Michael Stipe-Lead Vocals/Mike Mills-Bass, Vocals, Guitar/Peter Buck-Guitars, Vocals, Piano/Bill Berry-Drums, Vocals, Piano/Producer: Mitch Easter/Remastering Engineer: Greg Calbi from the original master tapes for the sessions. ---

Elvis Costello once suggested that much of the music of the 1980's was a wasteland. Interestingly, when I spoke to Costello recently he was willing to include some of his own music in that condemnation but was reOne band and album I'm sure he wasn't referring to was R.E.M and "Reckoning". R.E.M. may not have meant to change the face of music but like U2 they did by returning rock music back to its roots. ***

I'm not sure if "Reckoning" is R.E.M's finest moment but it certainly is ONE of their finest albums. The band's second album (not counting their EP "Chronic Town")found them expanding on the sound from their "Chronic Town" EP and "Murmur" album giving us more with less--the arrangements are more direct and the performances even more energetic than their debut album. Veering towards Americana and all of its variety in the sounds on the album, "Reckoning" marked a major step forward for one of America's most important bands to come out of the 80's. ---

Sound:

Greg Calbi's mastering improves on the original CD in some ways but isn't quite as strong as the limited edition Gold CD that Mobile Fidelity put out a decade ago. Detail is clearer but the album is noticeably louder than previous editions diminishing both the dynamic range and occasionally the power of some songs. That said, "Reckoning" sounds extremely good even if it was compromised somewhat during the mastering process (Calbi tried to keep as much dynamics as possible but keep in mind he was a hired hand and had to do what his bosses asked him to do). Michael Stipe's lyrics are as cryptic as ever but also a bit clearer. Mike Mills' ("Don't Go Back)To Rockville" (a song that Mills wrote for a girlfriend at while still in college)got reworked for the album at a more leisurely time signature creating a hit when it appeared on college radio in 1984. ---

The real gem here though is the second disc of a live performance. Although it is missing a couple of the tracks that have appeared on bootlegs that have circulated for years, it's a very good concert performance with the band on fire with energetic readings of material from their first, second and even one track each from what would be their third and fourth albums. Opening with The Velvet Underground "Femme Fatale" the band then jumps into their first single "Radio Free Europe" and finally closes with a powerful reading of ("Don't Go Back)To Rockville)" ***

My only complaint is that the original album was short enough to allow the inclusion of the some of the singles included on the import version released a couple of years ago. That edition included "Windout", "Moon River", another version of "Pretty Persuasion" recorded live in the studio and "Tighten Up" the classic song originally recorded by Archie Bell and the Drells. It would have made this collection a bit more complete. Yes, I realize that many of these songs appeared on the collection "And I Feel Fine" but the mastering there by David McEowen was less than ideal. ***

The packaging is typical for these "Deluxe Editions" where the CD packaging fits inside a slipcase. There is also a fold out "booklet" that includes an essay on the recording of the album and a full color album sized poster of the original album cover on the flip side.

Final Words:

Overall, this is a fine set with a nice remaster done by Calbi and if you factor in the concert I reckon you'll probably want to pick it up. The remaster could be better with a wider dynamic range but the master COULD be worse (just listen to the band's latest release on CD for example). ***

Calbi works small miracles within the confines of what the label demanded of him. Louder isn't necessarily better and until the major labels that have survived the meltdown of the music business LEARNS that music doesn'y have to be loud to stand out (that's really what made the Loudness Wars come to life--the desperate attempt of labels to try and get YOUR attention starting in the 90's on radio that and the fact that the initial impression of the average person when exposed to louder music is that it is better until they develop listener fatigue and realize that they are getting LESS with MORE) but that it's the qualty of the music that matters, we'll be subjected to badly mastered music. ***

Calbi's efforts here to try and walk that fine line that is demanded of the major labels while staying true to his instincts as an engineer are to be admired but he shouldn't have to make that compromise to begin with. Unfortunately, I've discover that many of the artists themselves probably shouldn't be trusted when it comes to remasters (Tom Petty, Neil Young and lately Paul McCartney being exceptions) as they get snared in the same trap that the "suits" get caught in (the people in the suits shouldn't be making music decisions anyway--what happened to people who played MUSIC making those decisions?). Either way, this will be a worthwhile addition to a fan's collection but if you have the Mo-fi Gold edition of the album I wouldn't give it up for the first disc in this set. It sounds nice but the first disc can't compete with the Gold CD.