Radiohead's most underrated album, in my opinion. It may lack the unforgettable songs of other efforts but it makes for a damn fine listen. Its being stuck between Kid A/Amnesiac and In Rainbows probably hurts its reputation a bit, but Yorke and Company still deliver.

Super album. You will find a lot of things. Rock and piano ballads with a slight touch of electronic music. It's a very original sound, and the lyrics are deep and poetic.

there is a reason why radiohead is my favorite band. its because i cant put their albums in a specific genre and in this one especially show all the sounds and experimental abilitys of Yorke and company.

Completely melts my face off. I was confused by it at first, like most of their records, but unlike Kid A, I lost hope in this one for a while. After shelving it for a while I came back to it and was listening to it all the time. It might take effort, but this record will win you over if you let it.

My favorite Radiohead album. Why? Because in addition to the experimental sound that was developed during the Kid A era, the rock sound is back with it. And these two sounds surprisingly incredible, and go together like vanilla and chocolate ice cream. This is one heck of a treat, for rock listeners and hipsters alike. In ways, I believe this is better than Kid A and OK Computer.

My first non-immediate album back in the day. There There worked from the first listen, but the rest of the album seemed boring on first hand and my teenage mind didn't expect patience to be rewarded, but through repeated listenings I came to understand what a deep and pertinent yet abstract work of art this is. You'll see imperfections at first, quirks later on, and by the crucial listen you will see charisma and strength.… Expand

Besides being in my humble opinion a phenomonal record and also in my opinion being tied for third (with The Bends) in Radiohead's discography (behind OK Computer and Kid A), Radiohead diversifies themselves and shows all the Creep lovers and Kid A fanatics that we can all just get along and make a record that has it all. From heavy rock (2+2=5, Myxomytosis), to jazz (Sail to the Moon, We Suck Young Blood), to electronic (Sit Down Stand Up, Backdrifts, The Gloaming), to rock funk (Where I End and You Begin, A Punch Up at a Wedding), to Beatles/Rolling Stones-clad rock tunes (Go to Sleep, There There, A Wolf at the Door), to heart felt ballads (I Will, Scatterbrain.) It may be noticed that I have named every song on the album in that list, yet this only furthers my point that this is a record that somehow combines several very different genres to create a very well synced album. Not only that, but lyrically, Radiohead almost undoubtedly writes out their most politically vocal set of songs that exemplifies thier Orwellian and anti-Big Brother views in a way that is while very open, but is also not completely in your face and gives you an opportunaty to enjoy the music while not having to focus in politically. In this album Radiohead in a raw manner redefines their sound (again) and in the process creates a very memorable record.… Expand

this album is it's own genre."sail to the moon" with it .
this is a perfect album containing elements of all things radiohead.political but not preachy true collectors item.

This album is one of their best- at least in the parts of the whole sum. the problem with the whole is tracklisting. get rid of 2-4 songs and it really works well. i'd say we suck young blood, and scatterbrain and a few others would have comfortably fit onto a rather good side EP. no two people would agree on which songs to omit- the whole 14 gets lost, but when i have listened to about 11 and used the skip button-always a different set of songs, but it works and i think this is perhaps the most artistically developed and mature radiohead album in concept, if it is missing some of the more instinctive musical features. these points have never bothered me in the slightest!… Expand

Another fantastic record. I can't get enough. Man, Radiohead is just plain scary. As if this record wasn't enough to keep me comfotably numb for years to come, I get to see them live again in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to see some of the material from this record live. I have no doubt that it will be another blissful couple of hours. Go buy this record right now but as with everything worth a damn, it will take a few listenings before it will sink it's claws into you.… Expand

An extremely strong album, as the band has managed to incorporate the best elements of their last three albums. By far one of the year's best. One question remains for arguably the best rock n roll band right now, -where to go, from here?

Best album ever

Hail to the Radiohead!

"Hail to the Thief" has a little of the best aspects of the four last albums of the band. Attention for "2+2=5", "I Will" and "Go to Sleep". A great record.

At a first listen you see that it has potential. Your second listen will tell you what songs that you don't really like. The third will allow you to really wrap your head around some of the easier complexities of this work. Eventually, you will realize that this albums rocks you like most groups could never dream of doing.

Wasn't won over by this album at first, but after a few listens you begin to see through its dark surface and uncover the beauty beneath. Standouts are "2+2=5" , "Go to Sleep" , "There There" and "A Wolf at the Door". My personal favourite on the album though, would have to be "Sail to the Moon". I am lost for words to decribe this track's genius in timing!

eh, whatever the people who hate a band as soon as they become popular want to say. it's all blah blah blah anyway...this is the best album of the year. bar none.

wonderful...everyone MUST buy it.

Como siempre Radiohead los mejores discos y porsupuesto refrescando su estilo musical

This CD does indeed require several listening sessions before it fully soaks in, however, in the end it is well worth it. Yet another of the seemingly endless masterpiece creations that Radiohead consistently puts out!

I really had no idea what to expect when I picked up Hail to the Thief, my first ever Radiohead album. I tried them out because I am a giant REM fan, and I heard they toured together and got on quite well. I have to say I'm impressed enough with Radiohead, that I went out and bought their entire back catalog. I am equally pleased that they are not a flash in the pan. After listening to the rest of their work I found all but their first album to be top notch if not easy listening. I would only despise them if that were the case. Despair, anger, hurt, confusion, betrayal - these are always interesting emotions to explore, and they bring them alive. Even better, they've got great percussion, fine guitars, and Thom Yorke whose haunting, hypnotic voice I can find few comparisons for - you could just cop out and say his voice is bad, but that would be discounting his skill at using what he knows he's got - and I've heard more revered rock legends who had worse voices (Ian Curtis, Morrisey, hmmm) succeed admirably. If you don't like this album, perhaps you should be listening to something more obscure or more pop. Give it away, sell it, it will easily hook someone else. Any band that can create songs like Bullet Proof, Climbing Up the Walls, Idioteque, Go To Sleep, or Wolf at the Door deserves some recognition.… Expand

Only Elephant topped this in 2003. "Back to rock" "OK Computer 2" or whatever, this is still a fantastic record. 2+2=5 was the most exhilarating song of all last year. There There is brilliant, as is Go To Sleep, Sit Down Stand Up, Wolf at the Door, Punchup, etc. In fact, everything with the exception of We Suck Young Blood and The Gloaming warrants many many listens. Get it

its taken a YEAR for me to decide that this album is so highly rated. first i thought it was about a 7 then an 8 and now i think its a 9. its a reeeaaaallllll grower.

This is a great cd hands down. However this site needs to add the review of it by www.drownedinsound.com (5/5).

Worldclass !!!

the album is great and radiohead are the best!

Pure genius radiohead. They haven't once recorded or released a bad record and this is no exception to that rule. A nice blend of the older, more guitar based songs with some new electro classics like the gloaming chucked in there.

incredibly amazing

The problem with reviewing a Radiohead album is that it's hard to find relevant comparisons. They are the most skillful of magpie bands - taking a bit from here, a bit from there, and twisting it all together into something that generally sounds quite unique. So critics, without an easy reference point to go by, tend to evaluate each new Radiohead album by comparing to their previous work, especially that famous third album. The NME review of Hail To The Thief, for example, could be summarized roughly as follows: "It wasn't OK Computer." The reply that comes immediately to my mind is that... well... yeah. It's not. Was anyone actually expecting that? People seem to forget that Radiohead is a band that has always survived through change. Their sound has been altered drastically for each album, and while Hail To The Thief does contain moments that remind one of various earlier work, the album as a whole sounds like nothing else in their catalog. It sounds alive, and a little raw, and definately imperfect. It's not quite as pretty as OK Computer, and it doesn't have the mood or the purity of Kid A. What it does have is life. Hail To The Thief is the sound of a band living and breathing and thoroughly enjoying themselves, and it's a little rough in places. So while the sounds may be a bit familiar, the spirit of the album is something that is very new for Radiohead. If OK Computer is a watercolor, and Kid A is an oil painting, than HTTT is a snapshot on a disposable camera. And when you evaluate it on it's own merits, rather than those of it's predecessors, it stands up almost as well as any other Radiohead album. Brilliant, then. I wonder what's next?… Expand

Give it a couple of spins in your CD player, I guarentee that it will become one of your fav CDs!

This CD is more complex than most critics I've read give it credit for. Upon first listen, the album in its entirety didn't do much for me... And then I sat and enjoyed a beautiful day and listened to it again, and found that the level of alteration from song to song was purposeful - there is a flow that is found in each Radiohead CD that at times may be difficult to map, but for me I can safely say that after a day of headphones singing into my ears, Radiohead has proven to blow me away - yet again.… Expand

Wow Yet again, Radiohead have proved why they are in a league of their own. Hail To The Thief is a great mixture of the best bits of their four previous albums, but gives everthing a much darker and more sinister edge. It also adds plenty of new ideas, such as the 'funk' of A Punchup At A Wedding, the rapping in A Wolf At The Door and the unique Myxomatosis. There are loads of classic Radiohead songs on this album, with 2+2=5, Sit Down Stand Up, Sail To The Moon, Where I End And You Begin, There There, I Will, Myxomatosis and A Wolf At The Door all set to be up their with the best of them. My highlights of the album would be all of Wolf At The Door, the end of Where I End And You Begin (Thom sings 'I will eat you alive' over some great bass playing and electronics), and best of all the middle of 2+2=5. After a hypnotic beginning based on a catchy guitar riff, the song slows down for a bit. Thom Yorke then yells 'YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION' and the song becomes one of the fastest things that they've ever done, and definitely one of the best. Like loads of other great albums, Hail To The Thief has loads of different music styles, but blends them all together so it flows so well on the CD. Probably not as good as the flawless Kid A, this is still a classic, and one of the best albums ever. So why are you still reading this; go and buy it!… Expand

Fantastic stuff - Dan D has it just right - this album lives and breathes much more than the headspaces of its predecessors - it even has something that so few reviewers have mentioned - a sense of humour - dark and perverse, but defintely there. There is a camp sense of its own drama throughout this album - coming to a head in the hilarious (and troubling) we suck young blood. Don't be too earnest people - this is the greatest show on earth and Radiohead know it.… Expand

Brilliant stuff. Their best yet. From the dirge like 'We suck young blood', to the snappy 'Where I end & you begin', through to 'A wolf at the door', awesome stuff.

Brilliant.

how do they do it? 5 classics in a row

Not sure what I was expecting out of this album, I like (in their own ways) OK Computer, The Bends, and Kid A/Amnesiac and yet this seems like, once again, a completely different work. The intervals and chord changes that the band uses on this CD are dramatic and unusual and quite different from those used in any of their other works. I agree with the reviewers that mention that you shouldn't judge a band by their previous works-a band can't ever go backwards-always remember this. If you are an "old" Radiohead fan that liked The Bends or OK Computer and haven't liked the direction that they are going, that's your perogative. However, don't drag the rest of us through your rubbish about how they don't rock anymore, this and that. Times have changed, Radiohead has changed, if a band were to never change their sound or recreated themselves over and over, they would just fade away. Human existence is all about growth and wisdom. I don't know if I could quite classify this as perfect, classic, or an other nostalgic title for such a piece of art. Yet, I can say that many many bands wil use Radiohead as an influence in the future cause Radiohead are doing things that are not being done by any other mainstream band for the past 15 years and that is powerful. Either like it or don't but do understand that this is where music is headed. We've exhausted pop and there are only so many directions ifor music to go in, this being one. Twenty years down the line, I know that I will be proud to say that I was a fan of Radiohead. Can you say that about bands like Limp Bizkit or Britney Spears or whatever it is that people listen to? They are for entertainment purposes only, this is where the music really shows. Oh, and don't be a music snob and say this band or this band is better than Radiohead cause it's unfair to compare an artist like Bowie who we've been able to see his immense influence over the past thirty years. This is brilliance and it should be recognized as so, even if you don't understand why.… Expand

CLASS

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In Brief: Excellent album!!! Judging by the reviews that have been appeared in the Metacritic so far, I really didn't expect from most of "professional reviewers" to treat it fairly. Take NME for instance... their empathy towards Radiohead is well known. While praising Coldplay and insisting that it's the best rock group that exists at the moment (...forgive them Father...), it's Radiohead the ones who wants to take their musical art one step further. In this album they managed to combine the experimental elements of their last two contributions with the straightforward forms of their earlier works (especially The Bends and OK Computer)...it's like the missing link, but truly this album sounds extremely refreshing and modern. Yorke's vocals reveal his maturity as a singer once again, especially in songs like "I Will", where his falsetto should be studied in musical schools. Strong melodies (some even catchy), demanding songs, poetic and emotional lyrics, a magnum opus in general without doubt. I really can't see a failure coming from Radiohead's camp coming any time soon. Listen for yourself and leave the NME crap behind...those guys have proved in the past their inability to foresee the future and appreciate/rate a band/album.… Expand

In Brief: Excellent album!!! Judging by the reviews that have been appeared in the Metacritic so far, I really didn't expect from most of "professional reviewers" to treat it fairly. Take NME for instance... their empathy towards Radiohead is well known. While praising Coldplay and insisting that it's the best rock group that exists at the moment (...forgive them Father...), it's Radiohead the ones who wants to take their musical art one step further. In this album they managed to combine the experimental elements of their last two contributions with the straightforward forms of their earlier works (especially The Bends and OK Computer)...it's like the missing link, but truly this album sounds extremely refreshing and modern. Yorke's vocals reveal his maturity as a singer once again, especially in songs like "I Will", where his falsetto should be studied in musical schools. Strong melodies (some even catchy), demanding songs, poetic and emotional lyrics, a magnum opus in general without doubt. I really can't see a failure coming from Radiohead's camp coming any time soon. Listen for yourself and leave the NME crap behind...those guys have proved in the past their inability to foresee the future and appreciate/rate a band/album.… Expand

Perhpaps the smartest rock/post-rock band to prosper as a pop act and still maintain oodles of integrity. (As a musician, I wish I was in a band versatile enough to play whatever we like, using whatever instrumentation I want.) Something for all Radiohead fans on this one, kids, even though it seems like a direct cousin to "Amnesiac". Probably some of Thom's best vocals since The Bends. Faves: "2+2=5" is a sneaky opener, "Sit Down Stand Up" is hypnotic; "Where I End You Begin" is bittersweet; and "There There" is ingenious pop. Prediction: "Go To Sleep" will be the next single and it will be huge. (A-) … Expand

no comments

I have never felt anything less than love for any of Radiohead's albums (since The Bends) and this one is no exception. It's a perfect mix of good old rock and the more experimental music from their last two albums. I love this album.

big fan since pablo honey. impressed with everything since. this one makes my heart swell. i can't wait for more.

The Best album ever for the best band ever. They really shine in Hail To The Theif, especially in such droning peices like "Sit Down. Stand Up." and the bone chilling song "There There". This is definately a huge milestone in their career.

radiohead is beyond of our rock bands today, mentally and musically.they are just like a band who knows every corner of a deeep ocean and goes to the darkest places and the shining places and then gets higher from the ocean and began to see the planet as a whole, and then they are like seeing everything complete, the universe. this album is like a lesson for every band: how should a band make its evolution. it is like pure complete presentation of the music they made from the begining and till Amnesiac. it is like an incredible journey. the beautiful thing is they are interested in more "creating music" rather then writing ordinary songs with ordinary repetitions. and I think they are ciriticized for this, for being brave ! but they never give up their artistic freedom, whatever the others say. and this is what makes the music evolve right ?… Expand

Grows and grows until you can't stop listening. Ignore the negative reviews and just listen to their 4th consecutive masterpiece.

I have come to realise over time that this is the best Radiohead album yet, the way they combine their experimental nature with their talent for songwriting is astonishing, the songs are like strange worlds of their own. Truly one of the greatest bands ever to grace this planet.

how can music possibly get better than this, each song sounds like no other song ever written, radiohead surely aren''t human

god

the work of leaders in there field, their music seems to reach in an emotional state of raising feelings that where thought not to be there. how can you not feel when hearing this album???

Amazing. This is my favorite Radiohead cd ever...

Yes, this album is pure class. And, yes, Radiohead ARE the best band ever. However, not as good as other Radiohead classics such as 'OK Computer' and 'Kid A'. It's a shame there are still people out there who remain unaware of Radiohead's skill and brilliant music, but unfortunately there always will be. I hope that as many people as possible can read all these user reviews, because all the ones that give 9s and 10s have hit the nail on the head.… Expand

like all their albums this is simply beautiful. They are well ahead of any current rock band

I listened to 2+2=5 first. Loved it. I hated everything else. One year later I turned it on again in a long car ride and listened to everything. It was beautiful and everything blended and made sense. Buy this album.

pure poetry

Listin any Radiohead album on a long journey in a car, train or airplane, and you will understand how good Radiohead really is! It's beautiful....

Falls behind Kid A and OK Computer, but this doesn't change the fact that it is an exceptional CD.

A fabulous Radiohead album as usual, but overshadowed by previous masterpieces (OK computer)

To anyone picking up this album let me give you a bit of advice: listen to this album at least 20 times full through before coming to a decision on it. Like their previous best work, OK Computer and the brilliant Kid A, it takes time for all the sounds Radiohead puts out before you finally 'get it'. Don't expect to pop it in and be instantly floored by every song (although some songs hit hard the first time- "2+2=5" and "there There"). The CD gets better with every listen. There's nothing more than you can ask than of this. We live in a world of commercial radio where songs hit the air waves for a week, make the top 10, and then fall off in another few weeks. Radiohead have staying power!! Their music is pure bliss- just let it sink in in time.… Expand

one of my fav Radiohead album after OK Computer

Radiohead is gonna get a 100 no matter what. however, i think Kid A and Amnesiac are better, this album , it constantly gets better with every listen. "2+2=5", and "There, There (The Boney King of Nowhere") are immediate hits and this albums owns.

people are often split after kid a came out. radiohead moves forward even when they put the best from both worlds. drunken punchup is a catchy groovy song sit down stand up is orwellian dark scatterbrain is sneakingly beautiful yorkes vocals go severywhere on sail to the moon backdrifters is stunning with its aphex loops and pianos on and on we go listen to this record

Hail to the Thief strikes me in much the same was as U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind did--a return to a more song-oriented form, with audible nods to each era of the bands' careers. HTTT obviously has its share of buzzes and bleeps, which many critics seem to just automatically associate with the "Kid A/mnesiac" period, but in fact Radiohead has been experimenting with odd little sounds ever since that accidental iconic riff found its way onto "Creep." HTTT can't be fairly defined as just being some recipe of different phases of their career--ala, mix one part Kid A electronica with the songwriting of The Bends, tossed together with a loose theme to lend cohesion as on OK Computer--it stands on its own as an expression of hopelessness in the face of powerful forces that have taken over without our permission--whether governments, terrorists, or fears of harm to our children or being put into a box. It's interesting, and a sign of the power of this album, that certain songs are perceived as terrible by some and great by others. Each track stands on its own power, and yet they all work together to express the gloaming, the darkening of the world. There is a newfound maturity on this album, perhaps most visible in songs like I Will and Wolf At The Door, but it resides somewhere in the overall feel of this album--there's no preaching, no real ranting and raving anti-government, anti-establishment messages, no maudlin gloom. Altogether a remarkably authentic expression of modern feelings in this post 9/11 world, all the more powerful because it avoids the trite and heavy-handed politicization and preaching of other post-9/11 albums like The Rising. This one may not rawk quite like OK Computer, but it seems more real and more relevant, with plenty of rawk and roil. After all, it's not 1997 any more, and this album just proves it to yourself, just you, you and no one else...… Expand

Whilst Hail to the Thief may lack the 'shock' value of hearing OK Computer or Kid A for the first time, Rdaiohead have refined their art sublimely here, never as indulgent as they can be (a la treefingers) yet still forward thinking and unique. Standout track is the closer, A Wolf At The Door, mixing minimalism with their old lyrical finesse and some beautiful vocals, yet tinged with real anger and urgency.… Expand

While not as immediately striking and original as their previous albums after repeated listenings the vernacular of the words and music begins to sink in and reveal itself as pure brilliance. Radiohead have continued to expand the limits of popular music while simultaneously bringing some much needed warmth and accesibility to the avant-garde. radiohead, once again, creates a microcosmic, self-contained world of sound equally strange and familiar, frightening yet soothing. … Expand

I really think its great. If you like radiohead, you'll like it. But it won't change your mind if you don't like them. It sounds different and thats awesome to say.

One word: perfect!!!

Beautiful, varied, emotionally involving

Not quite O.K., but as close as you will find. Again it takes a few listens to get the substance, but the songs do stand alone. Well worth the price of admission..and the amount of time enjoying it.

It's great. I think it's an album where they took together a lot of elements from the bends, ok computer and kid a/amnesiac, and its simply a masterpiece. Its 14 beautiful songs in a perfect order and well, its great. I think the best songs are 2+2=5, a punchup at a wedding and a wolf at the door, but in the whole, the album is great itself, and not because some songs.

Very good album. People should stop pondering about how Radiohead is progressing, or what this means for the future. Its music and ood. Nothing else. The only thing it says is that Radiohead is still putting out quality music. By the way 'Jim M' what does 'commercial monster' mean? It certainly is not any comment of substance because it as nothing to do with the music.

i think this album is really cool man. i think 2+2=5 turned out pretty cool. i thought that giving alternate names was pretty cool. oh, and the coolest part was when thom says "the raindrops" 50 times. That was waaay cool and "there there" wasnt just cool, it was dope!! and that one single"we suck young blood", well, that one sucked!

We should just be happy that Radiohead released another album. Nobody can't deny it's another great collection of tunes and it's different from The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A or Amnesiac.

It is a grower, perhaps even more than the last two albums. It is scatter, yes, but it doesn't matter after you're fully in it.

This album is truly amazing, and seems to me to be a breath of fresh air after the previous two albums. Kid A was stunning - it sounded different and interesting and beautiful, unlike anything I'd ever heard - but Amnesiac didn't sit as well with me, just because it didn't flow as smoothly and it seemed to rehash everything that Kid A had already accomplished (it even recycled one of the same songs! ... yawn). Where Kid A was refreshing, Amnesiac was redundant. I was really worried that HTTT was going to be Amnesiac's twin brother, but it really surprised me with its freshness and newness. Yes, all the same electronic tricks from the previous two albums are there - all of the old blips and squeeks - but there's something new here (or old, depending on how you look at it). Johnny finally went through his closet and found his old guitar and Thom finally mustered up enough strength to command a song with his voice, instead of murmuring somewhere in the background. And I can actually understand most of his words! It's been about 6 years since the last time I could actually say that! This album just feels good. It feels better than Amnesiac, and it might even feel better than Kid A. Well done, Radiohead, I had a smile on my face through the entire album instead of the confused grimace that I'd started to wear through parts of Kid A and most of Amnesiac. Say what you want about Radiohead's trip into the world of wacky music. For me, no other artist out there right now is making music this interesting and beautiful. … Expand

Pure Genius

Best Song: Sail to the mon

Best of both worlds. It has the Kid A aesthetic while returning to the guitar driven sounds of The Bends. I also have the downloaded leak (I assure you I will buy it), and what I have heard is mind-blowing, a bit depressing at times, but distinctly better than all the piles of musical crap out there in music land. And they are not being 10-track snobs this time, including 15 tracks. I never understood why they always have so many good b-sides that they never bother to beef up their albums with.… Expand

second best radiohead album....can't put it down...nearly perfect...just behind ok computer...may be even more accessable than that one.

i don't know if it's better than ok computer but is very very good.

This is truly an album of the times...and those of you who have not read the lyrics are missing out on this. The record requires multiple listens and that is what I have always loved about Radiohead. Everybody needs to shut up about their use of electronics and just enjoy the music. It's legendary and reflective of this messed up world that we live in. Despite Thom's denial that it's not a political record, it really is, just like OK Computer was a reflection of the paranoia and inhumanity of technology in these modern times. I know it was so much more than that... but having said that, this record is just as relevant and important as OK Computer. It's not a sequel, and the critics that want one need to get over it. Evolve. Evolution.… Expand

The album starts out with a amp cord being plugged in and a dialogue between Thom and Jonny on the amazing 2+2=5. Although less experimental than Kid A and Amnesiac it still satisfies the eager legions of Radiohead devotees. Standout Tracks: 2+2=5, Sit Down?Stand Up, Myxamatosis.

That's it. Their best.

And once again it kicks ass! the best of the bends/ok computer, of Kid A / Amnesiac, and we have a LP which can be considered as a compilation of what we enjoy the most from Radiohead. Without being a great revolution, it's an evolution in the continuity. "BRAVO!".

I've had a downloaded copy of this ever since it initially leaked, and, to be perfectly honest, I was, at first, a little underwhelmed. Wait, that's not true. At first, I was blown away by the blistering brilliance with which the band rocks out on the opener, 2 + 2 = 5 , one of Hail to the Thief's finest moments and Radiohead's most rawking track since at least My Iron Lung. Then, listening to what followed, most of which was neither as startling as 2 + 2 = 5 nor as immediately amazing as Kid/Amnesiac, that's when a slight sense of disappointment began to set in. As a huge fan and unflagging champion of that preceding duo (though, all elements considered, OK Computer still cakes the cake for me), Hail to the Thief struck me as lacking the mesmerizing cohesiveness of those masterworks, and only about half of the songs fulfilled their promise upon my first listen. The more I listened to the album, however, the more I came to both immensely enjoy and admire what I heard. Songs such as Where I End and You Begin (which calls to mind Kid A's Optimistic with its line "dinosaurs roam the earth") , A Punch-Up at a Wedding, A Wolf at the Door (in which THOM YORKE RAPS...sort of), and the beautiful piano ballads Sail to the Moon and I Will are easily in the same league with the best of the Radiohead catalogue. The band's Big Step Forward here is their expert integration of the avant-electronic-based experimentation that has defined their most recent work (and redifined Radiohead as artists) into the more song-oriented format of The Bends and OK Computer. It's yet another supreme work of art from The Band From Whom Nothing Less Can Be Expected. … Expand

you cant go wrong with radiohead. OK comp, amnesiac, and hail to the thief are now my official favourites. Theres nothing really new as predicted but they are still great songs. "sit down stand up" always gives me a rise. "punch up at a wedding" makes me want to F@#ck, and "myxamatosis" is like a hit of acid. the rest fall into place accordingly. anyway, buy the record, you wont regret it.

Whats with that sudden electronic part in sit down stand up - it was going well up to there!-oh well perhaps it'll grow on me. There There and 2+2=5 are obviously fantastic and Go to Sleep is also really good (when the guitars kick in with the drums it is a magnificant sound). Backdrifts sounds different but I sort of like it. There is good music throughout the album but it still doesnt have an epic feel like previous albums - feels more like a collection of songs. I think Radiohead will drop the emphasize on electronics in the next album though. It won't last forever. In some ways Ok Computer can be described as having an electronic element (Airbag). That album perfected the fusion of guitars and machines - so quite simply that is still the best. Really interesting album then and you really should buy it so a good band will be at the top of the charts for once.… Expand

Guitar, piano, beatbox, it all seems to work. There are a couple songs that could have been left off. Punch-up at a Wedding doesn't go anywhere, it just deteriorates. The Gloaming and Go to Sleep don't really do it for me either. Radiohead doesn't owe the public anything. Personally, I can't believe that anyone would expect them to "return to rock." It sounds like something the Stones would do, or any other band that can't age gracefully. I like this record for what it is, not what it was supposed to be. … Expand

Of course it's a great album. Radiohead albums always are..yes it's true. Damn True.

there isnt anyone on this earth today making anything in the same league as radiohead as far as im concerned. if you beg to differ, i will listen, but everything i have listened to on reccomendation has disapointed me greatly.

Chef d'oeuvre.

best RH album ever.

there isnt anyone on this earth today making anything in the same league as radiohead as far as im concerned. if you beg to differ, i will listen, but everything i have listened to on reccomendation has disapointed me greatly.

Once in a while an artist comes along that can not be rated, like Dahli, Gaudi, Lennon, Hendrix... You just have to accept their contributions as pure art that others will one day be compared to, but in their own age cannot be accurately judged. Radiohead have proven to be unclassifiable, and instead of judging their albums, just sit back and enjoy the experience, we are lucky to have them.

If you think they've lost it you're not listening hard enough.

Extremely dark but highly addictive CD that gets better with each listen.