Calling Out

R.E.M. have released an old/ new EP, a bit unexpectedly maybe. Despite being resolutely still split up the band members' opposition to the Trump government is something that is stirring them into action. One of the many actions of Trump in his first hundred days in office- as well as tanking the global economy and uprooting the global order while destroying any/ all trust in the US internationally, oh and selling Ukraine out while promising to take Canada as a state while turning Gaza into prime real estate while supporting Israel's continued destruction of the Palestinian people and their homes- was to cut all funding to Radio Free Europe, a US backed radio/ media outlet that promotes democracy abroad. RFE may have a checkered history- it was funded by the CIA as part of its Cold War weaponry until 1972 but in recent years it's been seen as a force for good and has been banned by among others Russia and Belarus, neither state being remotely democratic, and it won awards for its coverage of the war in Ukraine. Trump cut the station's funding by Executive Order in March.

R.E.M.'s song Radio Free Europe was their debut single way back in 1981, a song that showed how good they were from the start- raw, fast indie rock, shot through with both something from post- punk and something very southern, Stipe's mumbled words tumbling over Peter Buck's guitars. The very first session R.E.M. had with producer Mitch Easter at his Drive In Studio resulted in three songs- Radio Free Europe, Sitting Still and Wh. Tornado. All three have been released on the new Radio Free Europe EP along with a brand new Jacknife Lee remix of Radio Free Europe and more interestingly, a Mitch Easter remix, unreleased since 1981. The remix, the Radio Free Dub, is a bit of a wonder, an off kilter and sideways version of the song, lots of murky echo and some stuttering FX on the vocal, the guitars and bass submerging and emerging. The five song EP can be bought at R.E.M.'s Bandcamp page, with proceeds going to help fund Radio Free Europe.

The 25th anniversary double CD editions of R.E.M''s albums came with some choice extras- both the Murmur and Reckoning editions had full early 80s live gigs as disc two. The Murmur live show was from Larry's Hideaway, Toronto in 1983, the band in blistering form in a small venue, Mr. Stipe ringing out loud and clear, playing Radio Free Europe thirteen songs into a sixteen song set.

Radio Free Europe (Live at Larry's Hideaway, Toronto 1983)

A year later in Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom they played it early, second song in after opening with their Velvet Underground cover Femme Fatale. 'Put that put that put that up your wall/ That this isn't country at all'.  

Radio Free Europe (Live at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago 1984)