The best news I've heard all year!

[SyrupBoy]

Pitchfork says....

Rocketing into the air on the propulsive force of their onion-powered jetpacks, Radiohead have announced the release date for their forthcoming single. Of course, they just wouldn't be the band who brought us "Creep" if they didn't deliver this news in an unorthodox and indisputably precarious manner. Come next month, the single(s) for "2 + 2 = 5" will hit UK shoppes all spread-out like on two CD's and a DVD to boot. Across the various formats, the single will feature a remix of "Myxomatosis" by Christian Vogel (perhaps better known as "a guy who makes experimental techno"), a demo version of "There There" (or is it "The Boney King of Nowhere"? Keep us on our toes, o kings of awkward pretension!), the original mix of "I Will", and a boneshockin' remix of "Scatterbrain" courtesy of electro-acoustic snugglebunny (and erstwhile tourmate of the emerald isle) Four Tet. The DVD will include clips for both the title track and for "Sit Down, Stand Up."

It should've been the second single, but better late than never. If this gets released to radio, I'm almost positive it'll do better than Go To Sleep...which was easily the worst single of their career.

YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION!

[insect2]

I think I'm the only person who thought "Go To Sleep" was actually a good song.

[SyrupBoy]

Don't get me wrong, 'Go To Sleep' is a decent song. It's just an awful single in comparison to what they could've released. It seems like the song's rightful place would've been as a Bends-era b-side...but then again, I think all of the Bends-era b-sides would've made better singles!

[halo19]

I agree completely with SyrupBoy. It's decent, made #34 on my chart for being Radiohead, but I think this would be a great choice. "Where I End And You Begin" is very U2-reminiscent and would make a good single. Thom sounds excellent on that one. "Myxamotosis" is excellent, and I wouldn't mind seeing that as a single. Both make better single selections than "Go To Sleep", and I'm fine completely with "2+2=5", which made the top 10 there without a single release. Really, GTS doesn't even sound in place on the current album. It's hard to listen to right after the Kid A-esque techno of "Backdrifts". To me, that song is also a low-point of the album, though it's not bad at all.

[SyrupBoy]

Well, so much for Go To Sleep. I just saw Radiohead on Letterman, and they played 2+2=5...which rocked, of course. Hopefully this is a sign that the single might actually get a push over here...

[Nicholas2.0]

I think my favorite song on the album, after "There There" would be "Myxomatosis." In fact, I don't care for "2+2=5" much. It's fine, but then when the tempo picks up, I don't like where it goes. I don't like the abrupt ending, either. Now that I've been able to fully digest Hail to the Thief, this the order of how I like the songs.

1. There There
2. Myxomatosis
3. Where I End and You Begin
4. A Punchup at a Wedding
5. Go to Sleep
6. The Gloaming
7. I Will
8. Backdrifts
9. Scatterbrain
10. 2+2=5
11. Sail to the Moon
12. Sit Down. Stand Up.
13. A Wolf at the Door
14. We Suck Young Blood

I honestly can't pick a favorite Radiohead album between albums 2-5, but I like this one decidedly less. I remember hearing deleted Honey in '95 and again in '98 and not caring for it either time. I'd say that 10-14 on my list are the 5 worst Radiohead songs on all of albums 2-6.

[halo19]

LOL, while I don't consider Hail to be the best Radiohead album, it is certainly better than Amnesiac, IMO. That one was like a Kid A reject album, despite the fact that no one says that. 4 of the songs are really excellent, tracks 1 and 8 are good but not as much as typical Radiohead; while the rest of the songs aren't even good. Especially that awful "Morning Bell/Amnesiac" track. It should have been left like it was on Kid A. And "Pulk/Pull revolving doors" isn't focused at all, so it kind of annoys me. Other than "Hunting Bears" which I'm leaving off, the songs try to make a sound but fail at it. And Thom's vocals are kind of grating on those.

On contrary, other than "Sit Down. Stand Up", and the fact that some song aren't as high-quality Radiohead, Hail To The Theif is one of the year's better releases.

[halo19]

The new single in the US will be "A Punchup At A Wedding". I'm not really against that, it's better than some radio choices.

[SyrupBoy]

halo20 said:

The new single in the US will be "A Punchup At A Wedding". I'm not really against that, it's better than some radio choices.

You have to be kidding me.