Hail to the Thief

Released 9th June 2003
I bought it: Pre ordered the limited edition map version through CD Wow but that took weeks to arrive. I think I wrote a lot of angry blogs about this at the time.

Where I was…
This was the summer before I went off to university. All manner of first times took place over those few weeks, I think I was self consciously doing a lot of living in order to make myself sound more interesting when I eventually arrived at uni. This was also a few years down the line in terms of illegal downloads, and Soulseek was the new Lamacq, offering all manner of musical delights to download for free. There was one user I think was called Standpipe who frequently had the latest releases and leaked demos, but you were always bottom of the queue when it came to getting stuff from them.

It was through Soulseek that I had already heard a large portion of HTTT via bootlegs of the tour they had done possibly around the Mediterranean. There was also an Xfm broadcast of their Earls Court gig around this time that I have on CD somewhere. Taking me back to Kid A, there was another Evening Session special show where Lamacq enthused over the new album, the party possibly being hosted in Thom Yorke’s house. Yorke ended the show by playing a solo version of Sail to the Moon. I spent the show in a Radio 1 chat room, never getting my terrible questions put to the band.

There was also a Glastonbury headline slot this year, and they showed pretty much the whole thing uncut on BBC2. I remember it being mesmerising. Festivals were about to become an annual event for me. I’d been to Reading 2000 and was about to go to V2003. Every year since then I’ve gone to one festival a year, often more. This included V2006, where I finally saw Radiohead live for the first time.

I ended up going to V2006 with a guy who I was ridiculously in love with at the time, but naturally he didn’t feel the same way. It wasn’t helped by me making a pass at him the night before which he knocked back in the politest way possible. But I digress. After a ridiculously corporate experience the year before, I said I’d never go to V again “unless they get Radiohead or something”. And they did, so I had no choice. It was a good day in the end, featuring Bloc Party, Jamie T, the Young Knives, Beck and then finally Radiohead, in a buoyant mood in what must have been a break from recording In Rainbows.

I remember them doing a few new songs that night which turned out to be Nude, Bodysnatchers and All I Need. It was a powerful set that probably reduced me to tears several times. I mean look at it - True Love Waits!! It had the benefit of them not plugging a particular album so it was an even mix of songs. Creep was also chucked in there, which was alright I guess.

What I thought then…
“Bloated” was a word I genuinely used to describe HTTT at the time (pretentious journo again). Full of great songs, but too long. What to lose though? Take out the “non guitar” songs, and Kid A feels like a failed experiment. Take out the guitar songs and the purists will continue their whingeing. So just throw everything at it? Yeah, why not. Besides, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that this was a long album. Their previous mammoth recording session spawned two records, and even In Rainbows after this had a second disc of offcuts.

One not entirely pleasant memory I have of this ear is listening to the 2+2=5 or Go To Sleep CD singles in my grandparent’s house, bored in the spare room, wanting to be anywhere else. We would usually go there each summer, and I used to love it, but by now I was in full on sullen teen mode. It would be the last time I ever spent a week there.

What I think now…
2+2=5 is a powerful opener, A Wolf At The Door a mighty closing track and There There is still towering and magnificent, but like Amnesiac it goes a bit all over the place. Go To Sleep mirrors Knives Out’s need/record company demand to “make a single” that then soon became a bit forgettable. Some stricter editing might have elevated this album slightly. There are a few regularly performed classics in here (and The Gloaming) but you can’t imagine a lot of this being played live again.

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I just want to be your lover...