Hail To the Thief

As a huge Radiohead fan, I had never listened to this album. I was 13 when it came out and only listened to emo and rap so that's probably why. The cover looks like something Basquiat and Monet would have made together and I quite like it. It's crazy how little Thom's voice has changed over the years. He sounds like this still on his most recent The Smile album. Would love to listen to this with headphones, half way through and its absolutely up my alley. Part of my library, boom!

This album has some amazing textures and is a perfect blend of electronic music with a full band. I love Radiohead so much

one of the best albums ever

It's funny because I don't have a very good memory of Radiohead from this period. I'm a kid from the '90s so Creep is part of the background noise I grew up with and loved, but starting with Kid A, I felt like I was losing my balance, the music was off/odd, it was a bit too strange for me; more likely I was not yet ready for it. I listened to Kid A not so long ago and loved it and was surprised how easy it was to listen to and how great it was (compared to my old memories). I remember well when Hail to the Thief came out (partly because of the huge "fuck you!" they addressed to the music industry and greedy artists like Metallica, releasing the album for a "pay what you want" price) and I remember having a hard time wrapping my head around their music. And now, years later (and a reasonable number of strange music listen to in the mileage -- Igorrr, amiright?), I feel at home. It's a great album: it's diverse yet coherent, the electronic bits are well used and the other instruments still find their place in the mix, Thom Yorke voice is of course still great, it's kinda entertaining in its bizarre way.

One of my favorite bands. Evolutionary. Arguably one of the best bands of all time. Due to constant change and never settling for a tried and true sound that gets radio play or the guaranteed dollar makes this band interesting.

Several Radiohead albums I would rank higher than this, and yet it is still a 5 star album for me. A Wolf at the Door is an excellent closer.

This is my favorite Radiohead album. A little biased, but I think their best. So much originality when it first came out.

the transition from the end of i will and to the beginning of a punch up at a wedding is so good favorites: 2+2=5, there, there, myxomatosis and a wolf at the door (new fav jam!)

One of my favorite Radiohead albums!!! I love all the songs but my faves are Wolf at the Door, Myxamotosis, Where I end and you begin, sail to the moon, and Punch Up!!!

I'm finding that every Radiohead album doesn't really have a standout song for me. Which is more about the fact that all of the songs go so well together and are all excellent, rather than any single song being single worthy. This one just feels like one complete idea. The album is a tapestry of songs all woven together.

So weird but only strengthens my appreciation for all the weird stuff Radiohead has done.

It’s Radiohead

Another Radiohead album hard on the heels of the previous one. I have to admit that Radiohead is a band I don't think I like until I listen to them and remember actually they are really good. Listens: 1 Fave Track: The Gloaming Rating: 5

Ethereal and raw, beautiful and honest

I can’t say enough good things about Radiohead

One of my favourite records is a Radiohead record but for some reason I've never really listened through their whole catalogue. Well that has been my loss! This was really great, I was super focused working the first time and just found my self really digging the music while not really singling out any songs. Listened to it again and I still feel that all songs are strong although I haven't listened to it enough to single out favourites. Feeling generous today so going to give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a 5 just since I can't find anything really wrong with it.

Lyrics were very minimalistic and took a great deal of thinking to try and decipher what the artist was referring to in a lot of the songs. Some of the songs I felt like I understood but maybe it was a far reach. Overall I enjoyed the composition and the production. All the sounds were put together very well and I pretty much liked every song.

Love this album. It has so many good songs, and I feel like it's underappreciated, sandwiched between Kid A/Amnesiac and In Rainbows, but yeah, I love this one. There, There is great, Sit Down Stand Up is fucking great, man, all of it is great. 4.5/5

I don’t know why I’m getting the most albums from one of my favorite bands, but I like it. This album is really underrated. I love songs like the great ‘There, There’, the cynical ‘A Wolf At The Door’, and the haunting ‘Sail To The Moon’. It doesn’t stop there, and I don’t think there’s any filler on this. This is overall my fourth favorite Radiohead album, actually, behind OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows, so all in all, very good.

For me, this was the last truly innovative and resonant Radiohead album. Don't get me wrong, I like all of what came after, but none of it hit me in the same way. The political critique of two decades ago seems almost nostalgic now compared to the psychodrama and social/economic disintegration brought about by the Tories. Sigh.

Excellent

Five Stars

There's so much depth to Radiohead, with repeat plays there is always something missed previously.

My favs: "Sail to the Moon" "Where I end and you begin" "Scatterbrain" Overall, not a bad album, a few songs I enjoyed :)

Excellent sounds for heading towards a great day

Before Radiohead, nothing sounded like Radiohead. Even early Radiohead didn't sound like Radiohead. After OK Computer, everything changed. Radiohead experiments with electronic elements in their approach to guitar rock. The results are soundscapes that influenced musicians all over the world, and made Radiohead one of the best-known bands in the world.

First half is packed with classics while the second half gets a bit more experimental.

Listening to this album because I love Radiohead and I can’t believe you Gen z-ers disliked this album. This is what phones are doing to our youth. Screenagers can’t enjoy REAL music.

Amazing sounds, loved the grunge mixed with electronic music.

Easily one of the best albums of all time.

Might be the most underrated Radiohead album. Back half has some of my favorite tunes. Such an amazing run. 5/5

An album as bleak as 2003, Hail to the Thief captures the ambient dread, malice, and sense of distant violence of the metropole at the dawn of the global war on terror. It kicks off with 2+2=5's synths going off like an alarm. There There is that era's best song, a refusal of the injunction to become a terrorized paranoid freak sensing danger lurking in every corner - "Just cuz you feel it, doesn't mean it's there". The amalgam of electronic sounds and (relatively) raw guitar parts, chaotic techno beats, frenetic synths, close but off kilter harmonies, and bleated vocals ratchet up the tension over and over. Though there is the odd cathartic climax, there's little relief - the songs don't resolve into stable melodies or return to familiar terrain. Drunken Punch Up offers a bit of a groove to sink into, then layers with with discordance. Myxomatosis has a heavy synth riff that's used a platform for more textural experimentation. Sail to the Moon is a disquieting lullaby with its relaxed piano. ethereal reverby guitar parts, uneasy synths and searching vocals. Wolf At the Door is like a nightmare nursery rhyme with a guitar part that's always falling forward into the next arpeggio without resolving as the vocal descends wildly into a frenzy until catching itself at the last minute, fading away deceptively sweetly. This is the soundtrack of a world spinning out of control.

Prior to re-listening to this, I knew I preferred The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, In Rainbows and A Moon Shaped Pool. However good Hail To the Thief may be, it is definitely not Radiohead's finest. But re-listening caused those opinions to dissipate. 2 + 2 = 5 was the first Radiohead song which I truly appreciated. First the tuning in. Followed by the shifting time signatures. The guitar hook which grabs and thrashes. Then there's the foreboding Sit Down. Stand Up. The eerie command. The pulses. The new expanding beat. The Mingus climax. The beautiful rolling Sail To The Moon. The hanging voice. The to. The fro. The floating flickering Backdrifts. The ghost within the mixer. Go To Sleep and Where I End and You Begin then begin to tread water, but even then there's a guitar pop here and there to add a flourish. Soon piano chords pull us back into the maelstrom. The desperate croaked voices of We Suck Young Blood. The miscued claps. The begging. The omnipresent bass of The Gloaming. The crackles. The hi-hat so thin it could shatter. The droned percussion of There, There. The relief of electric guitar. The wail. The guitars again. The freshness. The twisted harmonies of I Will. The hip-hop backing of A Punch Up at a Wedding. The piano-voice atonalities. The frail high notes. The disassociation of Myxomatosis. The suffocation. The too thick air in Scatterbrain. The down-pitched screwed up blues of A Wolf At the Door. The sheer end. What a mad bad and terrible ride.

Magic

listened to again this is one of my favorite records of all time and MIGHT be my favorite radiohead

great album! i agree with the other commenters that this is a 5-star 1001-albums-album but like a 4.5/5 for radiohead themselves. it's no ok computer or kid a or in rainbows but it is pleasant and weird and enjoyable and complex like we've come to expect from thom and the boys. favorites: 2+2=5, sit down stand up, sail to the moon, backdrifts, where i end and you begin, there there, myxomatosis, a wolf at the door

Have heard this album many many times before. Sorely underrated as a radiohead album, and sure it's maybe a bit eclectic to listen to as one whole piece of art, but it's an album you can come back and dip into any time and each song could be your new favourite. ....The raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops........

SO - 2+2=5, There There, Sail to the Moon

Great album

I bought this album on midnight the day it came out. It wasn’t my favorite Radiohead album, but it has stood the test of time as an excellent example of the creativity and incredible songwriting of this band at their peak.

Absolutely love it.

6 stars. Done and Dusted.

Not my favorite Radiohead album but still brilliant and far from their worst

I put off listening to this because I heard that it wasn’t popular when released. There are some amazing songs on this, and it I think their sound is completely unique. There are a couple of songs that could be dropped in my opinion but it is such a high quality album compared to some other dross on the list. I love how Radiohead can reinvent themselves and continue to make dark, interesting and challenging music (that is somehow catchy and sing-along) throughout the years, but I understand it’s not for everyone. It’s easily 5/5 despite being inferior to other Radiohead albums (incredible album art too).

I was introduced to Radiohead a year or so before the release of this album, so this was the first Radiohead album I anticipated and then purchased on CD the day it came out. I was not disappointed. I had grown increasingly disillusioned by my country, my government, and my fellow man. This album has just the right tone and message to serve as a soundtrack to this challenging phase of my life. It continues to help me cope with my cynicism about my fellow countrymen and our future. Commiserating with this album counterintuitively helps relieve the utter despair I’m often tempted to wallow in. When this came out some of my friends were disappointed. Some thought it was too “conventional”, but listening to it now you’d really have to limit the context to Radiohead albums and its ilk to make such a contention. These are far from conventional songs. I’ve always kind of thought that OK Computer was my favorite from Radiohead. Tonight I realize that I could easily make the argument for this album. Hail to the Thief is a deep emotional journey that I never tire of taking. It’s an album that has helped prevent me from being consumed as I peer over the edge of the abyss.

1st Radiohead, after 520 albums. There goes my dream of making it to 1001 without one (jokes) Unlike the other Radiohead entries in the book, I'm not familiar with any of these songs save the opener. My first impression is that it's especially devoid of warmth even for them. That's not really a complaint though; even at their most desolate and icy there's beauty to be found, whether it's in the post-punk screech of "There There", the eerie analogs in "Myxomatosis" or the piano/handclaps of "We Suck Young Blood" that evoke gospel & horror in equal measure. It's also overlong and messy, but for once that doesn't kill the buzz for me. Note to self: I wonder if I overrate albums that coincidentally match the vibe of the day? Anyway, apropos album for an afternoon darkened by wildfire smoke HL: "2 + 2 = 5", "Sit Down Stand Up", "Go To Sleep", "Where I End and You Begin", "The Gloaming", "A Wolf at the Door" September 5, 2023

MY FIRST RADIOHEAD YAY I was expecting to give this 5/5 just because it's Radiohead and I love Radiohead. But from the first few notes of '2 + 2 = 5', it was crystal clear that this rating was deserved. Absolutely amazing as always. Unpopular opinion but I preferred this one over 'Kid A'. 'Hail to the Thief' grabbed me and demanded to be listened to from the get-go because it's so good, and maintains its excellence throughout. 'Kid A', on the other hand, was carried by 'Everything in its Right Place' on the first listen. 9.5/10.

Rendu là je sais pas comment je pourrais leur donner plus bas que la plus haute note. Est-ce que c'est aussi bon que leur plus grand albums, probablement pas, mais la plus haute note c'est 5 et celui-ci le merite amplemant.

Hail to the Thief feels more like a spiritual successor to OK Computer than to the preceding records Kid A and Amnesia, but it does borrow the atmospheric electronic aspects from those two albums. I could definitely see "Backdrifts" and "The Gloaming" belonging on either one of them. It's probably their most mature and confident album. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does try new tricks and throws new surprises at you that, in most cases, work extraordinarily well. Some people consider this to be one of their weakest. And I think that's because the standards are set so high from their other albums which constantly blow you away with otherworldly sounds you never thought was possible. But if you get to this record, you already know what Radiohead is capable of. And although this record does have plenty of "holy shit" and "what the hell?" moments, it doesn't leave as much of an impact. But don't let that fool you. These songs are incredible art rock pieces, each of which highly memorable and immersive. They're fuller, more aggressive, sinister, and direct, but also, most of them are not as flashy as their other albums. I wouldn't say there's a single weak track. I can point out that a few like "Scatterbrain" or "A Punch Up At a Wedding" feel like something's missing to make them complete, but I think it's in an effort to model after the Beatles' concise songwriting tactic. It's not a perfect album. It's not a complete art experience like many of their other albums. But disregarding that unattainable standard, it's a fantastic record that keeps you in the game, with plenty of standout tracks and notable deep cuts that you couldn't argue for any to be filler. It may not belong among the best albums of all times, but it hardly does anything wrong either. And for that, I give it full points. Favorites: Sit Down Stand Up, Where I End You Begin, There There

Yessss. There there is one of the best ever Radiohead songs. And go to sleep. My first ever Radiohead record.

MORE RADIOHEAD: I have never come across this album before in my hours upon hours of Radiohead listening and I quite enjoyed it. I loved the passion from Thom Yorke's voice and you can definitely see the lasting tones of OK Computer (love it). It doesn't quite have the immediate hit some of their other tracks do but the is after many many listens. Oh and my Dad said it was good. Definitely finding it's way to my usual rotation.

I mean, it's Hail to the Thief! One of Radiohead's best albums! This is where I first really listened to Radiohead, and the album holds up.

Absolute classic

THE RAINDROPS.

Often overlooked in their discography, Hail To the Thief is Radiohead at their most political serving a perfect blend of the electronic destruction-of-self from Kid A and the guitar-driven rock of The Bends. Is it probably a track or two too long? Perhaps. But it also has '2 + 2 = 5', 'Myxomatosis', 'A Wolf at the Door', and possibly their greatest song ever put on record, 'There There'.

It has come to my attention that Radiohead seem to have 6 albums on this list. That seems like way too few. Hail To the Thief is the return to a more organic and rock-y sound after their full on electronic studio albums. And what a return it is! Bring me more Radiohead soon, please.

surprised to love this so much!

When this album was released I had just started reading Stephen King's "The Waste Lands" which is one segment of an epic post-apocalyptic fantasy which seems unimportant and completely irrelevant to this album but shut up it's NOT - because in my brain these two works are inexplicably tied together. I spent a good 2 weeks of mornings taking the long train ride in to work with this album in my headphones while reading the book, and I still can picture the landscapes described in the book just upon hearing the opening 7/8 rhythm of "2+2=5." Anyways yeah with my good fortune the book merged perfectly with the music and themes on this record. It's low-key kinda terrifying. By Thom Yorke's own words many of the songs are about either a general sense of terror or even fascism that had suddenly come to prominence in the world (thanks 9/11). And even though lyrics/vocals are usually boring and a distraction (...for me...) this is the rare album that weaves the creepy-AF music with the lyrics in such a perfect way that it's impossible not to notice. "Hail To The Thief" is and was the perfect brooding sad terror soundtrack for the book - you have a fantasy world in print where a few lone travellers are fending for themselves in a world gone mad where nobody can be trusted and so many are out for themselves - and for the current real-world, both in 2003 and pitifully maybe even more-so today. I loved Radiohead's previous 2 albums KidA and Amnesiac although I know a lot of older fans were a little turned off by the swift pivot to electronic music - this album seemed a great balance between electronics as they're backed off quite a bit - I love the varied instrumentation used on this album, the production which gives so much of a feel of being in the studio with the band ("We Suck Young Blood" - the off-timing on the claps is something I particularly enjoy). A little something for everyone in the family on this album - weirdness abound, odd time signatures, and if you just want a good driving rock song that's still inherently and all Radiohead you've got the imperceptibly complex "Go to Sleep" and slightly more straightforward "There, There." Personal fave: "Sit Down, Stand Up" - that haunting and seemingly everlasting build until the "and the raindrops...and the raindrops..." etc. Amazing. Slows just a little on the last few tracks but not enough to knock it down - I love just about everything about this album even if it's considerably less than uplifting and I'm almost sure that's exactly why I love it. 9/10 5 stars.

Not as good as Kid-A But this is an easy 5 star record. This is a classic that resonated at the time as much as it does now. 2+2=5 is a favorite. And the opening to this album blasts off into exactly where I want to be with Radiohead.

I’m biased because I LOVE Radiohead, but this album captures a lot of what I love about them, especially the contrast between somber moments and crazy, driving, soundscapy moments.

Not their best album but still full of bangers.

Love radiohead. Way better than I remember

This album was a sleeper for me, but I like it more and more every time I listen. It's a perfect blend of what they were doing on OK Computer and the left turn they made with Kid A. There's not a bad song on this album.

I haven’t listened to this all the way through in a while. I’d forgotten how consistently Radiohead was putting out complete albums, one after another. This isn’t quite on the level of The Bends, OK Computer or Kid A, but there is not a bad song in this album and they all fit well together. We’ll see which other Radiohead albums are on here…they may all be getting 5’s from me.

I've been a fan of Radiohead since I was a teenager, and I know this album in and out. I love it! But I am sceptical to including it in the book. I can see the reasoning; Hail to the Thief showcases a certain mix of different aspects of the band's music. But there are five albums that I think are more influential and better album experiences than Hail to the Thief. In my opinion you don't need to hear more than half of Radiohead's discography to get what they're about and why they have legend status. But as I said, this is an amazing album.

I do understand the fuss around Radiohead and I adore a few of their songs but, in general, I find it a chore to listen to their entire albums. I'm not sure what animates folks to proclaim them as complete works of genius and I don't know that I can disagree. I, for one, feel great love for The Wall by Pink Floyd and, clearly, that album is regarded as garbage by some folks. This is a very well made album that simply rubs *me* the wrong way. I can't engage with it but I can't say critically bad things about it. It's just too well made. The things I don't care for are merely characteristics which describe it and aren't faults. It drones. It uses lyrical motif to express emotion. Thom's voice is often fragile. The instrumentation is lush to the point of muddiness in spots. In others quite lonely. If I were to be overly critical it would hold about as much weight as saying that I don't care for blue automobiles. That is a me problem. This is a great album I don't like. Stepping back from my own taste and trying to appreciate what it does with the palette it is restricting itself to it is a 4 of 5. It may not be perfect but it is a fine representative of its ilk.

Not my favorite Radiohead album, but I do love it.

I never listen to Radiohead, even though I like their music. You definitely need to be in a mood for this music. It instills a feeling of melancholia and that's fine by me. There There is the highlight.

The album is definitely influenced by Kid A and it sounds just as electronic and energetic at times. I liked a few songs but there were also some I didn't like. Rate 7/10

fire I liked 8/10

Lots of electronics but still guitar-driven, especially acoustic. Experimental without being too abstract. Brooding mood throughout. Standout is "Myxomatosis".

objetivamente radiohead é uma banda ótima, mas as vezes eu fico pensando se eu fosse um homem usuário do last fm provavelmente eu amaria muito mais

Finally some Radiohead! Syncopation and polyrhythms galore. Inventive, original, and a satisfying listen. Really every time I listen, I find more in each track. They are just genius. One of the great groups of all time. I note though that this not my favorite Radiohead work, but still on another plane. Hope for more later in the list so I can dole out some 5s!

Loved this. Innovative, original, interesting and brilliantly executed.

Their longest and in some ways their less cohesive album, but they're also at their most eclectic and angry. I actually think this one ages like fine wine and is kinda underrated in their discography

Nice listen even if Radiohead gets a lil weird on this one.

I listened to this album a bunch in late summer 2011, and I remember one pretty terrific lightning storm that I felt compelled to go out in and listening to this really hit.

Back from vacation and glad to have the time to listen and read the lyrics for today's album. This is my fourth Radiohead record in the project, and the others have all gotten four stars (I was surprised by how much I enjoyed In Rainbows and disappointed with my loving memories of OK Computer). I've never listened to this album before, so I didn't know exactly which Radiohead I'd get. It turned out I got both of them-the experimental and the more straightforward-ish rock songs. Sadly, the themes of a record from 2003 exist to this day, and are even more dire and angering (especially for those of us in the US). I didn't totally enjoy all of the songs. The standouts for me were 2+2=5, There, There and A Punch Up at a Wedding. There were songs I liked a lot as well, but a few I just felt didn't need to be there. This will be another 4 star album for Radiohead, and I'm pretty sure only Kid A is left. We'll have to see if that keeps the streak going.

Not my favourite Radiohead album. Perhaps with more time I would like it more.

Hail To the Thief Along with Amnesiac I tend to overlook this album in their post OK Computer era, I always gravitate towards Kid A, In Rainbows, The King of Limbs or Moon Shaped Pool instead. That’s because this does feel long at nearly an hour, and while taken individually they are actually very good songs, Sail To The Moon and We Suck Young Blood sound very similar tonally and tempo-wise. Sail To The Moon is actually lovely and the chords and backing vocals on We Suck Young Blood are great as well, but along with the other similar sounding pair of I Will and Scatterbrain, and the interesting but relatively throwaway The Gloaming they colour the album with a sense of dirge and ponderousness. Despite that, there are superb songs on here. 2+2= 5 is one of their best post OK Computer rockers, the arpeggiated (my how they love arpeggios in this period) intro leading to the release of some pent up chaos, the pulsing Backdrifts is excellent and I love the time signature changes and guitar bursts of Go To Sleep. Where I End and You Begin is also excellent, the bass groove and drum pattern are great, a bit Can/Faust, and I love the scratchy guitar. There, There is, along with Go To Sleep, probably the most conventional track and it is very good, the bass under the toms and guitar is delicious. A Punchup At a Wedding I absolutely love, one of my favourite Radiohead songs. The piano and bass are superb, giving it a real hypnotic groove. Myxomatosis is excellent too, I love the drum pattern and synth bass parts. A Wolf At the Door is very good too. I don’t think it’s quite on the same level as Kid A, In Rainbows, The King of Limbs or A Moon Shaped Pool, or OK Computer. The same tense, fraught sensibility behind their best stuff is here, but combined with the overall length and slightly plodding, similar sounding nature of some of the slower songs it does feel a bit one note in places, and it does drag a little. Despite that it’s still a great record with some absolutely brilliant songs, an album that few other bands could match. If it was someone else it probably would be a 5, but, fairly or unfairly, I think I hold them to a higher standard, so I’ll go a very high 4, even though that does feel a bit penurious. 📻📻📻📻 Playlist submission: A Punchup at a Wedding Ps it’s worth listening to the Com Lag 2+2=5 EP from this period, there’s, I think, a slightly better version of I Will and an excellent track called Paperbag Writer.

This is a great Radiohead album, and it has a bit more identity than I expected. Still though… we don’t need it on the list - it doesn’t have the same importance has OK Computer or Kid A or In Rainbows or even The Bends. The drums on There, There are so good though. Most underrated Radiohead single. Probably my favourite collection of Radiohead song titles. Fave Tracks: 2+2=5, Sit Down Stand Up, There There, A Wolf at the Door 4/5

Beautiful, complex, and, like all of their material, endlessly fascinating. Perhaps not as deeply memorable as some of their other work, but always a worthwhile listen.

I might rate this higher on a re-listen.

I decided that this had to be one I played on my full system and not just on my phone or AirPods. Absolutely worth it. I was a fan of early Radiohead but have sort of sat back and wondered that the big deal was with later records. Properly listening to this one was key. A lot of very interesting stuff is happening on this record. Well worth the listen.

Can’t say a thing wrong about this, although not my favourite Radiohead album. I already loved the song There, There but have become a huge fan of Go To Sleep on this listen. Looking forward to some hopefully less angsty and existential albums coming up next bc this really got me in a dark mood lol.

I have listen to Radiohead music before. Listening conditions: First 4 songs driving to work, then the rest of it while making a coffee, and having my breakfast. The second song sounded a bit like a more rocky DnB/edm (I normally dislike drum and bass), which I really liked. All drum and bass should sound like that. "The Gloaming" sounded like popping candy goes off right in my ear gtfooooooo The second half of the album was more familiar radiohead to me. I thought I recognised a few songs but honestly idk. Overall enjoyable listening experience for me and I added a few songs to a playlist I listen to sometimes.

8.5 ★★★★

My second favourite Radiohead album. A nice blend of their electronic- and rock styles. 4.5 stars

t's a little long, but there's nothing bad here, and there's some legitimately great tunes like "There There" and "Myxomatosis". I still think it's their weakest album of the 00s, but they still sound like a band at the height of their powers. 4.5

4.5

I love Radiohead literally always. It’s so good and I love to listen to albums I haven’t heard before. Cos like obviously I’ve heard in rainbows and the bends and ok computer because duh. But I haven’t heard this one before and I’m a fan because it’s just Radiohead. They have a distinct sound that I love. This album did have some funky noises that messed with me and made my ears kinda hurt but that’s ok because I love the singers voice and the sound of the band.

It’s not a 5 star Radiohead album but it’s definitely a 4 star. Very good I think just not as good as the excellent ones…

Radiohead is a band that everyone reccomeded to me for years, but I could never get into. I'm glad I finally took the time to dive into this album because I enjoyed it a lot - the songs often lead up to a wall of sound that is always satisfying to me. I only went though the album once and I'm exited to listen through again.

Pretty good. Makes Radiohead grow on me. I’ll keep listening to them. Especially this album. His voice doesn’t always do it for me but I appreciate what they are doing.

Radiohead slaydiohead

6th best Radiohead album makes it a classic nonetheless

Radiohead is always a weird band for me. On first listen I almost never like their songs but somehow I keep returning to it, and I realize at some point it has grown on me. This album is the same.

I was a little hesitant when I saw yet ANOTHER radiohead album but then I heard it and I was like nahhhhhhhhhh these guys can stay

This is a tougher album to rank for me. On one hand, Radiohead continues their streak of putting out excellent and captivating albums as they always do. But this one didn't grip me like their previous releases. It did feel a little bloated, and only 2 songs really blew me away instead of a majority. So still a fantastic album, but below standard for Radiohead. Top tracks: 2 + 2 = 5; There, There; Myxomatosis

I feel it’s very safe to say that Radiohead’s run in the 2000s should, and likely forever will be studied. It’s inexplicable how a group of six gentlemen could come together during a ten-year period and create a body of work like that. Despite what the many detractors say, they will never not marvel me with how immense their creations are. They have managed to both abandon their own styles completely and still maintain the same musical identity for over thirty years. But they’ve never abandoned each other. Remove one member from this mix, and Radiohead is not the same. In a way, every record they release is a turning point for them, both personally and creatively. Hail to the Thief feels like an especially potent one though. The band was officially entering the age of the Internet. And with that came the choice of whether to adapt to the public’s changing mindset regarding music. The way I interpret this record is the precursor to the release which would succeed it. Which I am intentionally choosing not to name. For no real reason in particular, other than to withheld my thoughts on it as much as I can. Obviously they didn’t know this at the time, but in hindsight it’s very clear. The arduous, and electronically focused, recording sessions that birthed Kid A and Amnesia permanently altered the band and its members, both positively and negatively. So they decided they would record the next album in a manner as far removed from those methods as possible. They wanted to work efficiently, and they wanted the album done in a timely manner. Everything you hear on this, particularly when it comes to the electronic parts, was all recorded in a very short period of time. And they refused to overdub any of it. It’s all live takes. This even affected the amount of time Thom was given to write lyrics. Whether or not you like what they were going for here, it’s still an impressive effort. The reason why I label this as the precursor to unnamed album number seven is because this is the first time they really fused both halves of their identity. The rock and the electronic came together as one. Hail to the Thief highlights the band at potentially their most frantic and anxious up until that point. But also some of their most mellow writing. It features a handful of the most blood-pumping and electric sounding songs they’ve ever made. But also some of their most lifeless. Which works simultaneously for them and against them. Thom borrowed his own idea from years prior of cutting up random words and putting them into sentences to write his lyrics for this album. Which possibly makes them feel less put together, but there still is this overarching idea of the band’s time working in Hollywood, and also political conflicts that were taking place in the U.S. at the time. You do really get some of the member’s best performances here though. Especially on Philip Selway’s part. It’s just unfortunate that many of those amazing moments feel very short-lived. 2 + 2 = 5 is further proof that they always know how to properly open an album. Sail to the Moon is incredibly beautiful, but almost hauntingly so. We Suck Young Blood is so unnerving, especially with those live hand claps added in. Plus I like how it gets all manic and weird in the middle and then dies back down. Myxomatosis will forever be one of the band’s most underrated tracks, and it was my favorite on this record for a long time. And although I’m aware that Backdrifts maybe isn’t all that special, I think Thom gives a fantastic vocal performance, and I really enjoy the way the instrumental sort of floats about and whirs in your ears. Where my issues with this album lie is really in the album as a whole. Something feels so much less cohesive, and from one song to the next, it does not maintain the same consistency of their best work. Songs like I Will or Scatterbrain basically amount to nothing, and The Gloaming probably could have been left off the album entirely. I’m aware this is a whole lot of basically nothing for an album I don’t even like as much as it may seem. And as much as I want to give this a glowing five-star review because it’s Radiohead, and solely for that reason, I have to be fair and reasonable. If Kid A was the band’s experimentation with electronic music in its purest form, but arguably at its best, Amnesiac felt like a regression of what made that album succeed. Hail to the Thief is more on an even playing field with that previous album than not, and I think they are relatively equal in quality. I can only hope I won’t have to wait another 7 months for Radiohead to appear again, because it’s pretty clear I can spend a long time talking about them. Rating: 7/10

Classic

Pretty good tbh never listened post Kid A Radiohead so was quite impressed

I actually hadn't heard this album before and I love Radiohead.

Not my fav by them but still hard.

a work of decent beauty overshadowed by their other albums

Rating: 8/10 Some fantastic highlights, the band is a bit more experimental on this album. A few mediocre songs but great overall.

Excellent mix of traditional and modern instrumentation.

Radiomid

This album is so good, I’m not sure I have ever listened top to bottom before. And it’s still not their top 3.

I know this isnt their most appreciated album, but I really enjoy it. That ending with Wolf at the Door.. wow.

Before starting this project, “A Moon Shaped Pool” was the only Radiohead album that I’d listened to. My first album of theirs to review was The Bends, which I absolutely loved. I liked Kid A and In Rainbows as well, but just not as much as The Bends. I’m interested to dive into this one, because I remember hearing about it when it came out, mostly because its title was a diss to then President George W. Bush. Hail to the Thief was pretty much in line with the other post OK Computer Radiohead albums that I’ve listened to. I enjoyed the overall dark sound, but the addition of some more guitar playing was a nice departure from Kid A. I really enjoy Radiohead’s ability to create sounds that are beautifully deep. There’s so much to take in during each song that it makes their albums great for repeat listening, because I’m always finding new things to appreciate that I didn’t pick up on during my first listen. I like Thom Yorke’s signing, because his voice feels like an instrument in how it adds to the depth of sound. There was a lot to take in lyrically on this album as well. The themes of societal regression, the rise of extremism, and the disillusionment of young people still feel incredibly relevant today, especially as the U.S. heads into another election that feels do-or-die for our democratic processes. It’s wild and sad to think about how the powder keg of our current times has been burning for the better part of two decades. On top of that, there’s plenty of things in the lyrics that are open to interpretation: the search for meaning and God, shattered relationships, and distrust seem to be heavy on Thom’s mind on this album as well. My favorite tracks on the album were “Backdrifts,” “Go To Sleep,” “We Suck Young Blood,” and “There, There.” I really enjoyed the songs with more guitar in the melody, but the songs with more piano were great too. This was a great album, but some parts of it were a little dull, and there wasn’t a whole lot that separates this album’s whole sound from Kid A and In Rainbows. Still, I’d consider myself won over as a Radiohead fan, and I’m looking forward to going back through all their albums on this list once I’ve wrapped things up.

Extremely underrated Radiohead album in my opinion. I know that it doesn't have as continuous a flow as most of their work, but I love the passion in this album and it has some of my favorite tracks from them ('There, There', 'A Wolf At the Door', '2+2=5'). 4/5

Great album. A return to the more rock centric of The Bends and Ok Computer ilk.

Not their best but All their albums are great. Especially the song there there is fantastic

This album is REALLY good, but when you’ve heard what five-star Radiohead sounds like it’s hard not to compare everything else they do to their gold standard. It’s no Kid A, but it’s still a damn good collection of songs. Just doesn’t have that extra touch of sonic and thematic cohesion to take it all the way.

Not quite peak Radiohead but a dark, rich album that's worth exploring. An interesting halfway point between the electronic paranoia of Kid A/Amnesiac and the ultra-clean arpeggiated rock of In Rainbows. Best song: 2 + 2 = 5

As of now it has been 7 years since Radiohead released an album. They may be done forever. Therefore the lesser known or not as popular albums are always worth revisiting. I’m glad I got this album. I’ve always had it pretty lowly ranked but after listening to this maybe 5 or 6 times, I have enjoyed it significantly more. It has the electronic sound Kid A does through many of the songs but this time they are styled differently. There’s are songs with more guitar and heavier rock sounds. There’s one that’s more fluid and almost jazz like. The singing style of yorke is more like the later albums. Hail to the thief is underrated for a Radiohead album. It’s definitely not their best but to me it has climbed the rankings. 8.4/10

This is a repeat listen for me already being a big Radiohead fan and my opinions have not really changed on the album. Still think this is a slightly underrated Radiohead album with some great tracks with a political presence and industrial sound. It’s a crossroads between the guitar driven early Radiohead albums such as The Bends and OK Computer and their early 2000s electronic work such as Kid A and Amnesiac. The album is a bit bloated and has some mediocrity but overall a great album.

Longer Radiohead Album. I really like most of it, but it has some moments which are harder to listen to than the majority of their discography.

There, there was the highlight. It was a great album

I’m a defender of this album but even I don’t think it’s essential. C’mon Bob

Suffers from not being as good as the studio albums either side of it, but it’s still a very good record. Far too long though. Three excellent tracks, 2+2, There There and Punch Up.

Very hard to rate.... I like the musicalities and production was top notch in my opinion. I was expecting something very different from radiohead and I am both disappointed and pleased... I will probably listen to the album again. 3.5/5

Lots of good tracks but sometimes a little bit of a slog to get through.

I suppose I have no issue with the electronic haze of Radiohead's post-OK Computer output, but I do think I need to be in the right mood for it. I felt myself realizing that this music wasn't meant for sunny days when I took a stroll outside and watched a squirrel throw an acorn at another squirrel. This was while Thom was yelling about capitalism or penetration or something. In Radiohead's defense, who could compete with a squirrel fight?

Unclear why this is here, it's not much different than their before or after, so hardly groundbreaking in any way. The best thing to say about it, as a Radiohead fan, is that it sounds just like Radiohead.

Noen høydepunkter 2+2=5 There There myxomatosis Kanskje det svakeste albumet deres sammen med Pablo Honey

Mournful noisy noise. I really like some of what Radiohead has made but this album just sounded like Thom Yorke wailing to the sound of off-beat Pink Floyd.

Some stuff on here that I like a lot - Sit Down, Stand Up is great for instance. However overall its mostly average and not enough stands out.

Oh come the fuck on these dude's just aren't that good. Putting OK Computer and Kid A on the list? Fine but the rest of it is just glazing them at this point. Kinda actually liked the start of this one before it quickly devolved back into meh to me. 6/10

This album was an interesting revisit because it is my least favorite Radiohead album and least listened to for several reasons. It came out at a particularly bad point in my life so it just conjures up bad memories. Second, it always felt rushed out and slapped together rather than so thoroughly thought through like the previous 4 albums. The tracklisting feels out of order. Lastly, this feels like a greatest hits album from a parallel universe. These songs range from The Bends rockers to the more experimental art pieces of Amnesiac, to the paranoid meditations of OK Computer to the pretty otherworldly compositions of Kid A. Problem is those albums did all of that way better. At the end of the day though, a less than perfect Radiohead album is still better than 99% of everything else out there. Hail To The Thief has many great moments. There There is the best song here, Sail To The Moon is a sister to Pyramid Song, whose otherworldly perfection still astounds. Sit Down Stand Up works its way towards electronic climax, and Scatterbrain and A Wolf At The Door end the album on a sublime, artistic note. A Punch Up At A Wedding is uninspiring. Its rightful place is in B-side land. And Jesus Christ, We Suck Young Blood is still God-awful! I understand it’s meant to be ghoulish, but damn. If Radiohead set out to produce the most irritating and grating song to ever exist, they succeeded with in every conceivable way. This review would be entirely different if you took those two songs off and rearranged the others. Call me spoiled, but after witnessing the supernaturally great run Radiohead had from The Bends through Kid A, and Amnesiac by association to it, I’d hoped they’d just keep getting better and better. This was the first time Radiohead proved they were human and not aliens creating a new musical art form.

I have a deep appreciation for Radiohead, but I don't love everything they do. This one was middle of the road. I like the emotion and the themes in the album, but a lot of the songs felt kind of flat and boring. Their experimentation is always interesting, but this one didn't really hit the mark for me.

some songs bored me however there are a few absolute slaperoonies. I think it was good to hear more than just creep. Truly if someone reminds me of it myxomatosis will play at my funeral.

Radiohead at their most political and musically diverse, mixing elements of electronic and rock. Few dud tracks in the middle. Best tracks: - Myxomatosis - 2 + 2 = 5 - There, There Worst tracks: - The Gloaming - We Suck Young Blood Rating: 7/10

Some classic Radiohead tracks show up on this one. I understand it's not considered one of their best records but I enjoy it. it feels like them sort of returning to their 90's rock band roots the most since the bends. the first five tracks are great. there,there is one of the best radiohead songs ever.

I would not be surprised to learn the Radiohead is just early AI. Everything about them says they should be great, but I always walk away feeling like something was missing.

Can’t hear the music for the whining voice of Thom Yorke. Not nice.

A cryptic blend of rock and electronic music that can feel jumbled at times.

It's listening for a relatively dull weathered Monday at work. Expect little in the way of excitement but you're not going to be perturbed by 36 trumpets or herbs and spices at any point, which is certainly refreshing. It's all really inoffensive but also all really insubstantial, and for this, it gets my highest yet the most average of scores, 3*.

Of all the radiohead albums, Hail To the Thief is definitely one of them. Had lot of quiet 2000s indie vibes, I sure hope they don't dig too far into them next time. A decent record

An alright album with great instrumentation and 6/10 arrangements. Vocals continue to be a sore spot for me for RH; Yorke sings in such a distinctively weak manner that it can be tough to find the melody and vocal rhythm. It's almost like he can't decide if he wants his voice to be in the background or center stage. All in all, none of the songs really caught me.

I was pleasantly surprised by early radio head. While this album was in line with expectations I had before starting this list. Yorke's voice is reduced to a constant hard to understand whine. While the music is complex and does intricate movements, the catharsis of the songs takes too long to finally arrive. What is the opposite of a grippy hook? A greasy noodle?

Radiohead are the most depressing thing ever since death was invented

You would think that Radiohead at their worst is still better than most bands at their best, but actually no, this album sucks. It's just so boring, it's all stuff they've done before and done better on previous albums. All the preachy political lyrics about authoritarian dictators doesn't mean shit when most of the band is still in love with Israel. I'm usually down for Radiohead, but this just isn't an exciting listen at all.

Hørt hjemme lørdags formiddag, 10/01/26. Ganske uinspirert album, minner nesten litt om MUSE. Litt uheldig der.Tar seg litt opp andre halvdel, men fortsatt ganske kjedelig.

Radiohead again?!? Why?

Im going to hear every damn radiohead record against my will. Its maybe on of the better ones but im just sick of it. I know everyone likes them and thats cool and fine but I dont. Im over the whiney falsetto thing that happens on the vocals. Im tired of the ethereal half electronic half analog music thing. Its just not good. I thought for sure id be getting close to the end of listening to this crap but they keep pulling more records out of thier ass. I didnt even know this thing existed. I've never heard anyone talk about it. But here it is again. Im just done. Please for the love of God dont give me moon shaped pool. Please whatever deity you belive in dont let that happen to me. This record is not the worst of them but in a culmination of all my frustration with this band its gotta be low. Enjoy it if u like but I will not

I just don't care for Radiohead. I can't get past York's voice. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

The only hailing of a thief I’m doing is flagging down a taxi to get me out of here and I’m asking them to keep the radio off on the ride home. I liked a few songs okay, but as an album, I thought this was cheeks. Felt like I was being held hostage by at least half of the songs on this album.

I’ve always thought this was a boring album, and I still find it very boring.

Cool sounds, but it's amazing that Bob Dylan gets so much shit for being incomprehensible when Radiohead exists. I think I parsed 1% of the lyrics at most.

I was legitimately interested in this one because people love Radiohead and I’ve never really gotten into it. I do not get the hype. Depressing, dull, self-indulgent, overproduced. There, There and Myxomatosis were pretty good songs. Everything else is annoying beep boop nonsense. We don’t need to reinvent what instruments sounds like for the modern age. They already sound good. Be a real artist and invent a new instrument altogether, Thom Yorke. You get 2 stars because the talent and ability is evident. But I don’t get it.

I don’t get the hype for Radiohead and this album was plain boring to me, sounds like they’re one step away from watching Andrew Tate videos.

Not their best. Not in my top 1000

My biggest hangup with Radiohead is how bloodless their music sounds—cold, removed, heady to a fault. After a while, it blends together into a sort of white noise: ambient washes of percussion and synth, with Thom Yorke's heavily reverbed, barely intelligible vocals. My favorite moments on this are the ones have a stronger pulse: the second half of "2 + 2 = 5" and the almost NIN-esque "Myxomatosis." The rest falls away for me.

Better than Coldplay.

Radiohead is hit or miss for me, and this one was a big miss. Was it 16 songs or one long confusing noisy mashup designed to make me sleepy. Everything sounded pretty much the same. Pablo Honey, The Bends, Ok Computer, and In Rainbows would have all been better choices than this dud.

I like that this seems more rock oriented than other Radiohead albums I've listened to. One Radiohead song is fine, there's usually something interesting going on, however it's exhausting to listen to a full album of this.

I really try but I don't get what's so great about Radiohead. Every song just sounds like Thom Yorke whining the same note and moaning.

Sadder, nerdy Coldplay. Not an enjoyablem listen

Probably the weakest of what feels like too many Radiohead albums on this list. They haven't all been bad, but it's starting to feel a bit like 'The Emperors New Clothes' to me.

Can't say I'm going to be a Radiohead fan any time soon Favourite track: There, There

Just sounds all the same.

I've always felt that Radiohead is sonic Ambien, with the lyrical depth of a teenage stoner and the experimental depth of said teenager's father when he's pickin' up that ol' six-string. This album is proof that I'm not just a hater. And I'm kind of disappointed, because it started out a bit more energetic and emotive! But alas, by track 3, my eyes glazed over, like they almost always do when I listen to Radiohead, and it was all downhill from there.

I don't think they really want people to like this

I liked this at first but the longer the album went the less I liked it.

Same whiney minor-key junk they fill all their other albums with. Don't know why I thought this one might be different, but I listened to find out - no. To be fair, there are some good sounds here, but I find the voice ruinous.

Hab’s probiert. Einige interessante Effekte. Finde keinen Titel, den ich sofort Wiederhören möchte. 2/5

How many Radiohead albums are on this list? I think this is my 3rd one and none of them are above 2 stars. I've tried to listen to this band for almost 20 years. I think it's safe to say I'm not going to get it. Maybe replace this album with Ben Howard I Forget Where We Were.

‘We Suck Young Blood’ bloody hell talk about dreary! I nearly fell asleep a few times during this album

Didn't hate this as much as In Rainbows or Kid A, as there were occasional hints of a tune behind the noodling. Still has that awful whine going on - surely no-one can enjoy the "singing" attempted here? And there are far better examples of drone/electronica/experimental music since the late '60s. Highly over-rated crap as ever!

Radiohead staying the most overrated band ever. Every song is just a guy scream-whining over a repetitive beat.

Radiohead may be the most overrated band ever.

Blah. Can’t even call this middle of the road Radiohead.

I really didn't know I disliked Radiohead so much. Some of the guitar work is pretty good, but the voice is driving me crazy.

Radiohead is talented band that writes well crafted and well polished intricate progressive songs.... that I have no desire to listen to. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reputation that Radiohead has, I've given them an honest listen numerous times, and it has never "clicked" for me. And it's like... I listen to a lot of esoteric and diverse music across genres, and this sort of self-masturbatory prog should be right up my alley, but it just isn't.

I dunno, it just feels like these guys are spoofers. I read so much about their music, and I get heated about giving it a listen, but when I get around to it, invariably I feel let down. Hail to the Thief is no exception. Anaemic for sure, and for all its ambition it also manages to be incredibly boring, the worst sin where music is concerned. Shit production too.

Oof

Ah, the first of many. Looking forward to giving the others the same treatment. Thom Yorke is an insufferable prick, maybe the worst in the history, and only one worse than him are Radiohead fans.

NOt a big fan of theirs. i just don't get what all the hype is about. "Creep" is very good but it's not on this LP.

Yuck. As boring as I remembered.

Not my idea of a good time. There are some Radiohead songs that I enjoy, but I didn't like the over-experimental mess this was. I found myself unable to find a "hook" in any of this.

LIKED BACKDRIFTS & go to sleep

I can see why Creep was their only really well-known (to the masses) song. This album was not my cup of tea. In fact, I found myself avoiding listening to it and wishing it was over

I ennnnnjooooooyed thiiiiis faaarrrrr lesssss thaaaaaan oooookaaaay compuuuuuuterrrrrrr.

No l’he escoltat

Not my style but I’m sure it’s fine lol

I'm wasn't a fan of radiohead before listening to this , but I gave it a crack. After listening to this I'm still not a fan. The album was boring and depressing.

The overwhelming majority was just mildly depressing background noise

Delighted to get another Radiohead album out of the way

Number 101 in a series of "things people presume I really like, but I don't": Radiohead. This album is dull in the extreme from start to finish, I don't see where all the adoration for this record comes from to be honest. I love a melody that takes you somewhere unexpected, but every track here just seems to drag the listener through odd meters and weird modal shifts which go nowhere inspiring just for the hell of it. An unexciting journey through wandering guitar arpeggios and half-arsed electronic bleeps with York's warbling of laments draped uncomfortably across the unusual melodic terrain they create.

It's Radiohead. Pretty straight forward. It was good.

I tried to listen to this I really did. But I stand by not liking Radiohead, Thom York’s voice makes my skin crawl.

Ahh the Gen X output of the EMI / Abbey Road posh boy band cookie cutter. At least unlike their Boomer predecessors (Pink Floyd) and Millennial successors (Coldplay) Radiohead at least approach their music with some spirit of adventure. So here there’s a bit of dub step and electric trickery, and Thom Yorke tries to channel late period Scott Walker. However it would be far more fulfilling to listen to Burial or Tilt.

Radiohead is boring as hell

okish

That voice is like nails on a chalkboard

Ugh. This sucked even worse than the last Radiohead album.

nope nope nope

An absolute snooze fest. Only one song grabbed my attention. very disappointed considering the magnitude of them but not opposed to hearing what else they have.

I don’t like Radiohead. It’s just not enjoyable to listen to.

1. 2 + 2 = 5 - 1 2. ztand up - 0 3. zail to the moon - 1.5 4. back driftz - 0 5. go to zleep - 0 6. you begin - 1 7. young blood - 1 8. gloaming - 0 9. there there - 1 10. i uuill - 0 11. uuedding - 0 12. matoziz - 0 13. zcatterbrain - 1 14. a uuolf - 1

I dont even really like the good Radiohead stuff, this is too melancholic. I can appreciate how they play with sound, using a good pair of headphones helps, but also annoys me. The Gloaming in particular is bad for this.

No more Radiohead albums, please

I'm not sure what comments to make. It lacks lyrical depth, melody, jazz-riffing, or theme. Feels like an exercise worthy of a nameless band during a SBSW week of pub hopping.

People actually listen to this? I can't understand a word, it's so repetitive and often dissonant. I feel like maybe I should have been high and it would have been slightly better, but even then I have taste.

Today I learned why I'd never heard any of my radiohead fanboy friends play it. 'There, There' is the obvious standout track, and it's almost a shame that it's surrounded by so much... Of whatever this album is trying to be. Weak album for radiohead, but then radiohead has never been a band I like anyway. There, There sounds like a tragically hip cover, and maybe that's why I appreciate it.

Redolent of much better musicians who work in this type of sound. Musicians who don't have Yorke's irritating whine all over their music

Honestly I love Radiohead, but this record doesn't do it for me.

Eerder noemde ik een album van Radiohead al dreinend. Dat kon ik bij dat album nog wel hebben. Maar nu gaat het gedrein soms door merg en been. Ik ben zelden zo gepijnigd door muziek. Een 1, omdat lager niet kan.

Sum up everything I hate about radiohead arty nonsense for pretentious people to say others don't get it. Torturous to listen to. 1

Bloody hell no. No more of this terrible band. 1 star unless I can give it zero stars.

Oh piss off

Czy kiedys te tortury sie skoncza, chyba czwarty album od radioheadow, ktory brzmi tak jak brzmi kazdy inny album od tej bandy, mialkie polaczenie indyjskiego rokowania z elektronicznymi ficzurami, do tego mialkosc liryki wywala tutaj poza skale, kid A przy hailowaniu do zlodzieja wydaje sie byc sluchalnym krazkiem, a tak to zmarnowalem godzine nowego roku na ten niesatysfakcjonujacy odsluch

Paar dagen geleden raadde iemand wiens muzieksmaak ik wel respecteer aan om radiohead te gaan luisteren. Toevallig kwam dit gister en had ik veel zin om het te gaan luisteren, maar ik vond het echt depressief makende kut muziek. Na mijn treinreis had ik bijna zin om er voor te springen

I just got lost in this album , really enjoyed it

Estoy claramente sesgado. Scatterbraim es una canción pra salir a comprar el pan.

Another classic!

loved the electronic pieces, i cannot however listen to the ones on the sadder side by choice, because i don't want to start having suicidal thoughts again

Radiohead - masters of their sound. Some slow and downbeat, others trancelike. Highly enjoyable

Just so good

Brilliant. Forward thinking, great spread of genre and loved that it leaned in a few directions without really sticking to any one flavour or space. I know everyone praises Radiohead for pushing boundaries and I've been hesitant to dive deep until now. This was decisive proof of the value of their contribution to music for me.

Great album.

I Will is truly haunting

Люблю радиохед, не топ-1 альбом, но вайбит норм.

SORRY, I'm going to be 5ing almost all of these Radiohead albums. 'A Wolf at the Door' is probably my favorite song of theirs, also.

This is one of my favorite albums. There's something about so much of Radiohead’s material that just hits it exactly for me - tense, complex, precise, rhythmic music with vague but interesting lyrics. They're my "comfort music," and for some reason I started listening to this particular record a lot more during the pandemic, working insane amounts of overtime at my little desk at home while wailing along with “Hail to the Thief.” I'm sure I've sustained hearing damage from "Sit Down, Stand Up." First I turn it up when the bass comes in. Then a bit louder when the drums come in. And then louder, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the raindrops, and the

I love this album. I can’t judge it properly because there are too many emotions tied up in it.

Rate: 10/10. Admito que cuando me salió este álbum mi reacción fue un jumpscare, pero ya es natural. Amo a Radiohead y también me vuelven miserable. "Where I End and You Begin" temon. AGUANTE RADIOHEAD!!!!

I was not a big Radiohead fun... Before listening to this album. This one is dope, man. The previous one I've been listening to was "The Bends" and the only you want to do listening "The Bends" is too kill yourself. However, listening to the "Hail To the Thief" you want to live again. Love it!

- this was the first Radiohead album I listened to (to have something to talk about with a guy I liked who was very into the band, go figure) and I've listened to it a lot over the last ten years. I think it's frequently ranked lower than albums like In Rainbows or Kid A, but I still think it was a solid early 2000s rock-focused effort that had just enough Radiohead weirdness and intrigue to be listenable to a decently wide audience without venturing into alienation territory - in other words, this feels more appropriate for listening in the car or while on the subway than something like "In Limbo" or "Motion Picture Soundtrack," which seem like tracks that are incongruent with being just background music for anything. over time, I've come to strongly believe that music has to align with the context in which you're hearing it for the first time in order to have any chance at resonating, and "Backdrifts" or "Go To Sleep" are much shallower entry points than something from their previous two albums - to that point, the three-song set at the end (Myxomytosis, Scatterbrains, and Wolf at the Door) was my first exposure to the band at all, and it was a better introduction than something more artistic that might have been a turnoff - the mix of electric and organic drum sounds throughout the whole album drives everything, which I love -- danceable, yet not boring, repetitive, or predictable. listening on headphones brings out the small eerie sound effects underneath most of the tracks that aren't immediately noticeable, yet add a lot to the atmosphere and mood of each song - anyway, 5 stars, I will always love this album and add it to my fall music rotation every September-October for the rest of time

I can't really rate this objectively. It's not really a 5. There are some mid songs, but it's a classic to me. The mood, the sounds, the flow. Perfect.

Top 100 favorite album of all time. The juxtaposition between their sludgy ambient electronica and the manic alt rock of their early years, makes this a wonderful addition to their catalog. A near flawless record.

раньше очень много слушал radiohead, но достаточно долго не возвращался, чтобы плотно послушать вновь. к моему удивлению на этом альбоме собраны мои любимые песни группы: 2+2=5, myxomatosis, a wolf at the door, there there... прослушал, кроме любимых песен - больше почти ничего и нет интересного, но все равно 4.5 поставлю возможно пришло время переслушать дискографию,

i went somewhere

Loved it. Haunting but care free. Amazing night driving music

Jeg vet jeg liker det her

Favorite Track: Myxomatosis

hail indeed! great album, radiohead is always a good listen

The logical conclusion to Kid A and OK Computer. It closed the golden years of radiohead where almost every album was 5*. As radiohead has always been extremely solid on album it's still the case here : the correct blend of rock and electronic music that very few group where able to master as much as them. Favorite Songs: it's difficult to chose some songs that stand out more than others

It may not be better than OK Computer but it is far better than its reputation. I say it’s their second best album and I’m sticking to it. Good day.

It's Radiohead. Need I say more? Nay, I needn't.

2 + 2 always makes a five (stars)

Not as good as other Radiohead albums, but, come on.

Um dos melhores álbuns do Radiohead!

love

00’s Alternative Rock ⭐️2+2=5

It doesn't have to be their best album to be a 5, right? This is another beautiful rendition of the signature Radiohead sound. What a treat. If I'm stuck on a deserted island, send me radiohead records

Als je luistert naar Radiohead is het een beetje alsof je uit eten gaat bij een Michelinsterren restaurant, het maakt niet heel veel uit wat je voorgeschoteld krijgt maar het is van topkwaliteit. Dit album was wat minder bekent bij mij, het staat ook niet vol met bekende knalhits. Ondanks dat heb ik over t weekend veel naar dit album geluisterd en heb ik er erg van genoten. Het is allemaal zo muzikaal, creatief en van zon hoog niveau. Ik denk dat ik het vaker op ga zetten. 5 sterren

5 Has never been my favorite of theirs but on this listen it really clicked

Amaze amaze amaze, never focused so hard in my life

A slow burn of interesting sounds, deep ideas and emotions

As it stood this was one of 3 Radiohead albums I still have to listen to (technically I’ve started a moon shaped pool like 4 times, I’ve just never finished it), and I was really impressed with it. I feel like it’s their best blend of the electronic stuff and the rock stuff, even individual songs manage to do both at the same time, and they do it really well. It feels very ambitious, even if it’s not necessarily groundbreaking for them, and I just really love a lot of what they did here. It’s severely underrated, it should be in the conversation with their best. Favorites: Sit Down. Stand Up, A Punch Up at a Wedding, Myxomatosis

Banger alert!

Zo'n underrated radiohead album... PEAK art!

👌

I mean. Its the best!

Really, really good. I think if this was the first Radiohead album I'd listened to I would have gotten into them way sooner. There's a little lull in the middle but it starts and finishes really strongly, probably best enjoyed on a rainy Thursday on a long train journey wearing decent headphones

You have not been paying attention

After they released Kid A and Amnesiac, which were largely recorded without the band's full involvement, they had to figure out how to perform all those songs live. That process seemed to fully level the band up into who they are today. They weave together electronic and acoustic elements in a way that almost blends the era of The Bends/OK Computer and Kid A/Amnesiac — slightly but permanently leaning toward the latter. Hail to the Thief is the first album they created after this process, and you can hear them still awkwardly figuring out how to make this kind of music as a full band. The album as a whole is less cohesive than what's come before, and it's a smidge bloated and just a little undercooked. Still, every song here has something that I love, and just by virtue of it being my favorite band, I've listened to it far more and for far longer than 90% of other music. It has a handful of my very favorite songs ("There, There", "The Gloaming", "Where I End and You Begin", and especially "A Wolf at the Door") and everything that I didn't just list is still a song I know by heart and never skip, with maybe the exception of "We Suck Young Blood" and "I Will", which you kind of have to be in the mood for. There's a 10-song tracklist that Thom threw out once in response to a message board Q&A that I maybe *slightly* prefer it, so going to throw it in here: There, There The Gloaming Sail to the Moon Sit Down. Stand Up Go to Sleep Where I End and You Begin Scatterbrain 2+2=5 Myxomatosis A Wolf at the Door

Remember when people thought George W Bush was as bad as it could possibly get? Almost makes you nostalgic. Speaking of rethinking your 2000s stances, this project has made me wonder why I drifted away from Radiohead post-Amnesiac, as this and In Rainbows are both belters.

One of my favorite Radiohead albums ever

Melancholisch album, eindigt hoopgevend. Heel sfeervol

Oh thank god I've been waiting for a great album. Radiohead I owe you my life.

A little bit of everything they do. All of it brilliant.

este álbum me hace acordar mucho del único concierto de radiohead que fui y me deprime un poco (de una buena manera) thom yorke hdp ponete a laburar y volvé lpm

I love Radiohead so of course I'd already listened to this album, but at the same time it's not one I tend to listen to much (other than some specific songs I really like), so sitting down to listen to the whole thing really made me appreciate some of the tracks I've paid less attention to such as: "Sit Down. Stand Up" and "Backdrifts", since both feel like they're precursors to the style the band would explore in The King of Limbs. However, I don't think it's as strong of an album compared to Kid A + Amnesiac, or In Rainbows.

After listening to OK Computer earlier on in my 1001 I feel like I can say that I prefer this album. It's still got that radiohead vibe to it but I enjoy the overall sound of this album better.

The first radio head record I ever listened to. Love it

This band should definitely have all albums included!

Radiohead are one of my all time favourite bands so I’m biased, I consider this to be 5 stars all day. But trying to be objective, I thought about what about this album justifies the 5 star rating. Firstly, this album goes on a journey and feels complete as a whole composition. Secondly, they show that after Kid A & Amnesiac that they can still get their guitars out and kill it, while still incorporating electronica. Lastly, all of the songs hold their own in my opinion, 2+2=5 and there there are absolute bangers, but other songs like Where I end and you begin, myxomatosis, and A wolf at the door are all really solid as well.

more radiohead comin' your way. previous albums by these guys leaned on electronic, now these guys are dragging back in their rock roots for a "best of both worlds" kind of take on the music. all radiohead albums are worth the listen in my humble opinion. i can't put into clear words as to why this album is great... the spontaneous, creative and very MYSTERIOUS aesthetic it creates and embodies throughout its runtime is indescribable. you just gotta listen to it. form a meaning yourself then get back to me.

it surprised me that i’ve only heard the first song before, but it gotta be in my radiohead’s top 3 releases! i love how sadness here is less melancholic and more dark/edgy. a wolf at the door is gorgeous!!!!!!

This is the fourth Radiohead album on my journey. Some time after touring for Amnesiac, the band went to work on their next record, recording in Hollywood over two weeks. There was a consensus to return to the more guitar-driven work of their earlier releases, while still incorporating the electronic elements of Kid A and Amnesiac. The other aspect of this album would be Thom Yorke's observations of the discourse around the war on terror, not necessarily making a political statement, so much as letting it all in. What came out would be known as Hail to the Thief. Let me get the common criticisms out of the way and address them, cause otherwise they're gonna haunt me for the rest of the review. The general complaints regarding Hail to the Thief are that it's too long and that several ideas on this record are underdeveloped. Even the band itself felt that the record was unfinished and could have been edited down. The closest I will ever come to agreeing with those detractors is that I do find "I Will" rather short at just under two minutes. Yet even those two minutes are some of the most spiteful writing Thom Yorke has ever done, after seeing news footage of a bomb shelter full of families and children destroyed in the Gulf War. In fact, let's ponder on this some more - what songs would people really want cut from this tracklist? Because I've seen Thom Yorke's alternative tracklisting five years after Hail to the Thief came out. As someone who just defended "I Will", and will also stick up for the equally vindictive "A Punchup at the Wedding", the feelings of discomfort with seeing the world regress on the electronic loop of "Backdrifts", and the gloomy spiritual tune of "We Suck Young Blood" that neatly satirizes celebrity culture, I can't fathom what tracks would be even considered for the cutting floor. If anything, this album continues to become even more relevant with the continued prevalence of fascist ideology in the world, and the feelings of dread and anxiety in dealing with it all. Sure, it can make for a moody listen, but poignant, as the band never shied away from confronting those fears and temptations head-on. All the while, the instrumental compositions managed to be just as enticing, including the crescendoing hard-hitting opener "2 + 2 = 5", the lush piano ballad "Sail to the Moon", the acoustic jaunt of "Go to Sleep", the driving layered percussion of "There, There", and that delicious fuzzy bassline on "Myxomatosis". It all culminates with the sinister spoken word of "A Wolf at the Door", as Thom vents about his frustrations with a capitalist society over a vibrant string-synth-led arrangement. I do feel that Hail to the Thief holds up remarkably well in Radiohead's catalog, despite any frustrations that the band and their audience may have endured. It may be a loaded album, but I would not leave a single track behind.

I mean is Radiohead, of course it’s amazing. I LOVE THIS ALBUM

(93/100)

me encanta Radiohead, y este disco no es la excepción, de lo mejor que escuché. Todo el disco es excelente, me quedé con Go To Sleep, una obra maestra en mí opinión. Lo mejor que me recomendó hasta ahora esta página fue este gran disco.

Duh

music is love

esto y un café negro para sentir algo

Another album that I've had several songs floating around on my playlists for years. "2+2=5" "Sit Down, Stand Up" "Sail to the Moon" "Where I End and You Begin" "There, There" and "I WIll" are all great. "Go to Sleep" is probably my favorite underrated Radiohead song. Also had somehow missed "Myxomatosis" and liked that too!

love this record

I love Radiohead. I'll listen to anything they'll produce. What a great album.

Classic

Believe it or not, this is where I came on board. I knew Radiohead, very much liked Creep but when my brother (who was a day one fan) picked up Pablo Honey, I was less than impressed and when I heard singles, I was like that guy’s whiny and I don’t like it. I saw them on (I think) Conan during this album cycle and was like “but whu?” Within a month, I had the entire back catalog.

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief (2003) Вывод: тревожный и фрагментарный альбом; музыка как реакция на ощущение политической и внутренней нестабильности. Hail to the Thief одна из самых беспокойных пластинок группы. Если предыдущие работы строились вокруг довольно чёткой электронной холодности или абстрактности, здесь музыка звучит гораздо более нервно и рассыпано. Альбом будто собирает разные состояния: раздражение, тревогу, усталость, иногда почти саркастическую иронию. Странные ритмические структуры, которые появились у группы в начале 2000-х. Мне особенно заметно ощущение нестабильности. Многие песни развиваются неожиданно: структура может резко измениться, ритм сместиться, распасться. Иногда создаётся впечатление, что композиция специально не стремится к аккуратному завершению. Даже в более спокойных моментах остаётся ощущение скрытого беспокойства. Отдельно для меня работает атмосфера альбома. В нём много намёков на политические реалии начала 2000-х, но песни не говорят об этом прямо. Скорее возникает ощущение общего фона мира, где информация, страх и пропаганда смешиваются в одно шумное пространство. Музыка передаёт это состояние через фрагментарность и тревожную репетативную энергетику. Тревожное, противоречивое и  параноидальное настроение.

Classic. Amazing.

Masterpiece. 5/5. This is the reason I got heavily into this band. 2003 tour for this album. Group of around 15 of us went. I was hesitant as I thought Kid A and amnesiac were ok. Didn't get the hype. Boy did they changed my mind. Hearing these songs and others from all their previous albums changed my perspective of what a live show could be.

I love this album. I love its older siblings & I love its younger siblings. They are not *my* children of course, but I love them in much the same way--differently, but equally. Equally *and* differently. I can (and do) listen to the entire thing--no skips--for days at a time. When my brain begins to anticipate the transition from one track to the next, I'll switch to shuffle and keep the party going. Reading others' reviews it seems there is a significant amount of backlash against RH at least in part due to the stans who insist they can do no wrong. I understand that sentiment and indeed probably fall into that crowd for some other acts. For this group tho I suppose I'm standing with the stans. I hope (& try) to not be a d-bag about it. On the special S-tier scale that sits elevated above the masses I'm putting this at a 4.95. On the normal scale that equates to a sparkly 5 with a glowing halo and servants gently fanning it with palm leaves

Not even the legendary Kevin Shields could hold a candle to the cherubic fuzzscapes of a lush Radiohead album.

Personal Fav from radiohead

Alltså! Har inte alls lyssnat lika mycket på denna platta som tex in rainbows, kid a eller ok computer, men det är ju toppen det här med! Spännande harmoniskt med så jäkla bra ljudbilder! Jag är svag för en snygg 5- eller 7-takt också. Väger mellan 4 och 5. Det är väl inte deras bästa album, men nog är det en femma ändå!

This is one of the hardest albums I've had to rate. In terms of Radiohead's discography, this falls short, but in comparison to others, it is one of the best on this list I've listened to thus far. I feel a 9 is best to rate this, but that is not an option. This album is not perfect either, Thom has that weird moan at one point... ut at the same time the political themes and consistent themes carry this album, the new rock/electronic sound of Radiohead works well before it is perfected in In Rainbows...A highlight so far for sure.

Love it. One of their more underrated albums IMO.

This feels like it splits the difference between Kid A/Amnesiac and OK Computer/The Bends. Best of both worlds!

2+2 = Low 5

The highs outweigh the few lows.

I’m giving Hail to the Thief the lowest 5… the highs are so high and the lows are still pretty high. I agree that its inconsistent and would benefit from an edit but it’s still a fantastic, beguiling, frenetic album

5.0 3x + 1x live. what can i say ..one of my favorite albums that has been listened to so many times and still great

Sonically amazing...My favorite Radiohead album so far