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Live At The Olympia - R.E.M.
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. The A.V. Club
    91
    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.
  2. No Ripcord
    80
    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.
  3. Uncut
    80
    In 39 tracks over two CDs, the punk-fuelled folk-rock group that had ruled the '80s along with U2 magically reappears.
  4. All Music Guide
    80
    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.
  5. Q Magazine
    80
    Live At The Olympia more than stands up as a vital, vibrant document in its own right. [Dec 2009, p.118]
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  6. Pitchfork
    74
    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.
  7. Paste Magazine
    71
    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.
  8. Slant Magazine
    70
    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.
  9. Rolling Stone
    60
    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.
  10. NOW Magazine
    60
    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.
  11. Mojo
    40
    Clearly the thrill of hearing new songs in their embryonic state could never be replicated, but as rendered in such pristine isolation even the cavalier back catalogue selections (rarely played early classic 1,000,000;one-that-got-away Romance) fell flat. [Dec 2009, p. 95]
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User Reviews

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User Score
9.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Ricko
    9
    Although technically a live album, as the sleeve of the album states "This is not a show". Recorded over several nights in Ireland's best venue to see a band, The Olympia in Dublin, this was a mini residency where REM worked on and tested out new songs that were to appear on their forthcoming album Accelerate. Along with work in progress versions of Accelerate tracks, this double album has tracks from throughout the bands career. There are very few of their massive hits on this with Drive and Electrolite the most widely known. The majority of the material comes from their pre Out of Time era. The quality of the songs is amazing throughout, the standard of the recording is excellent and the band are in top form here. A couple of the songs have interesting explanations about their origins as well. The older stuff still sounds amazingly fresh and vibrant. Not so sure it's a record you'd give to someone as an introduction to REM but for the many fans of the band already out there it's a must, have especially now that the band are no more.… Full Review »
  2. MiguelA.
    10
    Amazing live album, great set list, good sound and top performance.
  3. JimmyR.
    10
    A real treat for fans, and a great intro to the band for new fans.
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