when your favorite band disappoint you/Radiohead's new album "Hail to the Thief"

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I think as a title that is just so childish and politically simplistic and obvious, and basically amounts to empty sloganeering, an empty statement. It's insecurity, a feeling of inadequacy, realizing the songs aren't very political, wanting to be political in times like this, and seizing an album title and an already existing anti-Bush slogan as an opportunity to do so. It is pointless, it is a last minute grab at some straws, and ultimately it is absolutely meaningless and unhelpful.

Politics are important to me, of course, but this is just a cursory gesture by a band that feels like they have a reputation to uphold, that feel like they have to say something, however ineffectually.

I'm really disappointed, though I couldn't really explain the depth of it to all of you.

Anyway, here's the tracklist. It's a good one. Shame they're marring the album with this.

2 + 2 = 5
Sit Down. Stand Up.
Sail To The Moon.
Backdrifts.
Go To Sleep.
Where I End And You Begin.
We Suck Young Blood.
The Gloaming.
There There.
I Will.
A Punch-Up at a Wedding.
Myxomatosis.
Scatterbrain.
A Wolf At The Door.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:28 (twenty-three years ago)

'wolf...' and 'i will' have been about for years haven't they ?
no 'lift' still i see. the 'coldplay' one as it's called.
yep rotten title, but then so is 'ok computer'. 14 tracks ?
same as blur's.

― piscesboy, Monday, 24 March 2003 17:34 (twenty-three years ago)

OK Computer is nebulous and bland. Neither here nor there. Hail to the Thief is just plain stupid.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Hail To The Chimp wouldve been better

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:48 (twenty-three years ago)

...maybe it's a reaction against all the clever bands releasing such oh-so-original and thought-provoking albums...in a way it's more tolerable than if they were to release any album with subtle hits directed at the U.S....maybe they've given up taken themselves as seriously as they do...

...maybe i'm grasping at straws myself...

― Brett G., Monday, 24 March 2003 17:50 (twenty-three years ago)

an abysmal title. i was certain they were subtler than this. is it completely final? any of the track titles (as uncertain as i am about those notwithstanding) would've made a better album name.

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, it's final. :(

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:53 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll restrain my liking-or-disliking of Hail to the Thief as album title until I hear all tracks in proper progression + seen the album artwork.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Melissa, here's our chance to create all-white ultraminimalist album art (with a title like .xc or ---0011-) and use it to replace the actual Hail to the Thief art. (I like the idea of a Bizarro Radiohead that subscribes more closely to my aesthetic ideals.)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

First thought: this is so deliberate and silly, and I don't see how they could not see that
Second: It's actually quite funny

Yes, it's quite embarrassing if they take this 100% seriously, but certainly the album sleeve will have cute bears on it and they will play up the jokiness of it cartoonishly? Wishful thinking, perhaps. I do love Radiohead's music, and it's meant a lot to me, but not politically. I thought most of their politicking was done outside the music, though you doubtless know more than I do.

― Adam A. (Keiko), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Typically they have kept it separate from their music, and I think they do feel strongly about this... But it's a tiny and ultimately silly gesture that I think reflects poorly upon their judgment.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Which is what makes me hope they're aware of how silly it is.

And that "2+2=5" (as a title) is equally shit should be noted.

― Adam A. (Keiko), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

they should have a teddy bear or a kitty as the alb cover.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

melissa ALL radiohead album titles have been terribly dire

i mean 'radiohead' as a band name ain't exactly poetry either

anyway i'm probably the only one who's not too bothered by "hail to the thief" as an album title

i think you can read it in lotsa different ways

im just happy its not "are you listening?"

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

the idea that they all take it 100% seriously sez a lot more about you lot that do than it does about radiohead, now dunnit

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

anyway all sloganeering is intrinsically empty

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

2+2=5 would be a much better title.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, don't get me going on the name Radiohead, I hate that too.

They could have come up with something that DID have multiple implications, but this is a phrase that has a very specific meaning, a very specific reference. It's not at all nebulous, it was a phrase created to refer to Dubya and Dubya alone.

It's nearly as bad as when they very nearly called Kid A "No Logo".

I'm happy it's not Are You Listening? though that was never actually in the running, and I'm really hard-pressed to see how this is an improvement.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:04 (twenty-three years ago)

its been done on ILM to death: any band who tries to say something vaguely political is always going to be ridiculed by someone. its a risk that its taken.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

taking sides: when the artists has more fun than/at the expense of their audience vs. the audience's need for crippling portent

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

But I don't mind political. This is just so...pathetic. It is a 12 year old punk's idea of political.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

taking sides: when the artists has more fun than/at the expense of their audience vs. the audience's need for crippling portent

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:10 (twenty-three years ago)

You posted that already, you scamp.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:10 (twenty-three years ago)

"hail to the thief" -> said totally sarcastically @ dubya, rolling eyes
"hail to the thief" -> where public sway mandates the support of the dissenters
"hail to the thief" -> positions compromised by capitalism
"hail to the thief" -> both sides of yr mouth
"hail to the thief" -> a pro-soulseek stance

melissa it may be a bit played but i think like "ok computer" and possibly "kid a" its got a poetic malleability

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:12 (twenty-three years ago)

i noticed that even when i reposted it i chose not to correct the grammatical error

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:13 (twenty-three years ago)

"no young blood for oil"

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:15 (twenty-three years ago)

"zip it, rip"

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Can someone please explain to me what the big deal is? I have no understanding whatsoever of Melissa's reasons to be upset about... an album title that doesn't mean anything to me when I look at it.

― JoB (JoB), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:17 (twenty-three years ago)

anyway, it doesn't matter...its the contents that do and I'm not too hopeful.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:19 (twenty-three years ago)

"it's the end and where is menachem begin?"

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, but Mark, this phrase is a pre-existing one. As many layers of meaning as you or I want to take away from it, the fact stands that this has only ever had one meaning.

I mean, look at http://www.knowthecandidates.org/ktc/bush.htm

I really think it's lazy appropriation.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:19 (twenty-three years ago)

"the dream police"

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:21 (twenty-three years ago)

The title has no currency in Britain.

― Cozen (Cozen), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Dissertation title #1: "Examples of lazy appropriation in the work of Radiohead".

― Cozen (Cozen), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:23 (twenty-three years ago)

"I Raq."

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:24 (twenty-three years ago)

"Tie Rack".

― Cozen (Cozen), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:26 (twenty-three years ago)

melissa seeing as how nearly all of the best lyrical snippets from the last two albums were re-appropriations and re-contextualizations of well-known spoken memes ("women and children first," "you and whose army" etc) i don't think its fair to criticize them for more of same

i also don't think its fair to say resolutely that this phrase only ever had one meaning like thats all it WILL have

of course it will change in the face of their usage of it

the act of questioning their appropriation of such a trite slogan does half of that work already!

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Radiohead is a great name because it's from a great song.

Hail To The Thief is a terrible 80's hair metal type of title. Still, the record will have A Wolf At The Door on it, which should more than make up for it.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:27 (twenty-three years ago)

"air-wolf at lake tharthar"

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Still, the record will have A Wolf At The Door on it, which should more than make up for it.

It will (and I totally called it for the closer!), but I really just can't help but be disappointed. This title had been a rumor for the past week and I'd been telling everyone, "Oh, don't worry, it's complete bs, I'm sure. Certainly Radiohead aren't descending into parody THAT much!"

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:35 (twenty-three years ago)

+++I think as a title that is just so childish and politically simplistic and obvious..

sort of like most of the fans huh ??

― kephm, Monday, 24 March 2003 19:53 (twenty-three years ago)

How daring you are.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 19:56 (twenty-three years ago)

it is terrible when your favourite band dissappoint you-happened me with sfa-rings around the world,which came after mwng,still my favourite album ever
i'm just hoping that its just a case of noone being perfect,and that the next one will be a return to form....
amnesiac is my favourite radiohead album,but i hadn't really invested too much hope in the new one,i'm still looking foreward to hearing it though...

― robin (robin), Monday, 24 March 2003 19:58 (twenty-three years ago)

actually melissa,i know its a long shot,but seeing as how you're the resident radiohead expert here,you might be able to help me with something...
a few years ago,when i was really into radiohead,i read an interview with thom yorke in which he was talking about his favourite album...
it was (i'm almost certain) a live charles mingus album
at the time i didn't really have much interest in jazz,so i only vaguely remember this
anyway,i've been making an effort to get into jazz recently,and the person that i've liked most is mingus,so i'd be curious to hear the record thom yorke was talking about...
i'm sure you probably have no idea,but i thought i'd ask on the off chance...

― robin (robin), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Robin, knowing the tracklisting, I think the album will be really astonishing. I think it's just a shame that they had to muddle it all up with half-assed preaching to the choir.

I think they should have called the album "The Gloaming". Simple, ambiguous, and evocative.

(Amnesiac is my favorite too)

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:06 (twenty-three years ago)

It was The Complete Town Hall Concert.

(The handclaps on "We Suck Young Blood" are stolen from "Freedom" on that album)

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:08 (twenty-three years ago)

is that the one he heard ghosts on?

its k-good

i will listen to it when i get home

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:08 (twenty-three years ago)

how about calling it 'Night Games', or 'Singing To The Night' - i mean if you're gonna go ironic lets not muck about

something Fila Brazillia-esque might've worked though e.g. 'Power Clown', 'Black Market Gardening' or 'Old Codes New chaos'

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:09 (twenty-three years ago)

cool,nice one melissa,that's been at the back of my mind for ages but i was sure i'd never find out...
i must try and track it down...
thanks again

― robin (robin), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I like the name Radiohead.

― David Allen, Monday, 24 March 2003 20:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Skipping 29 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

jesus,that's just solved a two year old mystery,stemming from when my friend pointed out that loads of techno records have nilz the echange in the run out groove
nice work JoB!

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 02:41 (twenty-three years ago)

neither will ever be as cool as Mike's - The Exchange. Or Porky Prime Cut.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 02:43 (twenty-three years ago)

i resent being referred to as 'the first guy'. i've been here for three years dammit! i need to take over the statscock.

and i would take Cunning Stunts over Mastered By Guy At The Exchange any day.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 02:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Shhh first guy.

Love,
Second Guy

― original bgm, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 02:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, we have to combine our powers if we ever hope to overthrow the Third Guy.

― original bgm, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 02:58 (twenty-three years ago)

kneel before the might and majesty of... The First Two Guys!

― Dave M. (rotten03), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 03:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I forsee a great and noble victory.

― original bgm, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 03:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Not quite the worst title ever, but man, when you could use "Myxomatosis" or "We Suck Young Blood" instead... Bleah.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 03:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Maybe they're throwing a Richard D James by giving their albums stupidass titles as well as releasing most of the best tracks from the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions as b-sides. Perhaps they're trying to gain a reputation as this laughably pretentious band who's best years are behind them (thereby allowing them to create their music in peace).

― xnelio xx (xnelio), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 03:33 (twenty-three years ago)

melissa, clever/not clever? on ilm? never.

just as nickalic was saying: how can judgement be passed yet?

anyone remember radiohead doing 'creep on the arsenio hall show?
i dont care, i always like that song*

― kephm, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 04:44 (twenty-three years ago)

^liked

― kephm, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 04:44 (twenty-three years ago)

I really think/know the album will be great.
But I think the decision to title it thusly was just a rash one.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 04:47 (twenty-three years ago)

The Thief would have been a nice title.

― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 05:15 (twenty-three years ago)

you can get some good titles from anagrams. "The Hit, A Hot Life"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 05:19 (twenty-three years ago)

or "O, I Felt the Hi Hat"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 05:20 (twenty-three years ago)

i can't wait until radiohead prepare their next album, "beat up waiter"

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 05:21 (twenty-three years ago)

(this reporter suggested "waitergate", but was shouted down at the press club)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 05:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Radiohead in 'politically simplistic' shockah!

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 06:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

I should leave.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 06:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Am I the only person who has never heard the slogan "hail to the thief" before?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 09:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I haven't.
But it fits Bush like a glove.....

― russ t, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 10:30 (twenty-three years ago)

'Hail to the Chief' would've been kickass and might've fit their prev use of phrases more into the bargain, tho yes it would've just looked super "clever" sarcastic I suppose

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:08 (twenty-three years ago)

'Hail to the Chef' would've been better. It could have Radiohead bbq-ing on the cover.

― original bgm, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh man that'd be BEAUTIFUL! Thom offering Phil a sizzling sausage, Ed sunbathing, Jonny flying a kite, Colin offering beers round, ahh.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:15 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm torn - I hate Thom Yorke as much as i hate George W. Bush, but for different reasons of course

― Dadaismus, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Myxomatosis would be a good title, because it has the required daily percentage of matos in it.

― Nicole (Nicole), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:24 (twenty-three years ago)

of course if they went black metal and called it "Hails to the Chief" I'd be all for 'em

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I say never trust a man whose eyes are too close together (Mr Bush), but I also find it hard to trust a man whose eyes are all over the place (Yorke).....?

― russ t, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought you were supposed to never trust a man with egg on his face.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:50 (twenty-three years ago)

"hail to the thief" = also kind of the sound of a band gloating -> "after years of doomsaying, something came!"

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)

...and them, too.

― russ t, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 14:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I never cared much for Radiohead until Kid A, so I am not really in a position to be "let down" by them. If you take the best bits from Kid A, Amnesiac, and the b-sides to the Amnesiac singles, you can come up with one pretty solid album. I certainly don't think Radiohead are the saviours of music as we know it, although I will give Radiohead (and Bjork) credit for introducing IDM/electronica to alot of people who might not otherwise have given it the time of day.

Despite the fact that I am as left-wing as Michael Stipe, I have traditionally been skeptical of sloganeering in pop songs - I hated "Ignoreland" on Automatic for the People, for example, and wish that Bono would just shut up forever. Radiohead are often close to Bono in their knee-jerk left wing pronouncements - How could they consider calling their last album "No Logo" when they record for a multi-national major record label? A truly radical gesture would be to release their records independently or on the Internet instead of churning out more product for Capitol/EMI, or to abandon the practice of making fans shell out big bucks for Japanese import CD singles in order to get one or two substandard instrumental b-sides.

Having said all that, I am not disappointed in the title "Hail to the Thief". Desperate times call for desparate measures. Bush did steal the election in Florida, and the United States is presently engaged in an unjust war because of it. If the U.S. media is smart enough to connect the dots, Radiohead could lose a significant number of record sales in the U.S. because of this title - some U.S. radio stations have already organized rallies to destroy Dixie Chicks cds after Natalie Maines stated that she was ashamed that Bush was a fellow Texan. In some sense, Radiohead are sticking their necks out a little a bit with the title of the record. I'm not turned off by the title - I'll wait to listen to the music on the album before deciding whether or not I like the record.

― John Hunter, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Despite the fact that I am as left-wing as Michael Stipe

wait, this is a badge of honor?

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 16:52 (twenty-three years ago)

"How could they consider calling their last album "No Logo" when they record for a multi-national major record label? A truly radical
gesture would be to release their records independently or on the Internet instead of churning out more product for Capitol/EMI, or to abandon the
practice of making fans shell out big bucks for Japanese import CD singles in order to get one or two substandard instrumental b-sides.
"

i don't agree that musicians shouldn't try and influence people politically,but this is a very good point

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 17:11 (twenty-three years ago)

From the beginning, Radiohead haven't lied about their political inclinations, so the fact that they are continuing on the same vein isn't a surprise. It certainly wouldn't hurt them if they released the CD independently, but how likely is that? I say they should continue feasting on Capitol's cash, as long as they can.

As I loved them even more since the newer direction they began with "OK Computer", bring it on! Sure, some of the titles are silly, but since when did we even care?

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 17:50 (twenty-three years ago)

I have no problem per se with bands feasting on major label cash, but I do have a problem with Radiohead feasting on Capitol's cash while simultaneously engaging in juvenile "No Logo" anti-globalism rhetoric. Maybe they believe they are subverting the corporate system from within with their music, I dunno. If Radiohead, or any other anti-globalism protester, actually followed through with their rhetoric by dropping out of the system, that might be interesting. It has always interested me that music, which at first glance would appear to be one of the most uncommodifiable art forms, is in fact one of the most commodified. I enjoy collecting records as much as anyone, but the whole practice of releasing multiple CD singles of the same material with slight variations in the b-side material, limited editions of albums, Japanese-only releases with exclusive bonus tracks, etc. is a much of a capitalist money grab as anything that Texaco or Nike are guilty of.

― John Hunter, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 19:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Japanese-only releases are like that for a specific reason though. In Japan, buying music imports is much cheaper than buying domestic, so the record companies try to give incentive to buying domestic with things like bonus tracks, earlier release dates, and special editions.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 19:23 (twenty-three years ago)

I understand those reasons for Japanese releases to feauture bonus tracks, etc., but I do believe that artists and record labels exploit the Japanese releases by shipping them to the U.S. as high-priced imports. I've bought a few at my local Tower Records myself. I like Dido (okay, let the flames begin) and I just threw down $30+ for the Japanese import of her album No Angel plus two "Japan-exclusive" bonus tracks. I'm sure the record companies are aware that a fairly substantial number of US and European record collectors are willing to pay a substantial premium for these "Japanese-only" releases. If you want to get really philosophical about it, you could argue that the reason that imports cost less in Japan than domestic releases is due to inequities in the global marketplace and/or the Japanese government's artificial attempts to protect its domestic industries, recording and otherwise, from those inequities. Which I thought Radiohead were against - but they are complicit in this whole process. While browsing at Tower Records I noticed a "Japanese-only" Radiohead EP that features almost, but not quite, the same tracklisting as the US Airbag EP. I'm sure there are Radiohead obsessives who will buy the Japanese EP, the Airbag EP, and all of the British CD singles from OK Computer featuring the same b-sides such as Palo Alto and whatever other tracks I can't be bothered to think of off the top of my head. If Radiohead were really, truly anti-corporate, wouldn't they insist on universal releases of their CD singles to avoid such exploitation of their fans? Or put the material on the album to begin with as bonus tracks? Or issue a b-sides compilation so fans wouldn't have to track down ridiculously priced cd-single imports?

― John Hunter, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 19:42 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

I think they should have called the album "The Gloaming". Simple, ambiguous, and evocative

Looks like you got your wish, Mel C - at least partially. According to Pitchfork, The Gloaming will be the album's alternate title.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:21 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

I doubt anyone will read down this far. However:

I was unaware of the origin of the title. Now that I know, I like it more.

Firstly, it's ridiculous to say that there can only be one meaning to the title, as I'm sure almost everyone outside of the States will be unaware of the original meaning.

Secondly, "Hail to the Thief" can be taken to refer specifically to GWB, or it can be taken more generally as a sarcastic hailing of all the many thieves among us - in other words, the liars, cheaters, and criminals referenced in many of Radiohead's songs - such as "The Trickster", "Lewis(Mistreated)", "Bishop's Robes", and "Cruel Intentions" (to name a few) and railed against in "Knives Out" and of course "Wolf at the Door". This second interpretation makes more sense to me, as Radiohead has never made direct political statements in their songs, preferring to make more general critiques of society. (eg. "Creep")

― Liam Doherty, Monday, 16 June 2003 06:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I've come to kinda like the title Hail To The Thief. I thought it was pretty bad at first, but it works if you see/hear/read it enough.

Also: the way that Thom Yorke sings the words on "2+2=5" makes a big difference.

Also: I like to think of the phrase as not being specifically aimed at the Bush administration, but in reference to a culture in which being cutthroat and merciless is a respectable thing, at least if it makes people money. It's about unjust and unethical people in power in general terms. It's not about a single election, it is about a lack of honor and integrity in general.

That said, if I had to pick a title from the titles on the record for the album, I would have chosen "Little Man Being Erased."

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 16 June 2003 08:24 (twenty-three years ago)

They could have come up with something that DID have multiple implications, but this is a phrase that has a very specific meaning, a very specific reference.

The first time I, and I guess many people, heard the phrase was in connection with Radiohead. It's a very lyricy or poemy phrase, do real people actually say things like that out loud without feeling pretentious?

Even if it has a very specific connection for some people now, it won't have in a few years. It's fairly ambiguous.

― mei (mei), Monday, 16 June 2003 11:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I say they should continue feasting on Capitol's cash, as long as they can.

If any band are making money for Capitol then Radiohead must surely be doing so.

Radiohead are not feasting on Capitol's cash! They're making money for Capitol

― mei (mei), Monday, 16 June 2003 11:09 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

Just dug this out again recently and I have to say that Melissa W is right, though R'head are far from my favourite band. 2+2=5 is worth it for thom's j. rotten impression, and 'where i end and you begin' is wonderful - the only song to hold a candle to past glories like Let Down.
but by and large this album suffers from a surfeit of drear. too many tracks are just minimalist tinklings vaguely evoking bodies falling from skyscrapers. I can't understand why There There is so well loved either, it's such a non tune, the sort of forgettable ditty that smashing pumpkins used to come up with.
As for the politics, Matthew P's comments above seem pretty OTM to me.

― dr x o'skeleton, Monday, 6 March 2006 14:05 (twenty years ago)

the sort of forgettable ditty that smashing pumpkins used to come up with

This kind of comment doesn't work with me, I should note.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 6 March 2006 14:07 (twenty years ago)

There There sounds like Animal Collective a little bit.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 March 2006 14:35 (twenty years ago)

holy shit do i wish Animal Collective actually sounded like "There There".

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Monday, 6 March 2006 14:39 (twenty years ago)

With Sean here...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 6 March 2006 14:59 (twenty years ago)

whatever you may feel about their latest work it seems clear that radiohead are still the most important band going. by important I mean leader of the industry, like the beatles in the 60s, the stones in 70s, fleetwood mac/talking heads in the 80s?, nirvana in the 90s... mainly because no one in rock has dropped an album as monumental since ok computer .

― JB Young (JB Young), Monday, 6 March 2006 18:00 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

I've found some live versions of Sit Down Stand Up that are curling my toes.

― Sleep Tundra (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:34 (seventeen years ago)

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