. M . ▁played ▁a ▁five - night ▁series ▁of ▁shows ▁at ▁the ▁Olymp ia ▁Theatre , ▁Dublin , ▁Ireland . ▁In ▁this ▁series ▁of ▁shows — d ub bed ▁" working ▁re he ars als " ▁by ▁the ▁band , ▁many ▁songs ▁on ▁Acc eler ate ▁were ▁deb uted , ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁still ▁as ▁works ▁in ▁progress . ▁These ▁performances ▁would ▁later ▁be ▁released ▁as ▁Live ▁at ▁The ▁Olymp ia ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ur ging ▁of ▁The ▁Edge ▁of ▁U 2 , ▁R . E . M . ▁chose ▁to ▁record ▁the ▁album ▁with ▁producer ▁Jack n ife ▁Lee . ▁Following ▁the ▁Olymp ia ▁Theatre ▁res iden cy , ▁R . E . M . ▁scheduled ▁three - week ▁recording ▁sessions ▁in ▁three ▁different ▁cities ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁keep ▁its ▁focus . ▁The ▁tight ▁recording ▁schedule ▁prevent ed ▁St ipe ▁from ▁sp ending ▁too ▁much ▁time ▁working ▁on ▁his ▁lyr ics ▁and ▁vocal ▁parts . ▁St ipe ▁told ▁Sp in , ▁" I ▁work ▁really ▁well ▁under ▁pressure , ▁and ▁the ▁guys ▁know ▁that ▁all ▁too ▁well ... ▁So ▁the ▁pace ▁forced ▁me ▁to ▁kind ▁of ▁sp it ▁stuff ▁out ." ▁The ▁group ▁mixed ▁the ▁album ▁in ▁a ▁London ▁studio ▁in ▁ 1 0 ▁days . ▁Regarding ▁the ▁recording ▁process , ▁St ipe ▁said , ▁" We ▁spent ▁less ▁time ▁making ▁this ▁record ▁than ▁we ▁have ▁in ▁ 2 0 ▁years ." ▁ ▁Music ▁The ▁members ▁of ▁R . E . M .