Hail to the Thief - Radiohead

Intense songs for teens to ponder; not for kids.

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Common Sense rates it
3
Heard the music? Review it
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Music details
  • Artist(s): Radiohead
  • Genre: Alternative Rock
  • Label: Capitol
  • Parental Advisory: No
  • Edited Version: No
  • Release Date: 07/08/2003

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that musically this CD should appeal to sophisticated teenagers who long for something other than standard pop music. There's sex and violence, disguised as self-indulgent poetry.

Families can talk about the emotional issues explored in the songs, including the impact of 9/11 on the country and the world. The intensity of the lyrics is bound to spark discussion.

Message

Social Behavior:

Several references to violent behavior might make parents a bit queasy.

Consumerism:

No obvious commercialism.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

"You had to piss on our parade, You had to shred our big day, You had to ruin it for all concerned, in a drunken punchup at a wedding."

Violence

The violent themes here, such as "smacks you in the head, knifes you in the neck, kicks you in the teeth" and "Steal all my children if I don't pay the ransom" could be scary for younger kids.

Sex

Sexual references are disguised as self-indulgent poetry.

Language

The ever-popular "f" word appears several times.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Kathi Kamen Goldmark

On HAIL TO THE THIEF, Radiohead offers intense, complex musical arrangements and obtuse, poetic lyrics to express the uncertainty and powerlessness many of us feel in our post-9/11 world. The music's sweeping emotions carry the listener from melancholy to hope and back again, and require more than a few listens to appreciate. The violence in many of the lyrics may be scary for younger children and unsettling to parents, but politically conscious teenagers will argue that they have a point -- and they might well be right.

Is it any good?

3
More eloquent and metaphorical than Radiohead's "The Bends" (and far less rock & roll), there's a lot here for the searcher and the self-absorbed. The main attraction though is the music: dramatic, confusing, interplaying melody and cold electronic sound, it's anything but boring.
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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 6 reviews.

5


Posted on 07/09/08 by rusup88 Adult contributor

Definitely for more mature kids out there

I think it would be more beneficial for older kids to listen to this album, because its themes are often dark and ambiguous. However, that's not to say that vocalist Thom Yorke's vocals don't ring with a beautiful sense of urgency, bringing the lyrics to the forefront, or that the record is full of these dense atmospheric sounds that draw you in and hypnotize. I still find all these new intricate details every once in a while, and I've owned it for 5 years now. Definitely something worth sitting down with your kids and listening to. Tip: To get the most out of the sounds of the album, listen to it with headphones :)
5


Posted on 06/11/08 by radiohead Kid contributor, age 13

Beautiful

This is a wonderful and beautiful album. and it saddens me that not many people really appreciate Radiohead.
5


Posted on 11/09/07 by idioteque Kid contributor, age 16

Great album

One of radiohead's best
5


Posted on 12/15/04 by Flip-flop Kid contributor, age 13

A great album

This is one of my favorite Radiohead albums up against Ok Computer and The Bends. I'm sure that kids my age would like it, but when I ask them, they say "Radiowhat?" <p>Some people may not know this, but the title "Hail to the Thief" refers to George Bush (as Thom York, the lead singer, is very anti-Bush) and the song 2+2=5 refers to "Fuzzy Math." <p>Sorry, I got off-topic. The swearing is kept to a minium and I have heard the f-bomb only twice (in "Wolf at the Door.) I enjoyed this album very much, and I especially liked the creepy mood that the band creates. It's much softer and less natural then their previous albums, and I highly recomend it.
2


Posted on 04/22/04 by Forknose Kid contributor, age 15

I Just Didn't Like It

As my title said. I just didn't like it. It wasn't a very interesting or good album.
3


Posted on 02/26/04 by Robin4 Kid contributor, age 14

A bit slow and chilling, but not DEPRESSING perse...

It's definitely not their best album, but it doesn't have all the stuff some people think it does. It's not incredibly depressing. It won't hurtle you into a shady, reclusive stage. It has no sexuality. It has no drug references. It has the "f" word a couple of times, but I have listened to this album a lot and the maximum would be about three. I think the only problem here is really that younger kids won't find it interesting.

Adult Reviews

There are 1 reviews.

5


Posted on 07/09/08 by rusup88 Adult contributor

Definitely for more mature kids out there

I think it would be more beneficial for older kids to listen to this album, because its themes are often dark and ambiguous. However, that's not to say that vocalist Thom Yorke's vocals don't ring with a beautiful sense of urgency, bringing the lyrics to the forefront, or that the record is full of these dense atmospheric sounds that draw you in and hypnotize. I still find all these new intricate details every once in a while, and I've owned it for 5 years now. Definitely something worth sitting down with your kids and listening to. Tip: To get the most out of the sounds of the album, listen to it with headphones :)

Kids Reviews

There are 5 reviews.

5


Posted on 06/11/08 by radiohead Kid contributor, age 13

Beautiful

This is a wonderful and beautiful album. and it saddens me that not many people really appreciate Radiohead.
5


Posted on 11/09/07 by idioteque Kid contributor, age 16

Great album

One of radiohead's best
5


Posted on 12/15/04 by Flip-flop Kid contributor, age 13

A great album

This is one of my favorite Radiohead albums up against Ok Computer and The Bends. I'm sure that kids my age would like it, but when I ask them, they say "Radiowhat?" <p>Some people may not know this, but the title "Hail to the Thief" refers to George Bush (as Thom York, the lead singer, is very anti-Bush) and the song 2+2=5 refers to "Fuzzy Math." <p>Sorry, I got off-topic. The swearing is kept to a minium and I have heard the f-bomb only twice (in "Wolf at the Door.) I enjoyed this album very much, and I especially liked the creepy mood that the band creates. It's much softer and less natural then their previous albums, and I highly recomend it.
2


Posted on 04/22/04 by Forknose Kid contributor, age 15

I Just Didn't Like It

As my title said. I just didn't like it. It wasn't a very interesting or good album.
3


Posted on 02/26/04 by Robin4 Kid contributor, age 14

A bit slow and chilling, but not DEPRESSING perse...

It's definitely not their best album, but it doesn't have all the stuff some people think it does. It's not incredibly depressing. It won't hurtle you into a shady, reclusive stage. It has no sexuality. It has no drug references. It has the "f" word a couple of times, but I have listened to this album a lot and the maximum would be about three. I think the only problem here is really that younger kids won't find it interesting.

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67 votes