On October 26th, R.E.M. will release R.E.M. LIVE AT THE OLYMPIA, a two-CD set featuring 39 songs from the band's acclaimed 2007 working rehearsals in Dublin, Ireland.

"Live At The Olympia" ventures back to the first week in July 2007, when R.E.M. set up camp at the venerable Olympia Theatre in Ireland's capital city and tested new material over five nights before fired-up, capacity crowds comprised of fan club members, friends, family, and fans from all over the world who were party to R.E.M.'s so-called "experiment in terror." "We were just trying to do something we hadn't done before," said guitarist Peter Buck, "which meant there was no relaxing during the set. Every second we were playing something we didn't know all that well. Which was kind of good... there were all kinds of terror elements going on during that show."

R.E.M. WORKS ON NEW ALBUM, SHARES IN-STUDIO PHOTOS

R.E.M. is working on a new album! Now, before you fanboys/girls get too excited, speculating as to whether or not the new offering will top Accelerate, pale in comparison to both the recent and forthcoming reissues, and so on, note that the band's currently amidst the "early, early demo days" for the album.

 "This past week, Peter Buck and Mike Mills of R.E.M. spent a few days with producer Jacknife Lee in Portland's Jackpot Recording Studio. It is early, early demo days for the next record, which is still a ways away. Also involved last week were longtime confederates Bill Rieflin and Scott McCaughey, as well as noted engineer/producer Tucker Martine."

RECKONING ANNIVERSARY REISSUE WITH BONUS DISC DUE OUT IN JUNE 

On June 23, 2009, Universal Music will release Reckoning - Deluxe Edition (I.R.S./A&M/UMe), a two-CD set, featuring the original album remastered, plus a bonus disc of a previously unreleased concert recorded during the band’s "Little America" tour at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom on July 7, 1984 (broadcast on WXRT) (see the clip just below the news from 6-9-84 for a glimpse of R.E.M. Live circa Reckoning). In addition, Reckoning and R.E.M’s 1983 debut album Murmur will be simultaneously reissued on audiophile quality 180 gram vinyl in their complete original packaging.

On the Deluxe Edition’s bonus disc, the band performs eight of Reckoning’s ten songs at the Aragon as well as “Gardening At Night” from 1982’s Chronic Town EP and “Radio Free Europe,” “9-9” and “Sitting Still” from Murmur.