Hail to the Thief

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Hail to the Thief · After Kid A and Amnesiac, which had been made with a great deal of studio experimentation, Radiohead wanted to work more spontaneously. In September 2002 the band went with producer Nigel Godrich to Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles. There the group recorded most of it in two weeks, about a track a day, with an emphasis on live recording rather than overdubs. Singer Thom Yorke wrote lyrics under the impression of the election of George W. Bush and the war on terror. He combined political language with fairy tales and children's books.

The sound is more rock than on the two predecessors: live drums, guitar and piano, and less processed vocals. The opener 2 + 2 = 5 was a studio test and was finished in two hours. The album entered at number 1 in Great Britain and won a Grammy for best engineered album. The band members later found it too long and unfinished.

Listening

Track list

1. 12 + 2 = 53:19Apple Music ↗
2. 2Sit Down. Stand Up4:20Apple Music ↗
3. 3Sail to the Moon4:18Apple Music ↗
4. 4Backdrifts5:23Apple Music ↗
5. 5Go to Sleep3:22Apple Music ↗
6. 6Where I End and You Begin4:29Apple Music ↗
7. 7We Suck Young Blood4:57Apple Music ↗
8. 8The Gloaming3:32Apple Music ↗
9. 9There, There5:24Apple Music ↗
10. 10I Will1:59Apple Music ↗
11. 11A Punch Up at a Wedding4:57Apple Music ↗
12. 12Myxomatosis3:53Apple Music ↗
13. 13Scatterbrain3:22Apple Music ↗
14. 14A Wolf at the Door3:21Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗