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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Live At The Olympia
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 10 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Warner Bros.
Release Date: 27 October 2009
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Alternative, Live
Summary
The second live recording for the band features songs from its five-night residency at Dublin, Ireland's Olympia Theatre in 2007.
Also By This Artist: Accelerate Around The Sun R.E.M Live Reveal
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Though it isn’t a concept album, Live At The Olympia does tell a story about the remarkable staying power of one of the best rock bands of the past 30 years.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
A tighter, cleaner band than the scruffy renegades of the '80s, but still the same band, which is evident here in ways it never was on the perfectly fine R.E.M. Live. That was a production. This is rock & roll.
Read Full Review >No Ripcord
It’s a bold, enchanting and captivating record that is of genuine interest to hear, as opposed to a long drawn out chore, which an album like this it could have so easily been.
Read Full Review >Uncut
In 39 tracks over two CDs, the punk-fuelled folk-rock group that had ruled the ’80s along with U2 magically reappears.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Live At The Olympia more than stands up as a vital, vibrant document in its own right. [Dec 2009]
Pitchfork
The notion of a 2xCD set of rehearsal recordings smacks of unnecessary indulgence, but whether you take this as an alternative canon of R.E.M. music or a document of a band working hard to find its future by revisiting its past, the album is successful in providing a new perspective on a classic group desperately in need of a new narrative thread.
Read Full Review >Paste Magazine
While the recording and performance are at times a little ragged in voice and tone, the band’s earlier semi-punk instincts ring through and its taste remains impeccable.
Read Full Review >Slant Magazine
Given the quality of the performances and the depth of the song selection, Olympia is not simply a for-fans-only vanity project or an excuse to revisit an album that's just over a year old, but it stands as an essential addition to R.E.M.'s catalogue.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
The stitching is tighter now, and drummer Bill Rieflin often holds things together too neatly. But when songs fray--see 'Harborcoat'-- it's the sound of imperfection perfected.
Read Full Review >NOW Magazine
The band sounds like it’s trying to rejuvenate itself, thus injecting the release with a certain energy and vitality that "R.E.M. Live" lacked.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.7 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Miguel A. gave it a10:
Amazing live album, great set list, good sound and top performance.
Jimmy R. gave it a10:
A real treat for fans, and a great intro to the band for new fans.
