Album of the day (#2816): Hail To The Thief by Radiohead - Music

RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

Stover75 wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

I used to listen to this like every day for probably a year (I never use hyperbole). Anyway, eventually it just got so depressing and sucked the hope out of me so much so, I didn't listen to it for like 5 years.

Musically and conceptually I find it fantastic, but it does grind on me and turns me off eventually. I suffer enough from cognitive dissonance, I don't need to be reminded on how screwed up we all are all the time. Just sometimes.

It's incredibly powerful that way though, imo

I find its ideas very interesting and I get that it's their most overtly political album and they were venting a lot of anger about things like the war in Iraq and stuff. And I like the aggression and the cynicism on the album. But for me it just lacks TUNES. Melody seems to have got lost on the way. Maybe this is deliberate on their part Idk. But then again I love The King Of Limbs so...

It just doesn't grab me like their other albums. Plus it's too long to sustain my interest.

Makes sense. I suppose there's the "hit" There, There... it was on the radio a bunch (KROQ) when I lived in LA at least. More than any other radiohead song other than creep. But you are right, this isn't an album full of hits, and happy go lucky music... quite the opposite. I really do like the music though, it just depresses the hell out of me...

"Just because you feel it, doesn't mean it's there."

The dual song titles.

If there was an album to epitomize cognitive dissonance, this is it.

Funny thing is Radiohead claims the title has anything to do with Hail to the Chief or the Bush/Gore election, even if incredibly fitting for that. Another cognitive dissonance...wrapped in an enigma. God damn... I'm already depressed just thinking about this album.

Also fun story is I stood in a pile of vomit at The Hollywood Bowl for this tour.

LordMark

Gender: Male
Age: 36
Location: Ontario

You know you're listening to one hell of a band when this is only your 7th favourite album of theirs. Here's how I listen to it...

1. 2+2=5
2. Sit Down, Stand Up
3. Sail To The Moon
4. Backdrifts (criminally underrated)
5. Go To Sleep
6. Where I End And You Begin
7. There There
8. I Will
9. A Punch Up At A Wedding
10. A Wolf At The Door

Personally, I don't like "We Suck Young Blood", "The Gloaming", "Myxomatosis", or "Scatterbrain". It's these songs that prevent me from loving this album as much as the 4 that preceded it, In Rainbows, and A Moon Shaped Pool.

CharlieBarley

Gender: Male
Age: 48
Location: Mount Olympus

sethmadsen wrote:

Stover75 wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

I used to listen to this like every day for probably a year (I never use hyperbole). Anyway, eventually it just got so depressing and sucked the hope out of me so much so, I didn't listen to it for like 5 years.

Musically and conceptually I find it fantastic, but it does grind on me and turns me off eventually. I suffer enough from cognitive dissonance, I don't need to be reminded on how screwed up we all are all the time. Just sometimes.

It's incredibly powerful that way though, imo

I find its ideas very interesting and I get that it's their most overtly political album and they were venting a lot of anger about things like the war in Iraq and stuff. And I like the aggression and the cynicism on the album. But for me it just lacks TUNES. Melody seems to have got lost on the way. Maybe this is deliberate on their part Idk. But then again I love The King Of Limbs so...

It just doesn't grab me like their other albums. Plus it's too long to sustain my interest.

Makes sense. I suppose there's the "hit" There, There... it was on the radio a bunch (KROQ) when I lived in LA at least. More than any other radiohead song other than creep. But you are right, this isn't an album full of hits, and happy go lucky music... quite the opposite. I really do like the music though, it just depresses the hell out of me...

"Just because you feel it, doesn't mean it's there."

The dual song titles.

If there was an album to epitomize cognitive dissonance, this is it.

Funny thing is Radiohead claims the title has anything to do with Hail to the Chief or the Bush/Gore election, even if incredibly fitting for that. Another cognitive dissonance...wrapped in an enigma. God damn... I'm already depressed just thinking about this album.

Also fun story is I stood in a pile of vomit at The Hollywood Bowl for this tour.

Yes There There is a good song and made a good single. It's one of their better songs.

craola
crayon master

Location: pdx

LordMark wrote:

Personally, I don't like "We Suck Young Blood", "The Gloaming", "Myxomatosis", or "Scatterbrain". It's these songs that prevent me from loving this album as much as the 4 that preceded it, In Rainbows, and A Moon Shaped Pool.

but you've named three of my four favorite tracks on the album as three of the four worst on it. i think that speaks volumes in and of itself.
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RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

craola wrote:

but you've named three of my four favorite tracks on the album as three of the four worst on it. i think that speaks volumes in and of itself.

I've got eggs on my toesees too... hehe. But yeah, that synth and beat are fantastic.

antiquusxy

their weakest excl pablo honey , sorry not sorry . a partially successful merging of their 90s rock & 00s electronica that goes on for too long and idk it's just not that exciting compared to the run from the bends - amnesiac

theblueboy

I get that it's not their most exciting. In Rainbows sounded like an artistic rejuvenation agter this. Strangely though it's my favourite of theirs thrse days. It sounds their loosest, like they are not especially trying and are just seeing what comes out. I like that. It's sort of like their white album or exile on main street. Jonny Greenwood said something like that once anyway.

RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

Michael1981 wrote:

I get that it's not their most exciting. In Rainbows sounded like an artistic rejuvenation agter this. Strangely though it's my favourite of theirs thrse days. It sounds their loosest, like they are not especially trying and are just seeing what comes out. I like that. It's sort of like their white album or exile on main street. Jonny Greenwood said something like that once anyway.

hmmm... yeah!

SquishypuffDave

Gender: Male
Age: 33

My second favourite after In Rainbows. Could potentially use a bit of fat-trimming, or maybe just a reshuffle, but half of my favourite Radiohead songs are on this one. I found Kid A patchier than this tbh.

Also this says alot about are society.

jeffrey-hodgson

Do not like.