If you were to plot R.E.M's path from underground buzz to household name, their fourth studio album Lifes Rich Pageant was the turning point. Coming out of a miserable recording experience in London with Fables of the Reconstruction in 1985, the band heads back to the states and are determined to inject some energy and creativity back into their music. The result is the loud, invigorating, and often spontaneous fourth album. R.E.M. did a lot of interesting things on this album, utilizing banjos, organs, and pianos, all while maintaining both the edge and the softness of their brand of alt rock that would soon propel Michael Stipe and co. to mainstream mega-stardom. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-rem-lifes-rich-pageant

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