Life's Rich Pageant [Extra tracks, Import]

R.E.M. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 26, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import
• Label: EMI Import
• ASIN: B000005RQF
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,449 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Begin The Begin

2. These Days

3. Fall On Me

4. Cuyahoga

5. Hyena

6. Underneath The Bunker

7. The Flowers of Guatemala

8. I Believe

9. What if We Give it Away?

10. Just a Touch

11. Swan Swan H

12. Superman

13. Tired Of Singing Trouble

14. Rotary Ten

15. Toys In The Attic

16. Just A Touch (Live In Studio)

17. Dream (All I Have To Do)

18. Swan Swan H (Acoustic Version)

Editorial Reviews

Mid-priced reissue of the foreign edition of their 1986 top30 album with six bonus tracks added, 'Tired Of Singing Trouble', 'Rotary Ten', their cover of Aerosmith's 'Toys In TheAttic', 'Just A Touch' (Live In The Studio), their cover ofthe Everly Brothers hit 'Dream (All I Have To Do Is)' and 'Swan Swan H' (Acoustic). 18 tracks, also including the charthit 'Fall On Me' and the college radio staples 'Superman' &'Begin The Begin'. 1993 release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A career defining highpoint, June 29, 2005

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Life's Rich Pageant (Audio CD)

This 1986 release, the band's fourth full-length LP, may be the very best -- or at least "most REM-like" -- in their catalog. As has been pointed out several times, "Life's Rich Pageant" represented a turning point in REM's sound, pushing both drummer Bill Berry and vocalist Michael Stipe to the front of the mix. The result is a punchier sound that strips away Stipe's mumbling to reveal his impressionistic lyrics. It's not always clear what he's singing about, but at least you don't have to struggle just to decode the words. Though there are moments and songs on "Murmer" and "Reckoning" that may supersede anything heard here, the accessibility of Don Gehman's production, and the catchiness of these songs (including Mike Mills' cover of The Clique's 1969 then-obscure "Superman") make this on of REM's most spinworthy releases.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's All Part Of......., January 23, 2004

By 

The Wrong Child (Newcastle, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life's Rich Pageant (Audio CD)

Michael Stipe referred to this album in Mojo magazine as being the most like REM that REM has ever sounded. And I'm inclined to agree.

For fans like myself this is the ultimate REM experience. For newcomers, an excellent introduction. For those sitting on the fence, it'll knock you clean to the ground on the REM side.

On previous albums, Stipe's vocals remain firmly buried in the mix, the lyrics practically indecipherable in places. This album shows Stipe's astounding vocal ability off to it's best. Heart-felt, passionate, full of emotion. The lyrics are often cryptic and abstract, yet somehow relevant ; as we've come to expect.

The instrumentation is virtually perfect, and not rooted in the 80's which means that the album hasn't aged at all, it's timeless and classic. This could be REM of the 80's, of the 90's, of the 21st century. Layers of delicate sound, blended to make the rich, soul-inspiring melodies which can lift us up or send us down effortlessly.

Stand out tracks include the beautifully simple "What if We Give it Away?", and the heavier yet controlled "Begin the Begin". The folk-esque "Swan Swan H" sticks in your mind with it's melodic guitar and lilting phrasing, and "Superman" is worth listening to for the harmonies alone. Tremendous.

The pivotal importance of this album in the career of the biggest band in the world today cannot be overplayed. This is the very essence of REM. Berry, Buck, Mills and Stipe all at their creative best. Essential.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Without Equal, November 1, 2006

By 

Robert Rossi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life's Rich Pageant (Audio CD)

Like many, this was the first R.E.M. album I purchased. I had heard of them before, of course, but they were never my cup of tea. I have since bought them all, but this one remains their masterpiece, in my opinion.

There simply are no fillers here. Highlights (and there are many) include "Fall On Me" "I Believe", "Flowers", and "Cuyahoga," but the ones not mentioned here are great, too. If there is anyone on the planet that has never purchased an R.E.M. disc, this is where to start.