"I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract/
Explain the change, the difference between/
What you want and what you need, there's the key"
-- "I Believe"

A review, however written, however praised, I fear won't do this one justice. It's that good...the pinnacle of what R.E.M. has to offer, which is saying a lot in and of itself. To offer unabashed praise without reason is as empty as the soul of a record company corporate lawyer, so here goes.

After all these years of following R.E.M., I've just now noticed the cover art for "Lifes Rich Pageant" is none other than a close-up of Bill Berry upper mug. Who could mistake those bushy unibrows? And now he farms and has left R.E.M. a drum-machining threesome, but this is all beside the point...reason...where's the reason?

"Lifes Rich Pageant," opens up smoking and we hear Michael Stipe's voice clearly, lucid, growling, "Let's begin again, like Martin Luther's Zen." And so they have, once again recreating themselves in discovery which has kept their marathon career fresh, interesting, and relevant.

"Fall on Me," and "The Flowers of Guatemala," represent the genius of Stipe and Mills songwriting and are hauntingly beautiful. "Fall on Me," pays homage to the sky, gives religion back to the sky, fears the falling of the sky with the interplay of rounds between Stipe and Mills, "Don't fall on me (What is it up in the air for) (It's gonna fall)/Fall on me (If it's there for long) (It's gonna fall)/Fall on me (It's over it's over me) (It's gonna fall)"

Ther's silliness as well, but artistic silliness in a curious, "Underneath the Bunker," screams and yelps in "Just a Touch," and archaic arcane lyrical language of, "Swan Swan H." What does it all mean? R.E.M. is just beginning to flesh out their politics here and pays homage to a lost childhood with "Cuyahoga," the same Ohio river that caught on fire due to it being so heavily polluted and toxic in 1969.

This album really has so many layers like the peels of an onion, the music, the lyrics, the accompanying vocals layered and subtle, that you will find yourself years later still discovering things with closer listens. Though R.E.M. has put out some briliant music over the years particularly in "New Adventures in Hi Fi," and "Automatic For the People," none reach the watermark set by 1986's "Lifes Rich Pageant." It raves, it rocks, it reels, it rolls. It's a reckoning of a different order, a revolution, musical and deep...a must. One of my top three pieces of music I own and I own a lot.

There I told you I wouldn't do it justice, but don't let your music collection go without this one. There is a difference between what you want and what you need. You need this.

I had no idea that the purchase of this cassette in 1986 would change my musical taste forever. Lifes Rich Pageant is simply perfect from start to finish. REM takes the listener on a roller coaster ride of driving, infectious pop and rich, intelligent ballads with a relevent social motif. I think the band really tried to create a unique album that would be smart and a bit more commercial than the previous four. "Begin the Begin" is a rocker that fittingly starts the album and contains one of Peter Buck's greatest guitar riffs. "Flowers of Guatemala" is a lyrically beautiful song with great harmonies and brilliant vocal layering. "Swan Swan H" and "Cuyahoga" are wonderful reminiscent ballads that add nice texture to the album. Most people are familiar with "Fall on Me" and "Superman" (the two songs that launched REM into the somewhat mainstream). Other great classic REM songs are "These Days", "I Believe", and "Just a Touch". There are no bad songs and like most REM albums, this one should be listened to in its entirety. A MUST!

Okay, so the header isn't true. But R.E.M. did crank up the volume a little bit on "Life's Rich Pageant". There's still a lot of jangle, but now they've added some distortion to the mix. Thus, "Pageant" rocks a lot harder than the band's first three efforts.

But the main reason this album is such a winner is that it contains some of R.E.M.'s best songs. "Begin the Begin" and "These Days" is a killer one-two punch to open the album. Cool riffs, infectious melodies, killer hooks, and even some power chords!

And that's not the end of it. "Hyena" and "Just a Touch" are loose, rowdy, fun rockers. And catchy! Extremely catchy! The band is becoming masterful at crafting hooks at this point. It really shows.

Don't worry, there's plenty of softer moments too. "Fall on Me" is a haunting, beautiful song with a blissful pop chorus. "Cuyahoga" is similar in that regard. And "What If We Give It Away?" is a terrific mid-tempo number that contains one of Michael's prettiest hooks. The vocal harmonies and overdubs on these songs are wonderful.

"The Flowers of Guatemala" is one of R.E.M.'s best songs. It's a power ballad of sorts; the soft & dreamy beginning gradually builds up in volume until launching into a Peter Buck guitar solo. Not one of those "Hey, look at me!" guitar solos either. A brief, but memorable one. It'll probably give you goosebumps.

Other highlights (on an album full of highlights) include the jangly "I Believe" (a clear link to their previous albums), the chilling folk dirge that is "Swan Swan H", and the lighthearted coda "Superman" (a fun cover tune sung by Mike Mills).

You'll also notice that "Pageant" is a bit more politically charged than past R.E.M. albums. This would be an even bigger factor on their breakthrough follow-up, "Document", which is their most overtly political album by far.

Unfortunately, this album is often overlooked by most people (except diehard fans). It's a shame, because "Life's Rich Pageant" is one of R.E.M.'s crowning achievements. In my opinion, the best album of their IRS years. Don't pass it up based on obscurity.

Best Songs: Flowers of Guatemala, What If We Give It Away?, Begin the Begin, Fall on Me, Swan Swan H.

If you read the critics, they cite Murmur or Document as REM's best albums. But this is one of the few times that the critics are absolutely wrong. There is no question that Murmur is a great album, but it is not as accessible as Pagent. And by the time Document came out REM's sound had become very commercial. But Pagent lies in that wonderful but exceedingly rare territory where songs are richly textured and complex but highly accessible. Very few bands have ever been able to pull this combination off. This combination of complexity plus accessibility make it an album that can be listened to over and over. I think its the only album I own that I've listened to over 100 times, and still find fresh. That's why I rate it my favorite album, and the most underrated album I know of.

"Begin the Begin" kicks off one of the best rock albums ever, and that song may be REM's best. Every song is great...even the hidden one! I don't usually comment on these boards, but this one has forced me to let others know about this CD! Typical Stipe lyrics mixed with Buck's pounding...just get it already!!! You won't be sorry!