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Fables of the Reconstruction (Music)

 Fables of the Reconstruction (Music)
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 Fables of the Reconstruction (Music)
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 Fables of the Reconstruction (Music)
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 Fables of the Reconstruction (a.k.a. Reconstruction of the Fables), released in 1985 through I.R.S. Records, is the third album by American Alternative Rock band R.E.M.. A noticeable deviation from the abstract styles of both Murmur and Reckoning before it, the album sees the band shake up their approach by incorporating more story-driven songs and American folk instruments with an overarching Southern Gothic atmosphere, acting as a Concept Album about the folk mythology surrounding the southern United States that they hailed from. To further support the change in style, the band decided to work with producer Joe Boyd, previously known for his work with English folk musicians such as Fairport Convention and Nick Drake, rather than their prior Production Posse of Mitch Easter and Don Dixon.Fitting Boyd's prior oeuvre, recording was done at the Livingstone Studio in London rather than Reflection Sound in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, this turned out to be more of a bane for R.E.M. than a boon, as spending significant amounts of time away from the US during production— and during a harsh English winter, no less— resulted in the band constantly feeling homesick and irritable. What's more, the band were also grappling with the stress of their growing fame, the paranoia and uncertainty caused by the AIDS crisis, which particularly freaked out the queer Michael Stipe (who would only come out in the '90s), and health issues among the band members, leading to a large amount of conflict between each other that threatened to break R.E.M. up before the album was even finished. Such an unpleasant atmosphere was reflected in the more downbeat tone of the album's music.Commercially, the album fared just slightly below Reckoning in the US, peaking at No. 28 on the Billboard 200, but would outperform its predecessor in the UK, with a No. 35 peak on the UK Albums chart (compared to Reckoning's 91). Like its predecessors, Fables would later be certified gold by the RIAA in 1991.On a somewhat more dubious note, this was the first R.E.M. album made after I.R.S. Records changed hands from A&M Records (in the US) and CBS Records (in Europe) to MCA. While I.R.S. had always struggled with providing decent distribution, the problem would only worsen under the stricter thumb of MCA, who were far more apprehensive about R.E.M.'s lack of commercial accessibility compared to bigger artists of the era. No synths, booming drums, or face-melting guitar riffs made the band— and most of the I.R.S. roster, for that matter— difficult to market in the mid-80s, and MCA quickly came to view R.E.M. with open contempt, which would reach an ugly head during promotion for their next album, motivating the band's Channel Hop to Warner (Bros.) Records in 1988.Fables of the Reconstruction was supported by three singles: "Cant Get There from Here", "Driver 8", and "Wendell Gee".TracklistA Side — Fables of the Reconstruction "Feeling Gravitys Pull" (4:48) "Maps and Legends" (3:10) "Driver 8" (3:23) "Life and How to Live It" (4:06) "Old Man Kensey" (4:08)Another Side — Reconstruction of the Fables "Cant Get There from Here" (3:39) "Green Grow the Rushes" (3:46) "Kouhoutek" (3:18) "Auctioneer (Another Engine)" (2:44) "Good Advices" (3:30) "Wendell Gee" (3:01)Reason had harnessed the trope:
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