In the last two years, R.E.M. seems to have been revisiting their desire to release live material. Prior to 2007, the only official live R.E.M. recordings came through concert films, obscure b-sides, and bonus tracks. But in 2007, the band released Live, a fairly lackluster concert album and DVD that featured the band’s big hits, but didn’t really capture the fire the band can have in concert. This was followed with the release of two previously unreleased concerts packaged with the reissues of Murmer and Reckoning. Both were recorded early in the band’s career, when they were touring non-stop and before they had reached the massive heights that they had by the time 1994′s Automatic for the People came out. The contrast between the older shows and Live is vast, but not just because the performers themselves had gotten old. In the early 1980s, R.E.M. had a relatively small catalog, mostly full of quick rockers and no huge hits, but by 2007, fans expected to hear classics like “Man on the Moon,” “Losing My Religion,” and “Everybody Hurts.” Live also suffered from its use of material from 2005′s Around the Sun, which is easily the band’s worst record to date.
But before the shows that comprised Live were recorded, the band did a five night stand at the Olympia in Dublin which were essentially live rehearsals of material new and old, which gives us this newest release. For these shows, the band largely forgot about the material post-1990, save for a few tracks here and there. As a result, Live at the Olympia is largely comprised of early tracks, forgotten fan favorites, and songs that would appear on their return to form record, Accelerate. While this may deter casual fans and listeners unfamiliar with R.E.M., it is a two-disc run through of the some of the band’s best material that greatest hits compilations have forgotten.
During the tour for Around the Sun in 2004-2005, the band had seemed to be somewhat disconnected from one another. It’s to be expected that after 20+ years, they might not want to hang out all the time, but they seemed to be going through the motions live. Live at the Olympia totally contradicts this idea. They joke with each other about new songs, play each others’ favorites, and have the occasional slip up. The band is loose, and it sounds like it. On the opener, “Living Well is the Best Revenge,” it sounds like their instruments will break from playing them too hard. “Disturbance at the Heron House” has a miscue before beginning, but for a song that hasn’t been predominately featured in 20 years, it sounds awfully good. Even the banter is loose. Before “1,000,000,” Michael Stipe jokes, “Lots of death in this one too, I don’t know where I was in the early 80s.”
Live at the Olympia may not be the first R.E.M. compilation I’d urge new listeners to pick up (check out the best of the IRS years comp And I Feel Fine), but if you know their big hits and want to hear some of their best songs outside of them, Live at the Olympia is a must listen. Not only do you get to hear a great band rejuvenating itself, but you get to hear a great band play some of their best work. Songs like “New Test Leper” and “Harborcoat” are not songs you’d know if you didn’t know R.E.M., but they sound terrific here and are worth your time if you’re willing to listen.
Michael’s Grade: 86
Tangled Up In Wires Grade: A
Michael
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