In Rainbows

If you told me this was the same song ten times, I'd believe you.

Radiohead is one of the bands I've always wanted to love but still haven't quite embraced to their fullest. Their originality, musicality, expressiveness, talent, the undeniable influence on so many others; it's all there. I don't really understand why I haven't connected more strongly with this band. Kind of a "perfect match on paper but for some reason, no chemistry" story for me. Giving 5 stars to show the respect they deserve.

Excellent. It doesn't get more Radiohead than a song about a video recording you'll leave behind after you die

Listening conditions - home theatre, without distraction. Albums First Rodeo? - No way Stand out tracks 15 Step - wonderful guitar, sick drum and bass style beat - that time signature!!!!! Bodysnatchers - classic Radiohead track. Like something from the early era. Turn it up! All I Need - moody electro and unsettling lyrics carry this track to it’s perfect crescendo. Jigsaw Falling Into Place - I was close to awarding a stand out to the track before, House of Cards for its attempt at a striped back track. Then JFIP hits with the perfect balance of simplicity and production. One of the best tracks outside of the powerhouse duo up front. Videotape - Play is out boys, play us out No misses to note what a phenomenal album.

A generous 2 here, difficult to score as it’s hard to hear the tunes over the sound of Thom Yorke sniffing his own rose scented flatulence while peddling the latest incarnation of the musical equivalent of the emperors new clothes.

“If Thom Yorke fucking shit into a light bulb … it’d get 9/10” -Noel Gallagher Jeg skulle ønske jeg klarte å like Radiohead.

This album did not let me cold. Firstly when I listened to it I would certainly rate it a 4. Fortunately I kept thinking about it the whole day and suddenly I listened to it two more times. First 5 of this list

Amazing. A fucking masterpiece of worldclass. The motifs they use in their songs can be described as intriguing, intense and insidious. They perfectly combine dark tones with dark lyrics in their more oppressive songs. They know when to rattle you with some upbeat melodies with harsh vocals and accompanying instruments. I have had a deep respect for Radiohead for experimenting, but damn I don't think I've ever heard this album before.

Putting the rad in Radiohead.

Nice, I guess I like radiohead

Gloomy and mellow, with plenty of imaginative ideas to keep the listener intrigued. "No matter what happens now, you shouldn't be afraid because I know today has been the most perfect day I've ever seen" Lovely lyrics on the closing track! A pleasant way to end the album.

An hour of the sound you make when for an hour you have been making an amazing curry but at the last moment realise you have no rice!

Another classic. It's super complex and experimental but extremely well mixed. Would have to listen for a while for it to really like, click, but has one of my favorite songs on there - Videotape

I just don't like Radiohead.

I really tried to give this a listen with an open mind, honestly I did. Unfortunately it's the same unfinished-sounding noodly background music with whining on top that I've come to expect from these Emperor's New Clothes incarnate. Horrible

Probably one of the worst albums I’ve ever heard

Radiohead's current description on Spotify starts with "At some point in the early 21st century, Radiohead became something more than a band." Ugh. What in the self-righteous pretentiousness. These guys really came together to make yet another self-indulgent piece of work. Sure, there were moments where the music was actually a bit catchy. But then it would by drowned out by another stretch of random nonsense, or Thom Yorke's whining. Enough with the Radiohead records please 😩

Beautiful songs and instrumentation. Everything flows - feels very cohesive. Not even my favourite Radiohead album, but still a masterpiece.

My first experience with Radiohead. I want to hear more, but I think I did them. This album wasn't distinctive enough to really capture my attention the whole time, but the music was good. I'll be back for more

Gross. This is my "being contrarian" musical opinion: I just can't fucking stand Radiohead. They're in the same class as Coldplay for me, pretentious music for pseudo intellectuals who think they have taste. Can we get a Muse album up in here instead please?

The androids find life, love, and oblivion all at once.

Hunting guitars and vocals combine to create an incredible album.

Radiohead will always be the band that a generation of people who wanted others to think they were 'deep intellectuals' and 'get music' said was their favorite. If you tell me Radiohead is your favorite band, I don't need to know anything else - I know exactly what type of person you are. I don't dislike Radiohead but I'm sort of indifferent about them. They have some good songs but if I never heard them again I wouldn't really count it as a loss. This album is fine. It's a good listen but it doesn't really stand out from any other album of the time to me. And I get the hate for Thom Yorke, he does seem like a super pretentious dude and that totally carries over into his band. I actually like his voice which is a sticking point with a lot of people. I can't really pick a favorite song, or even one to highlight, from this album. They all run together but in sort of a good way. The songs are structured well although they never really take off but I think that's kind of the point. 3/5

Wow. You either have to be a huge nerd or high on god knows what drug to like this

Terrible. Couldn’t get through it. Tried a couple times.

boring

Legendary.

My favourite Radiohead album. The songs have such an energy that hasn't been recaptured in their work before or since. I'd say it's their most accessible album. Every instrument and note has a purpose and every time I listen to it I hear new elements. It's recorded beautiful and every element can be heard clearly. An incredible album that has aged beautifully.

I love this album. Every song hits. It’s full of emotion, the lyrics are great, thom’s vocals are pristine and angelic. The drums on this thing are hypnotic, the pattern on weird fishes is so good. Nude is devastating. The distortion and rage of body snatchers is cathartic. Videotape sounds like I’m dying alone in a dungeon. All I need is what took me to that dungeon. Perfect album.

Maybe not as popular as the their earlier works, but a true masterpiece of song crafting and sound dynamics.

10/10. my early adolescence. this is in my all time top 10, maybe 5

Most Radiohead albums I can only appreciate like a beast observed in the wilderness: I can see and hear the beauty and power, but I don’t feel invited to go up and snuggle. I love In Rainbows. This and Moon Shaped Pool are the only two Radiohead albums that I truly love. Radiohead have always been an enigma to me: why do people love this complicated, somewhat whiny band with a lead singer you can’t understand, and obtuse music that is nether especially rocking or especially spacey: caught in the Twilight Zone. Lyrics and vocals have always been central to my love of music, but since my older brother loved Radiohead and would anticipate each new release with excitement, I tried my best to find something to love. In Rainbows cracked the code. Here was an album with grooving, energetic, rocking music that nonetheless maintained that complex core, while also inviting the listener to enjoy and partake in their musical joy. It offered me a greater appreciation for their other work. Bonus props to them for the unique release strategy.

Best of.

I know this is a 5, so I'm attempting to review without recently listening to the album. The details are fuzzy, but when I think about In Rainbows I think relaxed. I think about their performance of the album from the basement more than the studio version. They seem like a real band - just the 5 (6?) middle aged dudes standing in a round, facing each other, listening to each other, jamming. It also sounds exactly like the studio album. Flawless but jammy. Thom sounds less uptight when he has a guitar strapped on instead of sitting in front of a MIDI controller and Pro Tools. Did the subject matter change as well? I can't think of a single track that has the classic Radiohead isolation-by-dehumanizing-corporate-technology vibe. The standout memory of In Rainbows is the end of the song (Nude?) where the vocals finish with that ascending major "ahhhh". It's so uncharacteristicly angelic and unironic. I picture Thom's cranky ass rising into the clouds, naked as a hairless cat, yellow-toothed smile, and a halo. A+

Pricks

Not great, didn’t really do anything for me.

PLEASE give me a decent album to listen to instead of more garbage

Radiohead again? Convinced this is the only way they will be heard is on a required listen list. Not me cup of tea💂🏻

BOOOOOOOOORING!

One of my fave albums of all time. I think it’s because most tracks weave that that classic Radiohead pervasive uncertainty and slightly tense harmonic state into such a listenable mellifluous composition. Everything makes sense, but in a way you’d never compose yourself. This is true in the harsh programmatic drums in 15 step, the bass/guitar interplay in nude, the wandering fuzzy bass in all I need. This album sounds like an introspective moment which leaves you feeling at once uncomfortable but peaceful under the newfound clarity.

I love Radiohead. And this album is no exception. Haunting and beautiful. Perfect way to close out the work week.

One of my all-time favorites

A triumph

9

Love love this album. Lyrics, music, Thom's voice. Arpegios

This might be my 4th favourite Radiohead album. Easy 5 :D

Honestly it's like my 4th or 5th favorite Radiohead album, but still fire and I listen to it pretty regularly. I don't really think I can give any of their albums from OK Computer through In Rainbows anything other than a 5 because they were all formative as hell. This one was a grower though, I definitely didn't like it in 2007 as much as I do now. So it goes.

Nunca entendí el mame por Radiohead, solo escuchaba algunas canciones (incluida Creep porque basic). De este álbum conocía solo “House of cards” que sí me gustaba bien. La verdad debo admitir que este disco me pareció bastante ok, a mi lista de canciones de Radiohead que aguanto ahora agrego “Bodysnatchers” y “Reckoner”. Aunque no sé bien cómo evaluarlos, voy a ser benévola porque cuando vi que tocaba un disco de ellos sentí mucha hueva pero escucharlos fue una bonita sorpresa.

Con Radiohead tengo una relación bastante cordial, jaja, porque me gustan los discos que he escuchado, aunque no me clavo con ellos. Son pocas ocasiones en las que me dan muchas ganas de escucharlos y bueno, ahora tras reescuchar el In Rainbows con intención de evaluarlo, quiero decir que es un disco sin skips para mí. Hay muchas cosa acá, mezclas, con cuerdas, percusiones, que su rock, que sus sonidos electrónicos, etc. Me gusta todo, desde lo más "rockero", como "Bodysnatchers" o "Jigsaw Falling Into Pieces", hasta lo que son casi baladas, como "Nude" o "Videotape" con su pianito. "Weird Fishes / Arpeggi" me gusta mucho también. Un sonido que pues yo digo que sí ha dejado huella para muchas bandas. También muy padre eso de haberlo lanzado en línea y que pagaras lo que gustaras por él. 9.5/10

Top 3 albums of all time

This is Radiohead at the peak of their powers. What's remarkable is I'm not sure any of these songs would be in anyone's top five radiohead songs. But half of them are probably in my top 10. This is one of the few LPs where you are compelled to listen end to end. The sequence and transitions from song to song are brilliant. Just like a jigsaws falling into place.

The first album in this project that I own on vinyl. Radiohead are my Beatles and this is one of their best. They do what other bands can't which is evolve, stay ahead of their fanbases and maintain an incredible level of quality. This album has some of the best Radiohead tracks ever, but I can pick anything out as the album is so good. I'm giving this 5 stars but it's also made me wish I'd not given previous 5 stars out as this is a cut above.

Not listened to this for years but still sounds great to me. Kind of the mid point of old Radiohead and new, it's got the classic song structures but no guitar solos (unfortunately)

This album is amazing.

I don’t know what I expected, but not this? I’ve admittedly haven’t listened to Radiohead much outside of Creep. I think I’ve been missing out. This album is interesting musically and lyrically. Kind of like rock, jazz, and EDM mixed into one.

Masterpiece

I would have said this is my second favorite Radiohead album after "Kid A", but you know what? It might tie for first place. It doesn't hurt that it came out while I was living in Japan, deep in the honeymoon phase, where everything was groovy. Love the atmosphere of this album, blending urgency with otherworldly - exactly my jam. Fave tracks - "Videotape" is such a badass closer. Most of the other tracks could get individual mentions, too. And if we're expanding things to disc 2, "Last Flowers" is stunning...

A fave of mine :) Listened on Vinyl!

I’ve been a Radiohead fan for many years, but it’s taken me a long time to believe all the hype heaped upon “In Rainbows” (or the revolutionary “pay-what-you-want” album, in music critic shorthand). I’ve always enjoyed it just fine, but have never found it to quite match up to the band’s best (“OK Computer”, “Kid A”, “A Moon Shaped Pool”). When it was generated for me here, and I finally had to condense my feelings into a 1-5 rating, everything changed. At this stage in their career, Radiohead were billed as coming back down to earth from their most outlandish sonic experimentation and politically charged material. The story goes that they set out to make warmer, more intimate, indeed sensual songs than their last few albums. And “In Rainbows” pulls it off against all odds. Ten years on from everybody’s favourite social-intellectual-outcast album “OK Computer”, how have we arrived at a record where Thom Yorke can sing “I don’t wanna be your friend / I just wanna be your lover” and it doesn’t feel remotely unnatural? The answer is that “In Rainbows” walks a fascinating line. It’s mostly calm and serene at a surface level, brimming with melancholia, but a raging storm is barely concealing itself beneath. The opening track, “15 Step”, encapsulates the sonic palette of the record: Yorke gliding from calm and collected to manic and paranoid, a warm and intimate Greenwood guitar figure that slowly develops into something more unhinged, an electronically treated drum pattern, bursts of children cheering. Then, we’re hit with “Bodysnatchers”: an explosive rocker showcasing Radiohead really letting loose: no pretensions, no fat, all surprises. And just as we might be figuring out the shape of the record, in comes “Nude”, a song first rehearsed for the OK Computer sessions. It’s an absolutely gorgeous ballad, with a classic existential Yorke lyric: “Don’t get any big ideas; they’re not gonna happen”. The rest of the songs break through casually at first, like pretty shells washing up on a beach, but each of them contain multitudes. Even though I’ve never understood the outpouring of love for “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”, I can’t deny it’s an impressive composition, weaving cascading arpeggios into a powerful climax. “All I Need” is a love song as much as they’ve ever written, but still has all the gravitas of a funeral march: that’s versatility. Finally, “Reckoner” and “Videotape” are truly haunting, heavy with a sadness to overpower most of Radiohead’s own catalogue. “In Rainbows” still might not be my favourite Radiohead record, but having spent more time with it I can no longer argue that it deserves less than five stars. A comfort listen as much as a challenging one, mature but still exciting, this one exemplifies the art of aging gracefully.

Like the hypomanic brother to Kid A's depression. Fantastic stuff, through and through.

Perfection.

This is better than I remember it. I'm still nostalgic for OK Computer Radiohead, but some of that is here. I start to lose touch with it, though.

I loved this album when it came out, and I saw Radiohead play it at Victoria Park. It’s interesting that this has become the preferred Radiohead record for Gen Z (Austin Butler referred to it as his old faithful - cringe) as when it came out it was considered their most accessible and therefore un-Radiohead album yet. My tastes have shifted away from Radiohead in the intervening years but this album still brings back happy memories of a great band coming back with a great record.

Liked it, a couple of really great songs. My favorite is still OK Computer.

This is a really neat album. Some Alice in Wonderland meets Post Punk vibes. A lot of neat experimentation and very satisfying as a whole. Fav tracks: Bodysnatchers, Weird Fishes / Arpeggi, All I Need

Solid album but definitely had some obscurity to it. I’m not familiar with radioheads game so not sure where this falls on their discography, but I’d dint hate it. And I’d probably listen to some of these songs again.

I've listened to this before. I wanted to give it a 3 before re-listening. Then I listened again. It's so good. Minimum a 4.

I really need to spend some more time with Radiohead. It was raining while listening to this and House Of Cards and Videotape stole the show for the vibe.

I have a hard time looking past the influences that Radiohead draws from on their latter day records. Sure, I see the Can and Neu! influence, some Brian Eno, a little Sonic Youth and maybe some Velvet Underground sprinkled in, but I don’t really see Radiohead taking that influence and making it into something more interesting than what their influences have already done. As an example, I really liked “Bodysnatchers”, but that’s because it kind of felt like Can by way of Sonic Youth, at least musically, and if forced to choose, I’d pick anything by those bands over that song. This is a very pretty and well produced record, without a doubt. It’s just that despite their influences, Radiohead is, to me, kind of a boring band.

Enjoyed this, but can't explicitly say why. None of the songs particularly stuck out, but as a whole a pleasant listen.

not in my top 3 radiohead albums. Took me a while to come around to the very punchy avant-garde sounds throughout many of the tracks. All I need is in my top 7 radiohead songs though so gets a bump for that.

I remember what a big deal this one was. I think they sold it online and anyone could pay whatever amount they wanted to pay for it. Everyone lost their shit over it too, but I never really thought it was that great. I still don't. OK Computer is the quintessential Radiohead album as far as I'm concerned. This is fine, and Reckoner and Jigsaw Falling into Place are great. And I know they have a huge following and they're geniuses at melding instruments with tech music, but it's still a "meh" for me.

Eerlijk gezegd kijk ik niet zo uit naar dit album van Radiohead. Ik ben zoals eerder vermeld fan van de eerste albums en op een gegeven moment afgehaakt, omdat het mij allemaal te experimenteel werd. Op zich zullen er altijd wel een paar interessante nummers bij zitten, maar ik verwacht weer veel te veel moeilijkdoenerij en net niet lekker in het gehoor liggende snobmuziek. En dat is soms vermoeiend, daar heb je simpelweg niet altijd zin in. Nu ook weer, het begint al gelijk met een gemaakt beatje, wat niet lekker klinkt. Geen drummer die lekker los mag gaan op de drums of een funky sound neer mag zetten. Nee, het moet weer klinken alsof ze wat emmers op zijn kop hebben gezet en de drumstok vervangen is door een bezem. En was dat maar zo, dan zat er nog iets origineels in, maar het komt natuurlijk uit een computer. Ik hoor wel dat er verder best een paar aardige nummers op staan, maar ik heb hier vandaag gewoon allemaal geen zin in, in die interessantdoenerij. Ik heb vaak genoeg allerlei bonuspt uitgedeeld, maar vandaag ben ik een zure man. Radiohead is gestopt na OK Computer en de rest hadden we wat mij betreft allemaal niet hoeven horen.

weird

Not as good as the bends and honestly nothing stuck with me

This was really all background music for me. 2.5

Wasn't the best.

I felt asleep. I rather be sick than listening to this album.

Meandering and self-indulgent. I hated this slightly less than other Radiohead albums post OK Computer, but I would still never willingly listen to this for fun.

I still think Radiohead is perhaps the most overrated band of all time. Not terrible but like how is this anything special? I don't see it

Onks radiohead emojen coldplay? Ei sinänsä mitään vikaa mut kyllästyin jo neljännen biisin kohdalla ja kynsin hampain kuuntelin loppuun. Ehkä tää on albumi johonkin toiseen elämänvaiheeseen.

Wow, this album is boring! 2 stars or D- because I always need sleep.

I don't understand the Radiohead love to be honest.

I think I've heard enough Radiohead to determine this isn't a band I enjoy. There may have been a song or 2 I thought was decent, but the more I keep hearing these guys, the more I'm even despising the song Creep. Thought this album slow, boring with zero drive to be entertaining to whatever audience they are seeking. That basically sums up every album I've listened to from this list and it seems we've had too many. No more Radiohead, please. It wasn't offensive to the ears, so I'll go with a 2. But damn, even a 2 was a stretch. 2

2 Noel Gallagher once said, “I reckon if Thom Yorke fucking shit into a light bulb and started blowing it like an empty beer bottle it’d probably get 9 out of 10 in fucking Mojo”. After having now listened to five Radiohead albums on this list (out of their nine total), I couldn’t agree with Noel more, though I think none have epitomized the spirit of that quote quite as well as this album right here. Look, I don’t outright hate the evolution of Radiohead’s sound - in some ways I even have a sense of respect for it - but it’s at a point here where Thom Yorke’s head is fully up his own ass. This isn’t nearly as deep or insightful as it pretends to be, nor is it even entertaining for that matter - it’s just the dude whining over a bunch of ambient stuff. I honestly have nothing else to say on this - at least they didn’t make people pay for this shit. While a large part of me wants to give this a 1, I can’t quite convince myself it’s objectively one of the worst things I’ve heard - but it’s far from what it’s made out to be.

I think I miss the hype a little bit

quieter and whinier than I thought radiohead would be. less rock. more emo

Good background music if I'm ok being bummed out.

No

Nein danke

What is my generation's obsession with this droning, incoherent noise factory? Am I not being pretentious enough? I've tried, I REALLY have, but I just. Don't. Get it. I love Creep, but it turns out that's because it's just an old goddamn Hollies song! Could not tell one track from the other on this collection of nonsense. Gets a 2 instead of 1 bc it has a few decent beats, and I was on occasion interested in some of the instrumentation, but those were the sad bits of passable sausage in am exceptionally weak gravy.

Still don’t like Radiohead. Two stars because they are able to play their instruments. But that’s it

You know what, if I can give Marvin Gaye 2 stars I can give Radiohead 2

Is Radiohead emo? Do they need a hug?

Too winge and not all the songs are great.

I just can't get into Radiohead. It all sounds the same, so I can see if you like one of their songs you would like all. I'm just not one of those people.

Boring, couldn't understand lyrics Excellent production

Weird. And I am not sure it’s in a fun way lol

Ok. Not funny. I liked the Bends but two albums later? Cmon. This is radiohead at peak fart sniffing pretentiousness.

Man, I wish I could suck myself off the way Radiohead do after making the MOST boring music that gets constant universal critical acclaim.