The National have announced the 13 December release of Rome, a 21-track digital and two-LP set recorded live (without overdubs) on 3 June 2024 at the Italian city’s Cavea at Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. The double album, mixed by longtime collaborator Peter Katis, spans the band’s 20-plus years of songwriting and reveals how each song has taken on a new life in its live performance. “You have to see this band live” is often said about The National, and now, Rome is the next best thing to actually being there. Pre-order is available HERE.
Members of the band’s Cherry Tree fan club will have the opportunity to purchase an exclusive, tricolour triple-LP featuring five additional songs to complete the 26-song set on coloured vinyl that pays homage to the Italian flag.
The band has shared a four-song EP titled NTL RM EP I, featuring Rome highlights ‘I Need My Girl’, ‘Lemonworld’, ‘The Geese of Beverly Road’ and ‘Lit Up’. Listen HERE.
Rome is the definitive live document of The National. Recorded at the architecturally stunning venue Parco Della Musica Ennio Morricone, named for the famed Italian film composer, the 21-track LP showcases scintillating versions of beloved songs like ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’, ‘Don’t Swallow the Cap’, ‘I Need My Girl’, ‘The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness’, ‘England’ and ‘Fake Empire’; plus sharpened readings of recent tracks ‘Eucalyptus’, ‘New Order T-Shirt’, ‘Tropic Morning News’ and the boundary pushing ‘Smoke Detector’.
Reflecting how the band changes set lists significantly from night to night to cast fresh light on hidden gems from the catalogue, Rome is marked by rarities such as show opener ‘Runaway’, ‘Lemonworld’, ‘The Geese of Beverly Road’, ‘Lit Up’ and a tour de force pairing of ‘Humiliation’ from the critically acclaimed album Trouble Will Find Me into Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers’ ‘Murder Me Rachael’.
The Rome encore features the election anthem ‘Mr. November’, and, from High Violet, ‘Terrible Love’ and the show-closing fan singalong, ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’.
In their live show review, The Guardian called The National “an era-defining band at the peak of their powers…as this stunning two-and-a-half-hour epic becomes a communal catharsis.” Rolling Stone UK also said “it’s clear that the band…have deserved their place at the top table for a decade now…A show that’s simply euphoric, and sees the band reaching a new peak.”
ROME TRACKLISTING:
FORMATS: Standard Black 2xLP | White 2xLP (Indie Retail only) | 2xCD | White/Red/Green 3xLP (Cherry Tree only)
Side A
- Runaway
- Eucalyptus
- Tropic Morning News
- New Order T-Shirt
- Don’t Swallow The Cap
Side B
- Bloodbuzz Ohio
- The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness
- I Need My Girl
- Lemonworld
- The Geese of Beverly Road
- Lit Up
Side C
- Alien
- Humiliation
- Murder Me Rachael
- England
- Graceless
Side D
- Fake Empire
- Smoke Detector
- Mr November
- Terrible Love
- Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
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