R.E.M.'s "Accelerate" Rehearsal Gigs Turn Into "Olympia" Live LP

In July 2007, R.E.M. booked five nights of shows at Dublin's Olympia Theatre and dubbed the performances as a "working rehearsal" as they tested out new tunes in front of small crowds of die-hard fans (read Rolling Stone's report from one of the gigs here). Many of the songs from the concerts ended up on R.E.M.'s 2008 album Accelerate, and now the highlights from the five shows will be featured on the upcoming double-disc set Live at the Olympia, due out October 27th.

In addition to the 39 tracks from the show, a deluxe version of Olympia will feature concert and backstage footage from French director Vincent Moon. A sampling of Moon's work can be seen in his video for "Living Well Is The Best Revenge," the opening track on both Accelerate and Live at the Olympia, above.

The set includes embryonic versions of Accelerate tracks — the single "Supernatural Superserious" is still called by its original name "Disguised" on this collection — but Olympia also features hits like "So. Central Rain" and "Drive," plus deeper cuts from the band's discography like "Disturbance At the Heron House" and four-fifths of their debut Chronic Town EP. There's also two still-unreleased Accelerate-era tracks, "On the Fly" and "Staring Down the Barrel of the Middle Distance."

Live at the Olympia
Disc 1:
"Living Well Is The Best Revenge"
"Second Guessing"
"Letter Never Sent"
"Staring Down The Barrel of the Middle Distance"
"Disturbance At The Heron House"
"Mr. Richards"
"New Test Leper"
"Cuyahoga"
"Electrolite"
"Man-Sized Wreath"
"So. Central Rain"
"On The Fly"
"Maps And Legends"
"Sitting Still"
"Driver 8"
"Horse To Water"
"I'm Gonna DJ"
"Circus Envy"
"These Days"

Disc 2:
"Drive"
"Feeling Gravity's Pull"
"Until The Day Is Done"
"Accelerate"
"Auctioneer"
"Little America"
"1,000,000"
"Disguised"
"Worst Joke Ever"
"Welcome To the Occupation"
"Carnival of Sorts
"Harbor Coat"
"Wolves, Lower"
"I've Been High"
"Kohoutek"
"West of the Fields"
"Pretty Persuasion"
"Romance"
"Gardening At Night"

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

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