Hail to the Thief

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Intense songs for teens to ponder; not for kids.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

Not yet rated

What 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.

  • Several references to violent behavior might make parents a bit queasy.
  • 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.
  • Sexual references are disguised as self-indulgent poetry.
  • The ever-popular "f" word appears several times.
  • No obvious commercialism.
  • "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."

What's the story?

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?

 

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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What families can talk about

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.


This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Great album
One of radiohead's best

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Adult
September 6, 2011
 
Not Radiohead's best, but still...
It's no OK Computer, but it's still a very enjoyable album in it's own right. The best song is 2+2=5.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
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.

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Teen, 14 years old
December 30, 2008
 
Okay I guess
It's Okay I guess. I'd give it about 3/5 stars. Definently not Radiohead's best. Does not have any references to drugs, the word hell is used several times, the word piss is used once, and the f word is used three times. Only about one or two sexual references. Most songs contain violent behavior. The music may not be suitable for anyone under 12 because of Offensive Language.

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Parent of 19 year old
April 9, 2008
 
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 :)

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
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?" 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." 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.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
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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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Beautiful
This is a wonderful and beautiful album. and it saddens me that not many people really appreciate Radiohead.

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This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Artist:Radiohead
Release date:July 8, 2003
Label:Capitol
Genre:Alternative Rock
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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