Lifes Rich Pageant is the fourth album by R.E.M. and was released in 1986. Intended as an upbeat reaction to the sobering and historical Fables of the Reconstruction, R.E.M. chose Don Gehman to produce the album at his Belmont Mall Studios in Belmont, Indiana.
The title of the album is based on an English idiom. Its use is very old, but R.E.M.'s use (minus the apostrophe) is, according to Peter Buck, from the 1964 film A Shot in the Dark:
The title of the album is based on an English idiom. Its use is very old, but R.E.M.'s use (minus the apostrophe) is, according to Peter Buck, from the 1964 film A Shot in the Dark:
Inspector Clouseau opens car door and falls into a puddle.
Maria: "You should get out of these clothes immediately. You'll catch your death of pneumonia, you will."
Clouseau: "Yes, I probably will. But it's all part of life's rich pageant, you know."
Track List:
All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, except where noted.
1. "Begin the Begin" – 3:28
2. "These Days" – 3:24
3. "Fall on Me" – 2:50
4. "Cuyahoga" – 4:19
5. "Hyena" – 2:50
6. "Underneath the Bunker" – 1:25
7. "The Flowers of Guatemala" – 3:55
8. "I Believe" – 3:49
9. "What If We Give It Away?" – 3:33
10. "Just a Touch" – 3:00
11. "Swan Swan H" – 2:42
12. "Superman" (Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler) – 2:52
The IRS Years reissue:
On January 26, 1993, EMI, which owns the I.R.S. catalogue, re-released Lifes Rich Pageant with six bonus tracks:
13. "Tired of Singing Trouble" - Previously unreleased
14. "Rotary Ten" - B-side of "Fall On Me" 7 inch US
15. "Toys in the Attic" (Steve Tyler, Joe Perry) - B-side of "Fall On Me" 12 inch UK
16. "Just a Touch" (Live in the Studio)
17. "Dream (All I Have to Do)" - Originally released on the soundtrack to the film Athens, GA: Inside Out, 1987
18. "Swan Swan H" (Acoustic version) - Originally released on the soundtrack to the film Athens, GA: Inside Out, 1987
19. "Rotary Ten" and "Toys in the Attic" - can be found on Dead Letter Office.
