The Arc of a Live Band: Radiohead's New Collection Captures a Pivotal Era

Radiohead’s new live album, *Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003-2009)*, captures the band in peak form.

For a band as revered for its live performances as for its studio albums, the news of a new Radiohead live album, Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003-2009), feels less like a new release and more like the opening of a time capsule. Spanning the band's tours for two of their most dynamic and distinct records, Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows, this collection promises to showcase a band at the peak of its powers, navigating the digital age with a potent mix of urgency and transcendent beauty.

The period from 2003 to 2009 was a fascinating one for Radiohead. The tours began in the wake of Hail to the Thief, a record that channeled post-9/11 paranoia and political frustration into a powerful rock statement. The live shows of this era were raw and kinetic, a welcome return to a more guitar-driven sound after the electronic experiments of Kid A and Amnesiac. Tracks like "2+2=5" and "Myxomatosis" took on an even greater intensity on stage.

But the story doesn't end there. In 2007, the band revolutionized the industry with the surprise digital release of In Rainbows. The album's live performances brought a different energy—one of delicate intimacy and expansive warmth. The live recordings from this part of the tour captured the intricate layers of songs like "Reckoner" and the soaring emotion of "Jigsaw Falling Into Place." This new collection, by bridging these two distinct eras, offers a unique perspective on the band's journey, from the political turmoil of the early 2000s to the quiet, introspective brilliance that followed.

Hail to the Thief track listing

1.      "2 + 2 = 5" ("The Lukewarm.")

2.      "Sit Down. Stand Up." ("Snakes & Ladders.")

3.      "Sail to the Moon." ("Brush the Cobwebs Out of the Sky.") 

4.      "Backdrifts." ("Honeymoon Is Over.")

5.      "Go to Sleep." ("Little Man Being Erased.")

6.      "Where I End and You Begin." ("The Sky Is Falling In.")

7.      "We Suck Young Blood." ("Your Time Is Up.")

8.      "The Gloaming." ("Softly Open Our Mouths in the Cold.")   

9.      "There There." ("The Boney King of Nowhere.")

10.    "I Will." ("No Man's Land.")

11.    "A Punchup at a Wedding." ("No No No No No No No No.")

12.    "Myxomatosis." ("Judge, Jury & Executioner.")

13.    "Scatterbrain." ("As Dead as Leaves.")

14.    "A Wolf at the Door." ("It Girl. Rag Doll.")

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