Review 1 of 4

hamsandwitch writes:

4of 5 Stars

I still find OK computer to be my favorite of there albums, but i have listened to Hail many more times. What draws me to this album is it is more laid back, the band sounds more confident than it did on previous outings. Also the jazz influences they have are put to much better use on this album. Like sail to the moon which sounds like it could be a very simple Thelonious monk track. When i first heard radioheds prior albums, and i saw what they look like in the "meeting people is easy" documentary, the first thing that came to my mind is "My god, these guys are warlocks." I mean there music even sounds like they sit in the mountins and brew musical spells. And this is the first album they really touch down on that, in "the gloaming." But hey, if being a warlock means making music this good, maybe black magic should become a standard practice for all aspiring musicians.

Apr 18, 2007 17:25:47

Review 2 of 4

spinwithagrin writes:

5of 5 Stars

i have sat back and listen as people quibbled with Radiohead's last 2 albums (Kid A & Amnesiac), with the general complaint that they had "gotten away from their fan base" and become "self-indulgent". And while The Bends an OKC were both brilliant albums, I think people failed to see that really, at their core, Radiohead sound like 'Kid A'. Claustrophobic....funky.....dark.....electronic....melodic....all at the same time. When they expand on that to ballads or guitar rock, they still have Kid A at the center. Anyone who has seen them live (i've been lucky to 10 times) can attest to that. 'Hail to the thief' is striking to me, because it seems to combine the best parts of their last 4 CD's, whether it was intentional or not. Beautiful piano....staggering bass lines....triumphant walls of guitar.....frantic electronica.....all tied down by the lyrics of Thom Yorke, who has established himself as hands down the best frontman of the last 15 years. I mean seriously - when was the last time you heard a Radiohead song and thought, "well.....he was just trying to find something that rhymed there...." - just effortless, completely efficient use of lyrics. This album still gives me chills, 1,000+ listens in.....what more can you say?

Dec 5, 2006 09:54:50

Review 3 of 4

Karamazov writes:

5of 5 Stars

Only two months ago, the only Radiohead songs that came to my mind were "Creep" and "Street Spirit". Then I heard that one of the most beautiful songs in history, the newly crowned Bohemian Rapsody, was Radiohead's "Paranoid Android". So I became curious. My fascination with Led Zeppelin had also started with only 3 songs and it lasted for years. One day, while passing a CD store, I glimpsed the name Radiohead in the window. One hour later the Hail To The Thief album was in my stereo.

My first impression was "what the heck is this? where is the clean sound from Street Spirit, the haunting voices from Paranoid Android, the frustrated teenager from Creep?". I tried to hang on to hope, but song after song I became more and more frustrated. And then...

It started with "I Will". Clean guitar and haunting voices. Just what I asked for. A mournful song of pain and hope. "Well, one good song on an album isn't all that bad", I thought. Somehow I got to the last song. I was washing dishes or writing some papers, bored beyond words. And when "A wolf at the door" reached it's middle part, I froze. I couldn't believe my ears. This was not a SONG, it didn't have a clear melody and I couldn't even understand the lyrics. It was like a Jimi Hendrix solo, you just FLY. Or sink, as in the case of Radiohead. A falling sensation which I can only compare to the despair of death.

I found myself listening over and over to that song. And then I figured that this was the secret of Radiohead. It's all about feelings and images. You can't dance or make up with your girl on this music. Ok, don't take me for a Beyonce fan. I love this stuff, I just wasn't prepared to find it in a Radiohead album. And what a surprise. Not only can they make great music, or write great lyrics. They actually make a statement in each album. Not the Eminem-like "leave me the fudge alone you crazy fans" statements, but the "this is how I see the world, and this is what needs to change" statements. And all wrapped in the perfect package of a new style of music, a unique and haunting sound.

Others make the mistake of analizing each song. But each song is perfect when you listen to the entire album and just weird when taken alone. Each has a role, and the rock sound of "2+2=5", the slow pace of "Sail to the moon", the rough sound of "Backdrifts", the horror-like feeling of "We suck young blood", the electronic haze of "Myxamatosis" and finally, the despair of "Wolf at the door" all add up so well, that the cd will just keep on playing for hours.

This album is like a Pink Floyd album, complete and perfectly linked songs which tell a story and leave you with something new inside. This isn't great music. It's what great music should sound like. A mature statement from a mature band.

Even more, it was my first meeting with the sound of Radiohead. After that I started gathering up all their albums. And what I like about them is that they EVOLVE. Each album is different. And as a personal opinion, Hail To The Thief is their best. Not as easy to listen to as OK Computer is. And not as hard to understand as Kid A. It also doesn't have the "B-side" feeling of Amnesiac. It's a great, probably underestimated picture of the post 2001 era. Only time will tell if this will remain a timeless masterpiece. If not, I really hope Radiohead will take their vengeance by releasing a Coldplay-like album and shut everyone up. Because when you mess up something, people will really start to appreciate the earlier "good times". Just see what Led Zeppelin did after the fourth album...

Nov 15, 2006 08:45:50

Review 4 of 4

shibbylayla writes:

5of 5 Stars

absolutely fucking brilliant.

Jan 7, 2006 13:52:37