R.E.M. Live is a live album from R.E.M., recorded at the Point Theatre, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, on February 26 and 27, 2005, the closing nights of the winter European leg of the Around the World Tour in support of their thirteenth studio album Around the Sun, released in late 2004. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2007, and in the United States a day later as a two-CD audio set and a DVD, then released in February 2008 as a triple vinyl set. The performance was filmed by Blue Leach, who also directed Depeche Mode's Touring the Angel: Live in Milan. R.E.M. Live features rare performances of "I Took Your Name" from 1994's Monster and "Ascent of Man" from Around the Sun, as well as the previously unreleased "I'm Gonna DJ". A studio version of that song appeared on the band's 2008 release, Accelerate. On September 26, 2007, the band launched R.E.M. Live Zine to solicit reviews from fans and promote the album. The DVD has the option for stereo or digital 5.1 surround sound.

Album cover

The album cover features an image of Michael Stipe with his stage makeup running when R.E.M. performed in Durban, South Africa, on March 8, 2005. According to Stipe, "It's such an intense picture. It was the hottest recorded stage we ever performed on, in Durban, South Africa. It was 130 degrees recorded on stage. I think that's like an oven. It was insanely hot, and the makeup was dripping off my face. But we used it for a live album cover, and it looked good. I think it was the only time I put my face on an R.E.M. record cover."

Reception

Track listing

All songs written by Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe except as indicated. CD 1 CD 2 The DVD consists of all of the preceding songs, in the same sequence. The original show was February 27, 2005 (except "Electron Blue", from the night before at the same venue) but had a longer setlist, and four songs were cut from the DVD: "Animal", "High Speed Train", "Sweetness Follows", and "The Worst Joke Ever".

Personnel

R.E.M. Additional musicians

Release history

The two-CD/DVD version was first released in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2007 and the United States the following day. A triple vinyl LP was released in the UK on January 21, 2008, with the US release on February 19, 2008.

Certifications