Fables of the Reconstruction [Import Bonus Tracks] (CD - 1985)

Additional personnel: Camilla Brunt, Phillipa Ibbotson (violin); David Newby (cello); Pete Thomas (tenor saxophone); David Bitelli (tenor & baritone saxophones); Jim Dvorak (trumpet).

Engineers: Jerry Boys, Tony Harris, Barry Clempson.

Recorded at Livingston Studios, London, England in March 1985.

U.K. remaster adds five bonus tracks.

Personnel: Michael Stipe (vocals); Peter Buck (guitar); Camilla Brunt, Philippa Ibbotson (violin); David Newby (cello); David Bitelli (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Pete Thomas , Paca Thomas (tenor saxophone); Jim Dvorak (trumpet); Bill Berry (drums).

Audio Remixer: Steven Fjelstad.

Recording information: Livingston Studios, London, England (06/27/1984/05/24/1987); Seattle, WA (06/27/1984/05/24/1987).

FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION finds R.E.M.'s star rising fast. With major label world domination still comfortably off in the future, the band was still experimenting; their jangly frenetic sound was deepening by fathoms, and Michael Stipe's formless rants were solidifying (his diction was improving, too, which only served to clarify his prodigious poetic gift). The album featured some of the group's most solid pop songcraft to date, as well as some pretty heady meandering ("Feeling Gravity's Pull").

FABLES produced some important hits for the group at this crucial juncture of its career. Radio staples like "Driver 8" kept them popular with the increasingly important college crowd (heretofore their bread and butter), while the crisp, jumpy and irresistibly catchy "Can't Get There From Here" brought them to a new level on the now-essential music video playlists. Diehard fans, however, were drawn to some quintessential R.E.M. moments--the overlapping vocals of "Maps And Legends" and the wistful, soaring "Wendel Gee," the album's real gem, a disarming, dreamy, instant classic.

For their third album, R.E.M. made a conscious effort to break from the traditions Murmur and Reckoning established, electing to record in England with legendary folk-rock producer Joe Boyd. For a variety of reasons, the sessions were difficult, and that tension is apparent throughout Fables of the Reconstruction. A dark, moody rumination on American folk -- not only the music, but its myths -- Fables is creepy, rustic psychedelic folk, filled with eerie sonic textures. Some light breaks through occasionally, such as the ridiculous collegiate blue-eyed soul of "Can't Get There From Here," but the group's trademark ringing guitars and cryptic lyrics have grown sinister, giving even sing-alongs like "Driver 8" an ominous edge. Fables is more inconsistent than its two predecessors, but the group does demonstrate considerable musical growth, particularly in how perfectly it evokes the strange rural legends of the South. And many of the songs on the record -- including "Feeling Gravitys Pull," "Maps and Legends," "Green Grow the Rushes," "Auctioneer (Another Engine)," and the previously mentioned pair -- rank among the group's best. [In 1992, the British division of IRS reissued all of R.E.M.'s albums with bonus tracks. Many of these cuts were featured on Dead Letter Office, but others were rare flexi-discs, fan-club singles, compilation contributions, forgotten B-sides, live tracks, and outtakes. All of the bonus tracks on Fables of the Reconstruction were previously released as B-sides. Three songs -- "Crazy," "Burning Hell," and "Bandwagon" -- were also released on Dead Letter Office. The remaining two -- live versions of "Driver 8" and "Maps and Legends" -- were previously released on the "Wendell Gee" 12" single and "The One I Love" 12" single, respectively. There are no great revelations here, but it's worth the extra price for hardcore fans, even if R.E.M. themselves were reportedly unhappy with the bonus tracks on these reissues. However, keep in mind that many of these bonus tracks -- the ones that weren't originally on Dead Letter Office -- later appeared on the limited-edition U.S. rarities collection In the Attic, which means that these imports aren't necessarily worth the search.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize