Criminally Neglected Albums - Number 2

R.E.M - LIFES RICH PAGEANT














Lifes Rich Pageant is the third album by R.E.M. (although some websites claim it was the bands fourth) and was released in July 1986.

Conceived as a direct reaction to the more folksy inspired Fables of the Reconstruction it features the bands most politically explicit lyrics and is arguably their masterpiece. It brings together all their influences into one great work and for those who had been followers of the band from the start this is probably their first and last great album. I remember when it came out the NME review had the headline 'Stipe sings - and this time you can hear him!", a comment on the fact that you can actually understand the words on most of the tracks.

It kicks off with the best opening track from all of R.E.M's albums "Begin The Begin," which is a straight ahead rocker featuring some of the most amazing noises Peter Buck has ever made with his guitar, it also shows in its lyrics that the band were a political animal.

"Life's rich demand creates supply in the hand
Of the powers, the only vote that matters
Silence means security silence means approval
On Zenith, on the TV, tiger run around the tree
Follow the leader, run and turn into butter."

(second verse from Begin the Begin)

The track listing on the album was wrong, when it came out on CD for the first time the listing was still wrong and when repackaged and re-released with extra bonus tracks in the late nineties guess what? Yep, the track listing was wrong again proving the theory that it had been an in-band joke all along.

Only two singles were released from the album, the ecologically-aware "Fall on Me" and the band's cover of The Clique's "Superman", which is sung by bassist Mike Mills. Neither of which made the Top 100 in the U.K

In the UK, where the band's fame was spreading by word of mouth the album managed to reach a respectable number 43 in the album charts in the Autumn of 1986. It would take another five years, seven singles and five albums before R.E.M would make the Top Ten in the UK singles and album charts with 'Shiny Happy People' from the 'Out of Time' album in March 1991. But for me if I could own only one R.E.M album it would be this one.