R.E.M- Lifes Rich Pageant (Full Album)

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• published: 19 Nov 2016
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I DO NOT own rights to this album, or the images used. R.E.M - Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986 © I.R.S Records http://www.remhq.com/ 0:00- "Begin The Begin" " 3:28- "These Days" 6:53- "Fall On Me" 9:43- "Cuyahoga" 14:05- "Hyena" 16:57- "Underneath The Bunker" 18:24- "The Flowers Of Guatemala" 22:21- " I Believe" 26:12- " What If We Give It Away" 29:47- "Just A Touch" 32:47- "Swan Swan H" 35:37- "Superman" "Lifes Rich Pageant" is R.E.M's fourth studio album, and one of my favorite albums by the band, overall (running closely behind "Fables...." and "Automatic For The people" ) Although I was not yet born when this album was released, and listened to it quite a while after the fact, I still formulated my own memories and associations with it (as we all tend to do with music), and Whenever I take this album off my shelf, it fills me with a sense of nostalgia. Although I did not feature the cover art (commonly not my style to do so) , It, too, draws upon a sort of sweet remembrance, as it features drummer Bill Berry's forehead (with his beautiful trademark untamed eyebrow) , and was, I believe, a playful nod or gesture from the band that they did not wish to mainstream their music. This album marked one of the last of the bands albums recorded under I.R.S, and when "Green" came out (a year or so after "Document"), some people joked, more or less unforgivingly, that the title must be also hinting at the color of money) That cover also gets one thinking about how R.E.M's sound just wasn't the same after Bill Berry left the band (and I guess, of change and time in general. Vague, I know) I don't want to "go there" , be rude, and say that R.E.M's sound diminished over time , but it did end up, eventually, going somewhere my ears and heart could not follow. To me, they went out with less of the bang than I think they deserved, due to some albums that just did not sound like them, to sayit in the nicest terms. But that is just me.But, anyway, back to this album. To me, "Lifes Rich Pageant" is a splendid masterpiece of folk- art, with mismatched tracks that somehow come together beautifully, and with lyrics (often times mumbled and indecipherable in that very pleasing, distinguishing "early" Stipe way) that extend to the political, environmental (this album may actually just be more politically, socially driven than "Green") and the local. It's an album with great heart, great noise ( Billy Berry's drums!) , and strong messages. Not that it is of much interest or relevancy to you, but I'd have to say "Fall on Me" , "Cuyahoga", "Flowers of Guatemala", "I Believe" "What if We Give it Away", "Swan Swan H" (what in the heck does Stipe say after "night ..." sounds like "hair chains" ? Idk..... its an amazing stream-of -consciousness) and "Superman (of course. Mike Mills has a truly wonderful voice : ) are my favorites off this much treasured album.......and "Hyena" is the one I enjoy the least. Although it's hard for me to decide, I think "Cuyahoga" may be my very favorite track off the album, though, for its compelling lyrics, potential message, and the highly addictive guitar riff. The pictures I chose to go along with this song are historical ones (I believe) of that main event/subject depicted in the song. I've put those lyrics below. Anywho, enough talk. Thanks so much for listening. Hope you enjoy. Cheers! "Cuyahoga" Let's put our heads together and start a new country up Our father's father's father tried, erased the parts he didn't like Let's try to fill it in, bank the quarry river, swim We knee-skinned it you and me, we knee-skinned that river red This is where we walked This is where we swam Take a picture here Take a souvenir This land is the land of ours, this river runs red over it We knee-skinned it you and me, we knee-skinned that river red And we gathered up our friends, bank the quarry river, swim We knee-skinned it you and me, underneath the river bed This is where we walked This is where we swam Take a picture here Take a souvenir Cuyahoga Cuyahoga, gone Let's put our heads together and start a new country up Up underneath the river bed we'll burn the river down This is where they walked, swam Hunted, danced and sang Take a picture here Take a souvenir Cuyahoga Cuyahoga, gone Rewrite the book and rule the pages Saving face, secured in faith Bury, burn the waste behind you This land is the land of ours, this river runs red over it We are not your allies, we cannot defend This is where they walked This is where they swam Take a picture here Take a souvenir Cuyahoga Cuyahoga, gone [x2]