Fables Of The Reconstruction - REM (1985)

This is the breakout.

Instead of sticking with producers of the American south as REM had on the first two records, they went instead with British folk rock producer Joe Boyd (-_-) to create album number 3. Boyd let the band loose in a lot of ways, letting their vocal harmonies and bizarre but brilliant arrangements blossom into the kind of psych-folk madness that would push them forward.

It’s true that it wasn’t the consolidated satatement that Murmur and Recokoning were. The songs vary quite a bit from track to track. But the band is growing into themselves here: not just jangle pop, but learning they can do anything they want.

Tracks I Liked

Feeling Gravity’s Pull - the ear-bending guitar line gets me every time.

Maps And Legends - gothy, gloomy awesomeness

Driver 8 - one of the band’s best