Lifes Rich Pageant

1986年発表された4枚目のアルバムがLPで登場。全米チャート21位という当時のバンド最高記録を更新して、ゴールド・ディスクを獲得。

Rolling Stone (p.74) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]hey went bigger and bolder, stepping toward radio-friendliness while retaining their iconclastic spirit." Spin (p.80) - "[T]heir cleanest, biggest-sounding production and most straightforwardly bold political statement." Uncut (p.102) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "PAGEANT is where REM properly admit to themselves the degree to which they're a Southern rock band....A startlingly great leap forward." CMJ (1/5/04, p.18) - Ranked #12 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1986" Q (Magazine) (p.128) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[H]ope, rebirth and fears for an uncertain future were the album's themes..." NME (Magazine) (9/6/97, p.53) - "...Rickenbacker jangles and increasingly audible lyrics to the fore, ...PAGEANT is the sound of an REM completely jarred off with their 'indie darlings' tag and duly picking up proper FM airplay..." Paste (magazine) - "[I]t shines a giant and unmistakable signal toward the direct and poppy approach the band would undertake on their next few albums..." Pitchfork (Website) - "[The album was] their most overtly political collection, with songs addressing environmental crises and political malaise." Record Collector (magazine) (p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[B]y LIFE'S RICH PAGEANT they were touring hard, were world-wise as a result and, to put it crudely, rocked."