Radiohead: Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003-2009)
Radiohead dropped a surprise album yesterday, a live album of songs from Hail to the Thief. You can find the album on various streaming platforms, including Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. The band’s lead singer Thom Yorke says of the album:
In the process of thinking how to build arrangements for the Shakespeare Hamlet/Hail to the Thief theatre production I asked to hear some archive live recordings of the songs.
I was shocked by the kind of energy behind the way we played and it really helped me find a way forward.
For us, back in the day, the finishing of this record was particularly messy and fraught, we were very proud of it but there was a taste left in our mouths, it was a dark time in so many ways…
Anyway we decided to get these live recordings mixed (it would have been insane to keep them for ourselves) by Ben Baptie, who did an amazing job.
It has all been a very cathartic process, we very much hope you enjoy them.
Radiohead is great live — they should rerelease live versions their whole discography. I’m listening to this right now, thinking about a friend who is no longer with us; they would have loved this album.
Comments 1
At this point, Hail to the Thief is the Radiohead I go back to the most. Takes me right back. I had so much angst pointed towards Bush admin then. Not unlike today, just a different setup (and much worse!) Their timing, bringing this one specifically back up, is perfect.
These recordings are excellent.
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