

[@stephenhill9999]

They all were making an ok living pretty early on. They split everything evenly too and lived in Athens GA so they managed to afford houses super early (I think Michael’s house was something like 100k when he bought it….he now owns all the houses on that block).

[@rockturtleneck]

Great review. I still have my IRS copy that I bought in 1984. Still my favorite of theirs. Saw them live in a club in Hartford CT that year too--might be the best show I've ever seen. Your analysis of the band's decline is spot on. Their post-Berry work is a pale comparison to the music they made when he was in the band.

[@billcook4768]

In terms of “writing a song to be a hit” the irony is their biggest hit - Losing My Religion - was absolutely not written to be a hit.

[@maotse-tung4438]

Reckoning is such a great album

[@thomtuck]

nice to have you back! love these videos.

[@norberthaftekmusic]

Finally you guys are back with this series - love it!

[@cocilrow3902]

As mentioned before, Berry quit partially due to his hemorrhage. During the Orange Crush tour, they passed out a concert promo thing that featured his brain CT scan. I think he went on to open an antique store.