"I can watch and not take part, where I end and where you start."
In the early noughties, it appeared that Radiohead had painted themselves into a corner artistically. Having largely traded in the "PoMo" Art-Rock of The Bends and OK Computer for the glitchy electronic textures of Kid A and its sister album Amnesiac, it seemed to set them up for the inevitable "return to form" or for official resident status in Autechreland. As a resolution to this cliffhanger, Hail to the Thief seems, on the surface, to indicate the former, as many of its songs are certainly more conventional in sound and structure than those found on its two predecessors. However, it quickly becomes apparent upon further listens that Radiohead is attempting to integrate both aesthetic inclinations into something new, both organic and electronic, both melodically inviting and chillingly alienating. In a way, Hail to the Thief can be viewed as the last album on which Radiohead was unselfconsciously pursuing their sonic muse; it's follow-up, In Rainbows, seemed much more preoccupied with the band's legacy than with sonic inventiveness. A truly underrated album.
Hail to the Thief (2009 Special Collector's Edition)
1. 2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm) (3:19)
2. Sit Down Stand Up (Snakes & Ladders) (4:20)
3. Sail to the Moon (Brush the Cobwebs Out of the Sky) (4:18)
4. Backdrifts (Honeymoon Is Over) (5:23)
5. Go to Sleep (Little Man Being Erased) (3:22)
6. Where I End and You Begin (The Sky Is Falling In) (4:29)
7. We Suck Young Blood (Your Time Is Up) (4:57)
8. The Gloaming (Softly Open Our Mouths in the Cold) (3:32)
9. There There (The Boney King of Nowhere) (5:24)
10. I Will (No Man's Land) (1:59)
11. A Punchup at a Wedding (No No No No No No No No) (4:57)
12. Myxomatosis (Judge, Jury & Executioner) (3:53)
13. Scatterbrain (As Dead as Leaves) (3:22)
14. A Wolf at the Door (It Girl. Rag Doll) (3:21)
Bonus Disc
1. Paperbag Writer (There There EP) (3:58)
2. Where Bluebirds Fly (There There EP) (4:31)
3. I Am Citizen Insane (Go to Sleep EP) (3:33)
4. Fog (Again) (Live, Go to Sleep EP) (2:18)
5. Gagging Order (Go to Sleep EP) (3:36)
6. I Am a Wicked Child (Go to Sleep EP) (3:06)
7. Remyxomatosis (Cristian Vogel RMX) (2+2=5 EP) (5:10)
8. There There (First Demo) (2+2=5 EP) (7:45)
9. Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix) (2+2=5 EP) (4:25)
10. I Will (Los Angeles Version) (2+2=5 EP) (2:23)
11. Sail to the Moon (BBC Radio 1's Jo Whiley's Live Lounge, 5/28/2003) (4:11)
12. 2 + 2 = 5 (Live at Earls Court) (Com Lag) (3:35)
13. Go to Sleep (Zane Lowe, 12/8/2003) (3:32)
Yess! Need this one to complete RH flac discog. Thanks.
ReplyDeletereally appreciate this man. love the blog btw.
ReplyDeleteJo Jo, I bet I surprised you with this one ;)
ReplyDeleteZackyJ, my pleasure. Thanks for the great request and the compliment on the blog. I'd be honored if you hit the "follow" button :)
ReplyDeleteTHANKSSS!!! have you got Jeff Beck honoring Les Paul? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI had this in Mp3 and not flac! How can this be?
ReplyDeletescurfie, it seems a lot of people were missing this one in FLAC
ReplyDeleteAnon. I don't have the Beck album, but I'll keep an eye out
ReplyDeleteofficially followed. definitely gonna be checkin this blog out a lot.
ReplyDeleteZackyJ, thank you! Let me know if you have any other requests. If I have/find it, I'll post here or at WLIL!
ReplyDeleteThe "I Will" Los Angeles Version is not the LA version.
ReplyDeleteThanks - looking forward to giving this a spin (or at least the "digital" equivalent!)
ReplyDeleteAnon. it's listed as "Los Angeles" version on the CD's packaging. What are you comparing it to, the "2+2=5" EP?
ReplyDeleteRalph Dodger, you're welcome!
ReplyDeleteI was comparing it to the Los Angeles version on the ComLag ep, which had this really nice rhythm section
ReplyDeleteAnon. my guess is "I Will" (Los Angeles Version) from the collector's edition is the version on the "2+2=5" EP, and the version on "Com Lag" is a different mix. Strange why they would both be called Los Angeles version though.
ReplyDelete