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| vinyl cover |
release date: Apr. 16, 1984
format: vinyl (1987 - ILP 465379 1) / cd (1992 - The I.R.S. Years Vintage 1984)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,74]
producer: Don Dixon and Mitch Easter
label: I.R.S. Records - nationality: USA
Tracklist: 1. "Harborcoat" (4,5 / 5) (live 1984) - 2. "7 Chinese Brothers" (4 / 5) - 3. "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" (4 / 5) (live on Letterman) - 4. "Pretty Persuasion" - 5. "Time After Time (Annelise)" (4 / 5) - 6. "Second Guessing" - 7. "Letter Never Sent" - 8. "Camera" - 9. "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" (3,5 / 5) - 10. "Little America"
Bonus tracks on 1992 extended edition: 11. "Wind Out (with friends)" (live recording) - 12. "Pretty Persuasion (live in studio)" - 13. "White Tornado (live in studio)" - 14. "Tighten Up" (live recording) - 15. "Moon River" (live recording, 1983)
2nd studio album by R.E.M. released on I.R.S. is like the debut produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter.
This was the first album, I ever listened to with the band. I stumbled upon it at the local library, which used to be my main source to a lot of new music. I remember enjoying the first track very much but generally found the rest a bit strange, yet interesting. I was simply too young. I had the album on cassette for 10 years or so, before buying the album - a 1987 reissue of the original vinyl album. However, at this point not many were familiar with the band, and 10 years after its release I came to understand why critics praised the album. Compared to the debut album, and despite the fact that both albums were produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter, the production is way better on this one, but it's more a matter of stylistic progression than just bettering the production side. The debut bore much of 1960s art rock whereas this takes the band further into their personal style. At the time of its release I would have given it max. 3 / 5, today I'm close to handing it 4 stars.
The 1992 'The I.R.S. Years Vintage 1984' cd reissue contains an additional 5 bonus tracks. Several reissue editions exist, and in 2009 I.R.S. released its 25 Anniversary Edition - as the label has done with all former R.E.M. albums on the label - a 2-disc remastered version containing the original album as disc 1 and a full live recording as disc 2.
[ allmusic.com, Pitchford Media, Drowned in Music 5 /5 ]
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| 1992 bonus tracks reissue |
