Fables of the Reconstruction

Fables of the Reconstruction
Studio album by R.E.M.
Released	June 10, 1985 (1985-06-10)
Recorded	February–March 1985 at Livingston Studios, London, United Kingdom
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	39:44
Language	English
Label	I.R.S.
Producer	Joe Boyd
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (B+) link Rolling Stone 1998
R.E.M. chronology
Reckoning (1984) Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
Singles from Fables of the Reconstruction
"Cant Get There From Here" Released: June 1985 (1985-06) "Driver 8" Released: September 1985 (1985-09) "Wendell Gee" Released: September 1985 (1985-09)

Fables of the Reconstruction, or Reconstruction of the Fables, is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on the I.R.S. Records in 1985.

Details

Despite the growing audience and critical acclaim experienced by the band after its first two albums, Murmur and Reckoning, R.E.M. decided to make noticeable changes to its style of music and recording habits, including a change in producer (Joe Boyd) and recording location (London, England).

Boyd was mostly known for his work with modern English folk musicians, such as Fairport Convention and Nick Drake. However, Fables was a conceptual record by R.E.M. standards. Lyrically, the album explores the mythology and landscape of the South. The title, Fables of the Reconstruction or Reconstruction of the Fables, makes possible reference both to the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, and to the literary process of deconstruction. The source of the title and chorus of "Cant Get There from Here", the album's first single, is a non-sarcastic rejoinder sometimes heard when asking for directions in the rural United States.^{[citation needed]} The video for "Cant Get There from Here" was played frequently on MTV.^{[citation needed]}

The opening song, "Feeling Gravitys Pull," describes falling asleep while reading; Michael Stipe's lyrics also reference surrealist Man Ray, setting the tone for the album. Musically it was an unusual song for the band, making use of a dark, chromatic guitar figure by Peter Buck, and a string quartet, while R.E.M.'s previous albums had opened with rhythmic, "jangly" rock songs. "Maps and Legends" fit the category, and features distinct harmony vocals by bassist Mike Mills, singing different lyrics from Stipe, common to the early era of the band. The song is dedicated to the Reverend Howard Finster, a noted outsider artist and according to the band, "a man of vision and feeling—a fine example to all" (Finster had done the album sleeve for R.E.M.'s Reckoning the year prior).

"Driver 8" describes the scenery surrounding railroad tracks, in somewhat abstract terms. Trains are a frequent topic of Southern music; they epitomize the freedom and promise of an escape from one's home environment. Driven by a blues guitar riff, it was one of the songs on the album to receive college radio play, and a music video was made as well. Beginning with a soft introduction, "Life and How to Live It" charged through another atmospheric, folk rock arrangement, and again referenced storytelling. Without mentioning him by name, the song was about Athens, GA author Brivs Mekis, as alluded to in the live performance on the And I Feel Fine... bonus disc. Mekis had written a book entitled Life: How to Live, and had it published and printed, only to have all existing copies of it stacked in his closet.^[1]

Much of the band's songwriting material in this era also came from the members' own experiences traveling through the country in near-constant tours over the previous several years, as well as an increasing sense of political activism which would find expression on subsequent albums Lifes Rich Pageant and Document. Stipe later said that his previous lyrics never really had any literal meanings, and that by this time began to write lyrics that told stories. For example, the Fables song "Green Grow the Rushes," which contains the line "the amber waves of gain," is thought to be about migrant farm laborers. "Kohoutek" is about Comet Kohoutek, and is perhaps one of the earliest R.E.M. songs about a romantic relationship. "Auctioneer (Another Engine)" was a song deviating from the typical R.E.M. sound of the time, with jagged guitar riffs and more references to old rural ways of life.

The plaintive "Good Advices" contained a much-quoted Stipe lyric, "When you meet a stranger, look at his shoes / keep your money in your shoes." A celebration of an eccentric individual is the subject of "Old Man Kensey" (which has lyrics by Stipe's friend Jerry Ayers) and closing track "Wendell Gee." The latter, a ballad with piano and more harmonies from Berry and Mills, was the album's third and final single in the UK only, although it made no commercial impression there.

Upon release, Fables of the Reconstruction reached #28 in the United States (going gold in 1991) and was the band's best showing yet in the UK, peaking at #35. Recorded during a period of internal strife—largely due to the R.E.M. members' homesickness and an unpleasant London winter—the band's unenthusiastic view of the album has been public for years, and is often reflected among fans and the press. Drummer Bill Berry was quoted in the early 1990s as saying that Fables of the Reconstruction "sucked"; frontman Michael Stipe once shared the opinion but lately has said he considers it home to some of their more notable songs, telling producer Joe Boyd that he had grown to love the album.

Fables was often characterized by a slow tempo and an intentionally murky sound, in contrast with the more upbeat and jangly (if equally abstract) sound of their earlier material. Nevertheless, the focus on American folk instruments such as the banjo in "Wendell Gee" and a few additional orchestrations (string instruments in "Feeling Gravitys Pull" and honking brass in "Cant Get There from Here") began the band's route toward the layered, acoustic-based sound they adopted for their popular breakthrough in the late '80s and early '90s with albums such as Green, Out of Time, and Automatic for the People.

The album's liner notes list a song entitled "When I Was Young" as among the tracklisting, but it does not appear on the release. It was played live three or four times during the 1985 "Preconstruction" U.S. college tour (a tour that took place before the release of the album), but the song was quickly dropped. However, a few lines of its lyrics would eventually form part of "I Believe", a completely different track later released on Lifes Rich Pageant.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe except as indicated.

Side one – "A Side"

1. "Feeling Gravitys Pull" – 4:51
2. "Maps and Legends" – 3:10
3. "Driver 8" – 3:23
4. "Life and How to Live It" – 4:06
5. "Old Man Kensey" (Jerry Ayers, Berry, Buck, Mills, and Stipe) – 4:08

Side one – "Another Side"

6. "Cant Get There from Here" – 4:10
7. "Green Grow the Rushes" – 3:46
8. "Kohoutek" – 3:18
9. "Auctioneer (Another Engine)" – 2:44
10. "Good Advices" – 3:30
11. "Wendell Gee" – 3:01

Track listing notes:

• On the vinyl release, side one was labeled the "A side" and side two "Another side." The "A side" label bore the title, Fables of the Reconstruction, while "Another side" bore the title, Reconstruction of the Fables.

1992 IRS Vintage Years reissue bonus tracks

12. "Crazy" (Pylon)
    • B-side of "Driver 8" 7" single
13. "Burning Hell"
    • B-side of "Can't Get There From Here" 12" single
14. "Bandwagon" (Berry, Buck, Mills, Lynda Stipe, Stipe)
    • B-side of "Can't Get There From Here" 7" and 12" single
15. "Driver 8" (Live)
    • B-side of "Wendell Gee" 12" single
16. "Maps and Legends" (Live)
    • B-side of "The One I Love" 7" single

• Note: Although sometimes referred to as such, the first release of this edition does not have the original tracks remastered. They follow the first print of the album and only add the extra tracks.

Personnel

R.E.M.

• Bill Berry – drums, vocal (credited as "WT Berry – Best Boy")
• Peter Buck – guitar, banjo, harmonica (credited as "PL Buck – Ministry of Music")
• Mike Mills – bass guitar, piano, vocal (credited as "ME Mills – Consolate Mediator")
• Michael Stipe – lead vocal (credited as "JM Stipe – Gaffer Interpreter")

Additional musicians

• David Bitelli – tenor and baritone saxophone on "Cant Get There from Here"
• Camilla Brunt – violin on "Feeling Gravitys Pull"
• Jim Dvorak – trumpet on "Cant Get There from Here"
• Philippa Ibbotson – violin on "Feeling Gravitys Pull"
• David Newby – cello on "Feeling Gravitys Pull"
• Peter Thomas – tenor saxophone on "Cant Get There from Here"

Production

• Joe Boyd – production
• Berry Clempson – engineering
• Tony Harris – engineering
• M. K. Johnston – photography and art

Release history

†I.R.S. Vintage Years edition, with bonus tracks

Chart performance

Album

Singles

Certifications

References

External links

• R.E.M.HQ on Fables of the Reconstruction
• Fables of the Reconstruction at Allmusic

• Fables of the Reconstruction at Allmusic (I.R.S. Vintage Years edition)
• Fables of the Reconstruction at Allmusic (LP reissue)

• Fables of the Reconstruction at MusicBrainz

• Fables of the Reconstruction at MusicBrainz (I.R.S. Vintage Years edition)