REM - Reckoning
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On this week's episode, we dive into the second album by one of the most influential band of the 80's: REM's Reckoning. Full of great hooks & layered harmonies, it influenced countless bands and set the band on course to becoming superstars,
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
Here’s a brief video about Howard Finster, who created the artwork for R.E.M.s Reckoning.
R.E.M. appeared on Late Night with David Letterman in 1983 in support of their first LP Mummur . They performed “Radio Free Europe” and the as of this date unnamed “So. Central Rain.”
A rudimentary binaural recording technique was utilized in recording Reckoning. Very simply stated, the binaural recording is a recording technique that uses microphones placed inside a dummy’s head where a person’s ears would be, to create a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener. The idea is to mimic what it would sound like to be the room with the band at the time of the recording.
Co-producers Don Dixon and Mitch Easter behind the board in 1983.
Michael Stipe was having having issues laying down the vocals to “7 Chinese Bros.” until Don Dixon threw a copy of The Joy of Knowing Jesus by the Revelaires. This inspired Stipe to read the liner notes over the instrumental track for “7 Chinese Bros.” That version was later released as “the Voice of Harold.”
Listen to the original (and faster) version of “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” performed live from 1980.
Green was R.E.M.’s first LP on Warner Bros. Records and was released on November 8, 1988.
That date also coincided with election day. Here is an ad for Green that was placed in Rolling Stone magazine at the time that played on that fact.
