Company Line: The first sound you hear on the album is the first sound that was recorded at the first session at Oceanway studios: Jonny plugging his guitar into an amplifier followed by a percussion track from a nearby lap-top, all recorded live. “The sound of us plugging in and beginning again”. The end result is Radiohead’s most powerful album to date, a musical mind-bomb that issues us all a very direct wake-up call from our slumbers in the comfort zone and asks us to consider what life in the New Millennium really has in store for us.
The Good:
“There, There” – Although gorgeous it’s hard to be appeased for long.
“A Wolf At The Door” – Paranoid is the foundation for a fabulous track.
“A Punchup at a Wedding” – Pure bliss.
The Marginal:
“We Suck Young Blood” – Yes its lovely but it won’t blow you away.
“2+2=5” – Thom Yorke’s voice is lost amidst the musical chaos. One moment you are awash in guitars and drums and then you get nailed by the wall.
“Sit Down. Stand Up” – Gorgeous yet there is no content worth listening to.
“Backdrift” – I wonder yet again if there is something wrong with the band’s ego that they can’t let Yorke’s voice shine.
“Myxamatosis” – Another solid melody lost in a sea of overproduction.
The Ugly:
“The Gloaming” – Maybe I’m not smart enough to get this.
“Go To Sleep” – Yuck.
Frankly: Why in the world do I have to strain to hear his voice and melody? Ever since Ok Computer got such acclaim these guys have tried their hardest to make listening to their music harder and harder. We loved this group because the melodies were beautiful and spoke even when we weren’t sure what in the hell we were getting ourselves into. Hail To The Thief is the most dreadful piece of editing I’ve heard. Can someone send me a copy without the wall of sound? I’d rather get an acoustic record than to hear this tangled mess.
+ rae gun
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