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Reckoning Deluxe Edition Interscope AM IRS 2009 10 Best new reissue by Matt LeMay Contributor Rock July 2 2009 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Open share drawer The expanded reissues of albums from R.E.M.s I.R.S.

Murmur is augmented with a 1984 live show.

Ironically, it may be R.E.M.s insistence upon operating as a fully democratic entity that has allowed them to shapeshift so completely and convincingly.

Whether crafting a subdued folk song or an over-the-top glam rock stomper, R.E.M.

Bill Berry laying low for an acoustic number or singer Michael Stipe handing off a lead vocal to bassist Mike Mills.

On their sophomore LP, Reckoning, those polymorphous tendencies find root as palpable, electrifying, yet-unexplored potential.

And with this aptly named reissue, Reckoning finally gets the Deluxe treatment (and much-needed remaster) that it deserves.

Greg Calbis expert remastering job cleaned up the albums notoriously murky sonics and revealed previously unheard detail and force.

This newfound clarity made Murmur seem much more purposeful, lifting the proverbial veil on an album made by record nerds who understood the common ground between the Soft Boys, Gang of Four, and the Velvet Underground.

Reckoning couples the energy of Murmur with the experience of a group that has spent a few years touring and recording, documenting that crucial moment when a bands ideas and ambitions are overtaken by the unique chemistry of its players.

Many of the best songs on Reckoning follow the formula set forth on this debut track: a methodical verse followed by a sly turnaround into a cathartic chorus.

Bill Berrys drum parts are at times virtually indistinguishable from song to song, and Michael Stipe tends to sing verses and choruses in the same respective registers.

But Reckoning is far from formulaic-- instead, it is host to a kind of determined minimalism, each song building via subtle variations in performance and instrumentation.

Discipline is not a word that gets thrown around a lot when discussing rock music, but it is key to Reckoning s success.

But the combination of Stipes strong-yet-unmistakably-fragile voice, Berrys nervous drumming, and the melodic interplay of Mills bass and Peter Bucks guitar imbue these well-worn words with remarkable force and meaning.

For all the arty, pretentious gestures the band was given to, Reckoning shows that they were not afraid to embrace the universal, to transfigure clichs rather than ham-fistedly avoiding them (see also Everybody Hurts).

The latter half veers a bit towards Americana, without sacrificing any of the momentum built over the albums stunning opening tracks.

Slight embellishments go a long way towards highlighting the bands versatility-- a propulsive piano line in (Dont Go Back to) Rockville elevates the homespun whimsy of Stipes voice, and hand percussion on Time After Time (Annelise) hints at the more understated turn the band would take with Fables of the Reconstruction.

While the raw energy of the live show included in the Murmur reissue is toned down a bit, it is fascinating to hear the band grow more sure-footed in both performance and arrangements.

It is also interesting to hear how the bands live approach seems to have been absorbed back into their studio recordings; Stipes trademark live vocal tics are present throughout Reckoning.

It is this paradoxical engine of transparency and mystery that has made the band so unique, regardless of the particular approach they choose to take for a given record.

Rem Reckoning Deluxe Torrent