Rise

Formats

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  5845432CD  £5.00

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  5845431Long Player  £22.00

Label

Capitol/EMI Records / Capitol

Radiohead

Hail to the Thief

British European repressed on audiophile quality 180 gram double vinyl not since the beatles has a group managed to combine mass popularity and cuttingedge aesthetic triumphs so consistently as radiohead who by the time of 'hail to the thief' had been on a roll since 1997's 'ok computer' as great as 'the bends' was it didn't garner the band mainstream attention while 'kid a' and 'amnesiac' had been outre boundarypushing attempts to expand the poprock palette even beyond the ambitious 'ok computer' 'hail to the thief' incorporates the avantgarde techniques developed in that journey applying them to more formal song structures in this way we get the best of both worlds on what just might be radiohead's best album yet though this isn't a return to the straightahead pop structures of the bends the guitar does make a welcome return here there are plenty of glitchy electronics and atmospheric keyboards etc but they're integrated with traditional 'rock' instrumentation in a completely organic way though they remain artrockers to the end with thom yorke expressing carefully wrought angst both personal and political radiohead injects some blood into things as well the occasional hardgrooving funk rhythm and crazed rock guitar riff keeps even the airiest sentiments well anchored making 'hail to the thief' as well balanced as it is progressive