R.E.M. – Reckoning [180g Black Vinyl LP]

Description

The second R.E.M. album moves with more confidence and snap than the debut, turning the band’s early jangle and mystery into songs that hit faster and hold tighter. Reckoning keeps the blurred character of the first record, but the playing is more direct, the choruses arrive sooner, and the set feels more settled in its identity. On vinyl record, it plays like the point where R.E.M. stopped sounding new and started sounding fully established.

“Harborcoat” opens with a quick, nervous charge, “7 Chinese Bros.” settles into a steadier pulse, and “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” slows the pace while delivering one of the album’s most memorable melodies. “Pretty Persuasion” adds another strong hook, “Second Guessing” keeps things moving, and “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” opens the sound just enough to shift the mood. Those changes let Reckoning cover more ground than Murmur while still sounding unmistakably like early R.E.M. from start to finish.

Reckoning stays compelling because the band never overplays these songs. Michael Stipe keeps much of the wording just out of reach, Peter Buck’s guitar pushes nearly every arrangement forward, and Bill Berry and Mike Mills give the record much of its lift. This 180g black vinyl LP reissue includes the printed inner sleeve and preserves one of the key early releases in the R.E.M. catalog.

• Format: 180g Black Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: “Harborcoat,” “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry),” “Pretty Persuasion,” “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville”
• Pressing details: Remastered reissue, printed inner sleeve
• Genre/style: Alternative Rock, College Rock, Jangle Pop, Indie Rock
• UPC: 602527074696

If you want the album where “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry),” “Pretty Persuasion,” and “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” sit together in one of the band’s strongest early sequences, this is the one to own. Reckoning still feels compact, sharp, and essential on LP.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

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