Lifes Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition - Original recording remastered)

by

R.E.M.

Edit

Obviously this is a classic R.E.M album that had them pushing the limits of their sound for the time and does not need to be reviewed again. What does need to be looked at is how well the remaster of the original album is as well as if the second disc is worth the repurchase

Firstly, the first disc does sound a lot crisper then the original cd pressing that has been on the market. The remastering sound is definitely worth the effort, especially if you have a good soundsystem to listen to this on. The vocals are a lot clearer as can be heard on Underneath The Bunker and the music itself is crisper and cleaner.

The second disc is the Athens Demos. Obviously the songs are rough takes but they definitely are worth checking out as several of the songs sound quite a bit different than their finished versions. It is also nice to know that the sound quality on the demos is as crisp as it can be. Though the demos will only really interest fans who like to hear how the songs evolved. If you are not a fan of rough drafts then the second disc will not be as essential as the first.

I personally would have loved to hear some of these songs sung live during that time period.

As for the packaging, it is the same quality as the last reissue Fables of the reconstruction. You will get both discs in sleeves, a booklet with an essay that looks back upon the album as well as postcards and a poster.

It should also be noted that the track listings are still printed a bit out of order as it is on the original. Fall on Me is still track 3 even though it is listed as track 9. Same with Just a Touch, and I believe.

I do realize this was intentional but i liked that touch with the remaster.

I found this reissue to be worth the purchase and would recommend any fan of the album to pick it up as well.