After two albums filled with quite a few strange and surprising, yet quite wonderful leaps and bounces, I found myself sitting at 12 o'clock at night in my mother's living room with Radiohead's 6th album "Hail to the thief". It was quite dark in the room, I had cigarettes and ashtray ready and I had just acclaimed to my mother : "I am extremely sorry mother, but I just gotta listen to this, and I gotta do it now."
I was very anxious as I put the cd in the cd-player and silently crossed my fingers in my mind hoping that there would be some rock on this two. Kid A and Amnesiac had been great album, but I had kind of missed Radiohead the rock album.
I pushed play and 2 + 2 = 5 started. I was instantly thrilled. The first rumbling chords and then the great first riff that glides along in 7/8 promising that something else will soon happen. In the background, small climpering noises just painting the whole photo. Then they seemingless goes into 7/8 and it's like they are stretching it further and further before... KABOOOM... Oh yes, that was rock for you. That whole build up still gives me goose bumps. And then suddenly... we fall through another rabitt whole and is suddenly into some psycho 60's rock theme, and just when that is getting boring. They cut away half the instruments before coming back in full speed. By the 3. theme I was rocking half sitting, jumping on the floor. I of course as always had to use about 6 more listenings before I developed my usual love for the rest of the album, but 2+2=5 will always be a favorite of mine. I think it also be my favorite album starter of all time. Genius.
And here it is of course:
Great live from Letterman
That O'Brian CAN sing :)
Live on Later!
Observe Colin's jumping, that they all walk backwards at the KABOOM that I mentioned before,
(Personal highlights for very dedicated fans: Thom's screaming of "screaming" at 1.40, 2.55 the gutiar that stops and starts- great sound cuting going on there, and the naaaat, naaat in the end).
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