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Lifes Rich Pageant
 
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Lifes Rich Pageant [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

R.E.M.
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (123 customer reviews) | More about this product
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Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Begin The Begin 3:27$0.99 Buy Track
listen  2. These Days 3:24$0.99 Buy Track
listen  3. Fall On Me 2:50$0.99 Buy Track
listen  4. Cuyahoga 4:20$0.99 Buy Track
listen  5. Hyena (Album Version) 2:51$0.99 Buy Track
listen  6. Underneath The Bunker 1:27$0.99 Buy Track
listen  7. The Flowers Of Guatemala 3:56$0.99 Buy Track
listen  8. I Believe 3:50$0.99 Buy Track
listen  9. What If We Give It Away? 3:34$0.99 Buy Track
listen10. Just A Touch 3:00$0.99 Buy Track
listen11. Swan Swan H 2:50$0.99 Buy Track
listen12. Superman 2:53$0.99 Buy Track

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Lifes Rich Pageant + Fables of the Reconstruction + Reckoning
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Product Details

  • Audio CD (January 27, 1998)
  • Original Release Date: 1986
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Format: Original recording reissued
  • Label: Capitol
  • ASIN: B000002UVZ
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,173 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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    #21 in  Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Jangle Pop

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Editorial Reviews

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R.E.M.'s early recordings purposefully bury Michael Stipe's vocals, allowing them to dominate the audio mix no more than Peter Buck's jangly guitar figures or Mike Mills's bass. Lifes Rich Pageant represents a subtle shift in the program, with clearly audible lyrics (though they remain obscure in meaning) on most tracks. The band still has a bit of fun with its audience, listing the songs out of order on the album sleeve and leaving a couple of them ("Underneath the Bunker," "Superman") off entirely. As good as it is to hear Stipe enunciate while he sings, the music is equally revelatory and forward-looking on the radio-friendly "Fall on Me"; harder-rocking songs like "Begin the Begin," "These Days," and "Superman" (the latter tune sung by Mills); and the haunting, folkish "Swan Swan H." --Daniel Durchholz


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Customer Reviews

123 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (123 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars No Sleeping Through This Rich Life, March 17, 2003
"I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract/
Explain the change, the difference between/
What you want and what you need, there's the key"
-- "I Believe"

A review, however written, however praised, I fear won't do this one justice. It's that good...the pinnacle of what R.E.M. has to offer, which is saying a lot in and of itself. To offer unabashed praise without reason is as empty as the soul of a record company corporate lawyer, so here goes.

After all these years of following R.E.M., I've just now noticed the cover art for "Lifes Rich Pageant" is none other than a close-up of Bill Berry upper mug. Who could mistake those bushy unibrows? And now he farms and has left R.E.M. a drum-machining threesome, but this is all beside the point...reason...where's the reason?

"Lifes Rich Pageant," opens up smoking and we hear Michael Stipe's voice clearly, lucid, growling, "Let's begin again, like Martin Luther's Zen." And so they have, once again recreating themselves in discovery which has kept their marathon career fresh, interesting, and relevant.

"Fall on Me," and "The Flowers of Guatemala," represent the genius of Stipe and Mills songwriting and are hauntingly beautiful. "Fall on Me," pays homage to the sky, gives religion back to the sky, fears the falling of the sky with the interplay of rounds between Stipe and Mills, "Don't fall on me (What is it up in the air for) (It's gonna fall)/Fall on me (If it's there for long) (It's gonna fall)/Fall on me (It's over it's over me) (It's gonna fall)"

Ther's silliness as well, but artistic silliness in a curious, "Underneath the Bunker," screams and yelps in "Just a Touch," and archaic arcane lyrical language of, "Swan Swan H." What does it all mean? R.E.M. is just beginning to flesh out their politics here and pays homage to a lost childhood with "Cuyahoga," the same Ohio river that caught on fire due to it being so heavily polluted and toxic in 1969.

This album really has so many layers like the peels of an onion, the music, the lyrics, the accompanying vocals layered and subtle, that you will find yourself years later still discovering things with closer listens. Though R.E.M. has put out some briliant music over the years particularly in "New Adventures in Hi Fi," and "Automatic For the People," none reach the watermark set by 1986's "Lifes Rich Pageant." It raves, it rocks, it reels, it rolls. It's a reckoning of a different order, a revolution, musical and deep...a must. One of my top three pieces of music I own and I own a lot.

There I told you I wouldn't do it justice, but don't let your music collection go without this one. There is a difference between what you want and what you need. You need this.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Definition of Art, May 10, 2001
By D. Martin (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I had no idea that the purchase of this cassette in 1986 would change my musical taste forever. Lifes Rich Pageant is simply perfect from start to finish. REM takes the listener on a roller coaster ride of driving, infectious pop and rich, intelligent ballads with a relevent social motif. I think the band really tried to create a unique album that would be smart and a bit more commercial than the previous four. "Begin the Begin" is a rocker that fittingly starts the album and contains one of Peter Buck's greatest guitar riffs. "Flowers of Guatemala" is a lyrically beautiful song with great harmonies and brilliant vocal layering. "Swan Swan H" and "Cuyahoga" are wonderful reminiscent ballads that add nice texture to the album. Most people are familiar with "Fall on Me" and "Superman" (the two songs that launched REM into the somewhat mainstream). Other great classic REM songs are "These Days", "I Believe", and "Just a Touch". There are no bad songs and like most REM albums, this one should be listened to in its entirety. A MUST!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars R.E.M. turns to Satanic Death Metal!? Who'd'a thunk it??, January 19, 2005
By B (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
Okay, so the header isn't true. But R.E.M. did crank up the volume a little bit on "Life's Rich Pageant". There's still a lot of jangle, but now they've added some distortion to the mix. Thus, "Pageant" rocks a lot harder than the band's first three efforts.

But the main reason this album is such a winner is that it contains some of R.E.M.'s best songs. "Begin the Begin" and "These Days" is a killer one-two punch to open the album. Cool riffs, infectious melodies, killer hooks, and even some power chords!

And that's not the end of it. "Hyena" and "Just a Touch" are loose, rowdy, fun rockers. And catchy! Extremely catchy! The band is becoming masterful at crafting hooks at this point. It really shows.

Don't worry, there's plenty of softer moments too. "Fall on Me" is a haunting, beautiful song with a blissful pop chorus. "Cuyahoga" is similar in that regard. And "What If We Give It Away?" is a terrific mid-tempo number that contains one of Michael's prettiest hooks. The vocal harmonies and overdubs on these songs are wonderful.

"The Flowers of Guatemala" is one of R.E.M.'s best songs. It's a power ballad of sorts; the soft & dreamy beginning gradually builds up in volume until launching into a Peter Buck guitar solo. Not one of those "Hey, look at me!" guitar solos either. A brief, but memorable one. It'll probably give you goosebumps.

Other highlights (on an album full of highlights) include the jangly "I Believe" (a clear link to their previous albums), the chilling folk dirge that is "Swan Swan H", and the lighthearted coda "Superman" (a fun cover tune sung by Mike Mills).

You'll also notice that "Pageant" is a bit more politically charged than past R.E.M. albums. This would be an even bigger factor on their breakthrough follow-up, "Document", which is their most overtly political album by far.

Unfortunately, this album is often overlooked by most people (except diehard fans). It's a shame, because "Life's Rich Pageant" is one of R.E.M.'s crowning achievements. In my opinion, the best album of their IRS years. Don't pass it up based on obscurity.

Best Songs: Flowers of Guatemala, What If We Give It Away?, Begin the Begin, Fall on Me, Swan Swan H.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Under-rated "transitional" album
'Lifes Rich Pageant' is one of those dreaded "transitional" albums; almost always under-rated, or even overlooked. Read more
Published 1 month ago by H. Jin

5.0 out of 5 stars REM Begins Again
REM
Lifes Rich Pageant; 1986
IRS Records

My Rating: 83/100

REM Begins Again

Following on the heels of the band's first major... Read more
Published 3 months ago by John Carswell

5.0 out of 5 stars We need a vinyl re-issue
Like a lot of music fans, I have turned completely back to vinyl, and the versions of this GREAT album that I have found are all messed up. Read more
Published 12 months ago by M. Mellen

4.0 out of 5 stars We are young despite the years, or, Michael Stipe Sings!
In what was a transitional album for R.E.M., Michael Stipe's vocals are pushed to the fore of the band's mix, and suddenly, their jangle-rock puts the emphasis on Rock. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Tim Brough

4.0 out of 5 stars Puts the "rock" in "jangle-rock"
This is a very good album. Some people think it's the group's best, and indeed it's up there - for my part, I prefer the damn sellout (Yeah, Exhuming McCarthey's a commercial... Read more
Published on August 24, 2007 by finulanu

4.0 out of 5 stars A slicker, harder rocking R.E.M. and one of their best
After listeners struggled to hear Michael Stipe's words on their first three albums (an intentional mixing decision), suddenly everything he had to say was crystal clear... Read more
Published on July 5, 2007 by Matthew T. Medlock

4.0 out of 5 stars If you must have and REM record, get this one!
This is good stuff. I was never a huge REM fan but I did like them because back in the day there were pretty cool. Read more
Published on June 22, 2007 by B. Hinton

5.0 out of 5 stars Soundtrack to my early love life
Sitting in my car in front of her house, 2am on a summer's evening, listening to this album. Sneaking into the backyard and waking her with pebbles against the window pane... Read more
Published on January 24, 2007 by jokamachi

4.0 out of 5 stars What on EARTH is that SOUND?!?!?!?!??!
The opening riff of "Begin The Begin", the opening track to Life's Rich Pageant, floored me the first time I heard it, and still does today. Read more
Published on November 27, 2006 by R. Berga

5.0 out of 5 stars R.E.M.'s Rich Recording
'Life's Rich Pageant' is the fourth R.E.M. full-length album, and like the predecessors, is accomplished. This album, like the others, has a trademark. Read more
Published on September 3, 2006 by Rocky Raccoon

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