Reckoning

By December of '83, R.E.M. was back in Charlotte to record Murmur's sequal. The result was a much more "accesible" and listenable album. Michael: "The whole record was about movement and travelling, perpetual motion." Reconing was again produced with Mitch Easter and Don Dixon. Recordings took only about twenty days, but in each day the band worked for eighteen hours. The album cover is a drawing by one of Michael's idles, reverand Howard Finster. Peter, explaining the name: "The second album shows the world whether your'e dealing with a worthless bunch of talentless hacks who had a lucky idea, or a good band. It was our day of reckoning." The album is sub-titled "File under water" because of the many referances to water (Harborcoat, 7 Chinese bros., So. Central rain). Reckoning reached #27 on the US charts and remained in the top 200 for more than a year. NME's Mat Snow, commenting on Reckoning:"When I go to heaven, the angels will be playing not harps but rickenbackers. And they will be playing songs by R.E.M." Reckoning was promoted with the Little America tour.