Radiohead "Hail to the Thief"

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:14 am

My wife bought me this (I think to shut me up about how much I like "OK Computer") and I listened to it, maybe ten times before shelving it as inferior.

But this last week it's been on shuffle on my MP3 player and I feel like I'm getting it. But I hate to be snookered and I know those guys are kind of jerks. Every song seems to rip someone off at some point, usually with some glaring vocal affectiation (notably Bowie, and Beck), or just its sensibility (a whole song just sounds too U2y). It's usually brief, and it's never really in your face, but it's all over the place. I'll document it if anyone cares, but I'd rather not take the time otherwise.

So I ask you who are more in the know than I: Homage or jest? Is it a pop cassorole because that would be cool, because they're just dicking around, or out of ideas, or making some subtle point, or something else?

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:21 am

i don't hear the ripping off of other bands. this album is friggin' awesome.

but really, what band doesn't rip off other bands? if i had a dollar for every time i ripped off beck (accidentally)...

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:18 pm

fodroy wrote:i don't hear the ripping off of other bands. this album is friggin' awesome.

but really, what band doesn't rip off other bands? if i had a dollar for every time i ripped off beck (accidentally)...

Definitely a great album. The beauty wasn't obvious to me at first, but I'm a bit impatient sometimes---the slowly evolving atmospherics were over my head for a while. Sounds like a skate punk channelling Pauline Oliveros. But there's real discipline and craft in there.

Maybe "ripping off" is extreme. So you know these songs. What do you call this musical event? In "2+2=5", at 3:08 it's suddenly like a Bowie parody. A Hunky Dory moment. I don't think it's just me. There are others, but maybe I'm being paranoid. You've ripped off Beck uninentionally (we all unconsciously rip off our favorites, how can we not?), but the first minute of "A Wolf at the Door" is like an impersonation of Beck. It sounds so intentional, almost like they were laughing about it when they wrote the lyrics. But again, maybe I'm just listening too carefully.

All that said, "Go To Sleep" should be taught in grade school. Or at least SongFight! school. Incredible.

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:28 pm

Forgive me if I'm just stating the blatantly obvious here; I have yet to hear this album, and now I'm very interested in checking it out. That said, the title of the album must at least indicate their intent, no?

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:31 pm

Funny, but somehow doesn't ring true. The title seems more political and some pretty cynical themes run through it. The stylistic allusions (better than "rip offs" perhaps) are small and subtle. If they're there at all, which I'm now starting to think they aren't.

john m · Post by **john m** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:37 pm

In all the times I've heard it, I never really caught any allusions to other artists. Maybe I'm missing it, I don't know. I especially didn't hear any Beck in A Wolf at the Door... unless you mean We Live Again, but that's just a slow 6/8 song, those pretty much all sound the same. (Muse - Blackout?)

Overall, it's a good album, but not great. Individual tracks shine (2+2=5, Myxomatosis, There There, some others), but the thing as a whole feels like it drags, partly because of some weak tracks (Sit Down Stand Up, Sail to the Moon, A Punchup at a Wedding, others), partly because of the style.

c.layne · Post by **c.layne** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:29 pm

it is most definitely inferior to ok computer. it has some of my favorite radiohead songs on it, but it also has quite a few of my least favorite

i'm not certain about the ripping off of other bands, mostly in part of me not being familiar with many of their influences (besides talking heads) and i don't hear much talking heads ripping off (!!)

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:46 am

john m wrote:I especially didn't hear any Beck in A Wolf at the Door...

This was the only one I caught. The vocal delivery in the verses mimics easily half of Beck's Mellow Gold / Odelay repertoire, and a few of his more recent songs. It's that sort of mumble-core half-sung white-boy rapping that makes me smile.

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:13 am

Puce wrote:mumble-core

Good one.

I'm giving it up. It's not there. Just my imagination. The singer is just playing around with his voice, and everything sounds like something.

I'm still hooked on this album, though I predict I'll be sick of it by May. For what it's worth.

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:04 pm

Mostess wrote:
Puce wrote:mumble-core
Good one.

trademarked, copyright, (R), Drew Tetz.

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:52 pm

blue wrote:
Mostess wrote:
Puce wrote:mumble-core
Good one.
trademarked, copyright, (R), Drew Tetz.

I consider anything from the dumbrella era to be public domain.

mkilly · Post by **mkilly** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:24 pm

this album... it isn't very good.