Reckoning

Reckoning is the second album by R.E.M. Released in 1984 on I.R.S. Records, the album received widespread critical acclaim at the time of its release and continues to be considered one of the best examples of early alternative rock.

The album was recorded at Reflection Sound Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the course of just 16 days. It was produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter, who had both helped produce R.E.M.’s first album, Murmur. For Reckoning, the band wanted to try and reproduce the energy of their live shows for the record, and to help achieve the effect they used binaural recording, which is where a group is recorded with two microphones to achieve the kind of sound that would be captured through two ears, so that in playback the listener would feel as if s/he was right there in the studio with the band.

The album is notably darker in sound and subject matter than Murmur. Recurring lyrical themes include loss, bereavement, and water. The two singles released from the album were “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” and “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville.” Both songs had been a part of R.E.M.’s live shows for years, but were finally recorded for the record.