They may have vanished for about five years out of this decade, but they’ve been making up for it lately. Athen’s own R.E.M. continues to surprise its many, many fans. Last week it was the splendid reissue of their 1984 landmark album Reckoning, now comes word that they’re prepping both a doube-disc live album and a shorter live EP to kick around, too. What frequency do these guys work off, anyways?
Cheesy puns aside, this new stuff sounds pretty cool. First and foremost is the upcoming live album we discussed months back, R.E.M. Live at the Olympia, which will carry two discs and come down with the leaves around fall. If you don’t recall (or are too lazy to click back), the sure-to-be-epic live recording focuses on the band’s shows around summer of 2007, specifically their Dublin recordings, where they tested out most of the material off of last year’s kick ass comeback album, Accelerate.
Next up is the new mini-EP, Reckoning Songs From the Olympia. This one’s a real charmer, albeit minor and swift, featuring more 2007 live recordings from Dublin of, wouldn’t you know it, Reckoning material. Could this be a publicity stunt to support that deluxe reissue? Oh, we think so. Regardless, come July 7th, we’ll naturally be picking this one up for the ol’ collection.Though we might “Second Guess(ing)” ourselves.
Oh, ha! Fit another one in!
Reckoning Songs From the Olympia EP Tracklist:
01. Harborcoat
02. Letter Never Sent
03. Second Guessing
04. Pretty Persuasion
