R.E.M. – Reckoning (1984/2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

R.E.M. – Reckoning (1984/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 38:48 minutes | 1,58 GB | Genre: Alternative Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © A&M

Chart History/Awards
– Ranked #1 on CMJ‘s list of “Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1984.”

Reckoning is R.E.M.’s critically-acclaimed follow-up to Murmur. The band continued to push their musical boundaries, producing a collection that is filled with quick rhythms, catchy choruses and stellar guitar-work. With Reckoning, producers Dixon and Easter, set out to capture the energy of R.E.M.’s live sound. Standouts include the classics “Harborcoat,” “Pretty Persuasion,” “So. Central Rain” and “7 Chinese Bros.” An absolute masterpiece that is essential for any music lover’s library.

4 stars out of 5 — “The powerful Reckoning established the band as bona fide leaders of the new American indie-rock underground.” – Rolling Stone

R.E.M. abandoned the enigmatic post-punk experiments of Murmur for their second album, Reckoning, returning to their garage pop origins instead. Opening with the ringing “Harborcoat,” Reckoning runs through a set of ten jangle pop songs that are different not only in sound but in style from the debut. Where Murmur was enigmatic in its sound, Reckoning is clear, which doesn’t necessarily mean that the songs themselves are straightforward. Michael Stipe continues to sing powerful melodies without enunciating, but the band has a propulsive kick that makes the music vital and alive. And, if anything, the songwriting is more direct and memorable than before — the interweaving melodies of “Pretty Persuasion” and the country rocker “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” are as affecting as the melancholic dirges of “Camera” and “Time After Time,” while the ringing minor-key arpeggios of “So. Central Rain,” the pulsating riffs of “7 Chinese Bros.,” and the hard-rocking rhythms of “Little America” make the songs into classics. On the surface, Reckoning may not be as distinctive as Murmur, but the record’s influence on underground American rock in the ’80s was just as strong.

Tracklist:
1. R.E.M. – Harborcoat (03:56)
2. R.E.M. – 7 Chinese Bros. (04:14)
3. R.E.M. – So. Central Rain (03:15)
4. R.E.M. – Pretty Persuasion (03:53)
5. R.E.M. – Time After Time (Annelise) (03:33)
6. R.E.M. – Second Guessing (02:49)
7. R.E.M. – Letter Never Sent (02:59)
8. R.E.M. – Camera (05:50)
9. R.E.M. – (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville (04:33)
10. R.E.M. – Little America (Original Album Version) (03:41)

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