(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)
Artist: R.E.M.
Album Title: Life’s rich pageant
Year released: 1986
Year reissued: 2016
Details: Black vinyl
The skinny: So that’s that. Seven weeks ago, I started this journey. I first posted about my most recent R.E.M. vinyl acquisition, a 25th anniversary pressing of “New adventures in hi-fi”. Then, I worked backwards chronologically through their albums in my collection, sharing pics of “Monster”, “Automatic for the people”, “Out of time”, “Green”, and “Document”, and now we are at the final piece. “Life’s rich pageant” is the band’s fourth studio album and the only one in my collection not produced or c0-produced by Scott Litt. I originally picked up this album on CD shortly after graduating high school, after hearing it in the backseat of a car, driving home from some long forgotten party as the sun was coming up, the volume cranked and windows wide open. Now, these songs will always remind me of that invincible feeling of youth. And maybe also because of this memory, this vinyl reissue was the first R.E.M. record to hit my vinyl shelves. I don’t see myself purchasing any other of their records, unless someone can convince me otherwise. Who will take up that challenge?
Standout track: “Fall on me”
My (life in) music lists 
4 replies on “Vinyl love: R.E.M. “Life’s rich pageant””
This is my favourite R.E.M. record. I understand not going forward past New Adventures in Hi Fi, even though I like Up and Accelerate, but how about the first three?
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The first three have some excellent tunes but are not as solid all the way through in my opinion. Though it could be that I came to them much later. I actually really liked R.E.M.’s last two records as well but perhaps not quite “favourite” enough for my shelves.
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They’re generally pretty consistent., apart from that little patch at the start of the 21st century. Murmur is my favourite from the first three – I also like it because it’s so unique.
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Yes, I stopped listening to them for a bit after New Adventures in hi-fi and then, they became interesting again for their final two. Murmur is pretty great. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll fold at some point and pick up the rest.
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