Hail To the Thief

Bleak but beautiful music that rewards repeat listens.

no matter how thoughtful, wise, witty, or inventive the lyrics and music, at the end of the day, it's about whether or not you actually enjoy the album. And I never seem to enjoy Radiohead--something about that thin near-whiny voice coupled with the thick music and I'm sure it's all really excellent but I dgaf

Smart, dystopic, creepy, experimental, but I just cannot enjoy the bleak and cryptic lyrics half mumbled over electronica beats with melody, harmony, passion and hooks a distant memory.

Radiohead fans tend to dismiss this album, but it is honestly one of my favorites. If I had to rank them all, it would probably be in 4th (behind Ok In Rainbows, Ok Computer, and Kid A), but if those weren't some of the greatest albums ever written it would be higher. Like this would be any other rock band's best album. There are so many great songs on this album, and I think this album has the best blend between their rock sound and electronic sound with songs such as: Sit Down Stand Up, Backdrifts, and Myxomatosis (I love this song so much!!!!). Some other standout songs for me are, 2+2=5 (such a chaotic song), There, There is so much fun to sing along too, A Punch Up at a Wedding is supper funky, I Will is beautiful, I love the frantic energy of A Wolf at the Door, and I love the slower piano songs like Sail to the Moon and We Suck Young Blood. One of the biggest complaints this album gets is that it is too bloated, but it is only 3 minutes longer than Ok Computer, and there isn't really any songs I would cut. Well... besides one... The Gloaming is the only non-Pablo Honey song that I dislike. It is just okay... and I am a Pablo Honey defender. Overall an amazing album despite The Gloaming!!! High 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing lasts forever, including Radioheads godliness. But their worst album is better than most bands' best, and this isn't their worst. Plus the dis of George Bush and his mad Iraq excursion was most welcome at a time when most artists and politicians with such large megaphones were afraid to question the madness (their cowardice setting the stage for future madmen like Trump) and feels downright prophetic in retrospect. But I digress. I don't know this album as well as the ones before it so I appreciate the chance to revisit. One thing these guys do better than anyone is put a sound to extreme isolation and loneliness, which is quite a contrarian feat for a group of people to collaboratively produce when you think about it. While bleak, putting a sound to alienation can actually be a blessed comfort, pulling me back from the brink. I guess can sum up my review as: Appropriately Dark.

Argh--I thought I was done with Radiohead back about halfway through the collection (given that there were five albums already), but apparently not. I think if this was the first or second Radiohead album I'd heard, I'd probably feel more charitable in my rating or review, but at #6 I question what this particular album adds to this project aside from a more explicit political perspective. It's fine, I suppose, especially if you're a Radiohead fan, given how much it sounds just like what you'd expect from Radiohead, but it doesn't feel like it adds much to their range or style. The best of the lot for me was probably "Sit down, stand up" (despite a very boring video), "Backdrifts", "A punch up at a wedding" and "A wolf at the door", with honorable mention to "Go to sleep" (despite the very dated CGI video). Overall, though, I could definitely have lived without necessarily hearing this album, and I'm tempted to agree with the band (at least according to the Wikipedia entry) that it seems overlong and unfinished; but, still, a solid album.

I was kinda shocked to see this as the first Radiohead album in this generator (I’m sure it’s not the last) and was very confused why it was chosen over any of the others. Well, now I understand. It’s really bleak and moody and apocalyptic. It was cool to know that Radiohead had the balls at one point to be on the right side of politics in their music instead of just being zionist freaks now

Bruh. I knew I liked Radiohead but I haven't listened to everything they've done. This album is so weird and just such typical Radiohead and I fucking love it. It scratches so many things in my brain and without going back and slowing down and analysing more intentionally I don't have specifics. It shifts gears across the album and across songs in ways that I love and thom yorke's voice suits this music so well! I need to listen to more Radiohead. And the vocal harmonies omg! The falsetto voice mixed in, chefs kiss!

it's fine

I wasn't into the twist on their sound in this one; it was too slow-paced and dreary.

I knew only Creep from this group, and I love it… However the songs from this album, I cannot feel the sound. I only saved two songs: We suck young blood (because of the background / sense, however for me is the meaning: we want the eternal youth) and Go to sleep (the rhytm inspired me)

Don’t really like this album…

Not my favorite Radiohead album but still incredible. Nicely captures the transition towards In Rainbows

Ugh. Plodding drivel.

Same issue here as Amnesiac- when the entire experience leans towards monochromatic slowcore, I don't enjoy Radiohead as much. I like it better than Amnesiac because some tracks are fairly strong, but like that record it is also too long and a bit too Thom Yorke-heavy unlike their better albums where the Greenwoods and O'Brien get more time to flash instrumental showings

8/10

8.3/10 ⭐️: N/A

Ei voi mitään, hienoa musaa ja hienoja biisejä mutta levy on piiitkä ka sitä myöden myös tylsä,. Albumi voisi ihan hyvin olla kolmanneksen lyhyempi. 3/5

Heard it before. The fact that nearly every single Radiohead album is here is so annoying. And this one is probably their most minimalistic because each song sounds nearly the same except Myxomatosis where they decided to include an extra synth and it made the song stand out. Thom also sounds even more like a dying cat here than he usually does 2/5

Me gustan Radiohead y por lo tanto también este disco. Lo he escuchado poco pero promete.

ambiance particulière, j'ai bien aimé le 1er titre (2+2=5) mais le reste ne pas beaucoup marqué. je pourrais le réecouter cependant

A perfect mix of RH's rock and electronic styles. I love the album in its entirety but if I had to choose some of my faves... There, There - it's atmospheric but you can also rock out. I love the drumming. Sail to the Moon - so beautiful Where I End and Where You Begin - the bassline and synth combo is perfection

Not one of Radiohead’s better albums. Still experimental and clever but not quite pleasing on the ear.

**An ok album

very cool but

I don't know why but this seems like approachable Radiohead. Yeah it gets weird here & there but it doesn't get boring like some of their other albums. The mix of the electronic & rock music is very nice combination. Doesn't stray too far from each other. 4

I think I sabotaged myself by listening to this album at night on the highway, don’t do that it makes driving very intense and for that reason I did not like the album but I will be giving it another chance but in a calmer scenario. So for now I have to give it a 4/10 for the spike in my heart rate.

The Good: It's always nice to start of with a salute! The Bad: We don't understand why we are giving salutations to a thief... The Ugly: Okay, this is too easy... but mr singer man ain't pretty... Low blow, that last comment. Sorry... but it was too obvious. As for the album? I bought this album back in 2003... and I don't really remember why I bought it... Like many, I was introduced to Radiohead due to Beavis and The Butthead... Fire Fire Fire... This album does not have a Creep on it... So, I listened to this album today with "virgin" ears, as I couldn't recall any of the songs, even though I own the damn album... and I kinda liked it, then I kinda wanted it to amaze me, yet it started to bore me. Which makes it difficult to rate this album. ... When it doubt, just down the middle, right? 3*

I think this is just a solid Radiohead album, not my favourite but it’s pretty sick having a nice balance of the older and the new

Always great to have a radiohead album but thos is not their best and no band as good as they can be should have their whole discography in a list like this

Radiohead is a band I just can't seem to get into. There are some songs of theirs I enjoy but none of them are on this album.

Шикарный альбом, 5 звезд без обсуждений.

Glad they ended up including all of the great Radiohead records on this lost. This one is the culmination of their development through the four records that preceded it and goes even beyond those in terms of inventive, quixotic yet emotionally compelling musicality and social critique. Radiohead is the true music nerd’s favorite band and this record is the nerdiest of them all.

Always heard of radiohead but never actually listened! The range in this album alone is fantastic and definitely wants to make me listen to more!

Really solid and consistent album front to back. Nothing that really jumps out specifically, but it's a very easy listen.

Radiohead is just good. This album is not my favorite of theirs but it undeniably slaps.

2 + 2^0 = 3

this might be all right if thom yorke deigned to sing instead of whatever nonsense this is

God that just went on and on didn’t it

The album they were touring when I first got into Radiohead Glastonbury 03. It's far from my favourite but still outrageously good compared to most stuff out there. It's pretty dark and you could understand why a lot of people would find it inaccessible.

The hoes (or my family, for that matter) can't know I vibe to this. Faves: 2+2=5, Sail To The Moon, Go To Sleep, Myxomatosis

1 - 2 + 2 = 5 - 👏 2 - Sit Down. Stand Up - 👍 3 - Sail To The Moon - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 4 - Backdrifts - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 5 - Go To Sleep - 👍 6 - Where I End And You Begin - 👍 7 - We Suck Young Blood - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 8 - The Gloaming - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 9 - There, There - 🙌 10 - I Will - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 11 - A Punch Up At A Wedding - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 12 - Myxomatosis - 👍 13 - Scatterbrain - 👏 14 - A Wolf At The Door - 👏 3/5

Loved it.

Love Radiohead but this isn’t there best work by a long shot. Still good.

Not for me. I didn’t want to finish it.

Fav song was A Wolf at the Door, also liked I Will

Im a big fan of radiohead but I dont think this album and Amnesiac should be on the book. Its really good, but 6 albums is too much for any artist. Even for like the Beatles. They tried to mix their 90's alt rock sound with their 2000's electronic sound. Wich looks cool on papper. And yeah its good but not as good as their previous work (Well exept for Pablo Honey ofc).

First time I’ve listened through in its entirety for a long time. Good head phones help unpick some of the layering and I can even tell what Thom Yorke is singing sometimes! Couple of poorer tracks and drifts slightly in the middle but I really enjoyed it. Not a true 5 stars because of that… 4 but could have been 5.

First time I've listened to this in 15+ years. What is standing out to me is how many of the songs on this album are the Radiohead songs that randomly play on my internal brain radio. And it makes me think... This album is really underrated in the Radiohead discography. OK Computer, Kid A and In Rainbows get 99% of the discourse, but I get that, they are all brilliant. But if you were to ask "Kid A or Hail To The Thief?" my knee jerk reaction would be an immediate "Kid A" but give me a chance to listen to both and answer and it becomes much harder. Kid A is brilliant, but it's also not a 100% album. No-one is putting Treefingers on a playlist. But HttT? It's consistently solid. And the peaks are genuine peaks. So don't ask me to pick a favourite Radiohead album. Well, maybe you can, it's OK Computer. But after that? Things get messy and I wouldn't want to choose.

Chill overall album. Blandat svängigt typ

Has some cool stuff, and I liked it for having something in the background, but it's too long for the really samey sound and can get pretty annoying.

one of their most boring 5.5/10 best song - sail to the moon

better than the last radiohead album and worse than the first radiohead album

Review - for some reason I thought this was a late Radiohead album. When I looked it up and saw it was immediately after Kid A/Amnesiac I had insanely high expectations, which this album doesn't meet. It's not a bad bit of music but it's a let down after the three worldies that proceeded it. A shame. Score - 6/10 Need to listen? NO

Some of it's good, some not great... I'm really on the fence about Radiohead. Maybe I'm too distracted today to appreciate this? It's certainly weird.

while i would love to give it a 4, can't help but compare it to other radiohead albums.

My most unfairly neglected Radiohead album by far (Pablo Honey is much more neglected but that’s entirely fair). Every time I come back to it I realise it’s actually brilliant, but somehow it’s never really stuck? In a way it’s the most Radiohead Radiohead album, it’s almost as though they knew they only had one more album in them with this sound and would be take a fairly dramatic left turn with their next so they went hell for leather making every melody and harmony absolutely textbook “RADIOHEAD” I’ve barely listened to them for years thanks to the sour taste left by all the mealy mouthed inability to condemn the genocide in Gaza, but in the name of statistical fairness I gave this another spin and I fucking loved it. Against the rest of their catalogue: 3.5/4 Stars Against music in general 5 stars without a shadow of a doubt

Radiohead is responsible for three of my top 20 albums of all time, but this is not one them. It sounds like it could be a compilation of the most forgettable tracks of the post-OK Computer era. For people who don’t “get” Radiohead, I imagine all their stuff sounds like this to them.

Two Radiohead albums in a week is a bit much. Not a bad album but worse than In Rainbows.

ive heard some of these tracks a lot but the rest not at all. such is life. this is pretty good but certainly not among my favorite radiohead albums. favorite tracks: Where I End and You Begin, There, There.

a lot of the tracks are in the "somehow this works" territory - but in a good way (typical radiohead i suppose)

Good, not their best 3.6

Kinda nightmarish at times.

Many listens. My favorites are Backdrifts, Where I End and You Begin, There, There, and Myxomatosis. The album’s mastering isn’t the best and the songs can feel disjointed compared to other Radiohead albums. I still love it and listen to it regularly. The new live album is fantastic as well.

4/5

great album to smoke weed and go for a night time walk..

Radiohead TM. Thom Yorke’s voice is an extraordinary instrument, but beyond that, nothing really stuck out here, for good or bad.

not their standout work

Un álbum que vino a devolverle las guitarras eléctricas y la distorsión a la banda, algo que siento le queda muy bien y es parte suya (por más genialidad que hayan sido Kid A y Amnesiac). No es de los mejores de ellos, pero lo mejor de ellos es un 11. 8/10

Favorite Track(s): 2 + 2 = 5, Where I End and You Begin, A Wolf At the Door Least Favorite Track: The Gloaming Listen Again? WILL Final Score: 4.0/GREAT

So for the second time in a week I’ve been given a Radiohead album, and I know it won’t be the last time… but dear god are these just a bunch of whiny privileged white boys…. This album evokes a melancholic nostalgia for better days, which in this case is any day you don’t have to listen to Radiohead… they say the worst things happen at sea, but apparently they actually happen during a Radiohead studio recording… the only thing more insufferable than this trite, is the fans who insist it’s actually genius.

I hadn't listened to Radiohead before and this album was simultaneously surprising and dull. Because this really was not what I was expecting from their reputation. But also it just kinda wasn't that interesting.

Mo their best work. A bit too whiny

09/25 Don't like Radiohead. Every song sounds the same and the singer sounds like he's crying in every one of them

I think I’ve reached my limit with Radiohead. I was on board for their first three albums and have tried to give their more experimental phase a fair crack but I just don’t think I have it in me. There are some decent entries here, The Gloaming for one but it isn’t enough to raise it above a 🤷🏻‍♂️ rating. Actually, that is too harsh. The second half of the album is much better than the first. I’ve given it an extra star and I feel much better about myself.

This is a really good album.

Hey can’t complain about Radiohead, haven’t listened to this one before, another banger

I don’t know what it is with Radiohead, but I just really cannot get into their music. This album is not even the worst one I’ve heard from them, far from it but it still just really isn’t for me. 2/5

3,5 already listened to it still not their best but great

I knew The Bends quite well and loved it, I listened to Pablo Honey and found a lot to like, OK Computer was a game changer, a band on a whole different level. I was not as taken with Kid A and Amnesiac, but bought all new Radiohead albums at midnight sales at record shops when those things still happened. Hail to the Thief was the right balance to pull me back in, it had the weird electronic bits but still enough rock backbone to appeal to a 20 year old me. It’s weird, but within reason, the lyrics are fairly nihilistic, but that wasn’t unreasonable at the time and certainly not unreasonable now. It’s likely been more than a decade since I listened to this end to end, I won’t repeat that mistake.

Fantastic. Ara lija paraleli klausoties #AraLabakNelist

Interesanta grupa, varbūt viņiem ir vēl laba mūzika?

Garbage

Hmm... a classic 90s Radiohead song, could be off OK Computer, got the quiet/loud thing going on with a bit of an Unwound vibe at one point. Then a slow build up to an electronic mess with stupid laser sounds. Then an incredibly languid song that's kind of comfy and familiar. Some electronic beats, nothing unpleasant but it doesn't seem to be quite a song, maybe an anti-song or a post-song since it's Radiohead. Then an acoustic guitar-based song, a little bluesy riff even, with a squawking electric guitar mini-jam towards the end. Then a song with a strong bass guitar groove, sounds like an acoustic drum kit, and electric guitar with spooky keyboards (or maybe voices or both, who knows!) washing over everything, pretty nice. A lot of the tracks feel experimental, not in an "experimental music" kind of way, but in a jammy "trying stuff out in the practice space" kind of way. That could be OK in theory, but the results are hit or miss here. Contrary to most albums though, while the first half feels meandering and uncompelling, this one seems to find it's groove as it goes along. There's still a ton of variety in the feel of each song and the instrumentation (except Thom Yorke's voice, which can make a person weary after a while, sorry Thom, unless maybe that's what you're going for, then good job mate), but each song seems to flow a bit better and the songs flow into each other better. Overall, a few good songs, a couple of not good songs or not really songs, a bunch of stuff that seems interesting but undeveloped, a bit too much moaning, just a messy album. Essential listen: no Desert island disc: no

Pleasantly surprised. Pretty experimental and not as whiny as expected.

wowies

Haven't heard this album, or pretty sure any of these songs, before. With Radiohead's experimentation, I was worried that it was going to be too avant garde or too uniform to the theme. Overall, not too bad but probably wouldn't go back to this one again. 1.) 2 + 2 = 5: I like the drums and distorted guitar on this one. Like how the beat picks up on this song. Gonna be honest, I could only make out half of the words in this song, but I like the sound. Big sound guy. 2.) Sit Down, Stand Up: I want to think that this song is about the game Duck, Duck, Goose. Good brooding mood to this song. Another song that builds. Cool beat after the transition. Don't hear many laser sounds in songs these days. 3.) Sail To The Moon: A bit too slow for my liking. If he didn't hold onto that many words, it wouldn't feel that slow. Did like the piano in this one, simple but nice. 4.) Backdrifts: The beginning reminds me of another song but I can't place it. Too much reverb-drone sound on this one for me. So far, the track listing is my ranking of the album. 5.) Go To Sleep: Nice change-up with the acoustic guitar intro. Not bad song. Could fool me and say its a Beck song. 6.) Where I End and You Begin: Pretty repetitive. Don't hate it, don't love it. The theremin-sounding effect was interesting at first, but it contrasted too much with the melody. 7.) We Suck Young Blood: Another song that felt too slow from Thom Yorke stretching notes. At times the clapping throughout the song was all together, and other times it was off-beat. Was looking forward to the song picking up with the middle but fell back into the slow melody. 8.) The Gloaming: The beginning sounds like something in between shows on Adult Swim. Good background music. 9.) There, There: I like this one. Its got the indie-rock sound with a little bit of grunge. Has the experimentation of sound that makes it a Radiohead song. 10.) I Will: Wasn't feeling it. 11.) A Punch Up at a Wedding: Good transition from last song to this one. I like this one. I wish this one had a little more variety to it. The melody lacked variety in the choruses. Even utilizing the additions at the end of the song in a verse or 2 would've made me like the song more. 12.) Myxomatosis: I like the fat synths on this one. Reminds me of a Gary Numan song. I like the sound. 13.) Scatterbrain: I like this one. The guitars on this one are nice. Pretty simple song on this one but still kept the Radiohead sound. 14.) A Wolf At the Door: Almost sounds like The Pixies at times in this song. Can't make out if I like it or not. This is a darker arrangement but has good variety to it.

De muziek gaat nog wel, al is het soms stevig en dan weer wazig, en misschien zelfs af en toe wat valsig. De zang maakt het geheel niet beter, want dat is niet echt aangenaam om te luisteren. Klinkt als een lokale band.

Boring

Radiohead never stopped to think if they should. Neither did the compiler of this list. A lesson in overruling your own bias.

This is an album with some interesting songs reflecting on the times when it was released. Musically sound and lyrically thought provoking.

Not too catchy but on

It's not my favourite Radiohead album, but the thing about Radiohead is that even when they aren't at their very best, they're still very good. Still plenty of excellence at play here, and not a bad listen by any means.

Terrible

Quelques fulgurances et bien mieux que le précédent

I hate radio head how many of their fucking albums are on this list!!!??

#237 - I love this album partially for when it was released. Yes it was around war time in 2002/2003, but when Kid A and Amnesiac came out, as great as I love them now, I just could not get into them. I was not ready for those albums and didn't appreciate them at all. This album felt more like a successor to OK Computer to me, and I think I gravitated toward it because it was not the two previous albums. Listening now, the songs still hold up and I love them just as much. It's definitely not for everyone, but its for me. Biggest Hit - There, There Biggest Miss (if I had to choose ) - I will Hidden Gem - A Punch Up at a Wedding (for that groove it has)

Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (2003) On Day 262, this record carried the distinct sound and atmosphere of an authentic cult classic. It never felt designed for mainstream commercial appeal, there are certainly cuts here that even dedicated Radiohead listeners might find divisive yet the album is packed with quintessential, peak Radiohead songwriting: deeply introspective lyricism laid over dark, moody, tension-filled production. "There There (The Boney King of Nowhere.)" was easily my favorite of the entire bunch, anchored by an incredible rhythmic build. Other tracks like the explosive "2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm.)," the ethereal "Sail to the Moon (Brush the Cobwebs off the Sky.)," "Where I End and You Begin (The Sky Is Falling in.)," and the swaggering groove of "A Punchup at a Wedding" stood out immensely. Closing it out with deeper, introspective reflections like "Scatterbrain" and the haunting, paranoid waltz of "A Wolf at the Door (It Girl. Rag Doll.)" made for an engaging, immersive journey. It never dragged enough to dip below greatness. A strong 4/5.

This album may have cured my Thom Yorke aversion! He still reminds me of someone sitting on a broken, accordion repeatedly, but this album is packed with sweet jams and great lyrics. I may be ready to revisit some of their other albums.

Ambitious, edgy and sometimes disturbing but interesting music with a variety of sonic textures. Enjoying this more than I expected to, based on hearing other albums by Radiohead. 4