Fables of the Reconstruction
1985 studio album by R.E.M.
Fables of the Reconstruction (or Reconstruction of the Fables) is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released on June 10, 1985, through I.R.S. Records. It was the band's first album recorded outside of the U.S., with sessions taking place at Livingston Studios in London with producer Joe Boyd. The record displays a darker, murkier sound than its predecessors, with lyrics drawing from Southern Gothic themes and characters. The album also utilizes more varied instrumentation, including string and brass arrangements and banjo.
Critical reception to Fables of the Reconstruction was positive, with many reviews noting its folk elements and murky tone. Retrospectively, it has also been viewed as a transitional album, retaining the sound and obscure themes of the band's early work while hinting at the experimentation with acoustic instrumentation that would be present on their later albums. The album's sales reflected R.E.M.'s growing popularity, with it becoming their second album to reach the top 30 in the US and first to make the top 40 in the UK. It was later certified Gold by the RIAA in 1991. While none of its singles achieved mainstream chart success, "Driver 8" has since become one of R.E.M.'s best-known and most-covered songs from their early period.
Production
After working with Don Dixon and Mitch Easter on their first two albums, Murmur (1983) and Reckoning (1984), R.E.M. decided to work with a different producer for their next album. Those considered to produce the album included Van Dyke Parks, Hugh Padgham (who had been achieving great success with his work with acts such as the Police and Genesis), Elliot Mazer (known for working with Neil Young), and Elvis Costello.
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This entry incorporates text from “Fables of the Reconstruction” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.