Ottawa XPress - Music - Spin - Hail to the Thief

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June 5th, 2003
Radiohead - Parlophone/EMI

Hail to the Thief
M-J Milloy

Unlike Kid A and Amnesiac, it's possible to listen to most of this album and feel it's the product of five humans, and not what the studio computers compiled while the lads popped out for tea. Thom Yorke's voice - a beautiful and impressive instrument - is front and centre as on the spare, gorgeous Sail to the Moon. Likewise, Radiohead have pulled out of the electronic miasma of the last two discs, but this is not the long-rumoured return to the forms of their early albums. It lacks the passion of those and the shock of the new. It is a solid album with two or three good songs (and one or two embarrassments) and nothing more. If it proves anything, it's that an Oxford accent and vaguely anxious lyrics married to lots of minor chord progressions is currently the quickest route to mass critical success. (M-J Milloy)


	Write your review of this record !

An album that nobody else would dare to try

It took me a good 15 listens before really get into the album. Is it a bad

thing? Not at all. In my opinion HTTT is not as good as their 4 previous albums. It is impossible to say that it is a deceiving album though. Thom said once that music does not evolves, it moves. I can't agree more, any of their albums are similar and you can't really see an evolution from one to another. I've probably listen too much to Radiohead and I

see huge differences between each songs. In my opinion HTTT is not a return to

OKC or the Bends sound. Im tired to hear that Radiohead should come back to their old sound. Don't get me wrong, OKC is my favorite all-time album and The Bends is in

my top 5 but I wish Radiohead is never going come back to the sound of those

albums and they'll continue to explore new sounds. If you want a band that always

sounds the same listen to Nickelback.

Presently no groups can picture (in an album) occidental society state of mind like

Radiohead and HTTT is no exception. It captures perfectly the post-Irak invasion climate. We feel the fear of a new world conflict possibility 20 years after the Cold War. This fear is felt through words and atmosphere. A general idea felt especially at the beginning of the album (2+2=5, Sail to the Moon) is the desire to leave this world, where pollution is destroying the planet, children are starving to death, countries are making war for oil, political actions is useless because of corruption.

Because of this climate I would say that HTTT is the darkest album Radiohead made so far. During more happy moments (Punchup at the wedding, A wolf at the door), you listen creafully to the lyrics and you realize that this song is even darker than the previous one. Musically, I don't like We Suck Young Blood and I Will, but just like Fitter Happier, I am still glad they appear on an album because they have an important message and they explore sounds and musical structure nobody else even dare to do.

Maxime Rousselle

{23 votes}

April 11th, 2005

Back to save the universe!

Reviewing Radiohead is tricky. With The Bends and its stellar follow up OK Computer, Radiohead set themselves up as the most lauded, critically applauded band on the planet. Their documentary film Meeting People Is Easy showed just what a tremendous burden such acclaim can become. And so, most likely in an effort to reclaim their own sanity, Radiohead did the unthinkable. They tried to shirk their roles as the saviours of modern rock by scaring away all the fairweather fans with two albums of dense twisted electronic minefields. But while Kid A and its conjoined twin Amnesiac did manage to alienate Radiohead from many listeners, they only cemented the critical opinion of Radiohead as one of the most forward thinking modern rock acts.

So where does that leave us with Hail To The Thief? Simply put, this album is the sound of the 21st century. While never eschewing any of their influences (R.E.M., Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin) Radiohead have managed to create something so different from everything else out there that comparisons to any other bands must forever cease.

HTTT blatantly pinches the best from every one of their previous discs, as if they threw them all in a blender. The opener "2+2=5" steals from "Paranoid Android", while "There There" rolls along reminiscent to "Optimistic". "Sail To Moon" is "Pyramid Song"'s younger cousin, while "Scatterbrain" is indebted to "Sulk". And although there are a couple mis-steps ("We Suck Young Blood" and "I Will") the overall effect is impressive because Radiohead have finally balanced their experimental electronic effects fetish with the guitar based sound they are known and loved for.

Radiohead have declared they will be almost unrecognizable a couple years from now as they push the limits of modern rock music, and after seeing them perform live, I can see this happening already. With HTTT however, they have created a testament to all their previous efforts, while leaving the way open for whatever comes next.

Leonard Andermann

{14 votes}

April 19th, 2004

A Very Difficult Album!

I would wholeheartedly agree that this a tough album. It is not as easily accessible as the great great The Bends not the sublime Pablo Honey. It is complex album, from a complex band, that requires a lot of patience on the part of the listener. Stick with it as it worth the effort. Another great one from Radiohead!

Reuven De Souza

{1 vote}

March 28th, 2007

Radiohead - Hail to Bush!

Much of the album, like their first single, "There There" at first listen sounds a little odd, but as you let it sink in (after a few listens) it begins to grow on you and you'll find it difficult to shake off. The tunes are great. Tracks like "2+2=5", "Sit Down. Stand Up" breathe the very existence that is Radiohead.

"We Suck Young Blood" has an interesting and complex vibe by the gloomy piano and almost hypnotic handclaps. Being a Radiohead album, the obvious is barely going to make an appearance, as a jazzy break at what appears to be a random time helps chop up the album, but it's not until "The Gloaming" does the real headjob begin. Give this a shot through the headphones and you'll walk away feeling like you've been spun through your washing machine on spin dry for hours.

It was a while since Radiohead had released an album that is easier to relate to. Still the intelligent and other-worldly, it's a welcome return to a more starightforward rock-sounding album.

Angelo Antonio Vernucci

{2 votes}

March 1st, 2006

OK Computer

I have to start this off by saying that I am a huge Radiohead fan and I truly wanted Hail To The Thief to be a great album. At the end of it all, Radiohead simply proved to me that these guys are still great musicians and they're still able to create some great albums.

Hail To The Thief, like all of their other albums, is the type of album that truly does grow on you. The first time you listen to this album, you probably won't enjoy it and might actually be disapointed. However, all of Radiohead's albums are like that. They're very mellow and very soft and some people will even say that their music is actually boring.

On Hail To The Thief, you won't get any fast songs. You'll get some slow songs that inspire you and have a lot of mellow moments. My personal favorite is '2+2=5' as that song inspires me and touches me everytime I listen to it. Sadly, this CD was not as good as their best release OK Computer... but it is a solid release nonetheless!

Patricia Stevenson

{1 vote}

April 12th, 2005

Hail to the band

"Hail to the Thief" in my books could and should be debated to be hailed the "best album ever created". From opening guitar plug in heard on "2+2=5", through to the last chords strummed from johnny greenwood's guitar on "A Wolf at the Door" this LP is solid with quality and amazingness. The band has found a way to channel the genre they turned onto with their last two efforts (Kid A, Amnesiac) and mix it with the great tastes of two of their earlier works (the bends, ok computer) to create an unthinkably incredibly creative sound. They are on top of the world right now and in a league of their own, and to think their live show even outlifts their album work, impossible, but true! I don't think they can top this, as 'Hail to the Thief' is a summation of everything they have done as a band to this point. Than again, their ability to find new instruments and make them of household objects, could yet bewilder us even further into understanding them to be Gods living on our planet to bring us back to what Music is all about. If you can find a better album out there, i'm all ears to give it a listen.

Danielle Smith

{2 votes}

February 28th, 2005

Radiohead

I thought this review was a bit conflicting. It has 3 1/2 stars but then goes on to say that it's "a solid album with two or three good songs"...anyways. I can't blame Radiohead fans for being confused. From Pablo Honey to this last one, they have taken us on one sweet ride. They lost some fans with Kid A and Amnesiac, but for many a Radiohead fan they just made us realize just how talented and how deep their resources are.

I was not in the least dissapointed with Hail To The Theif. Lyrically, I think it may be one of their best efforts next to maybe OK Computer which was a masterpiece. Art is a reflection of the times we live in, and for me this cd totally captures the political and human emotional impact of the world we live.

Josee Lacroix

{5 votes}

February 5th, 2005

A Strong Effort From Radiohead

Radiohead has been one of the best bands in the past ten years and they have becomes this generations U2. Radiohead have put out a number of hits in the pass and they have proven that they're one of the most successful musicians in the business and they're not capable of putting out a bad record. "Hail To The Thief" is a wonderful album from Radiohead and is a better album then the last two. My favourite song on the album is "There There." On every album that Radiohead puts out they change their sound into something unique and different from their previous albums. This is why Radiohead is still in this business and staying in power.

Carmela Sicurella

{10 votes}

December 28th, 2004

Radiohead

Radiohead are one of those bands who have always provided interesting aural experiences, pushed through boundaries and inspired plenty of people with their song-writing (and performing) talent. Who would have thought that the performers of everyone in my class' favourite 1994 song Creep would become the world renowned rock stars they are now! And thank God that they've stayed so individual, interesting and true! I cannot imagine them ever selling out, and thanks to a stellar output over the years that has evolved along with the times, it looks like Radiohead might be around producing great music for quite a while longer.

I love their earlier stuff but as someone who applauds progression I'm glad to see that their music is changing with the times. The Bends is a classic album with a lot of memories attached, but I can pick it from my music collection and have a listen anytime. What I crave are new sounds from favourite bands - and Radiohead always deliver.

Ellen Reid

{10 votes}

November 8th, 2004

Hail to Radiohead

Hail to the thief seems to be the result of thom yorke taking all is scraps and compilin them into an album. and he does this beautifully, taking all Radiohead has learned up until now and putting it forard in one valiant effort. From the roaring guitars to the electronic symphonies, one can hear the haunting of their past albums. Yet these melodies remain fresh and innovative. There are many gems, including the intense "2+2=5", and no embarassment in sight. Thom Yorke continually illustrates his soul and embodies his emotions as if with a super natural power. These five men are unbelievably incredible at their craft. And their music is a craft. These 14 songs are carefully constructed, beautifully portrayed sonic art. Radiohead's non-conformist attitude and manner of "art for art's sake" makes them the pioneers of modern music.

Laura Crestohl

{3 votes}

September 30th, 2004

Failsafe for the thief!

The best way to describe Radiohead's most recent effort is safe. Safe however does not mean that it's not a valiant effort though. We are talking about the most relevant band of our generation here. A band that has strived to continously redefine its sound and bring the listener along for the ride in its exploration of new musical territories.

The album has great moments. The first track "2 + 2 = 5" is as intense as Radiohead could ever get with it's quiet intro leading to a smorgasboard of loud guitars - a Radiohead trademark executed to perfection. The album delivers also some beautiful moments in "Sail to the Moon" and "I Will" but all in all Radiohead is only doing what it has done in the past and adding a more listener-friendly feel to the songs unlike Amnesiac and Kid A. Overall, an album you still must own if you're remotely interested in progressive rock and intelligent music.

The problem lies in the fact that this is RADIOHEAD the band we expect nothing but new innovative music to blow our minds away with. I personally do miss their rock sound of The Bends and mechanical conceptual world of Ok Computer but I cannot say I'm disappointed. Somewhat nostalgic that is all...

Ronny Pangia

{3 votes}

May 8th, 2004

The Best Band in the World

Radiohead are one of my favourite bands of all time. Their music inspires me. There 2003 album "Hail to the Thief" is a strong record that Radiohead has put out. The strongest song on the album has to be "There, There" which is a song that just wants to make you get up and dance. This is a very complex record that Radiohead has put out and it's one of the best records of the decade. I watched them perform live in 2003 and it was one of the best shows that I have ever been too. I'm anxious to hear the next Radiohead album.

Gerry Samson

August 1st, 2006

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