R.E.M. – Reckoning [Vinyl LP]

R.E.M. – Reckoning [Vinyl LP]

Details

• Format: Vinyl LP
• Catalogue Number: B0013029-01
• Barcode: 602527074696
• Genre: Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop
• Label: I.R.S. Records / UMe
• Originally Released: 1984
• Reissue Released: 10 May 2024
• Pressing: Black vinyl, plated at GZ Media, manufactured by Precision Record Pressing
• Condition: New & Sealed

Description

Reckoning is the second studio album from R.E.M., originally released in April 1984 on I.R.S. Records. It followed the breakthrough of Murmur and confirmed the band as one of the most important American guitar groups of the decade, reaching number twenty-seven on the Billboard 200. Where Murmur was shrouded in reverb and mystery, Reckoning opened things up — brighter, more direct, and recorded in just twelve days at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter, the record is built around Peter Buck’s jangly Rickenbacker arpeggios and Michael Stipe’s still largely indecipherable vocals, anchored by Mike Mills on bass and Bill Berry on drums. Harborcoat opens with a rush that barely lets up through 7 Chinese Bros. and Pretty Persuasion, while (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville — the band’s first country-inflected moment — became one of their most enduring early singles. So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) remains one of the great R.E.M. songs, Stipe’s vocal breaking through with rare clarity.

This 2024 reissue is pressed on vinyl, plated at GZ Media and manufactured by Precision Record Pressing. Includes a custom inner sleeve. Distributed by Universal Music Distribution.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Harborcoat
2. 7 Chinese Bros.
3. So. Central Rain
4. Pretty Persuasion
5. Time After Time (Annelise)

Side B

1. Second Guessing
2. Letter Never Sent
3. Camera
4. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville
5. Little America

Credits

• Michael Stipe – Vocals
• Peter Buck – Guitar
• Mike Mills – Bass
• Bill Berry – Drums
• Don Dixon – Producer
• Mitch Easter – Producer
• Howard Finster – Artwork