Further Fables

My next R.E.M. album in accordance with the alphabets, is 1985's Fables Of The Reconstruction, which I listened to today during my morning commute.



In my entry for Document I said that it was tied for Fables as third or fourth favorite R.E.M. album. The best way to resolve this deadlock is by listening to the albums back to back to determine which one I like more. Now that I've done that, I think Document is a stronger album musically, but Fables still resonates stronger with me.

I was living in the UK and taking summer classes at TVU in West London when Fables came out, and listening to the album now takes me back to that time of my life. I was staying in a communal house straight out of The Young Ones with a friend from high school and a couple of people I didn't know. There were some things I liked about staying in England, like being able to drink in pubs at 19, but on the whole it was a very strange place, and nothing like the halcyon vision of "studying abroad".

Listening to Fables was one of the things that kept me from getting too homesick that summer. R.E.M. recorded the album in London in the winter of 1984/85 with legendary producer Joe Boyd, and sounds like an album made by a band in a place they'd rather not be. Most of the songs explore the myths and legends of the South and the band's interpretation of them. The album title is circular ("Fables of the Reconstruction of the Fables") as it's printed on the jacket, which gives it multiple meanings. The sound is deep and murky, either by choice or by accident, which shrouds the whole album in mystery. It's not as immediately accessible as their other albums, but definitely rewards repeat listening, like a long simmering Country Captain Chicken. There's a food equivalent for every R.E.M. album.

Fables is one of those albums I have to listen to all the way through to fully appreciate, so it's a good one for my 45 minute commute. When I listen to the CD these days, it seems like all the strongest songs are on the first half (A Side) and things tend to level off on the second half (Another Side). It's like they were halfway through a great album and gave up after "Can't Get There From Here" and buried all the weaker songs at the end. I have the 1993 "IRS Years" reissue with all the B-sides as bonus tracks, which was kind of redundant since they were also on the reissue of Dead Letter Office. I listened to DLO before Document, so I've had my fill of "Bandwagon", "Burning Hell", and "Crazy" the past few days.

Next in line is Green which is an album I don't dislike, but don't listen to that often either. I haven't even bothered to import the CD to iTunes yet!